John and Erica Balkhi are a franchise consultant team that matches you with franchise opportunities that fit your goals, skills, and lifestyle. Talk it through with people who have run franchises themselves.
Husband-and-wife franchise consultants
Reviews
Reviews from candidates we have worked with.
HOW IT WORKS
No pressure and no cost to you. Learning that franchising is not right for you is a useful outcome too.
Tell us a little about your goals, timeline, and investment range. It takes about 3 minutes.
Pick a time that suits you for a one-on- one call with John or Erica.
We talk through your funding options and the kind of business you can see yourself running, then map out next steps together.
MEET YOUR CONSULTANTS
A husband-and-wife team who divide the work the way many candidate couples will need to.
Our franchise consultant services start with you, not with a list of brands.
We start with why you want to own a business, then
introduce brands that fit that answer.
Support from the first call through franchisor meetings, validation calls with current owners, and your decision.
We have owned franchises ourselves, so we know which questions to ask a franchisor and which answers to check.
The consultation is free to you because the franchisor compensates the consultant.
We are franchise business consultants who learned most of what we know as owners. That experience shapes every recommendation we make.
“John is great at what does. He and Erica made the process of finding and owning a franchise seamless and trouble free. If you are looking for help in finding your next business, get in touch with John!”
Franchise consultant companies do not all work the same way. Here is how our approach compares.
| What matters | Our approach Business In A Box |
Ask other consultants |
|---|---|---|
| Operating experience | Former franchise owners who ran their own locations. | Have you personally owned and operated franchises? |
| Matching approach | Fit first, including advising when franchising is not right for you. | How do you shortlist brands and assess whether they fit my goals? |
| Who you work with | John and Erica Balkhi, directly. | Who will guide me through the process and answer my questions? |
| Cost to you | No cost to you. The franchisor compensates the consultant. | Are there any candidate fees, and how are you compensated? |
| After you sign | We stay in touch for advice and your next franchise concept. | What support remains available after I sign? |
Explore at your own pace, then book a free consultation when you are ready to talk it through.
Find out which franchise categories suit the way you like to work.
200+ franchise brands across 30+ industries. Start with a category.
Searching for a “franchise consultant near me”? We work with candidates across the United States from our base in San Juan Capistrano, California. Choose your state to see local franchise opportunities.
Some states require franchisors to register their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) each year. Learn how that affects your timeline.
Answers to the questions candidates ask us most on first calls.
Ask us directly on a free, no-pressure call.
A franchise consultant helps you find franchise opportunities that fit what you want from ownership, then guides you through the research before you sign. We start by learning why you want to own a business and what you need from it. From there, we introduce brands that match and help you prepare for franchisor meetings and validation calls, which are conversations with current owners of the brand. The decision always stays with you.
Our consultation costs you nothing. It is free to you because the franchisor compensates the consultant. The costs you take on are those of the franchise itself, which each brand lays out in its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). We recommend reviewing that document with a franchise attorney and an accountant before you sign.
Funding is one of the first questions candidates ask us. Common routes include Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, home equity lines of credit (HELOCs), and 401(k) rollovers. Each brand sets its own liquidity and net worth requirements, and those requirements shape which routes make sense for you. We walk through your funding options with you during the consultation.
No, industry experience is not the qualifying trait. A franchise gives you a system for sales, operations, and marketing, and your role is to lead people and run that system well. The candidates who succeed tend to be leaders, strategists, culture builders, and people who can execute a playbook. Those are skills many corporate leaders already use every day.
Yes, you can explore franchising while you keep your current job, from the first consultation through due diligence, the research you do before you sign. Whether you can keep working after you buy depends on the model. Some brands need an owner-operator involved in daily operations, while others let a manager run the business under an executive owner. Each brand’s FDD and your validation calls will show how involved the owner needs to be, and your employer’s rules matter too.
Yes, and we would rather tell you early. If the timing, the funding, or the fit is not right, we will say so plainly, even if it means you do not buy. Several of our reviews come from candidates who decided not to buy and still credited the process. Either way, you leave with a clearer view of your options.
Ask us directly on a free, no-pressure call.
Quick AnswerOwning a franchise while working full time works when the model lets a manager run daily operations, you can fund that manager, and your employer’s rules allow it. Verify the owner’s required involvement in Item 15 of the franchise disclosure...
Quick AnswerBuy a franchise when you can fund the investment and the ramp-up, want to run a business inside a proven business model, and have tested the franchisor’s claims. Start with its franchise disclosure document (FDD) and calls to current franchisees. If...
Quick AnswerThe main types of franchise ownership are single-unit, multi-unit, area developer, and master franchisee. A single-unit owner runs one location, a multi-unit owner runs several, an area developer commits to open a set number of units in a territory, and a...
The consultation is free to you because the franchisor compensates the consultant. Not every candidate should buy a franchise, and learning that early is a useful outcome.
