Franchise guides
176 guides to buying, running and selling a franchise in Australia. Every guide is dated and cites its primary sources: the Franchising Code, the ACCC, the ABS and Treasury. They are general information, not legal or financial advice.
Start here
How to buy a franchise in Australia: the complete buyer's guide
Buying a franchise is one of the biggest financial decisions most people make. This guide walks the full process, from shortlist to signing, using the protections the law already gives you.
Eliza Harding · 12 min read
Start hereThe Franchising Code of Conduct 2025, explained
The Franchising Code is the law that protects franchise buyers. Here is what it actually requires, and how each rule works in your favour.
Eliza Harding · 10 min read
Start hereHow much does a franchise really cost in Australia?
The advertised franchise fee is rarely the real number. Here is how to read the full cost of a franchise, and what each category actually runs.
Prakash Bartaula · 8 min read
Start hereWhat is a franchise? How franchising works in Australia
Before you weigh whether to buy one, it helps to understand exactly what a franchise is, what you are really buying, and what the franchisor keeps.
Eliza Harding · 8 min read
Buying a franchise
Choosing a system, due diligence and the buying process, step by step.
- Franchise due diligence checklist for Australian buyers9 min
- The questions to ask existing franchisees before you buy7 min
- Franchise vs starting your own business8 min
- Franchise vs licence vs business opportunity7 min
- Understanding franchise territories8 min
- Buying a franchise resale vs a new site8 min
- How to research a franchise before you buy8 min
- Franchise training and support: what to really expect7 min
- Are you ready to own a franchise?7 min
- Are franchises a good investment in Australia?9 min
- How to choose the right franchise for you8 min
- Buying an existing franchise (a resale): what to check8 min
- Franchise red flags: warning signs before you buy8 min
- What is a master franchise?7 min
- Do you need a franchise lawyer?6 min
- Multi-unit franchising: scaling beyond one site7 min
- How to choose a location for your franchise8 min
- Home-based franchises: how they work and what they cost7 min
- Is a franchise passive income?6 min
- Franchise vs buying an independent business8 min
- What is a franchise broker (and should you use one)?6 min
- Buying a franchise with a business partner7 min
- Common mistakes first-time franchise buyers make7 min
- How to compare franchises side by side6 min
- What is a franchise discovery day?6 min
- Which franchise industry is right for you?7 min
- How long does it take to buy a franchise?6 min
- Franchise vs MLM: what's the difference?7 min
- Franchise vs dealership vs distributorship7 min
- What is a conversion franchise?6 min
- Buying a franchise after redundancy or a career change8 min
- Buying a franchise for semi-retirement7 min
- Can you own a franchise while working full-time?6 min
- How to use the Franchise Disclosure Register before you buy10 min
- Reading franchise reviews, forums and Reddit: how to separate signal from noise9 min
- How to find franchises for sale near you, and vet them8 min
- Half-price franchise resales: red flags and the questions to ask8 min
- What's negotiable in a franchise agreement (and what usually isn't)9 min
- 40 questions to ask a franchisor before you buy9 min
- Franchising rules by state: what differs across Australia8 min
- Buying a franchise for a visa or PR in Australia: the 2026 position10 min
- Franchising for new migrants: opportunities, protections and the data gap9 min
- Women in franchising in Australia: what's measured and what isn't8 min
- Franchises for young entrepreneurs: buying a franchise under 30 in Australia8 min
- Best franchises for beginners: how to choose when you've never run a business8 min
- Franchising after the ADF: a guide for veterans9 min
- Regional franchise opportunities in Australia: territories, demand and staffing7 min
- Pros and cons of owning a franchise in Australia: the honest list8 min
- Franchise vs vending machine business: which is the better small investment?9 min
- Best franchise categories for 2026: how to tell a fad from durable demand8 min
- When is the best time of year to buy a franchise?8 min
Costs, fees and finance
What a franchise really costs, how to fund it and how owners get paid.
