Which franchise should I choose? (...is the wrong question)

Hey folks,

When people come to me for help buying a franchise, they often start by asking totally the wrong question:

“Which franchise should I buy?”

It makes sense on the surface, sure. And yes, it’s a big part of what I help people with.

But it skips over two far more important questions that, if you answer them honestly, will shape your whole journey into business ownership.

So let’s rewind and look at where to actually start.

The ACTUAL first question: Should you even own a business?

A lot of people aren’t actually looking to own a business. 

They’re looking to escape something—an annoying boss, a ceiling on their income, a job they’ve outgrown. 

And those are totally valid feelings. But the solution isn’t always business ownership. Sometimes it’s a better job or a career shift. 

It’s a simple question, but answering it can take some real soul searching. 

If you conclude that you are wired for ownership — that is, you're willing to trade more responsibility for more autonomy — then it’s time to move to question two. 

Should you own a franchise?

There are three ways to become a business owner:

1. Start something from scratch

2. Buy an existing business

3. Buy a franchise

All three can work. And none of them are “better” across the board. What matters is fit.

If you’re an innovator or you’re obsessed with a particular product or service, go start your own thing.

If you’re drawn to turnarounds or you’ve got a knack for spotting undervalued opportunities, acquisition might be your lane.

But if your goal is to operate a proven business model, where the product-market fit has already been figured out, and you’d rather focus your energy on execution than innovation, that’s where franchising starts to make a ton of sense.

What franchising gets right

Franchising is not the “easy button.” But it is the “focused effort” button.

When you buy a franchise, you’re paying for a system. The value is that someone else has already made the mistakes, tweaked the model, built the supply chains, and written the playbook. All those growing pains are taken care of.

That means you can spend more of your time building a team, generating revenue, and growing the business (not figuring out what to sell or how to deliver it).

And if you choose the right brand, a franchise can help you accomplish in 3–5 years what might otherwise take 10–20.

You’re not reinventing the wheel. You’re bolting your horse to a wagon that’s already moving.

It’s not skills… it’s mindset

Here’s what most people get wrong: they think choosing franchising is about whether you have the “right skills.”

In fact, it’s more about how you think.

If you want to iterate, tweak, and invent, then franchising will feel limiting. 

If you want to execute on something that’s already proven, it’s a great fit.

It’s the difference between being a chef who invents new recipes, and a chef who can absolutely crush a well-run kitchen that already knows what’s on the menu. Both are valuable—but you don’t want to be in the wrong kitchen.

How much does it cost?

This is a whole topic on its own (and we’ll go deeper in a future issue), but here’s a quick range:

• Non-brick-and-mortar franchises (you go to the customer): typically $150K–$500K
  

• Brick-and-mortar franchises (customers come to you): anywhere from $200K to $800K+, depending on the concept

There are cheaper ones out there, but in my opinion, anything worth your time usually starts around $150K.

You can finance this with a mix of cash, SBA loans, and even your 401(k) using a ROBS structure. (But again — more on that later.)

A final word

Buying your first business—franchise or not—is a big decision. The kind that deserves more than just gut feel and Google searches.

That’s why I start every franchise journey with this big picture conversation. Not by pitching a brand.

Because until you know whether you even should own a business, let alone a franchise, you’re playing a guessing game.

But once you’re clear? That’s when things start to move fast.

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Thanks for reading. If there’s a question you have or a topic you’d like me to cover, hit reply and let me know!

Connor

P.S. If you want to work through these questions together, my team and I do one-on-one sessions with people who are serious about owning a franchise. You can book a time at connorgroce.com/schedule.

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