No Item 19? Don't let that stop you!

One of the most important sections of any FDD is the Item 19 Financial Performance Representation, or FPR. This is the portion of the document where a franchisor can include the type of information that can best answer the most common question you’ll see in the franchisee recruitment process: “How much money can I make?”

However, Item 19 is the one section of the FDD the franchisor does not have to include. To many business people with no previous experience in franchising, the optional nature of Item 19 is a complete surprise that seems like it must be a mistake. “How could I invest in this business model without knowing what my potential ROI could be?” is a legitimate question that has led many would-be franchisees to avoid franchising completely. 

The merits of the Item 19 optionality have been debated for decades. Over time, the trends of whether or not to include an Item 19 FPR have ebbed and flowed. Before the financial crisis of 2007–2008, more than two-thirds of franchisors opted not to include one in their FDD. However, as franchisees have become more knowledgeable and sophisticated, there has been an increased expectation for Item 19 information to be included. The majority of franchisors have responded by including at least some information, and many include a great deal. Some brands now include full P&L statements for each location, which some view as overkill.

Yet a significant number of franchisors still don’t include any data in their Item 19. How do they overcome what could seem to be such a glaring red flag for a candidate?

Reasons for no FPR

There are both legal and business considerations when determining whether to leave this type of information out of your FDD. One major reason is that existing corporate locations are significantly dissimilar to the types of operation included in the franchise offering. For example, a QSR client had been operating corporate-owned locations that were 900 s.f. with limited seating, but franchised locations were intended to be upward of 2,500 s.f. with larger dining areas. It may not be reasonable for a potential franchisee to use the data from smaller corporate stores to base their decision on whether to become a franchisee of a significantly different model of operation.

In many situations, the data a franchisor has available may be incomplete or not comparable with a franchisee’s likely experience. A franchisor also may lack confidence in the data. Emerging franchisors’ salaries or other non-related costs are often run through the books of their corporate-owned businesses, leading to a situation where the data would have to be significantly “retrofitted” to be relevant to what a potential franchisee might experience. Even experienced franchisors can struggle to get accurate data from their franchisees that they would be able to use to craft an Item 19.

Recruitment with no FPR

Not including any data in your Item 19 is not a death knell in franchisee recruitment. Franchisors have been successfully awarding franchises without including FPRs for decades. Emerging brands in particular can find themselves in situations where there are legitimate reasons to keep Item 19 blank.

There are a variety of ways to overcome this potential obstacle. First and foremost, don’t try to avoid the issue. The more you try to hide or avoid addressing a potential red flag in your franchise offering, the faster you will lose the trust of your candidate and kill a potential deal. Even if you were able to get a candidate to commit without addressing an issue like this, it could become a major point of contention later if the franchisee believes the franchisor tried to hide something during the recruitment process. 

Our advice for clients is to highlight any potential red flags and come prepared with an explanation or plan to deal with any that make a candidate uncomfortable. Your honesty and directness will help immensely in establishing the trust that is key to any successful franchise relationship.

Before 2007, many franchisors were able to successfully recruit franchisees without an Item 19 FPR. They instead focused on the excitement around the brand or industry they were engaged in or the experience and accomplishments of the management team. When you can’t point to specific performance data for your brand, look to industry statistics that reflect positively on the type of business or the potential for growth and success.

Bring candidates in to experience the brand firsthand. A candidate’s decision to commit to a brand is often based more on emotion than on simple ROI calculations. Particularly for emerging brands with limited franchising experience, you will want to target potential franchisees who are already invested in your brand and want to be a part of its success. Your customers, suppliers, and other interested parties are often better recruited through emotion than through financial data.

Last, and most frequently used, there is the validation process. Strongly encourage candidates to contact existing and former franchisees, who are required to be listed in Item 20 of the FDD. You aren’t able to control what a franchisee will say to a candidate, so there are certainly risks, but they will be able to get a lot more data from that process than you would be able to give them. This also underscores the importance of managing your existing franchisee network in a way that engenders goodwill and trust with your franchisees. If an existing franchisee is struggling but feels you have been honest and supportive, that type of validation can be even more effective with a candidate than stories of runaway success.

Andrew Seid is senior consultant at MSA Worldwide. Contact him at aseid@msaworldwide.com or 860-604-9189.