What Happens After You Sign the Franchise Agreement?

The 90-day window between signing and opening is where most franchisees either set themselves up to win or to struggle.

Week 1–2: Entity and Banking

Form your LLC or S-Corp, open business banking, get your EIN, register for state and local taxes, and set up bookkeeping software. Most franchisors require you to do this before training.

Week 3–6: Training and Real Estate

Most franchisors run 1–4 weeks of initial training at corporate HQ. In parallel, you'll be working with the franchisor's real estate team to identify and secure your location.

Week 7–10: Build-Out and Hiring

Permits, build-out, equipment installation, signage, and initial staff hiring all compress into this window. Stay closely engaged — vendor delays compound.

Week 11–12: Soft Open and Grand Opening

Most franchisors recommend a soft opening to debug operations before the grand opening marketing campaign drives traffic. Do not skip the soft open.