Costs Involved in Franchising a Business in Georgia

The costs involved in franchising a business in Georgia are not insignificant. You will likely incur between $50,000 and $100,000 in upfront costs and have ongoing expenses for marketing, training, and expansion. With the right advice, however, you can leverage those costs for substantial regular returns and profits.

The attorneys at Franchise.Law are here to provide that advice and guidance for starting your franchise. We are licensed and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, but our multi-state practice enables us to represent franchisors in Georgia and elsewhere in the U.S. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has the authority to regulate franchises under federal law, and we offer our advice and counsel in accordance with multi-jurisdictional federal standards.

The Components of Franchising Costs

You can break down franchising costs for your Georgia business into these common categories:

• Preparing financial statements and operations manuals: This can cost up to $30,000
• Franchisee training and evaluation: These costs will be ongoing as your operations expand and you take on more franchisees
• Intellectual property protection: Trademark registrations are generally in the range of $4,000 per application, and patent filings are substantially greater
• Developing a marketing and sales plan: You may already have the foundation for this plan, but adding professional websites, video presentations, and social media strategies can cost an additional $15,000 to $25,000
• Compliance costs for legal verification that your franchise operations meet FTC regulations: These costs, which may be approximately $25,000 to $40,000, include preparation of your franchise disclosure document and basic franchise agreement

If you are going to commit to these and other costs, you will want assurances that your efforts and expenditures are not wasted. Retaining the legal services of our experienced franchise attorneys at Franchise.Law could help with this. We could assist you with establishing your budget and controlling costs as you roll out your franchise.

What Are Some Factors That Affect Franchising Costs?

Certain factors can affect your Georgia business franchising costs. If your capital is limited, identifying those factors can help you control your initial outlays. You should consider that:

• High-end technology and controls can be helpful, but they will push your and your franchisees’ costs higher
• Multi-faceted or broad marketing strategies will deplete your operating budget quickly, and focusing more on targeted marketing can limit those expenditures
• If your business has a lot of moving parts and is more than just a simple service model that can be implemented by two or three employees, the costs involved will be higher
• A multi-state strategy will force you to pay additional registration fees if you franchise your business in other states, while limiting your initial franchise to one state will keep your initial costs lower

A knowledgeable attorney who has represented many different business franchisors could help you identify specific factors that will affect your franchising costs. When you retain a trusted attorney from Franchise.Law, you get the benefit of the years of insight we have gained into how franchisors plan for and manage their costs.

Contact Us About the Costs of Franchising a Georgia Business

The biggest mistake a franchisor might make is working with the wrong team to begin their franchise operations. A team’s lack of experience and limited exposure to the many contingencies you might face when establishing your franchise can be disastrous.

For the best management of the costs involved in franchising a business in Georgia, work with our dedicated attorneys at Franchise.Law. We have represented businesses throughout the country in a variety of different business sectors. We know and appreciate the risks and uncertainty you might face, and we could help you get the optimum return for your expenditures.