1851 Franchise

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

The Top 10 Low-Cost Franchises With High ROI 

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Right at Home Targets Deerfield, Wisconsin for Growth as Momentum Builds in Surrounding Markets

How Insurance Professionals are Thriving in Sales Roles at ServiceMaster Restore 

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Urban Bird Hot Chicken Plans Expansion to Lubbock

This Couple Is Growing Their Building Kidz Business Across Northern Virginia, One Mission-Driven School at a Time

USA Ninja Challenge Adds Six Locations, Strengthens Franchise Support in First Half of 2026

Wild Bill's Franchise Reaches 20 Operators, Expands Presence at Major Convention Centers

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Newk’s Eatery is a fast-casual restaurant brand serving made-from-scratch sandwiches, salads, soups and pizzas rooted in Southern hospitality.

Newk’s Eatery Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

newks-eatery-franchise-costs-fees-profit

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sparkle Squad logo

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Sparkle Squad is a tech-forward, founder-led window cleaning franchise revolutionizing a century-old industry.

Sparkle Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

franchise-deep-dive-sparkle-squad-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

When preparing to transition from founder to franchisor, building your operations playbook and documenting SOPs is a crucial step. Franchises are built on systems, and your own instincts as the person who built the business cannot be the backbone of franchisees’ businesses across multiple markets. So, taking what’s in your head and getting it on paper in a clear, actionable way should be one of the first things you consider when you think of franchising.For&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amygerlacherreed">Amy Addington</a>, founder and president of&nbsp;<a href="https://ownawoofies.com/">Woofie’s</a>, considering the playbooks and SOPs was top of the list after she decided franchising would be the way to grow.“It became very clear that franchising was the right way to scale the&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/woofies/info">Woofie’s</a> model, so we started putting everything together,” she said. “When we knew we were going to franchise, we made a real effort to document all of our processes because we knew, if we’re going to franchise, we literally need to document every single scenario. Every single thing. And it’s a much bigger task than you realize when you think about all the day-to-day things that you do!”<h2>How to Approach the ‘Brain Dump’</h2>Once you decide to begin the documentation process, it can be easy to take a “brain dump” kind of approach, writing down everything that comes to mind, maybe in no particular order. This is a starting point, but it can’t be the backbone of the operations playbook.&nbsp;For Addington, the choice to franchise came from organic demand as clients moved away from Northern Virginia and wanted a Woofie’s location in their new neighborhoods. Meeting that demand meant making the Woofie’s experience repeatable, even without her on-site. This is true for any franchised business.It’s not enough to just document what needs to be done. You have to detail the “how,” and maybe even the “why.” Providing brand standards with this level of detail ensures franchisees in markets nationwide can not only execute on the basic promises of the business, but they’ll also be positioned to deliver the key differentiators and intangibles that make people love the brand.&nbsp;Providing this additional layer of context in a clearly documented format can also give franchisees guidance that will help them navigate potentially unexpected scenarios over the lifetime of their business.“Having almost 22 years of running a Woofie’s, we have so much anecdotal experience. It’s rare to find a scenario that I haven’t seen before, but the key is documenting&nbsp;everything and constantly updating,” Addington said. “Owners need that guidance. They’re going to encounter situations that they haven’t seen before, and it’s really critical that, as the franchisor, we prepare our owners as best we can.”