“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble.
It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
— Mark Twain

Few quotes capture the reality of franchise investing better than this one.

In my work as a franchise consultant, I rarely see people fail because they lack information. More often, they struggle because they’re operating on assumptions they believe to be facts.

The Franchising Myth Problem

Before we ever sit down together, many prospective franchise buyers already “know” things like:
• Franchising is just buying a job
• All franchises are expensive
• Royalties make it not worth it
• If it didn’t work for someone I know, it won’t work for me
• I need to be hands-on every day for this to succeed

Some of these statements may be true in certain cases. None of them are universally true. Yet when someone believes them “for sure,” entire categories of opportunity get dismissed before they’re ever explored.

Why Smart People Make Bad Franchise Decisions

Many of the people I work with are:
• Accomplished corporate professionals
• Successful business owners
• Seasoned investors

Ironically, experience can create blind spots. Past success builds confidence—but it can also anchor people to outdated models, limited examples, or one bad story heard secondhand. That’s how smart, capable people either:

• Walk away from great-fit opportunities
• Or jump into the wrong franchise for the wrong reasons

Not because they didn’t know enough—but because they thought they already did.

What Franchise Consulting Should Be

Good franchise consulting is not about “selling a brand.” It’s about education, clarity, and disciplined decision-making.

Our role is to:
• Challenge assumptions
• Replace myths with data
• Slow the process down enough to get it right
• Create a methodical way to compare options objectively

That includes understanding:
• Business models (owner-operator vs. executive)
• Unit economics and scalability
• Territory dynamics
• Lifestyle impact
• Risk tolerance and exit strategy

When approached correctly, franchising is not a gamble—it’s a research-driven business decision.

Certainty Is the Enemy of Fit

The most dangerous phrase in franchising is:

“I already know what I want.”
The better starting point is:
“I want to understand what fits me best.”

The goal isn’t to convince someone to buy a franchise. It’s to help them arrive at clarity and confidence, whether that leads to a franchise, a specific model, or a decision to wait.

From Assumptions to Informed Choice

When people take a structured, educational approach:
• They ask better questions
• They avoid emotional decisions
• They stop comparing apples to oranges
• They choose businesses that align with their skills, goals, and lifestyle

That’s when franchising works the way it’s supposed to.

Final Thought

Mark Twain’s warning is especially relevant in franchising. The biggest risks don’t come from what you don’t know. They come from what you think you know—without testing it. Education doesn’t eliminate risk. But it dramatically improves judgment. And in franchise investing, judgment is everything.

Ready to replace myths with metrics?

You don’t need to have all the answers right now—you just need to be willing to ask the right questions. My process isn’t about selling you a franchise; it’s about helping you make a decision you won’t regret.

Let’s find out if franchising is actually right for you—no pressure, just clarity.

Schedule a 15-minute discovery call