The best way to understand a franchise beyond its sales materials is to speak with current and former franchisees and ask specific questions about their experience. If you are researching mobile pet grooming, these questions to ask existing franchisees before signing can help you test whether the work, support, and business expectations fit your goals. For a broader view of the decision process, start with our guide to owning a pet grooming franchise.
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A useful conversation is not a request for a guarantee. It is a chance to hear concrete examples, compare more than one perspective, and identify questions to resolve in the current Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Kontota’s discovery process is mutual evaluation; use owner conversations as one part of your research, not as a substitute for reviewing the FDD with qualified legal and financial advisers.
Why Is Speaking With Franchisees an Important Due Diligence Step?
Franchisees can describe what operating the business looks like in practice: how their time is divided, what support they used, what surprised them, and what they would investigate earlier. Their experiences are individual, so one person’s results or opinion cannot predict yours. But thoughtful conversations can help you verify whether the operating model and your own expectations are aligned.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recommends asking current franchisees about the work, unexpected costs, and whether they would recommend the franchise, and asking former franchisees about their experience as well. Read its franchise buyer due diligence guidance for a useful starting point.
These conversations are especially helpful when you compare what you hear with the franchisor’s written materials. For context about Kontota’s model and values, review what Kontota is and its mission. Then make a list of points you want to verify, rather than assuming that a single owner’s account is representative.
Before arranging interviews, decide what you need to learn. Write down your own assumptions about the owner’s weekly role, hiring, the support you expect to use, and the capital and time you can commit. During the conversation, label each note as one of three things: a first-hand example, an opinion, or a point that needs independent verification. For instance, “I spend Monday morning checking schedules” is a concrete account of one person’s routine; “the business is easy to manage” is a broad judgment that needs follow-up. This simple distinction helps you compare conversations without treating personal impressions as promises.
Where Can You Find Franchisee Contacts in the FDD?
Review Item 20 of the current FDD. It contains information about the franchise system’s outlets and franchisees, including contact information as provided in the document. Use it to identify a range of people to contact, then ask the franchisor about introductions if you need help reaching owners. Kontota’s approved candidate process can include introductions to current franchise owners.
As you review the item, note which contacts are current franchisees and which are former franchisees, along with relevant details such as location or time in the system when available. Do not rely only on the contacts who are easiest to reach or on a single unusually positive or negative account. Aim for a mix of perspectives, and record who you spoke with and when.
Before you call, read the FDD itself and write down any terms you do not understand. For example, compare an owner’s description of fees with the current disclosure, rather than treating a recollection as the final word. Kontota’s franchise FAQ may help you identify follow-up topics, but the current FDD controls the details of the offer.
Plan a small, balanced set of conversations rather than selecting contacts at random. If Item 20 gives you information about different stages in the system, make a short list that includes both established and newer owners where possible, plus former franchisees. Reach out with a brief introduction, explain that you are evaluating the opportunity, and ask whether they have time for a short call. Respect their schedule and do not press them to share information they are not comfortable discussing.
Keep a contact log with the person’s status, the date you spoke, topics covered, and any follow-up questions. Avoid recording sensitive personal details. If a contact does not respond, try another listed contact or ask the franchisor about an introduction; do not treat silence as evidence for or against the system. Your goal is a range of useful perspectives, not a statistically representative survey.
What Questions Should You Ask About Daily Operations and Workload?
Ask the franchisee to describe a normal week, then ask for a recent example. This can reveal the routine behind broad descriptions such as “hands-on” or “flexible.” For a mobile pet grooming operation, ask how the owner handles scheduling, staffing, customer communication, vehicle readiness, and the day’s changing needs.
- What does a typical workday look like for you, from the first appointment to the end of the day?
- Which tasks take the most time each week: hiring, scheduling, customer service, marketing, administration, or operations?
- How often do you handle unexpected changes, such as a staff absence or a schedule adjustment?
- What responsibilities do you keep as the owner, even when trained groomers deliver services?
- How did your workload change as you moved from launch into regular operations?
- What did you find harder to plan than you expected?
- What skills or routines have helped you stay organized?
Ask about the owner’s role directly. Kontota does not require franchisees to have grooming experience; owners hire and manage trained groomers and remain responsible for operating and developing the business. Ask how that division of responsibility works in practice, including what the owner does to support employees and maintain customer service.