<h2>Turning Experience Into SOPs</h2>Staring down the demand of creating an operations playbook and set of SOPs can be intimidating, but Addington recommends the strategic use of AI when building out the operations manual.“I think of how many hours and months we spent documenting… manually writing everything for the operations manual,” she said. “Today, people have such an advantage with the advancement of technology. You’ve got to use it. It’ll make things much more efficient and much more thorough for you.”There are also a few key points to consider as you begin to gather the information you’ll include in the manual.<h3>Audit Your Anecdotes</h3>Use your history to understand what your franchisees’ futures may look like. Addington relied on her boots-on-the-ground experience when developing the Woofie’s operations playbook, and this allowed her to document guidelines for scenarios that a new franchisee might not even know are possible.&nbsp;Even if a mistake happened a decade ago, there’s an opportunity to document it. Provide a protocol in the manual to prevent it from happening again next year.<h3>Define the Non-Negotiables</h3>Part of creating the operations manual and SOPs is deciding where the brand should be rigid and where franchisees may have some flexibility.&nbsp;“There are some things where franchisees absolutely have to adhere to the brand standards, no matter what,” Addington said. “Woofie’s should always be that premium, upscale, highly professional image. But one thing that’s unique to our brand is that each of our franchisees has the van wrap. When you see it, you see Woofie’s, but we give owners the option to swap out the picture of the dog on the van. Most of our owners put their own dog on their first van!”Outlining these expectations clearly from the start ensures franchisees understand the standards they must uphold and that there’s no overreach by local owners looking to use their discretion.<h3>Document With the Real Demands of the Business in Mind</h3>The aspects of the operations manual that will help a franchisee be more efficient or understand a bit more of the “why” behind business operations are crucial, but in many cases, the ops manual represents so much more.Especially in service industries, SOPs can be a crucial risk management tool. For Addington, this comes in the form of taking care of people’s beloved pets, but a similar sentiment can be applied to child care and home services brands, too.“When you’re taking care of someone’s baby, a live animal, there is so much responsibility and liability,” Addington said. “So it’s really critical that, as the franchisor, we prepare our owners as best we can.”<h2>What to Do After the First Ops Manual Is Complete</h2>One of the most dangerous traps for a new franchisor to fall into is viewing the operations manual as a “one-and-done” kind of project. Putting together the first iteration is a lot of work, and it’s an important step in your franchising journey, but it can’t be the only time you think about operations or documentation. Realistically, the manual should consistently evolve as franchisees encounter unexpected scenarios and ask new questions, and it should also be updated as new tools and processes become available.“We have our core ops manual, but we also use FranConnect, which houses all the documents for our franchise owners,” Addington said. “We’re constantly updating, creating new SOPs and putting everything in there.”Operations manuals should look different from how they have in the past. Rather than a physical binder, for example, using digital hubs allows franchisors to make real-time updates to the manual and consistently push new resources out to the network as needed.<h2>Why Documentation Has to Keep Evolving</h2>Moving from tribal knowledge to clear SOPs is the only way to ensure your brand’s quality stays consistent as you grow. While it requires a heavy lift, it’s the best way to turn a successful local business into a national franchise. By treating your manual as the source of truth and maintaining a consistent feedback loop and update cadence, you ensure the expertise in your head can become standard for each new location opened.Growing and selling franchises is difficult. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and see what we can do for you.

