Workshop: Buying a Franchise or an Existing Business

Buying a franchise or an existing business may be a more appealing way to get into business rather than starting from scratch.  An existing business has a track record and may give you some idea of what to expect when you start.    

A franchise purchase includes training, systems and support from the franchisor and history of information from other franchisees in the system.  You’ll hear from Kathy Van Voorhees, a franchise attorney who has helped franchisees both in the purchasing process and in in disputes with franchisors and Chris Coleman, a franchisee himself and a franchise consultant who helps people find their best fit.  

 In this workshop you will learn:

• Different ways to Evaluate a Going Business
• Options to Consider to Fund the Purchase
• What Help You May Want to Request From the Present Owner
• Pros and Cons of  Purchasing a Franchise
• What Assistance You Should Expect From the Franchisor
• How to Evaluate the Options and Determine the Best Choices For You.

Cost:  $35 Prepaid Registration; $45 Pending or At-the-Door

Prepay with a credit card using PayPal or with Cash or Check at the door.

Speakers:

 
Chris Coleman, FranNet 
As a Franchise Consultant & Owner of FranNet, Chris provides no cost consultations to individuals who are seeking business ownership opportunities.  Chris works to match the personal, professional and financial goals of his clients with carefully selected franchise companies.  He further coaches his clients on how to thoroughly search for and evaluate franchise opportunities.  Chris is now living his dream of business ownership as a franchise owner himself and is devoted to educating others on the benefits & risks of owning their own business.
 

 
Kathryn Van Voorhees
Van Voorhees Law, a law firm focused on meeting the legal needs of small businesses in Missouri.  Kathy grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, but has called St. Louis home for more than twenty years.  She is a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and is a 1995 graduate of Washington University School of Law where she earned her J.D.

Throughout her legal career, Kathy has focused her practice on meeting the legal needs of businesses and individuals.  For much of her career, she represented insurers and their policyholders, both businesses and individuals, handling a variety of lawsuits and claims first in a small firm and later for a large insurer.  During this time, Kathy gained a great deal of litigation and courtroom experience.  Kathy was designated to work with restaurant and hotel franchisees defending claims.  She went onto be named special investigative unit counsel, serving the insurance fraud unit for a large insurer.  Her favorite part of her practice was working with business owners (both independent and franchisees) in an effort to protect the businesses they had worked hard to create. Doing this work, Kathy realized she really wanted to help business owners protect their businesses through forward thinking representation which works to limit liability and exposure.   

Toward this end, in 2007, Kathy formed her own practice, “Van Voorhees Law.”  Van Voorhees Law helps existing businesses and people starting businesses whether this is by purchasing an existing business or franchise or creating something new.  Many claims and disputes can be avoided at the outset by implementing preventive measures. Van Voorhees Law works to educate its clients about liability risks and legal issues while learning about the clients’ needs and future goals to tailor appropriate solutions. Van Voorhees Law strategizes with its clients to scale its services to the clients’ needs and resources.  Recently Kathy became a volunteer for SCORE.