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How to Analyze a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) with AI
A practical walkthrough for using AI to read an FDD fast: which items matter, what AI does well, where it gets things wrong, and how to pull real numbers instead of summaries.
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Data-driven insights on franchise investing
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Should You Buy a Franchise? We Analyzed $30 Billion in SBA Loans to Find Out
We analyzed 545,000 SBA loans to discover where franchises outperform independent businesses, and where they don't.
How to Research Franchises with ChatGPT (Using Real FDD Data)
ChatGPT can't read a franchise's FDD on its own. Here's how to connect it to a live FDD database so it answers with real fees, earnings, and closure data instead of guesses.
How to Research Franchises with Claude and FranDB
Connect Claude to a live FDD database and it becomes a serious franchise research tool, pulling real fees, earnings, and closure data across thousands of brands. Here's the setup and the workflow.
AI Franchise Due Diligence: A Step-by-Step Workflow
A repeatable process for vetting a franchise with AI, from first screen to the questions you ask current owners. What to automate, what to verify, and where a human has to take over.
How to Compare Franchises with AI (Side by Side, in Minutes)
Comparing franchises by hand means juggling multiple 300-page FDDs. Here's how to line them up on cost, earnings, growth, and risk using AI connected to real FDD data.
How to Check a Franchise's SBA Default Rate (and Why It Matters)
SBA loan default rates are the closest thing to a real-world report card on a franchise. Here's where the data comes from, how to read it, and how to pull it with AI.
How to Find Franchisee Contacts for Validation Calls
Talking to current and former franchisees is the most honest research you'll do. Here's where their contact info comes from, who to call, and how to pull the list with AI.
What Is a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)? A Plain-English Guide
The FDD is the most important document you'll read before buying a franchise. Here's what the 23 items cover, which ones matter most, and how to read one without a law degree.
FDD Item 19 Explained: How to Read Financial Performance Representations
Item 19 is where a franchise discloses what its units actually earn, if it chooses to. Here's how to read it, why median beats average, and what a missing Item 19 really means.
FDD Item 20 Explained: Outlet Counts, Closures, and Franchisee Contacts
Item 20 shows whether a franchise system is growing or quietly shrinking, and it hands you the contact list to call real owners. Here's how to read the tables and spot the red flags.
Best Franchise Rankings
In-depth analysis of top franchises by category, updated for 2026
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