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FranPicks

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What franchise can I afford?

Buyers who can't afford a brand almost always find out after the application, once a broker already has their number. This checks you against each brand's FDD-disclosed minimums first.

Photo via Pexels

What can I afford?

Enter your liquid capital and net worth. We'll show franchises whose FDD-disclosed requirements fit your numbers.

Cash and cash-equivalents you could put toward the business, not including a loan.

Assets minus liabilities. Most FDDs disclose a minimum net-worth requirement separate from liquid capital.

Category

Checking this relaxes the liquid-capital gate slightly, since financing can cover part of the total investment. It does not change the net-worth requirement most franchisors enforce regardless of financing.

Franchises in your range

    Based on FDD-disclosed liquid capital and net-worth minimums. A franchisor's actual approval also depends on credit, experience, and location, factors this tool doesn't model.

    Two gates, both in the filing

    Before a franchisor talks price, it checks two things: your liquid capital, the cash and near-cash you can put in without borrowing, and your net worth, everything you own minus what you owe. Both minimums are disclosed in the FDD, and they exist so the franchisor knows you can survive a slow first year rather than run out of money mid-build. This tool reads those two numbers off every brand and shows you only the ones you clear, so you spend your time on brands that would actually take your call.

    A calculator resting on a printed line chart trending upward across the week
    The estimate is a qualification check, not a promise of profit. Clearing a brand's minimums means you can apply; whether the location makes money is a separate question the ROI panel on each brand page starts to answer. Photo via Pexels

    What the estimate does and doesn't tell you

    Clearing a brand's minimums means you're eligible to apply, not that the business will work or that a lender will fund you. The financing option relaxes the liquid-capital gate to reflect that a loan or a ROBS rollover can cover part of the investment, but it doesn't model your credit, collateral, or any lender's real criteria. Treat the result as a filter that removes the brands you can't pursue yet, then judge the ones that remain on their royalty, their disclosed revenue, and their unit trend, the numbers that decide whether the investment is worth making at all.

    Affordability estimator: common questions

    How does the affordability estimator work?

    It compares the liquid capital and net worth you enter against each franchise's FDD-disclosed liquid-capital and net-worth minimums. A franchise appears in your results when both numbers clear that brand's stated requirement.

    Does checking the financing box mean I'm approved for a loan?

    No. It relaxes the liquid-capital gate in this tool's math to reflect that financing can cover part of an investment, but it doesn't model actual credit approval, collateral, or lender criteria. A real financing decision depends on your credit, business plan, and the specific lender or ROBS provider.

    Why does a franchise I can afford not show up?

    Either it isn't in the FranPicks data set yet, or its net-worth or liquid-capital requirement, as disclosed in its FDD, is higher than the numbers you entered. Try browsing by category instead.