I’m The Franchise King®, Joel Libava. I’ve been involved in franchising for 20 years.
This Is What I Do
The best way to describe what I do is to tell you what I don’t do. This is really important.
To begin with, I don’t sell franchises. (Can I get a hallelujah?)
That’s means I’m not a franchise consultant, franchise broker, or franchise coach. I’ll explain.
A franchise consultant, broker, or coach tries to match you to franchises that they feel may be a good “fit” for you. And interestingly enough, they do it for free. Sounds good, right? But there’s a catch.
But before I tell you what the catch is, you’re probably wondering why I’m telling you all this.
It’s because if you search for a franchise long enough, I can pretty much guarantee that a franchise broker, consultant or coach is going to find you and contact you, as they’re constantly trolling the internet for would-be franchise buyers.
Here’s The Catch
You need to know that if you decide to work with them, they’re ONLY going to match you to franchises that they have sales contracts with. That’s usually around 100-200 franchise concepts. As a result, you’re going to miss out on thousands of other franchise opportunities that may actually be better and more profitable for you.
And speaking of profitable, on average, today’s franchise consultants, brokers and coaches make $20,000 every time someone they work with buys a franchise they recommended.
It means that when you work with a franchise consultant, broker, or coach, you’re not the client. The franchisor is. It gets worse.
99% of them don’t disclose it. The end result?
You feel like they’re working for you and that they have your best interest in mind.
$20,000 says they may not be. Just saying.
Good thing there’s an alternative.
“Joel, because he’s not a franchise broker, was completely unbiased, and gave simple straightforward advice to help me evaluate the various options I was pursuing. Additionally, his franchise research book was extremely useful as I progressed through the franchising process. I’d highly recommend working with Joel – it’ll be worth the small investment to give you the confidence that you’re heading in the right direction and not making costly mistakes along the way. Thanks for all your help, Joel! No wonder they call you the Franchise King!”
– Greg Moore, Franchisee of the School of Rock, Iowa
The Way I Work Is Decidingly Different
When you work with me you’re the client. I work for you. I have your back.
As your Franchise Ownership Advisor, I provide personalized advice on how to go about choosing, researching, and buying a franchise.
Now, this could a be a franchise you found on your own, one or two franchises you found after I showed you how to do a proper franchise search, or it may even be a specific franchise opportunity I came up with because you wanted some fresh ideas.
Whatever the case, I’ll help you make an intelligent, fact-based yes or no decision on any franchise you’re interested in.
“So how do you make money, Joel?”
I charge for my expertise. How much?
Check out my Guaranteed Franchise Ownership Consultations for detailed pricing information and more.
My Other Income Sources
I addition to my Franchise Ownership Consultations, I have other income sources.
For one, I’m an author, so some of my income comes from selling my hardcover book and my franchise research guide.
I also make money from advertising, freelance writing, “Sponsored Posts,” and affiliate product sales.
Finally, I work with a select number of emerging franchise concepts, helping them rise above the noise with a unique combination of Digital Marketing techniques that gets them in front of the right potential franchisees that can help them grow their presence.
About My Backgound And More
It’s important for you to know who you’re dealing with. So here goes.
To begin with, I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, On June 30, 19…
I’m kidding. I’m not going to do that.
On the contrary, I’m going to tell you the important things you need to know about me, the business stuff. The things that will help you determine if you feel it’s worth it to spend some of your valuable time on my website, and maybe even invest some money to work with me, or to purchase one of my products in the future.
Work-Life
My work background includes:
- Food and beverage management, including a stint as a Maitre’D for a Las Vegas hotel-casino showroom.
- Sales/sales management for several automobile franchises
- Radio personality
Along with several other jobs in various industries.
Education
I need to point out that I have very little formal education.
Specifically, I “tried” college. (For 9 months)
As a result, most of my education has involved learning from subject-matter experts in the field of writing, marketing, PR, and of course, franchising.
Author
In 2011, an editor from Wiley Publishing contacted me. She told me that the market was overdue for a book on how to buy a franchise, and asked me if I’d be interested in writing it. I said “yes.”
Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that her offer of paying me an “advance” had something a lot to do with my extremely rapid, and very positive response to her email inquiry.
All in all, my book has done pretty well. Thousands of people have read it. (Or have listened to it, because there’s an audio version, too.)
(Click the cover to learn more about my book)
“Early May 2017 I had my military retirement party and a friend (financial planner) gave me your book Become A Franchise Owner. I read it twice.
What I got from your book:
1. The process was correct in real life. Nothing was unusually.
2. A proven methods does not mean it will work with you.
3. Talk to the franchisees.
4. Talk with franchisees. (not a duplicate)
5. Don’t speed up the process. Get the right individuals (i.e., lawyer) involved.
6. Free “coaches/consultants” are free for a reason. They get paid by the franchise company to get you to buy the franchise up!”
– Michael M.
In addition to my franchise business books, I’ve had the honor to write hundreds of informational articles on franchising for dozens and dozens of highly-trafficked, and respected websites. A few of them include:
- The New York Times.com
- CNBC.com
- Entrepreneur.com
- The Huffington Post
- Fortune.com
And currently, I write a monthly article for The U.S. Small Business Administration’s blog (I’ve been doing so for the past 7 years) and Franchise Direct, a top-ranked franchise opportunity website.
Press
When it comes to getting publicity, I’ve had the honor of getting interviewed and quoted by a large number of national and local online and offline publications over the years.
For instance, I was featured in Entrepreneur Magazine.
Now, seeing as you’ve made it this far, you’re more than welcome to see my other Press mentions, interviews etc, by going to my official Press Page at your convenience.
And speaking of interviews, the folks at Businesstown asked me to share some of my franchise buying tips, so I obliged…in this video interview.
Testimonials
I’ve worked with thousands of people over the years. Some of them have provided testimonials about my ethics, knowledge, expertise, professionalism, along with my services/products.
In addition, lots of people in the franchise world, and a plethora of small business experts have provided their thoughts on what I bring to the table.
I encourage you to visit my testimonials page so you can see what others think of me. You should “Google” me, too.
One More Thing
This is the last time I’m going to talk about “me.” Enough already.
All of us are products of things like our:
- Upbringing
- Education
- Geographical location
- Opportunities
- Life choices
And others.
In this case, it’s the “life choices” part I want to share with you.
Basically, I made some really lousy choices at a young age…life-altering ones as a matter of fact. One’s I could’ve died from. But they’re part of my story.
With that in mind, if you REALLY want to get to know me, and find out what makes me tick, I wrote* a 3-Part article-an autobiography of sorts.
*It took me almost 3 years to summon the courage to write Part 3.
In any event, you’re welcome to read it. Just click the link below
Because Of Them: My Personal Story
Back To You, Potential Franchise Buyer
From here on out, it’s about you. About your desire to be your own boss. And how to do it in a smart way.
That said, here are two recommendations for you to get the ball rolling.
1. Go to my blog, so you can start reading useful articles like this and this.
2. Take 15-20 minutes to thoroughly read How To Buy A Franchise, which has been read by thousands of people-just like you.