- How to finance a franchise in Australia8 min
- Franchise royalties and ongoing fees explained8 min
- How much do franchise owners make in Australia?9 min
- Franchise fees explained: initial, royalty, marketing and hidden costs8 min
- How to value a franchise business8 min
- Can you buy a franchise with no money?7 min
- The franchise marketing fund explained6 min
- What insurance does a franchise need?6 min
- How to read a franchise's financials8 min
- Franchise tax basics: what to ask your accountant6 min
- Franchise earnings claims explained6 min
- How to write a franchise business plan for a bank loan9 min
- Buying a franchise when interest rates are rising: a 2026 stress test8 min
- Franchise loan repayments: what $50,000, $100,000 and $250,000 cost each month8 min
- How much deposit do you need to buy a franchise? Equity, LVR and security8 min
- Can you use your super or an SMSF to buy a franchise?9 min
- Vehicle and equipment finance for franchisees: leases, chattel mortgages and tax9 min
- Paying yourself from a franchise: owner's wage, break-even and the first year8 min
- Grants and support for buying a franchise in Australia: what actually exists7 min
- Franchises under $10,000: what you can really get for the money8 min
- Best franchises under $100,000: a framework for choosing, not a ranking7 min
The Franchising Code and your rights
Disclosure, the 14-day rules, cooling-off, disputes and what franchisors can't do.
- The Franchise Disclosure Document explained9 min
- The franchise agreement explained9 min
- The franchise cooling-off period explained6 min
- Franchise agreement renewal: what to expect7 min
- Franchise encroachment explained7 min
- How franchise disputes are resolved7 min
- How long does a franchise agreement last?6 min
- Restraint of trade in franchise agreements7 min
- What your franchisor can't do: 12 rules in the Franchising Code10 min
- Old Code or new Code? How to tell which Franchising Code governs your agreement10 min
- The 2025 Franchising Code: what changed for buyers9 min
- The franchise 14-day rule: what restarts the clock and when deposits must be refunded9 min
- Buying a second franchise unit: when disclosure and cooling-off can be waived9 min
- Can my franchisor make me refurbish? The four lawful routes to forced capex9 min
- Can a franchisor change the franchise agreement? What it can change and what it must disclose8 min
- Unfair contract terms in franchise agreements: the clauses the ACCC keeps flagging9 min
- Franchisee associations: your right to organise and the $10 million penalty tier8 min
- Beyond the marketing fund: specific purpose funds under the Franchising Code10 min
- Can franchisees waive the marketing fund audit? The 75% vote explained9 min
- What can franchise marketing fund money pay for? Admin costs, salaries and company stores9 min
- Franchise termination on 7 days' notice: the grounds you can and can't dispute8 min
- Franchise mediation and arbitration: what both sides must do9 min
Franchise industries
How each sector works, what it costs and the checks that matter.
- Buying a cleaning franchise in Australia: models, costs and checks (2026)10 min
- Guaranteed income cleaning franchises: how the offers work and what to check9 min
- Buying a mowing or garden franchise in Australia: what it costs and what to check9 min
- Buying a coffee franchise in Australia: kiosk vs cafe vs coffee van9 min
- Buying a fast food franchise in Australia: costs, leases and the numbers to test9 min
- Bubble tea, frozen yoghurt and dessert franchises in Australia: trend or durable business?9 min
- Buying a gym franchise in Australia: 24/7 gyms vs boutique fitness studios9 min
- Buying a pet services franchise in Australia: grooming, dog walking and pet care8 min
- Laundromat franchises in Australia: what to know before you buy a semi-passive business8 min
- Mobile and van-based franchises in Australia: costs, territories and what to check8 min
- Buying a courier franchise in Australia: runs, rates and the contract to check9 min
- Buying a childcare franchise in Australia after the 3 Day Guarantee: what changed and what to check10 min
- Home care franchises in Australia under Support at Home: what buyers need to know10 min
- NDIS franchises in Australia: registration, pricing and the checks to make9 min
- Buying a tutoring franchise in Australia: centres, online models and working with children checks8 min
- Automotive service franchises in Australia: workshops, tyres and mobile mechanics9 min
- Convenience store, fuel and postal franchises in Australia: margins, hours and leases9 min
- Retail franchises in Australia in 2026: leases, stock and the online question8 min
- Health and allied health franchises in Australia: registration, referrals and the economics8 min
- B2B and IT services franchises in Australia: selling to businesses as a franchisee7 min
- Real estate franchises in Australia: licensing, commission splits and franchise fees8 min
- Solar, battery and EV charging franchises in Australia: licences, rebates and risks9 min
Running a franchise
Obligations, premises, staff and day-to-day operations.
