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Franchise Disclosure Document Reviewer for Prospective Franchisees: Item 7 Investment Gaps, Item 19 Earnings Claims, Item 20 Turnover Math, Item 17 Exit Terms, Litigation Flags, and Validation Call Questions

Review an FDD before you buy a franchise: rebuild the real startup budget from Items 5 to 7, test what the Item 19 numbers do and do not show, calculate outlet turnover from Item 20 tables, read the Item 17 termination and transfer terms, flag Item 3 litigation, and get questions for franchisee validation calls and your attorney.

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October 9, 2026

Prompt

Act as a franchise business analyst who helps prospective franchisees read a Franchise Disclosure Document under the FTC Franchise Rule (16 CFR Part 436) and prepare for validation calls and a franchise attorney review.

Inputs:
- Franchise concept, FDD issuance date, and the date you received it: [ConceptName]
- Items 5, 6, and 7 pasted: initial fees, ongoing fees, and the estimated initial investment table: [FeeTables]
- Item 19 financial performance representation, pasted exactly, or "none": [Item19Text]
- Item 20 outlet tables (systemwide summary, transfers, franchised outlet status, company owned, projected openings): [Item20Tables]
- Item 17 table rows on term, renewal, termination, transfer, noncompete, and dispute resolution: [Item17Excerpts]
- Item 3 litigation and Item 4 bankruptcy text: [LitigationText]
- Your budget, financing, and whether you plan to operate or hire a manager: [BuyerProfile]
- Output format: [Format]

Generate:
1. A timing check: the 14 calendar day rule before signing or paying anything, counted from the receipt date in ConceptName.
2. A real startup budget from FeeTables: the Item 7 low and high, items commonly underestimated (additional funds period, build out over allowance, local marketing), and how BuyerProfile compares to the high end plus working capital.
3. An ongoing fee stack from Item 6: royalty, ad fund, technology, and other fees as a percent of a sales figure the buyer supplies, never assumed.
4. An Item 19 read: which outlets are included, the period, median vs average, whether it shows gross sales only or any costs, and what it leaves out; if Item19Text is "none", say so and note that the franchisor may not make earnings claims elsewhere.
5. Turnover math from Item20Tables for each year: terminations, non renewals, reacquisitions, ceased operations, and transfers divided by outlets at the start of the year, plus the gap between projected and actual openings.
6. An Item 17 summary in plain language: how long, how to renew, what lets the franchisor terminate, transfer conditions, noncompete reach, and where disputes are heard.
7. Red flags from LitigationText, grouped by franchisee claims, regulator actions, and the franchisor suing franchisees.
8. Validation call questions for current and former franchisees from the Item 20 lists, and a question list for the attorney.

Constraints:
- Quote item numbers for every figure; never estimate a franchisee's income.
- This is business analysis for a buyer, not legal or investment advice. No em dashes.

Instructions

Replace every [bracket] with your details before running. Works on ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Generated Output

This image was generated using the prompt above.

Franchise Disclosure Document Reviewer for Prospective Franchisees: Item 7 Investment Gaps, Item 19 Earnings Claims, Item 20 Turnover Math, Item 17 Exit Terms, Litigation Flags, and Validation Call Questions - Result

Examples

Example Input

ConceptName: Sprout and Stretch kids fitness studio, FDD issued 03/28/2026, received by email 10/01/2026
FeeTables: Item 5 initial franchise fee $49,500; Item 6 royalty 7% of gross sales, brand fund 2%, technology fee $425 per month, local marketing minimum $1,500 per month; Item 7 total $238,400 to $412,900 including additional funds for 3 months $25,000 to $40,000
Item19Text: "Average gross sales for the 41 franchised studios open the full 2025 calendar year were $498,212. 17 of 41 (41%) met or exceeded the average. Median $431,560. Does not include studios open less than 12 months (14 studios) or studios that closed in 2025 (6)."
Item20Tables: franchised outlets start 2023: 52, end 2023: 61; start 2024: 61, end 2024: 64; start 2025: 64, end 2025: 66. Terminations 2023/2024/2025: 2/4/5; non renewals 0/1/0; reacquired 1/0/1; ceased other reasons 1/3/2; transfers 3/5/7. Projected openings for 2026: 18
Item17Excerpts: term 10 years; renewal requires remodel and new then current agreement; termination on 30 days notice for failure to meet minimum gross sales of $300,000 after year 2; transfer requires approval and a $15,000 fee; noncompete 2 years and 10 miles from any studio; arbitration in Maricopa County, Arizona
LitigationText: one 2024 arbitration by a former franchisee alleging misrepresentation of earnings, settled for $85,000 without admission
BuyerProfile: $150,000 liquid, SBA loan for the rest, plans to own and hire a studio manager
Format: sections 1 to 8

Example Output

1. TIMING
Received 10/01/2026. Earliest day to sign or pay: 10/15/2026. The FDD issued 03/28/2026; ask whether a 2026 amendment is coming.

2. STARTUP BUDGET (Item 7)
Range $238,400 to $412,900. Plan to the high end plus 6 months of working capital, not the 3 months in Item 7. Ask for actual build out costs from 3 recent openings. With $150,000 liquid, the SBA loan covers about $263,000 at the high end, before a manager's salary during ramp up.

3. ONGOING FEES (Item 6)
Percent fees total 9% of gross sales, plus $425 tech and $1,500 local marketing per month ($23,100 per year). Supply a sales figure to see the dollar stack.

4. ITEM 19
Covers 41 studios open all of 2025. Excludes 14 studios open less than 12 months and 6 that closed, so the average skews up. Median ($431,560) is the better anchor. Gross sales only: no rent, payroll, or owner income.

5. TURNOVER (Item 20)
| Year | Start | Exits | Turnover |
| 2023 | 52 | 7 | 13.5% |
| 2024 | 61 | 13 | 21.3% |
| 2025 | 64 | 15 | 23.4% |
Rising each year, and transfers more than doubled. Net growth 2025: +2 against 18 projected for 2026.

6. ITEM 17 PLAIN LANGUAGE
10 year term. Renewal means a remodel and the then current agreement. They can terminate if gross sales stay under $300,000 after year 2. Transfers need approval and $15,000. Noncompete: 2 years, 10 miles from any studio. Disputes go to arbitration in Maricopa County, Arizona.

7. RED FLAGS
Franchisee claims: 2024 earnings misrepresentation arbitration, settled for $85,000. Pair it with the rising turnover.

8. QUESTIONS
Validation calls:
- What did you actually spend to open, and how long to break even?
- Did you hire a manager, and could the studio support that salary?
- Former owners: why did you leave, and did you sell or close?
Attorney:
- Can the $300,000 minimum sales clause be negotiated or delayed?
- Does the noncompete reach cover studios opened after I sign?
- What changed in the agreement after the 2024 arbitration?

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