The International Franchise Association (IFA) defines a franchise as "a contractual relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee in which the franchisor offers or is obliged to maintain a continuing interest in the business of the franchisee in such areas as know-how and training; wherein the franchisee operates under a common trade name, format or procedure owned by or controlled by the franchisor, and in which the franchisee has made or will make a substantial capital investment in his business from his own resources.”

For the most part, there are essentially three different types of franchise arrangements: business format, product distribution, and product manufacturing. While this might be just a short list, the number of types and structures of businesses falling into these categories is huge. Franchising is used in almost every industry and business sector.

As FranchiseDirect.com says,
"Name an industry
from drug testing to dog walking,
and there’s likely a franchise in it."

Working with franchise businesses requires a great deal of business and technical capability in order to successfully support the variety of situations that arise. Mendelson Consulting has been working with franchises for almost 30 years, and has a simple set of rules to make sure things get done right.

Rule 1: Recognize that every business is unique

Franchises need consultants that understand and can support the franchises’ specific operation and structure. At Mendelson Consulting, we understand the franchise model and have experience with multi-state, multi-region, and global expansion models. Our team does more than just provide software, data conversion and training. We also provide advice on business processes and technology, both of which are especially important as a franchise grows. We don’t underestimate the complexity of the business, even family-owned and operated, which come with their own unique dynamics.