Just as you will be looking at many franchise opportunities, so franchisors will be looking at many candidates. You must always remember that a good franchise will be very selective about who they recruit into their network, as the strength of the network is dependent upon the quality and suitability of all its franchisees.
As part of this process franchise companies will want to attract numerous suitable candidates from which to choose, usually through a combination of advertising in magazines, newspapers and online, attending exhibitions - and possibly hosting open days, also sometimes called discovery days.
Open days come in different shapes and sizes, but they are based around the same principle: providing an opportunity for many interested candidates to find out about a franchise business all at once.
The day may be focused around a couple of hours of presentations with questions and answers, or it may be more formally structured with allotted times to speak to the franchisor individually. Some open days are held at the offices of the franchise business, while others may be held around the country in hotels, conference centres or similar venues.
Open days are a hugely beneifical and efficient opportunity to find out more about a franchise and the people behind it. You should prepare questions and research in advance, and remember that it's a two-way process, with you assessing the franchisor and vice versa. The more prepared you are, the more you'll stand out as a serious prosective franchisee.
There should be no commitment to sign anything on the day and the franchisor should not be looking to recruit you there and then or pressure you into a quick decision. Often, a more in-depth interview follows later down the line, but at the very least you should have time to discuss what you've found out on the day and continue your research into the business.
