{"id":14667,"date":"2021-04-27T08:14:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T12:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefranchiseking.com\/?p=14667"},"modified":"2025-01-27T12:23:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T17:23:57","slug":"problem-franchise-rankings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefranchiseking.com\/problem-franchise-rankings","title":{"rendered":"The Ugly Truth About Franchise Opportunity Rankings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"franchise<\/figure>\n\n\n

Here’s a little-known fact about franchise rankings that you see for franchise opportunities<\/a> you’re potentially interested in buying.<\/p>\n

Franchise industry insiders…the people who are actually in<\/em> the business of franchising, look at franchise rankings<\/strong> in a much different way than say, prospective franchisees.<\/p>\n

Really?<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

I’ll explain.<\/p>\n

Franchise Rankings: “Locker Room” Conversations You Never Hear About<\/h2>\n

What follows are real conversations I’ve had about specific franchises and franchise business rankings with a few of my fellow franchise industry professionals. These are people who are very familiar with all kinds of franchising<\/b><\/a> opportunities throughout North America.<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> “Jimmy, can you believe they ranked Subway<\/a><\/strong> #1 again<\/em>?”<\/p>\n

Paul: “It’s ridiculous. Every freaking year. What gives?”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> “Howard, did you see the latest franchise business rankings in E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ r magazine?<\/em><\/p>\n

Howard: “I did. How did “Culver’s<\/em>” get to be in the top 20 franchise opportunities?”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> “You got me. I’ve never seen Culver’s franchises-anywhere. It’s an ice-cream shop, right?”<\/em><\/p>\n

Howard: “That’s what I thought. I guess it’s burgers and such, too. I’ve never been to one.”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Right? How did Culver’s manage to get a spot in that magazine’s top franchise rankings? Weird<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Howard: Maybe it’s a fast-growing business<\/a> concept…I don’t really hear the name much. Like at all.<\/p>\n

\"Front<\/a><\/p>\n

Jennifer: “Joel…I just saw that “7-Eleven<\/em>” was ranked #1 on a couple of franchise websites.”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> “7-Eleven? Really, Ann? How did they come up with a #1 ranking<\/b><\/a> for 7-Eleven franchises<\/em>?”<\/p>\n

Jennifer: “No idea. Aren’t they always getting sued<\/strong><\/a>?”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> “Yes! A lot of franchisee lawsuits<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Now those are just a small sampling of the conversations (locker room discussions<\/em>) I’ve had with some of my fellow franchise industry colleagues.<\/p>\n

And in my experience, more often than not, every industry has locker room talk. Does yours?<\/p>\n

The Problem I Have With Franchise Rankings<\/h2>\n

Maybe my problem with franchise rankings has to do with my nature. I’m a very skeptical guy.<\/p>\n

The good news is that my skepticism can benefit you if you’re looking to buy a franchise<\/strong> someday, especially if…<\/p>\n

You’ve been downsized, and you want to do something different.<\/p>\n

You hate your job<\/strong><\/a>, and you need<\/em> to do something different.<\/p>\n

You’re just curious-and want to learn about franchising<\/strong><\/a> so you can be your own boss. So you can become a franchisee.<\/p>\n

Whatever your reason, I encourage you use my skepticism to your advantage. Take a breath or two before you…<\/p>\n

\"pulling<\/a><\/p>\n

Pull the trigger on a franchise business<\/strong><\/a>. Proceed with caution, until you know in your heart and mind that you’ve found the right one. You want to become a successful<\/em> franchisee, right?<\/p>\n

Why Am I Skeptical About Franchise Rankings?<\/h2>\n

It seems like more and more individuals and companies are ranking franchises these days. And that can only mean one thing.<\/p>\n