Answers to the questions that matter.

Intellifran is an AI-powered matching platform that combines intelligent technology with expert franchise guidance to help you discover franchise opportunities aligned with your goals, lifestyle, and investment.

Yes. Taking the assessment and receiving your matches is completely free, with no obligation.

Most people finish in about five minutes. You can take longer if you'd like to think through your answers — there's no timer.

You can begin the assessment right away. We'll only ask for your details when it's time to send your matches.

Your answers are weighed against decades of consultant conversations, insider franchise knowledge, and long-term outcome data — not just the industries you say you're interested in.

The AI surfaces patterns and narrows the field quickly. Our consultants bring the judgment and context that turn a shortlist into a decision you can trust.

Yes. If your goals, budget, or timeline change, retake it any time and we'll refresh your matches.

You can review each opportunity at your own pace. When you're ready, a consultant can walk you through the ones you're most curious about.

It varies. The goal isn't to hand you a long list — it's to surface the opportunities that genuinely fit.

Tell us what didn't fit. That feedback helps refine your results, and a consultant can explore other directions with you.

Your information is used to generate your matches and connect you with relevant opportunities. It's kept confidential and never sold.

Only the Intellifran team supporting your search, and any franchisor you explicitly choose to be introduced to.

If you'd like to. Our consultants are available to add context and answer questions — there's no pressure either way.

No. Guidance from our consultants is free to you.

A franchise lets you run your own business using an established brand, product, and operating system, in exchange for fees and following the franchisor's model.

It ranges widely by concept. Your assessment captures your investment range so your matches stay realistic.

Often not. Many franchisors train owners from scratch — what matters more is whether the day-to-day suits your strengths.

When you invest in a franchise you are investing in a proven successful and replicatable model. The game plan, marketing systems and technology platforms are already in place. A franchise business lets an owner 'pull levers and twist dials' within an already-tested model, rather than carrying the full risk of every decision that comes with building a business from scratch.

A Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is a legal document that gives you detailed information about a franchise before you invest. It covers things like costs, fees, the franchise agreement, company history, support, franchisee information, and often financial performance.

Yes, some franchises can be run part time and are typically referred to as semi-absentee. Franchisees commonly keep their day job and dedicate a set number of hours a week (typically 15-20) to starting and running the business on the side.

Semi-absentee means the franchise business owner keeps their day job and runs the franchise part-time (commonly 15–20 hours a week) with a hired employee or manager handling daily operations. Full-time means the owner works full time in the business. Many franchises require full time owners in the beginning but there are a subset of franchises that allow and are designed for semi-absentee ownership.

Yes, Items 3 and 4 of the FDD covers if the franchisor or its management have been involved in material litigation or bankruptcy proceedings.

On average, the due-diligence phase requires approximately 60–90 days and about 3–5 hours a week of time from the potential franchisee. This covers identifying and learning about the brands, and the due diligence process. Timing to launching the business could require 60 days up to 9 months from completion of the due dilligence process depending on the type of business, and if you need to find a location and conduct a build out.

Yes, many franchisee business are home based which provides a lower overhead, though some eventually need a small storage facility as they scale.

Once the agreement is signed, and the relevant fees are paid to the franchisor, the franchisee will begin their onboarding and training process, which might include meeting with real estate teams if their business requires a physical location.

Item 19 is the Financial Performance Representation; the section of the FDD where a franchisor is allowed (but not required) to disclose actual sales/earnings data from existing locations. This will serve as a reference for the franchisee to utilize as they conduct their due dilligence.

Discovery Day is the final step before approval and the franchisor formally awards the license to the franchisee. The Discovery Day can be virtual or in-person meeting with the franchisor's leadership team. This is a terrific opportunity for the franchisee to discuss strategy, roadmaps, and tactics with the leadership team prior to signing the agreement and launching the business.

Franchises have minimum net worth requirements for those that buy a franchise. Minimum net worth requirements start at approximately $200K and go up from there. Minimum net worth requirements are different than the total investment for a franchise.

Yes. There are thousands of franchises out there. But there aren't thousands of good franchises. A good consultant should have a curated portfolio of franchises that have strong financials, impressive management teams and, most importantly, happy, satisfied franchisees. One of the challenges for franchise seekers is that, if they try to explore themselves, it can be very difficult to separate the good brands from the bad.

While failure and/or success rates vary depending on industry and brand, franchising as a whole enjoys the reputation of having a much higher success rate compared to that of independent businesses.

While net worth is one factor, it is not the only factor. There are lower investment franchises and business opportunities out there. It would be worth it to talk to a consultant, who can help understand your specific situation and determine if there any opportunities available to you.

Royalties are typically a percentage of gross revenues that a franchisee pays for the franchisor's ongoing operational support. This can include things like coaching and mentoring, technology, operational infrastructure and group purchasing advantages, just to name a few.

The franchise fee is a one-time investment that gives you, the Franchisee, access to established resources and support that have a proven track record of getting new business owners open and running quickly and efficiently. Depending on the needs of the franchise business, it might include access to technology; equipment, rebates and supply chain; real estate and buildout guidance; and website and marketing support and training. Royalties are commonly a percentage of a franchise location's gross sales, meaning royalties are only typically incurred after the franchise makes sales. Some franchise models have minimum royalties or a monthly flat fee. See Item 6 of the franchise's FDD for details on that specific brand.

Absolutely! Nervousness shows you are taking this process and decision seriously, which is a good sign, and it will likely increase the closer you get to making a decision. Channel this energy into deeper due diligence. E.g., if you start asking yourself, "What if ______ happens?" that's an indicator of missing information and is a question you can ask the Franchisor and other Franchisees.

You'll typically be shown a small, personalized shortlist rather than just one option. It is recommended to learn about more than one franchise at a time so you can compare and contrast what you are learning. We recommend focusing on 2-3 at a time. More than that can be counterproductive.

Yes, spouses are strongly encouraged to participate in the learning and decision making process. It's best if they join calls with franchise representatives and franchisees. They might have questions you haven't considered and they need to be on board with the decision. Franchisors often request meeting with the spouse before approving you a franchise license to ensure they are informed and supportive in you joining the "Franchise Family".

Depending on the franchise and your role in the business, hiring a General Manager is common if you're pursuing semi-absentee ownership as they can run day-to-day operations. If you'd like to be Full-Time in your business, it's common for the owner to also serve as the General Manager.

Franchise brands exist on a continuum relating to their stage of development. Established brands tend to be more rigid in their systems and processes, while emerging brands tend to be more flexible and are often more receptive to franchisee feedback.