Standard Operation Procedure SOP From Founder to Franchisor

As you prepare to franchise your business, compiling your instincts and insights into a clear document and creating repeatable processes is key to early franchisee success.

Creating an Ops Manual: From Tribal Knowledge to SOPs

franchise-ops-manual-sop

As founders transition into franchisors, few areas carry more risk than earnings claims and advertising. It’s also one of the fastest ways to derail a franchise system before it even gets off the ground.The challenge is clear: prospective franchisees want to&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-to-start-the-process-of-buying-a-franchise-a-comprehensive-guide-2723007">understand the financial potential of the business</a>, but franchisors must operate within strict legal boundaries about what they can and cannot say.<h2>Understand What You Can Legally Say</h2>In franchising, financial representations are regulated under the&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/what-financial-performance-data-can-legally-disclose-a-guide-2731310">FTC Franchise Rule</a>. For example, the only place a franchisor can formally present financial performance data is within Item 19 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-to-buy-a-franchise-what-is-an-fdd-2724901">Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).</a>That rule shapes everything.“One of the most important sections of the FDD is Item 19. This is where a franchisor may choose to disclose financial information about existing franchisees,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-branstetter-richardson-762684b7/">Katy Richardson</a>, founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://neighborhoodbarre.com/franchise/">NEIGHBORHOOD barre</a>. “Anyone involved in the franchise sales process can only discuss financial performance to the extent it is disclosed within that section of the FDD. For that reason, franchisors must be extremely careful not to make financial representations outside of what is formally disclosed in Item 19.”<h2>The Role of Validation</h2>While franchisors are limited in what they can say, prospective franchisees are not limited in what they can learn.&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-to-buy-a-franchise-what-is-an-fdd-2724901">Every FDD includes a list of current and former franchisees</a>, and candidates are encouraged to reach out directly to get real-world insight.“Franchisee validation is often one of the most valuable parts of the due diligence process,” Richardson said. “It gives candidates the opportunity to hear firsthand experiences from operators within the system.”Rather than trying to “sell” performance through marketing, strong systems allow their existing franchisees and documented data to tell the story.<h2>The Biggest Legal Mistake: Not Hiring the Right Counsel</h2>If there is one mistake that consistently creates risk for emerging franchisors, it’s failing to work with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/top-franchise-legal-players-2025-franchise-lawyers-2730250">experienced franchise counsel</a>. “Strong franchise counsel is not just drafting documents,” Richardson said. “They are helping franchisors build a compliant, transparent and scalable foundation for long-term growth.”Franchise law is highly specialized, and while the rules may appear straightforward, the application is certainly not.“Inexperienced counsel often misses the nuances and operational realities unique to franchising,” Richardson said. “One common area of confusion is the Advertising Fund, specifically, which expenses can appropriately be allocated to that fund versus corporate overhead or brand operations.”<h2>Common Pitfalls in Earnings Claims</h2>Beyond general compliance, several specific mistakes recur across franchise systems.The first is incomplete or misleading cost disclosures. “Failing to fully disclose the actual costs franchisees incur to open a business” is one of the most common issues Richardson sees.Underestimating startup costs may make an opportunity appear more attractive upfront, but it creates long-term problems when franchisees encounter unexpected expenses.The second is improperly structuring Item 19 data. “There are many ways to structure an Item 19,” Richardson said. “The strategy behind our disclosures varies by brand.”At NEIGHBORHOOD barre, for example, the focus is not just on revenue, but on profitability.&nbsp;“We believe it’s important to highlight the metric that matters most to prospective franchisees: profitability,” Richardson said. “Higher AUVs do not necessarily translate to stronger margins or healthier businesses. With NEIGHBORHOOD barre, we intentionally disclose key studio operating expenses to provide a clearer picture of unit economics and overall profitability.”The third mistake is failing to account for ongoing fees and flexibility. “Failing to account for all ongoing fees, or the franchisor’s right to modify those fees within Item 6” can create confusion and potential disputes down the line, Richardson says.<h2>Advertising Pitfalls: Where Brands Get Tripped Up</h2>Earnings claims are not limited to formal documents. They can also appear, intentionally or unintentionally,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchisor-marketing-materials-guide-2730579">in marketing materials</a>, such as website copy, sales brochures, discovery day presentations, social media posts and conversations with candidates.It’s easy to forget that almost any remark about a franchisee’s potential income counts as a legal earnings claim, including casual comments like “our top locations bring in X.”That is why navigating the space where marketing meets legal rules is always a bit of a tightrope walk. The most successful franchisors don’t leave things to chance. They stick to the data, keep every message in sync with their FDD, and lean heavily on expert counsel. Ultimately, they let their numbers and their actual franchisees do the talking.In short, they focus less on selling and more on proving.Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and see what we can do for you. &nbsp;

From Founder to Franchisor Legal Pitfalls

New franchisors face major legal risks when giving prospective franchisees an idea of how much they can make, which is why strict compliance with Item 19 of the FDD is essential.

