Linda M. Belford
Franchise Consultant
WELCOME
Have you dreamed of owning your own business? Should you start your own business, or take advantage of the franchise opportunities in the Greater Orlando area? With so many franchises for sale, which one is right for you?
As a FranNet consultant and seasoned business owner, I can help answer your questions. Whether you’re interested in an initial consultation to determine if franchise ownership is right for you, or you’re ready to purchase a franchise business, I can provide the valuable information and advice you need to feel truly confident in your decision.
Our proven model will help you identify specific franchises that best match your interests, goals, lifestyle, and resources. Through our unique profiling assessment, I can help you feel more comfortable that you are making a well-informed and wise decision. FranNet has helped thousands of people like yourself start a franchise and achieve their dream of business ownership. I am looking forward to doing the same for you!
The best part? Our services are FREE, WITH NO OBLIGATION! Begin the process of owning your own franchise by contacting me.
MY CORE VALUESINTEGRITY COMMITTMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
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ABOUT LINDA
Linda is the Owner/Principal Consultant of FranNet of Greater Orlando. She has owned a highly successful 'Top 100' retail franchise and a consulting franchise, and is the founder/ past Executive VP of a major franchisee organization. In this later role, she was an active member in the Coalition of Franchisee Associations (CFA) , and was instrumental in helping the CFA reach its 'Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights' endorsement goal.
Linda has more than 30 years of management and business experience - including IT analyst and program director positions at a major mid-west medical center, as well as owner of an independent consulting firm. She has demonstrated long-term success in best practice strategic planning, fiscal management, brand development/marketing, accreditation, compliance, continuous quality improvement, and industry specific coaching.
Linda has held several executive leadership positions in numerous national/ statewide professional associations, and non-profit organizations. She has also received accolades and awards for her business success, as well as her volunteer work locally and internationally. She is also a Certified SCORE Volunteer Mentor.
She is a native Michigander, and currently splits her time between her residences in Michigan and sunny Florida. She received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and a second master's degree from Michigan State University.
Linda's vast experience, her core values, and her passion for helping others achieve their goal of business ownership uniquely qualify her to help you make the most informed decisions about franchising. She will work with you step-by-step to find the franchise opportunity that is RIGHT for you.
10 Frequently Asked Franchise Questions
FAQs
What is a FranNet Franchise Consultant?
A FranNet franchise consultant is a local, franchise expert to advise you on franchise and business opportunities. Within our group, we have past and present franchisors, franchise executives, franchisees, regional and area developers, and other business professionals.
How Do We Help?
We help you by providing assorted research and information that will help you investigate different franchises to start your own business. We can introduce you to many different franchisors, so rather than having to go from place to place to learn about specific businesses, you can learn the basics about several options all in one spot! This saves you time and money.
FranNet Consultants help save you time and money in several ways: by educating you about franchising, by helping you research your business, by identifying the right structure and strategic mix of the businesses you are interested in, and by introducing you to the franchisors that fit your model.
We’ll encourage you to thoroughly research any franchise that you are investigating, and we’ll even help you find franchise attorneys and other advisors so you can gain more information before you buy. We believe that the more you know, the better the odds are that the choice you make will be a good one. As a result, we stress that you spend the necessary time to research before you buy. Once you’ve bought the business, it’s too late to change your mind.
How Much Do We Cost?
FranNet Consulting Services are 100% Free For Our Clients. Like a real estate agent, we make our commission only if and when a deal closes and are paid by the seller, not you, the buyer.
How Can We Work Together?
- Take Our Entrepreneur Readiness Profile
- Create your free Readiness Profile to evaluate the best business ownership options for you. First, you will complete a personality analysis and an investment range determination. From there, our algorithm can help determine what franchise options in your local market may be best able to meet your goals.
- We Will Review Your Readiness Profile
- Once you have your Entrepreneur Readiness Profile results, you may request a free, no-obligation review session with your local franchise consultant. During this meeting, you can gain more insight into what franchise opportunities may be best for your goals.
- We’ll Discuss Your Franchise Options
- After the review of your Readiness Profile, we work with you to determine what local franchise options may be worth exploring. Your local consultant will present you with a number of options and depending on which ones you are interested in, your consultant will make an introduction.
- Introduction To Your Ideal Franchise Brands
- We will help facilitate those introductions and coach you on the due diligence process. We will also provide guidance on which questions to ask, the Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), and the tools you can use to rank the franchise opportunities for yourself.
- Introduction to Existing Franchisees of the Brands You Like
- Once you’ve learned more about each franchise opportunity that you are interested in, you will be able to speak with active franchisees in their respective organizations to validate the business, support, and overall success of each opportunity.
- Attend a Discovery Day
- Before making a formal commitment to a franchise opportunity, you will attend a Discovery Day, usually on-site at the corporate headquarters of the specific franchise you’re interested in (In the wake of COVID-19, many franchisors are offering virtual Discovery Days). This Discovery Day is a great opportunity for you to meet the top management team, see their operational facility, and learn more about the day-to-day life of owning a business under their brand.
- Making a Final Decision with FranNet By Your Side
- Once you return from a Discovery Day, you’ll be in a position to decide if that specific franchise is the right fit for you. If it is, we’ll provide the necessary referrals to franchise attorneys, accountants, and funding partners to help complete your franchise due diligence. From there, it is your choice to sign the final franchise agreement and become a franchisee.
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Resources
Helpful Articles
Franchise Ownership 101
Business Ownership Exploration
