What are the biggest, most national business brokers and/or franchise
brokers in the U.S.? (Top 10)

I'm looking into buying a business and have been in touch with Sunbelt
brokers (existing businesses) and FGS and EAUTH (two franchise
brokers). Sunshine claims to be the nation's biggest broker. FGS
(Franchise Growth Systems) and EAUTH represent franchisors seeking
franchisees. Both represent limited number of franchisors.

Before I commit to any one business, I would like to make sure I've
covered all my bases and talked to (top ten, at least) business and
franchise representatives.

Please advise.

Hi johnster,

To "cover all of your bases", you would be better off not using a
broker and you have discovered on your own just one of the reasons why
- the limited number of franchises offered by them.

Three reasons why not to use a franchise broker, according to Entrepreneur.com:

1. Limited number of franchises offered.
"Considering few franchisors use a broker, most brokers represent a
fraction of available opportunities. And different brokers have
different clients, further limiting your options, even if you use
multiple brokers in your search."
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,290877,00.html

2. Pressure to buy. Brokers do not earn any money until a buyer
purchases a franchise.
"The primary source of revenue for broker sites is the commission they
receive when they sell you a franchise. Until brokers can convince you
to purchase a franchise from one of their clients, they don't earn any
money."
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,290877-1,00.html

3. Privacy. Brokers may share your personal information with many clients.
"If you're asked to provide personal financial and other information
online, look at the company's privacy statement and determine who's
going to see your information. If it's a franchisor, the likely
recipient is only the franchisor. If it's a broker, he may be sharing
your information with all his clients?many of whom you may have no
interest in."
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,290877-2,00.html

Use a Franchise Broker :
"The risks of using an online broker may outweigh the supposed benefits.
Unless you're in a hurry and like to take unnecessary risks with
something as important as investing in a franchise, there really is no
reason to work with a broker. Purchasing a franchise, while a
successful way for many people to go into business for themselves, is
risky enough. Don't increase your risk of missing the right
opportunity simply because it isn't on a broker's client list."
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,290877,00.html

Seven Tips for Buying a Business:
"Remember the business obligations of those brokering the sale. "Even
though the broker may be an honest person and answer all of your
questions honestly, most of the time the broker works for the seller,"
Cooper says. "You cannot lose sight of that."
http://www.bcentral.com/articles/anthony/145.asp

Should You Use a Business Broker?:
"Brokers work on commission (usually 10-12% of the sale price) and are
under contract with the seller. This means that the broker represents
the seller's interests and benefits most by getting the highest
possible sales price -- something to remember when you're buying a
business."
http://home3.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness/resources/starting/bizbroker.shtml

"Caveat Businessus Emptor" (Let the Business Buyer Beware)!
by Russell L. Brown
"There are many reputable brokers and sellers out there who will treat
you in an ethical and responsible manner but you still have the
problem that they represent the seller and themselves, not you."
http://businessbookpress.com/articles/article102.htm

Buying a Business:
"It's fine to use a broker to help locate a business opportunity, but
it's foolish to rely on a broker -- who doesn't make a commission
unless he makes a sale -- for advice about the quality of a business
or the fairness of its selling price."
http://www.bplans.com/bb/article.cfm/99

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

TOP FRANCHISES

Okay, that all said, here is Entrepreneur's 25th Annual "Franchise 500".

Top 10 Franchises for 2004
   1. Subway
   2. Curves
   3. Quizno's Franchise Co., The
   4. 7-Eleven Inc.
   5. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
   6. UPS Store, The
   7. McDonald's
   8. Jani-King
   9. Dunkin' Donuts
  10. Baskin-Robbins USA Co.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/listings/fran500/0,5831,,00.html

Top 10 Homebased Franchises for 2004
   1. Jani-King
   2. Chem-Dry Carpet Drapery & Upholstery Cleaning
   3. ServiceMaster Clean
   4. Snap-on Tools
   5. Jan-Pro Franchising Int'l. Inc.
   6. Jazzercise Inc.
   7. Matco Tools
   8. Servpro
   9. CleanNet USA Inc.
  10. Coverall Cleaning Concepts
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/listings/home101/0,5833,,00.html

Top 10 Low-Cost Franchises for 2004
   1. Curves
   2. 7-Eleven Inc.
   3. Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
   4. Jani-King
   5. Kumon Math & Reading Centers
   6. Chem-Dry Carpet Drapery & Upholstery Cleaning
   7. ServiceMaster Clean
   8. RE/MAX Int'l. Inc.
   9. Jan-Pro Franchising Int'l. Inc.
  10. Merle Norman Cosmetics
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/listings/lowinvest/0,5839,,00.html

Top 10 New Franchises for 2004
   1. Fiducial Inc.
   2. Comfort Keepers
   3. Results! Travel
   4. Dippin' Dots Franchising Inc.
   5. Cruise Planners
   6. Super Wash
   7. Line-X
   8. Tutoring Club
   9. Plato's Closet
  10. Ident-A-Kid Services of America
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/listings/topnew/0,5837,,00.html

Top 10 Fastest-Growing Franchises for 2004
   1. Subway
   2. Curves
   3. 7-Eleven Inc.
   4. Kumon Math & Reading Centers
   5. Jan-Pro Franchising Int'l. Inc.
   6. Quizno's Franchise Co., The
   7. Jani-King
   8. Coverall Cleaning Concepts
   9. Liberty Tax Service
  10. Jazzercise Inc.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/listings/fastestgrowing/0,5844,,00.html