- What happens if your franchise fails?8 min
- Your obligations as a franchisee7 min
- What happens after you buy a franchise?7 min
- Franchise premises and the lease explained7 min
- The franchise operations manual explained6 min
- Can a franchisor be liable for wage underpayment? Worker exploitation and the Code8 min
- Hiring your first staff as a franchisee: awards, wages and compliance9 min
- AI in franchising: what buyers should ask about tech, data and costs9 min
Selling and exiting
Transfers, renewal, termination, goodwill and selling your franchise.
- How to exit a franchise: selling, transfer and non-renewal9 min
- How to sell your franchise7 min
- When is the right time to sell your franchise?7 min
- How to prepare your franchise for sale8 min
- How to find a buyer for your franchise7 min
- Refused a renewal? When a post-term restraint of trade stops working9 min
- How to end a franchise agreement lawfully: breach notices, no-fault exits and exit proposals9 min
- Selling your franchise: the 42-day consent rule and reasonable grounds to refuse9 min
- End-of-term notices: the 6-month rule and what your franchisor must tell you8 min
- Who owns the goodwill in a franchise? Exit value, forced sales and non-renewal9 min
Data, research and myths
What the numbers on franchising actually show, and what they don't.
- Franchising in Australia by the numbers (2026): which figures to trust8 min
- Is franchising growing in Australia? What the data actually shows7 min
- The Schaper review of the Franchising Code: what it found and what changed10 min
- Franchise complaints in Australia: what the ACCC data shows8 min
- Franchise disputes in Australia: how common they are and why estimates range from 0.2% to 33%7 min
- Do franchises fail less than independent businesses? The honest answer8 min
- What is the most profitable franchise in Australia? Why the question misleads8 min
- New, small or established franchise systems: what the data says about risk8 min
- What happens if your franchisor goes broke? Brand churn and insolvency checks10 min
For franchisors
Franchising your business and staying compliant with the Code.
- How to franchise your business in Australia10 min
- Franchising Code compliance: a franchisor's checklist9 min
- How to prepare a franchise disclosure document9 min
- Creating your Franchise Disclosure Register profile7 min
- How to recruit franchisees in Australia9 min
- How much does it cost to franchise your business?8 min
- What makes a business franchisable?7 min
- The 1 November 2025 Franchising Code changes: a franchisor's transition checklist10 min
- Disclosing significant capital expenditure: how to identify, estimate and word it9 min
- The pre-signing capex conversation (s47): how to run it and prove it happened8 min
- A reasonable chance to earn back the investment: setting term length under s449 min
- Early-termination compensation clauses: market exit, network cuts and going online8 min
- The franchise fund compliance calendar: 4-month statements, audits and 30-day delivery8 min
- The franchise information statement: meeting the 7-day deadline8 min
- Independent advice statements: legal, business and accounting sign-offs before signing7 min
- Disclosure document deadlines: the 4-month annual update and on-request updates8 min
- Materially relevant facts: the 14-day notice rule with a $10 million penalty tier8 min
- Franchisor solvency statements and financial reports: getting disclosure item 21 right8 min
- Franchise supplier rebates: what the disclosure document must reveal10 min
- Former franchisee contacts: churn tables, contact details and the 14-day privacy notice8 min
- The Franchise Disclosure Register's integrity questions: convictions, judgments and insolvency9 min
- Franchise Disclosure Register penalties: what five infringement notices teach8 min
- The ACCC now runs the Franchise Disclosure Register: what changed in 2025 and 20267 min
- Franchisor record keeping: the 6-year rules and the ACCC's 21-day document demand8 min
- Franchising Code penalties in 2026: $218,400 per breach and the $10 million tier9 min
- ACCC infringement notices for franchisors: how they work and how to respond8 min
- ACCC franchising enforcement, 2015 to 2026: the cases and the lessons8 min
- Ultra Tune's $1.5 million contempt fine: what court-ordered compliance demands8 min
- New car dealerships and the Franchising Code: notices, wind-down plans and buy-backs9 min
Every figure we publish is dated and sourced. See our methodology, the Fee Index, or the glossary of franchise terms.