From Founder to Franchisor: Legal Pitfalls in Earnings Claims and Advertising

franchising-earnings-claims-item-19-fdd

Franchise Legal Player:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanefisher/">Lane Fisher</a> Firm:&nbsp;<a href="https://fisherzucker.com/">FisherZucker</a><a href="https://fisherzucker.com/our-practice/our-attorneys/lane-fisher/">Lane Fisher</a> has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to franchise brands navigating growth, compliance and long-term risk. With experience advising early-stage and growth-oriented franchisors across multiple franchise-driven industries including health and beauty, home services, fitness, food and senior care, Fisher brings a practical, business-minded approach to franchise law. His work focuses on helping brands scale responsibly while protecting both the franchisor and franchisee experience.1851 Franchise connected with Fisher to discuss what franchisors often overlook, where legal risk hides during expansion, and the lessons that continue to shape their advisory philosophy.1851 Franchise: What originally drew you to franchise law, and what has kept you engaged over time?Lane Fisher:&nbsp;Franchise law is inherently multidimensional; it sits at the intersection of licensing, trademarks, corporate work, regulatory compliance and dispute resolution. That’s what drew me in initially, but what’s kept me here is the people and the growth curve. Franchising attracts entrepreneurial founders and strong operators, often in family-run businesses, and I enjoy helping them scale in a disciplined way. And because franchising cuts across so many industries — health and beauty, home services, fitness, food and senior care, just to name a small sample — you’re always learning. If your client’s brand grows, your work grows with it, and you can be part of that story from launch through an exit.1851: As franchising evolves, what legal issue do you see brands most often underestimating today?Fisher:&nbsp;If I had to pick only one, I’d say the impact of AI, and the jury’s still out on how the issue develops.Brands are racing to use AI in marketing, franchise development, screening, pricing, scheduling, performance benchmarking, etc. But a lot of franchise documents were written pre-AI and don’t clearly address who owns the data, who can aggregate it and how it can be used or monetized.There’s also a risk layer people miss: AI tools can create real-world expectations. If prospects rely on AI-generated performance projections or comparisons, you can end up with disclosure and misrepresentation issues, including “implied” financial performance claims.1851: Where do emerging franchisors tend to get tripped up from a compliance or documentation standpoint?Fisher:&nbsp;The biggest mistake is treating the FDD like a marketing brochure instead of a regulated disclosure document. Early-stage brands sometimes plug in estimates for initial investment without real calculations and then don’t update those numbers as actual experience comes in. They also underestimate training, especially around what salespeople can and can’t say and how to handle financial performance representations. If you’re offering Item 19, you need clean data, clear assumptions and documentation behind it.1851: How should franchisors think about risk management as they scale into new markets or add new growth strategies?Fisher:&nbsp;Prioritize quality over quantity. The fastest and easiest way to create long-term risk is awarding franchises to undercapitalized or mismatched operators. Strong franchisee selection and validation solve a lot of problems before they start.1851: What distinguishes your approach or philosophy when working with franchise clients?Fisher:&nbsp;I’m not interested in being an “FDD factory.” A franchise system should reflect a real, replicable business, so we’re candid with clients about readiness, and sometimes that means telling someone to wait. We also spend real time understanding the underlying unit economics. If a client is making an Item 19 disclosure, our job is to help them normalize the data, define the assumptions clearly and communicate it in a way that’s accurate and useful.More broadly, we coach clients to grow smart. Initially, that might mean selling smaller deals to better operators, disciplined expansion and, of course, documentation that matches how the business actually runs.1851: Looking back, what lesson has had the greatest impact on how you advise clients today?Fisher:&nbsp;Two things: (1) franchising isn’t for everyone and (2) preventable problems are expensive.The best systems respect the reality of independent business owners and are designed to motivate and support them, not just control them. And when disputes happen, the quality of the documents and the advice you got early on really matters. So we really counsel clients on disciplined growth: resist the temptation to “sell the most” and instead award franchises to better-capitalized, more capable operators. A little restraint upfront saves a lot of pain later.Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com/">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

2026 Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know: Lane Fisher — FisherZucker

1851 Franchise’s annual roundup of the Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know is back for 2026, spotlighting the legal minds helping shape the future of franchising.