If you are considering a semi-absentee path, do not assume it means the business runs without owner involvement. Ask what the owner handled personally before adding an Operations Manager, how responsibilities changed, and what oversight continues. Kontota describes an Operations Manager pathway, but each candidate should evaluate the demands, staffing needs, and economics in the current FDD and their own plan.
Make workload questions specific to your intended operating plan. If you expect to keep a separate job at launch, ask what owner tasks must happen during business hours and what can reasonably be planned after hours. If you expect to hire an Operations Manager, ask which duties the owner still performs, how the owner monitors service and staffing, and what changed after the manager joined. Compare the answer with your own calendar: note recurring commitments, likely busy periods, and who could cover an urgent decision. This turns “Could I do this part-time?” into a more useful discussion of responsibilities and availability.
What Should You Ask About Franchisor Support?
Ask franchisees to name specific moments when they needed help, what they requested, and what happened next. This gives you a clearer picture than asking whether support is “good” or “bad.” Match their examples against the written support description and ask for clarification when the details differ.
- What training or guidance helped most during launch?
- How did you learn the owner’s operating responsibilities, including hiring, scheduling, customer service, pricing, and business management?
- When you had a question about technology, van operations, safety, or procedures, whom did you contact?
- Can you describe a recent issue and how the support team responded?
- How often do you communicate with the franchisor or other franchisees?
- What support did you expect but find you had to seek out or organize yourself?
- How does the franchisor help owners think through adding vans or territories?
Listen for specifics: a process, a person or team, an example, and a realistic account of what the owner still had to do. Kontota describes training that covers owner operations and leadership, van operations, customer service, scheduling, safety, pricing, marketing, procedures, technology, and business management. Review the franchise training and support overview, then ask franchisees which elements they used and what preparation they found most valuable.
Support does not remove the owner’s responsibility to run and develop the business. A useful question is: “What did you need to learn or decide yourself, even with the franchisor’s help?” The answer can clarify whether the available guidance matches the kind of ownership role you want.
To learn how support works beyond the initial training period, ask for a before-and-after example. What was the issue? What step did the franchisee take first? Who responded, and what did the owner do after receiving guidance? If the answer is general, ask what the franchisee would do differently if the same situation happened again. You can also ask how owners exchange practical ideas with one another and how feedback reaches the support team. These details help distinguish written resources, ongoing access, and hands-on assistance without assuming every question will have the same response.
Discuss your questions with Kontota’s franchise team
What Questions Can You Ask About Revenue and Costs?
Ask owners how they planned for expenses, which categories they monitor, and what they wish they had understood before opening. Do not ask a franchisee to promise your future earnings or treat their personal figures as a forecast. Results and costs can vary with territory, staffing, timing, execution, and other circumstances.
- Which recurring expenses required the closest attention in your business plan?
- Were there expenses or cash-flow timing issues you did not anticipate?
- How do you track revenue, expenses, and appointment capacity?
- What assumptions in your original plan did you later revise?
- What questions about fees or required purchases should a candidate ask the franchisor to clarify?
- Which financial records or disclosures should I review with my adviser before making a decision?
Verify fees, investment estimates, and any financial performance information against the current FDD. Kontota’s approved figures include a $42,000 initial franchise fee and an estimated total initial investment of $95,000–$153,500; the approved ongoing royalty is 7% of gross sales, with a $100 monthly technology fee. Confirm the current terms, assumptions, and disclosures in the FDD rather than relying on this summary or an owner’s memory. If financial performance information is presented, review the applicable FDD Item 19 and discuss its assumptions with a qualified adviser. No franchisee’s experience guarantees another owner’s results.
If your questions turn to how to interpret financial assumptions, our practical franchise investment model guide can help you frame what to examine. It is not a replacement for the current disclosure or independent advice.
When someone volunteers figures from their own operation, ask what period they cover and what costs or owner contributions are included, but do not assume their accounting categories match yours. You can then write down the issue without adopting their numbers as your projection. For example, if an owner mentions a cost that varies month to month, ask what document or record could help you understand the category, then confirm the relevant requirements and assumptions with the franchisor and your adviser. Keep personal anecdotes separate from information formally disclosed by the franchisor. Any financial performance representation should be evaluated through the applicable Item 19, not reconstructed from informal conversations.
How Can You Compare Franchisee Answers?
