# Franchisers, the lowest of the low. (Long) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 20, 2022, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839 "2022-02-20T20:54:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/161 "2024-06-28T15:39:44Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > Best of luck with the book. If it is written as well as the podcast it will be a valuable resource for many people. đŸ„č Awww, thank you for that. Have no idea how many SDMB threads have inspired a business _and_ a book, but there is now at least one, lol. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/162 "2024-06-28T15:43:20Z")
Would say, if the Chicago Reader would composite a hard-cover SDMB ‘coffee table’ book of our top-100 posts (let’s not quibble over this top-100) and sold that shit for $50, $100, I would definitely buy one
 especially if I’m mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/163 "2024-06-28T16:06:20Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > On the franchise side, I just signed a publishing agreement with Penguin to publish my first real book, “How to Read (and Understand!) Franchise Disclosure Documents”. My agent says it’s a great idea, given there is nothing on the market quite like it and that it is a topic which should result in “steady sales”. Good for you, great idea. I think it needs a catchier title though, maybe along the lines of “The Franchise Trap (and how to avoid it)”. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/164 "2024-06-28T16:11:45Z")
My goal is to have the phrase “Franchise Disclosure Document” in big letters, ala how this book uses “Cold Calling Techniques”: > **[Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!): Schiffman, Stephan: 9781440572173:...](https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Calling-Techniques-That-Really/dp/1440572178)** > > Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!) \[Schiffman, Stephan\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Cold Calling Techniques (That Really Work!) Inna suggested “Guide to
”, which also works better than my original title. No big deal, we will workshop it some more, and I appreciate the advice, my friend. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2024, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/165 "2024-07-08T23:34:18Z")
Got a mockup of the cover
 I have my thoughts (it’s 80% there) and am interested in yours: [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53843523172_e1f9812c87_b.jpg "Cover1") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/68782016@N08/53843523172/) Will let y’all know what I think - right now it’s 230am Ukraine time and we need to disembark from this bloody train. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2024, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/166 "2024-07-08T23:47:03Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > am interested in yours: Right off the bat? Get some gender and ethnic diversity in the illustration of that business handshake. And then a differently diverse handshake on the back cover. The handshake image is powerful, a picture worth a thousand words, now extend that power with diversity and inclusion. The potential buyers that are white, male, upper corporate class enough to be wearing suits, french cuffs and cuff links like that have obviously already figured out how to avoid the pitfalls of franchise agreements. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2024, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/167 "2024-07-08T23:48:10Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Right off the bat? Get some gender and ethnic diversity in the illustration of that business handshake. And then a differently diverse handshake on the back cover. This was my first thought
 in addition, looks like the guy is shaking hands with himself, lol. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/168 "2024-07-09T00:03:16Z")
My daughter sez: “i think it’s a little intense. intense as in a little isolating. the harsh red background, the blue letters, the cold contrast of the image-i would use the word intimidating. sometimes that can be good especially considering the field you’re in, but i think it would psychologically push potential readers away
 if i saw this on the shelf i would think a republican economist wrote it because of the coloring and the intensity!!” ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/169 "2024-07-09T00:08:27Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > away
 if i saw this on the shelf i would think a republican economist wrote it because of the coloring and the intensity!!” The Force Is Strong With This One. Go to a library and look at Warren Buffett’s and Charlie Munger’s books: follow that. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/170 "2024-07-09T01:06:03Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Right off the bat? Get some gender and ethnic diversity in the illustration of that business handshake. And then a differently diverse handshake on the back cover. But it’s so American! Red, white guys, and blue! Part of me likes the cover but the more I stare at it, the more it feels like it could be a 50 Shades book, as dramatic as it is. > [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Go to a library and look at Warren Buffett’s and Charlie Munger’s books: follow that. I like some of these. [![](https://redshelf-images.s3-external-1.amazonaws.com/cover_image/9781510759763.jpg) ](https://redshelf-images.s3-external-1.amazonaws.com/cover_image/9781510759763.jpg) [![](https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/cvr9781439149379_9781439149379_hr.jpg) ](https://d28hgpri8am2if.cloudfront.net/book_images/cvr9781439149379_9781439149379_hr.jpg) [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Wib8Mn7RL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Wib8Mn7RL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg) I think these are nice templates. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/171 "2024-07-09T02:12:40Z")
I agree. Thanks for doing the work-I still can’t master posting images here, which sadly is depriving all of you of photos of my gorgeous Siamese overlord. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/172 "2024-07-09T02:14:16Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > the more I stare at it, the more it feels like it could be a 50 Shades book, as dramatic as it is. Or, shudder and grimace, The Handmaid’s Tale. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/173 "2024-07-09T02:15:13Z")
A subtitle would be nice below the hands. “Your Guide For Evaluating Buying a Franchise” Something better than that but you get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/174 "2024-07-09T03:09:21Z")
Somehow make it clear that this book is for newbies. It feels a bit complex as is. I’m not sure what “Don’t buy a job” means. Don’t franchise owners expect to buy a working business that they’ll be working at, aka a job? If I’m not sure, then other readers may not be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/175 "2024-07-09T06:16:02Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Don’t franchise owners expect to buy a working business that they’ll be working at, aka a job? I’m pretty sure the idea of owning a franchise is so that you hire people to do the work and make money for you. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/176 "2024-07-09T07:07:41Z")
“DBaJ” was the tagline to my podcast. The meaning is simply that you should buy a _business_, an _investment_
 but too many franchise owners have found that they used their life savings to buy a job managing someone else’s business. Snap On Tools is a prime example. It is almost impossible to expand to more than one location because the SOT contract requires you, the signer, to run the sales route. There is almost no ability to grow your business beyond your 200 assigned stops because _you’re too busy selling tools_. I talk about this in the book - there are, iirc, 127 Snap On Tools franchisees in the state of Florida and 126 of them own, and work, just a single van. That’s not a business investment, that’s spending $300,000 to be a high-pressure tool salesperson, one who assumes their client’s credit risk\*. _That_ is “buying a job”. To the point, it may be a good headline for the back of the book. I think having it on the cover makes it (the cover) pretty congested. \*Yes, you read that right. If you buy tools from your SOT person on credit, the SOT rep is the one who is at risk if you default on your debt, not SOT corporate. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2024, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/177 "2024-07-09T09:25:16Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > “The Franchise Trap (and how to avoid it)”. This is really good! ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2024, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/178 "2024-07-13T00:42:53Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > This was my first thought
 in addition, looks like the guy is shaking hands with himself, lol. And isn’t that just a perfect illustration of white male privilege and cronyism in the business world? I’ll write a book on it. I’ll call it _Shaking Hands with Yourself._ ETA: I already have a sequel in mind" _Shaking Hands with Yourself: And Other Upstanding White Christian Men._ ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2024, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/179 "2024-07-13T00:49:42Z")
People will assume it’s about jerking off
 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2024, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839/180 "2024-07-13T00:56:03Z")
Affirmative. (I only wanted to write ‘Yes’ but you know how Discourse can be) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/franchisers-the-lowest-of-the-low-long/959839.md?page=10)