Franchise growth does not happen by accident. It requires the right partners, the right strategy, and the right support at every stage. Yet most founders are unclear about the differences between traditional business brokers, franchise brokers, franchise consultants, and Franchise Sales Organizations. These groups often get lumped together, even though each one plays a very different role in helping a franchise grow.
This guide explains each category in plain language. It also provides examples, typical costs, and how each option supports franchise growth in its own way. By the end, franchisors will understand exactly who does what, and when each type of partner can help take their franchise to the next level.
1. Traditional Business Brokers
Best for: Selling an existing business or a resale of a franchise unit
Typical cost: Eight to twelve percent of the sale price
What They Do
Traditional business brokers help people sell an operating business. Their work includes valuation, packaging the business for sale, listing it on business-for-sale platforms, and handling negotiations. They do not help a franchise system award new units. Their role is focused on the transaction of an existing location.
How They Support Franchise Growth
They help indirectly by keeping the system healthy. A broker can help replace an underperforming franchisee, help a retiring franchise owner exit gracefully, or assist a franchisor in stabilizing a territory through resale. The result is a stronger franchise system, but not an expansion of new units.
Examples of Traditional Business Brokerage Firms
- Transworld Business Advisors
- Murphy Business Sales
- Sunbelt Business Brokers
- VR Business Brokers
- Empire Business Brokers
2. Franchise Brokers and Broker Networks
Best for: Introducing buyer candidates to franchise opportunities
Typical cost: Fifteen thousand to thirty thousand dollars per closed deal, paid by the franchisor
What They Do
Franchise brokers are matchmakers. They work with individuals who want to buy a franchise, help them narrow down industries, explain what ownership involves, and guide them toward brands that fit their goals. When a buyer is ready, the broker introduces them to the franchisor.
Broker networks are especially valuable for brands that lack organic search volume. They give early-stage franchisors access to buyers who would never find their brand on their own.
How They Support Franchise Growth
Franchise brokers grow systems by supplying a steady stream of vetted candidates. They educate buyers so franchisors start conversations with candidates who already understand the basics. Brokers are often the best source of leads for service-based franchises or brands in categories where buyers do not typically search on their own.
Examples of Franchise Broker Networks
Limitations
Brokers introduce the candidates, but they do NOT run the sales process. They also represent many brands at once, so franchisors must compete for their attention.
Most brokers will 100% require the franchisor to have a SOLID sales/development team, or they will not send their leads to the brand.
Bottom line, a Franchise Broker will not replace a Franchise Sales/Development Team!
3. Franchise Consultants
Best for: Strategy, readiness, systems, and structure
Typical cost: Five thousand to twenty-five thousand dollars or more, depending on the project
What They Do
A franchise consultant focuses on the big-picture structure of a franchise system. This may include franchise readiness assessments, strategic planning, competitor reviews, operational design, and support systems. Many consultants help with operations manuals, franchise positioning, financial planning, and organizational strategy.
Consultants are ideal for brands preparing to scale, or brands that need to rebuild their foundation before growing.
Franchise Consultants are not sales people, nor are they lead sources. They typically are hired to accomplish a single task only, and then their job is done. This is important to remember as they give advice where, one would hope, the advice they give is sound. However since they aren’t going to be doing the marketing nor doing the sales/development, they don’t have to LIVE with their own advice. “Those that can’t do, teach” is a reality with many consulting firms, so always do a gut check of advice they give… if it sounds incorrect or too good to be true, our experience has been that it probably is.
How They Support Franchise Growth
Consultants improve systems behind the scenes. They support the franchisor’s ability to scale by developing better documentation, stronger operational models, and tighter franchisee support programs. Their work increases franchisee success rates and prepares the system for higher volume.
Examples of Franchise Consulting Groups
- Franchise Genesis
- Franchise Marketing Systems
- iFranchise Group
- FranMan
- The Franchise Collective
- Myles Consulting
4. Franchise Sales Organizations (FSOs)
Best for: Outsourcing the entire franchise development process
Typical cost: Monthly retainer combined with a development fee for each franchise awarded
Note: Some FSOs will want equity and/or royalties. Our suggestion is to RUN! You need every royalty dollar you receive, as the cost to support franchisees is expensive! Don’t give those precious royalty dollars to a firm that doesn’t help those franchisees achieve results!
What FSOs Do
A Franchise Sales Organization acts as the franchisor’s outsourced development team. They handle everything related to franchise growth, including lead generation, lead qualification, candidate communication, brand presentations, FDD guidance, validation preparation, Discovery Day preparation, and closing. Many FSOs also help new franchisees prepare for launch.
They allow franchisors to grow rapidly without hiring in-house sales staff.
How They Support Franchise Growth
FSOs have the most direct impact on franchise growth because they focus almost entirely on awarding new franchise units. They provide a full team instead of a single salesperson and bring processes, experience, and candidate management systems that emerging brands rarely have on their own.
FranLift: A Modern FSO Designed for High-Speed, High-Quality Franchise Growth
FranLift stands out in the FSO category because it operates with a more flexible and founder-friendly structure.
What Makes FranLift Unique, and how you should benchmark other FSO’s against:
-
- Month-to-month engagement structure
- No equity taken
- No royalties taken
- A complete development team included
- More than twenty-five years of franchise experience
- Deep brand research before representation
- A personalized, ethical approach to placing the right franchisees
- A strong focus on buyer values and high close rates
FranLift consistently outperforms traditional models by offering speed, flexibility, and personalization without sacrificing the quality of franchisee selection.
Other FSO Examples
- Franchise FastLane
- REP’M
- Brand ONE
- Franchise Evolution Partners
Summary: Which Option Drives the Most Franchise Growth?
- Each type of professional plays a different role in the franchise ecosystem.
- Traditional business brokers help stabilize a system by reselling existing units.
- Franchise brokers bring candidate flow and exposure to new buyers.
- Franchise consultants strengthen the franchise foundation and improve scalability.
- FSOs, including FranLift, drive direct growth by awarding franchise units and managing the development process from start to finish.
Most franchisors will eventually use more than one of these options as they grow. Understanding the differences ensures the right partner is chosen at the right time, which is essential for healthy, sustainable franchise growth.
