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FDD Item 11: What Support You Actually Get

Item 11 is where the franchisor's promises of support become contractual. Here's how to read what you actually get, and what's just nice words.

FDD Item 10: How the Money Gets Financed

Item 10 covers financing the franchisor offers or arranges. Read the terms like any loan, and watch for one clause in particular. Here's how.

FDD Item 9: Everything You're Signing Up to Do

Item 9 is a map of your obligations as an owner, often including a personal guarantee. Here's how to read it before you sign.

FDD Item 8: What You Have to Buy, and From Whom

Item 8 controls where you buy your supplies and equipment. It can save you money or quietly cost you. Here's how to read it.

FDD Item 7: What It Really Costs to Open

Item 7 is the big number: an estimated range of everything it costs to open. Treat it as a starting point, not a promise. Here's how to read it.

FDD Item 6: The Ongoing Fees You Keep Paying

Item 6 lists the fees you keep paying after you open, like royalties and the ad fund. Many are based on sales, not profit. Here's how to read it.

FDD Item 5: The Fees You Pay Up Front

Item 5 covers the fees you pay before you ever open the doors, and they are usually non-refundable. Here's how to read it.