When a new franchisor begins to market franchises, they will likely experience lower closing rates and longer sales cycles, and it can often feel like it's taking ages to recruit their first franchisees. However, taking the time to recruit the right franchisee will have huge benefits for the business. Recruiting franchisees can be a nightmare if the wrong one is taken on.

Weaker franchisees require much more support than their stronger counterparts. This means you'll need to devote more resources to, and incur more costs for, supporting these franchisees, and they'll generate lower-than-average revenues and pay less in royalties -- if they pay them at all! Failed franchisees, of course, pay nothing and can disrupt the franchise network and damage brand credibility.

Now, if a weaker candidate is your 20th franchisee, you can probably weather the storm. But if this franchisee is among your first batch, you have a problem. And if they're your first, you may be so distracted by their demands that you never get your franchise program in line again. Moreover, your first franchisee will often set the tone for your entire franchise recruitment programme.