• 2012 Call for Presentations 
• Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities Available! 

By Ed Teixeira

Originally appeared on bbpinc.com on February 21, 2012 

Before signing on that dotted line and paying the franchise fee there are certain questions that the franchisor should be asked. If you've already considered asking these questions kudos to you, however, chances are you've missed these.

Despite the amount of resources available to franchise candidates, mistakes continue to be made and franchisees can and do fail. Although there are no guarantees to success, individuals can lower the risk of failure by adding certain questions to their franchise evaluation process. Here are ten questions that a prospective franchisee should ask the franchisor. I would suggest you ask these questions during various phases of your evaluation and don't be reluctant to ask more than one member of franchisor staff the same question. Some questions are open ended and as such you should pursue until you're satisfied with the answer. If you observe hesitation on the part of franchisor staff to answer or provide an adequate response these can be red flags. Finally, try to confirm the answers when you speak to franchisees.

Brokerage Firm: VR Business Brokerage
California Region: Pasadena and Huntington Beach
Contact: 626-449-1500x 101 or rschammel@vrpasadena.com  

Q: Briefly describe your background (length as broker, career prior, how you got into this field).

A: I opened the Pasadena office of VR Business Brokers in January 2006. I "happened across" VR while searching for a business to purchase for myself.

Q: Do you have particular business types you specialize in, or a region?

A: I have offices in Pasadena and Huntington Beach that service clients throughout southern California. I encourage individual Brokers to develop a specialty and become known as the expert in their field, which could be a product type, geography or even a client type such as a Buyer's rep. As a firm, we do specialize - we do it all!

Topic: Transaction Valuations vs. Business Valuations: Making Deals Work for Buyers & Sellers

About the Presenter: Mike Adhikari, with 25+ years of M&A experience is an expert on Transaction Valuations. Transaction Valuation differs from Traditional Business Valuations because it focuses on the critical financial aspects of the deal. Traditional Business Valuation focuses on compliance. Mike will discuss valuation methods and key principles of valuation. He will discuss the importance of bank financing, seller financing and debt-service. He will also share a software tool that facilitates bringing buyers and sellers together on price and terms.  

Mr. Adhikari runs two companies: ValueXpress and Illinois Corporate Investments, Inc. He also teaches M&A at Kellogg Business School, Northwestern University and Transaction Valuation in the CM&AA credentialing program offer by Alliance of M&A Advisors. For more info about Mike and his company visit: http://www.businessvaluexpress.com/  

Please join my meeting, Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 9:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time. https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/660991896.

Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.
Dial +1 (215) 383-1013
Access Code: 660-991-896
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Meeting ID: 660-991-896

April 20-21, 2012: CABB Annual Productivity Conference: New Economy...New Opportunities

Crowne Plaza Los Angeles International Airport

The CABB Annual Productivity Conference preliminary program is available online. The CABB Annual Productivity Conference provides Business Brokers with the opportunity to network with colleagues and learn from some of the industry's leading professions.

Featured Sessions:

• Adapting to a New Economy
• Social Media and Taking Your Practice into the Cloud
• Conducting Public Record Searches

Download the preliminary program and visit the website to register today!