How BizExplorer Works

A franchise consultant is a trusted advisor who helps aspiring business owners navigate the process of finding and investing in the right franchise opportunity. Instead of sifting through thousands of options on your own, a franchise consultant evaluates your goals, experience, and financial situation to recommend opportunities that align with your vision. They provide expert insights, connect you with reputable franchisors, and guide you through every step of the decision-making process - all at no cost to you.

At BizExplorer, we go beyond just listing businesses for sale. Our partnership with Atlas Franchise Advisors means you have direct access to experienced franchise consultants who can help you make confident, informed decisions.

Whether you're exploring franchise ownership for the first time or looking to expand your portfolio, our team ensures you find the best fit without the guesswork.

Simply enter your state, metro area, or zip code in the search bar, or click on a category to explore franchises in specific industries like Food & Beverage, Automotive, or Health & Wellness.

You can browse franchise opportunities without an account, but you get limited access to data. However, registering allows you to access lots of digestible data that can help make you informed decisions.

Each listing includes details such as:

• Industry type
• Investment range
• Business type (new or established)
• Location availability
• Consultation

Yes! You can click on multple franchises icons on the map to open the data windows and compare key details side by side to make an informed decision.

Yes! We offer free consultations to help you choose the right franchise based on your budget, interests, and goals. You can schedule a session through our calendars on display.

We also consult on financing assistance. Contact us for more details on funding options.

BizExplorer isn't just a marketplace—it’s a full-service business-buying resource that simplifies the process, offers data-backed insights, and provides personalized guidance to ensure buyers find the right business at the right time. Whether you're looking for an established business or a franchise, BizExplorer makes the journey to business ownership easier, smarter, and more accessible.

ROBS (Rollover for Business Startups) lets you use retirement funds to buy a franchise without early-withdrawal penalties, by rolling the funds into a new 401(k) plan tied to your business. It's a legitimate, IRS-recognized structure — but it has real compliance requirements, and it's worth talking through with both a specialist and your BizExplorer consultant before committing.

Yes — a home equity line of credit is one of the more common ways buyers cover a down payment or bridge financing gaps, since it's often faster to access than a business loan. The tradeoff is that your home becomes the collateral, so it's a decision worth making with full eyes open, not just because it's available.

Most buyers combine two or three sources: an SBA loan, personal savings or a HELOC, and sometimes a ROBS rollover or a partner investment. The right mix depends on your credit, capital, and risk tolerance — this is exactly the kind of thing that's better talked through than guessed at, which is why every BizExplorer match includes financing guidance.

SBA 7(a) loans typically require the franchise brand to be on the SBA's approved franchise directory, a personal credit score generally above 680, and some owner equity injection — usually 10–20% of the total project cost. Requirements vary by lender, so this is a "get pre-qualified early" step, not a "figure it out later" one.

An FDD is a legally required document that lays out everything from initial fees to litigation history across 23 standardized sections. Most first-time buyers don't need to become experts in all 23 — but a few sections (fees, financial performance, litigation, and territory) deserve close attention, and a franchise attorney should review it before you sign anything.

Item 19 is where a franchisor may choose to disclose financial performance data — average revenue, profit margins, or unit economics from existing locations. Not every franchisor includes it, and when they do, the numbers deserve scrutiny for how representative the sample really is. It's often the single most-asked-about section for a reason.