Franchise Direct Reviews – Scam or Legit Business Opportunity Resource?

Thanks for stopping by to read my Franchise Direct review.

Who doesn't want to be their own boss? For new and experienced entrepreneurs a franchise is an attractive option. From vending machines and home cleaning to automotive repair and fast food… a franchise provides a foundation, an anchor to something that has already worked. 

But where do you start? Which one should you choose? The obvious answer is to look online, but who can you trust? Wherever money's involved, you can be sure a scam will follow… In this Franchise Direct review I'll discuss that as well as the following topics…

• What Is Franchise Direct?
• Is Franchise Direct a Scam?
• How Does It Work?
• Franchise Direct Reviews
• What I Like
• What I Don’t Like
• Final Thoughts

Disclaimer:
Please note, I am not a member or an affiliate for Franchise Direct. This review has been researched with information and/or testimonials that are available online in the public domain. Any recommendations and/or conclusions are strictly opinions and may not to apply to, or agree with, all persons or situations. See full disclaimer for more info

What Is Franchise Direct?

Franchise Direct connects entrepreneurs with franchise opportunities that range from low cost work-at-home businesses like Social Owl, to the big brands you're familiar with like Subway, Sonic and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. 

Founded in 1998 and located in Atlanta GA, Franchise Direct serves markets in North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. 

They claim to be the leading online source for franchise opportunities and I have no reason to doubt them. With a mountain of resources and an endless list of franchisors, they may be the most complete directory you'll find.

Is Franchise Direct a Scam?

There's nothing I could find about Franchise Direct that would suggest they're a scam. When doing research about the most common questions people are asking though… are they a scam is one of them. 

It's a fair question… when it comes to anything online, especially “opportunities”… people have a good reason to be suspicious. There's a lot of scams out there. 

Another reason people may have heard bad things about Franchise Direct is probably not because of them specifically, but because of bad experience someone had with one of the franchisors they deal with. 

With thousands of businesses listed across 25 – 30 categories that include just about everything from Accounting and Automotive to Fitness, Travel, Consulting, Coffee, Work-at-Home and many others… there are countless chances for someone to get burned, lose money, and call it a scam. 

But most people understand the risks of starting a business, and although Franchise Direct provides a ton of resources to help you, they can't (and wouldn't) guarantee success.  

How Does It Work?

Franchise Direct provides a lot of resources such as success stories, small business advice, and industry news… but they are primarily a directory.  

You can search by Industry, Investment, and Location. 

All relevant information to help you narrow down your options is provided such as company/franchise description (which can be a little “salesy” depending on the opportunity you're looking at), what they can do for you like training and support, as well as industry information and potential. 

There's a also some quick bullet points for an overview of locations, cash required, etc.

When you've decided on a franchise (or a few franchises) that interest you, there's a quick contact form you need to fill out for more information.

How Does Franchise Direct Get Paid?

I couldn't find any specific details about how Franchise Direct generates revenue… other than advertising.

Using some third-party tools it looks like their website gets at a minimum, hundreds of thousands of visits per month…

And, if the difference between actual traffic, and traffic estimated by those tools is similar to the difference I see on my own site… their numbers would be significantly higher than that. 

So… for business owners selling franchises (especially if you're not a big brand name) you definitely want your business listed on Franchise Direct's website. 

And, they provide more than just a directory. They also feature businesses like this one on their YouTube channel…

What I don't know is whether those businesses pay a regular fee… or if Franchise Direct earns a small percentage of the royalties paid by the franchisee to the franchisor… but in either case, there are no costs or membership fees to use their directory.

Franchise Direct Reviews

There are not many Franchise Direct reviews which means, there aren't many complaints either. I can usually find someone complaining on social media, blogs, forums like Reddit or review sites like Trusted Pilot… 

But to be honest… the only reviews I could find were positive from people who were happy they escaped their jobs and broke the cycle of working for someone else.

What I Like

• Massive list of business opportunities from part-time work-at-home jobs to big brands like Midas, Tony Roma's, and SuperCuts.
• Clean and easy to use website with a simple interface.
• Much more than a directory, Franchise Direct has tons of resources including success stories, articles, blogs, industry news, reports, and events as well as a YouTube channel with a seemingly endless list of videos.

What I Don’t Like

There's not much to NOT like. If I had to add a few points here they'd be about franchises in general… which have their own list of pros of cons. 

• Opening a franchise has advantages like brand recognition, training, support and a proven business model… however, buying a franchise is also like buying a job. You're still dealing with a head office, rules, regulations, an approved supplier list, and so on… 
• There are some low cost opportunities here, but in general, most are in the 10K+ range and out of reach for most people who are looking for an additional stream of income.
• It doesn't need to be mentioned because it applies to any business (as well as college and university if we're looking at the big picture)… but of course, there are no guarantees of success and the potential exists to lose a lot of money.

Final Thoughts

The good thing about buying a franchise is you're getting a business-in-a-box… a plug and play system that doesn't require  you to reinvent the wheel. 

In most cases though, they're expensive to start and you'll need to abandon your day job to get your business up and running. For a lot of people that's just not possible… 

This is where a good side hustle comes in. It can provide the added income you need to save for something bigger and help you develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

In fact, a lot of successful online business owners invest in traditional franchises. The internet is still new, and while most changes have been good for entrepreneurs, a traditional franchise provides some long-term income security.  

You can check out Franchise Direct here.

I hope my review has been helpful and if you have any comments, questions, or experience with Franchise Direct, please share in the comments section below.