2026-top-franchise-lawyer-lane-fisher-fisherzucker

Franchise Legal Player:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-curran-28b877b/">Leslie Curran</a> Firm:&nbsp;<a href="https://plavekoch.com/">Plave Koch PLC</a><a href="https://plavekoch.com/attorney/curran-leslie-d/">Leslie Curran</a> has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to franchise brands navigating growth, compliance, and long-term risk. With experience advising emerging and growing franchisors across a wide range of consumer-facing and service-based brands, Curran brings a practical, business-minded approach to franchise law. Her work focuses on helping brands scale responsibly while protecting both the franchisor and franchisee experience.1851 Franchise connected with Curran to discuss what franchisors often overlook, where legal risk hides during expansion, and the lessons that continue to shape their advisory philosophy.1851: What originally drew you to franchise law, and what has kept you engaged in the space over time?Curran: I found my way into the franchise practice by accident. At a large D.C. law firm, my office was with the lawyers in that practice group, but I didn’t start out working with them. I got to know the lawyers who sat near me, and they were great people, as well as talented lawyers. The practice was very interesting. They were working with brands I knew, and they were helping those brands grow and expand into new markets.And 25-plus years later, I am still working with franchisors and other brand owners to achieve those same goals of growth and expansion, alongside building great legal and business systems to support that growth. I have stayed engaged because of the people who have crossed my path along the way — the people I work with at Plave Koch, the clients who have trusted me to be part of their teams, suppliers I have built relationships with and, yes, even many franchisor-attorney competitors and franchisee attorneys I have had the pleasure of collaborating with over the years in a variety of contexts. For me, this practice and what we do is about building great relationships all around and helping build up an industry that knows no limits in terms of growth with integrity.1851: As franchising continues to evolve, what legal issue do you see brands most often underestimating today?Curran:&nbsp;Franchise sales have gotten tighter and tighter from an absolute numbers perspective. Each year, we see more brands enter the market that want to sell franchises. However, there does not seem to be a corresponding increase in the number of prospective franchisees who want to buy franchised businesses. In a competitive franchise sales environment, in addition to traditional in-house franchise sales teams, we see a variety of outside franchise sales organizations and other third parties pushing to help franchisors close deals.&nbsp;The legal challenges presented by this intersection include ensuring disclosure documents are not only legally compliant but, where possible, also provide information that can assist with the franchise sales process. It also includes ensuring all franchise sales groups are following legal requirements, including possible upcoming broker regulation, and indemnifying the franchisor for any issues arising from sellers’ actions. It also means ensuring the brand is actually ready, from a legal and business standpoint, to onboard prospects. Brands should be aware of the legal and business issues that surround the various players in the franchise sales process and carefully review the agreements with all third-party sellers.1851: In your experience, where do emerging franchisors tend to get tripped up from a compliance or documentation standpoint?Curran: They fail to do due diligence on the legal, financial, business, franchise sales and other advisors they bring on board to help them get started. Each aspect of the startup is important, and mistakes can be very costly for an emerging franchisor. The franchisor team should take time to vet and interview each service provider and get comfortable with the people you will be working with. It’s an expensive endeavor and it’s not quick, so you’d better like those folks. Also, reach out to other franchisors and service providers for advice and recommendations.For the legal documents, franchise agreements often have a term of 5 to 10 years, so documentation that is poorly drafted is going to stick with the brand for a bit.1851: How should franchisors be thinking about risk management as they scale into new markets or add new unit growth strategies?Curran: First, ensure that the brand is able to enter the market from a franchise sales and disclosure law standpoint, either by use of registration or exemption or exclusion. From the business side, some considerations are: Does the franchisor have the operational systems in place to support the new markets or growth strategy? Has the franchisor assessed the financial viability of the new market or the growth strategy? Does the franchisor know what possible brand changes may be necessary for the franchisee to succeed in the new market? Have systems standards, including supply chain issues, been reviewed and updated as necessary?The risk of failure in a new market, especially for an emerging brand, is very significant. Failure in one growth market beyond a brand’s core current market can make it very difficult to expand further in later efforts. In addition, a lack of planning can lead to increased complaints from franchisees who sign up and assert that the franchisor’s foresight and support may be less than anticipated. Those failures and complaints can divert resources and are likely to make additional growth plans take a back seat.1851: What distinguishes your approach or philosophy when working with franchise clients?&nbsp;Curran: Hospitality is important to me. By that, I mean focusing on what is important to each client. I strive to meet clients where they are in terms of knowledge and expertise. No two clients are equal in that sense. While every client is different, at the simplest level, every client wants to be heard and helped when they need you.It sounds simple, but we must listen first to what the client is trying to achieve and only then formulate a reply with all of the options, along with the risks. Never assume you know better than your clients or dismiss their concerns. The advice needs to be relevant, practical and actionable.1851: Looking back, what lesson from your legal career has had the greatest impact on how you advise clients today?&nbsp;Curran: It’s a lesson that sounds simple: Smart lawyers keep clients by being useful. Figure out how to be useful. That will impress your clients and more will follow.Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com/">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

2026 Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know: Leslie Curran — Plave Koch PLC

1851 Franchise’s annual roundup of the Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know is back for 2026, spotlighting the legal minds helping shape the future of franchising. 

View Search Filters

BRAND NEWS