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

HOW-TO

All About Franchising:
"From researching and financing your franchise purchase to daily
operations and working with your franchisor, here's everything you
need to know about franchise ownership."
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/allabout/0,6727,,00.html

How to Research and Buy a Franchise:
"What is a franchise opportunity and how do you investigate the myriad
choices available? And once you choose the one you want, where do find
the money to pay for it? With detailed data on everything from
starting your research to understanding a franchise agreement to
finding franchise funding, our easy-to-follow guide provides all the
information you need to find and buy a franchise."
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/guide/0,3422,,00.html

Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC): 
"The UFOC is a mother lode of investor information, designed to give
prospective franchisees all the information relevant to the franchise
offering. The UFOC contains the facts that state and federal
regulators consider important to your decision regarding whether to
buy the franchise. The UFOC is designed to protect you, the investor,
and you'll find it enormously helpful."
http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/article/0,5847,285828----2-,00.html

Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (with Guidelines): (click on link)
http://www.nasaa.org/nasaa/corpfin/ufoc_page1.html

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

FRANCHISES FOR SALE

Franchise Direct:
http://www.franchisedirect.com/

Business Nation:
http://www.businessnation.com/Businesses_for_Sale/franchises_for_sale.html

Franchise Opportunities:
http://www.franchiseopportunities.com/

Franchise Advantage:
http://www.franchiseadvantage.com/

eFranchise Sale:
http://www.efranchisesale.com/

Business.com: Links:
http://www.business.com/search/rslt_default.asp?r4=t&query=Businesses+or+Franchises+for+Sale

Over 20,000 Business for Sale Listings: Buy a Business:
http://www.bizquest.com/buy/default.asp

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

BROKERS

IBBA:
International Business Brokers Association (IBBA):
http://www.ibba.org/default.asp

IBBA: Find A Broker:
http://www.ibba.org/broker_search.asp

EMPIRE BUSINESS BROKERS:
"At Empire Business Brokers, you have the advantage of the largest
network of business brokers worldwide. We can expose your business to
prospective buyers not only in your local area, but also throughout
the more than 65 Offices that we have in eight different countries."
http://www.empirebb.com/

BUSINESS BROKERS NETWORK:
"America's Largest Network of Business Brokers"
http://www.bbn-net.com/

USBIZCORP:
"USBIZCORP started operations in 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri and has
developed some of the most successful business brokerage agencies in
the U.S.A., listing and selling over 1,300 different businesses of all
kinds, all sizes and all prices during the last 23 years."
http://www.usbizcorp.com/default.asp

NATIONAL FRANCHISE SALES:
"The Leader in Franchise Marketing since 1978"
http://www.nationalfranchisesales.com/

Find a Broker:
"BrokerPages is the BizBuySell directory of over 1,000 professional
business brokers."
http://www.brokerpages.com/

NATION-LIST:
http://www.nationlist.com/

MERGER NETWORK:
http://www.mergernetwork.com/

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Additional Links:

International Franchise Association:
http://www.franchise.org/welcome_about/welcome_about.asp

Franchise Aptitude: A Self Test:
http://xbison.franchoice.com/Index.cfm?Page=SelfTest

Inc.com: Red Flags in Choosing a Business Broker:
http://www.inc.com/articles/2001/10/23561.html

What to Ask When You Call:
"There are five key questions you should ask when you first contact a
seller or broker about the business listing they have for sale. There
are also some sub-categories of questions you may want to use. This is
not a 'due-diligence' checklist of all the questions you need to ask
before you buy, but it's a start."
http://www.brokerpages.com/guide/buy_2.htm

Buy a Business:
"Search over 20,000 established businesses for sale. Plus, use the
buyer tools to help get prepared to buy."
http://www.brokerpages.com/buy/

Where to Look for the Ideal Business:
http://www.bizbuysell.com/guide/buy_1.htm

Why Buying Beats Starting From Scratch:
http://www.brokerpages.com/guide/buy_3.htm

What's Hot What's Not:
http://www.busop1.com/hot.html

I hope I've been able to help you get off to a good start with your
new business. If you have any questions, or if this hasn't satisfied
your request, please post a clarification request before rating my
answer.

Thank you,
hummer

Google Search Terms Used

"buying a business" brokers
"certified business brokers"
"ufoc"
national franchise brokers
business brokerage national
national top 100 "business brokers"
ratings "business brokers"
network business brokers
"wall street journal" business brokers
franchises for sale
"better business bureau"
"business brokers"
"business brokerages"
"franchise brokers"
how to buy a business

Hummer, you have given me much more than I expected. You did an
excellent job with the research. You gave me alot to digest.

Question: Is it within your purview or realm to help me do a search
through the various links you gave to discover some businesses or
franchises to contact? I would give you all the parameters such as
location, price range, types of business, etc. Are you up to it or
would prefer to pass? Pleas advise.

Irregardless, you did an excellent job.

Dear johnster,

Thank you so much. I'm really happy to hear that you liked my answer
as I knew when I posted it that it wasn't exactly what you had asked
for, but I was sure I understood what you were saying.

Sure, let's go the next step and see how it goes (just put "For
Hummer-Ga" in the subject field). Give me as many details as possible
and I'll do my best to find something suitable for you. First and
foremost, what do you like?? You don't want to buy a fish & chip place
if you hate fish or a muffler place if you're allergic to grease!

Thanks again for your nice note, rating, and generous tip -
Sincerely,
hummer