Use a simple comparison sheet so conversations lead to clear follow-up actions, not just impressions. Record answers in the franchisee’s own terms where possible, then note whether the same point appears in the FDD or written franchise materials.
| Topic | What to ask | What to verify next |
|---|---|---|
| Daily work | Which owner tasks take the most time? | Compare the described role with your own availability and operating plan. |
| Staffing and service | What challenges came up with hiring, scheduling, and customer care? | Review training and operating guidance; ask how the owner addressed gaps. |
| Support | When did you request help, and what happened? | Match examples with written support commitments and ask the franchisor about differences. |
| Expenses | What expense or cash-flow issue surprised you? | Check current FDD fees and investment assumptions with an adviser. |
| Overall fit | Knowing what you know now, what would you investigate earlier? | Turn the answer into a question for the franchisor, attorney, or accountant. |
Look for repeated themes across different conversations, but do not count repetition as proof by itself. Two owners may share a circumstance that does not apply to your territory or plan. If answers conflict, ask each person a neutral follow-up, note the relevant context, and raise the discrepancy with the franchisor. You can also review the company’s leadership information to understand who is responsible for franchise development and support.
After each call, write a short summary while the details are fresh. Keep the person’s direct experience separate from your interpretation, and mark each open question with the next person who can answer it: the franchisor, your attorney, your accountant, or another franchisee. A useful record might say, “Owner described rescheduling a day after a staff absence; ask franchisor how the operating process addresses schedule changes.” That is more actionable than writing only “staffing can be difficult.” If two accounts differ, do not force them into one answer. Record the context each person provided, then ask a neutral follow-up and verify any contractual point against the current disclosure.
What Are the Best Questions to Ask Before You Sign?
Before signing, make sure you can answer these questions in your own words:
- What will I be responsible for each week, and how much time can I realistically commit?
- What support is described in writing, and what examples have franchisees shared about using it?
- Which fees, startup costs, and ongoing expenses have I verified in the current FDD?
- What information remains unclear, and which professional or franchisor contact can address it?
- Have I spoken with a varied set of current and former franchisees, rather than relying on one account?
- Does the business model, including the owner’s responsibilities, fit my goals and resources?
Kontota’s five-step discovery process includes a Discovery Call, Territory Analysis, FDD Review, Franchise Validation and Headquarters Meeting, and Franchise Agreement Signature. It is a mutual evaluation process, not an obligation to proceed. For more about the sequence, see the pet grooming franchise buyer guide. Bring unresolved questions forward at each step, and allow time for advisers to review the documents.
Before moving forward, organize your unresolved items into a short decision checklist. Separate operational questions, financial assumptions, contract terms, and personal-fit questions, then identify a source for each answer. A franchisee can describe personal experience; the franchisor can clarify its written program and current offer; your advisers can help you assess the disclosure and financial implications. For example, an owner’s account of a scheduling challenge may help you ask a sharper operational question, while the current FDD and agreement are the appropriate places to verify obligations and fees. Do not treat a friendly conversation, a promising anecdote, or a verbal explanation as a substitute for reviewing the current written documents.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many franchisees should I contact?
There is no single number that fits every decision. Contact a varied set of current and former franchisees listed in Item 20, and speak with enough people to compare different experiences. If you hear only one perspective or cannot reach a useful range of contacts, ask the franchisor about additional introductions.
Should I speak with former franchisees as well as current owners?
Yes. Current owners can describe how they operate today, while former franchisees may offer context about their time in the system and decision to leave. Ask both groups open questions and consider their circumstances; neither one account nor one point of view tells the whole story.
Can a franchisee tell me what I will earn?
No. A franchisee can share personal experience, but it cannot guarantee your results. Review any financial performance information in the applicable FDD Item 19, confirm costs and assumptions in the current disclosure, and seek independent professional advice.
What if a franchisee’s answer conflicts with the FDD?
Do not guess which version is correct. Record the specific issue, check the current FDD, and ask the franchisor for a clear explanation. Have your franchise attorney review the relevant disclosure and agreement language before you decide.
Does a positive conversation mean I should sign?
No. Owner conversations are one part of due diligence. Consider them alongside the current FDD, the franchise agreement, your financial plan, territory details, and advice from qualified professionals. Sign only when your questions are answered and you are comfortable with the terms.
Careful conversations help replace assumptions with practical questions, but the final decision should rest on verified disclosures, professional advice, and a clear understanding of the work you are prepared to do.
