# Going Deeper

- [Franchise Investment by Category: What Each Type Actually Costs](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/franchise-investment-by-category.md): What a franchise costs depends almost entirely on category. As of 2026, ranges run from roughly $60,000 for an asset-light home service to well over $1,000,000 for a real-estate-heavy concept like food service or a car wash. Here is the range by category, and what actually moves the number.
- [Buying an Existing Franchise: What You're Actually Getting](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/buying-an-existing-franchise-what-you-need-to-know.md): Buying an existing franchise unit has a real appeal: skip the startup phase, inherit the cash flow, and get moving faster. What most buyers don't realize is how rarely a resale actually fits them, and why that matters more than the income that's already there.
- [How to Sell a Franchise: Exit Strategy from Day One](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/how-to-sell-a-franchise-exit-strategy.md): Most franchise buyers don't think about exit until they're ready to leave. That's usually too late to maximize what the business is worth. The decisions you make when you buy a franchise determine what you'll be able to sell, and for how much, years later.
- [SBA Loan vs. ROBS: Which Franchise Funding Path Fits You](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/sba-loan-vs-robs-franchise-funding-comparison.md): SBA loans create debt. ROBS creates equity from your retirement savings: no monthly payment, closes in 3–4 weeks, no bank required. Here's when to use each, and why ROBS often beats SBA for franchise buyers with retirement savings.
- [Your First 90 Days as a Franchise Owner](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/your-first-90-days-as-a-franchise-owner.md): The first 90 days of franchise ownership are not about learning the playbook and running it. They are about learning the system deeply enough to lead people through it, find your constraints early, and build momentum into year two.
- [What to Expect at Discovery Day](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/what-to-expect-at-discovery-day.md): Discovery day is not a sales pitch. By the time you get invited, both sides have already done the real work. This is where you make your final call, not where they make their case.
- [What Is Your Time Worth? The ROI Math of Franchise Ownership](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/what-is-your-time-worth-the-roi-math-of-franchise-ownership.md): Most franchise buyers add up the capital and stop there. Few account for the two costs that actually determine whether the math works: the cost of financing, and the opportunity cost of their own time.
- [W-2 to Franchise Owner: When the Timing Is Right](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/w2-to-franchise-owner-when-youre-actually-ready.md): A lot of people look at franchise ownership as an exit from corporate life. That framing usually leads to bad decisions. Here is how to assess whether you are running toward something or away from something, and why that distinction matters.
- [The Semi-Absentee Franchise: Real Talk](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/the-semi-absentee-franchise-real-talk.md): Keeping your job while a franchise grows in the background sounds like the smart play. Nine times out of ten, it creates exactly the problem you were trying to avoid. Here is what that path really looks like and what actually works.
- [The Franchise Agreement: What You Can and Can't Negotiate](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/the-franchise-agreement-what-you-can-and-cant-negotiate.md): Franchise agreements are not like most business contracts. They are largely standardized, and most core terms, including royalties, brand standards, and exit terms, are not up for meaningful negotiation. Here is what that means for you and what areas actually do have room to move.
- [One Unit or Multi-Unit? What First-Timers Get Wrong](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/one-unit-or-multi-unit-what-first-timers-get-wrong.md): Most first-time franchise buyers have a strong instinct about how many units to buy, and most of them are wrong. Here is where the math actually lands and why the 2 to 5 unit range is where most advisors land with first-time buyers.
- [How to Tell If a Franchisor Is Genuinely Supporting Franchisees](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/how-to-tell-if-a-franchisor-actually-cares.md): Your incentives and your franchisor's incentives are not automatically the same. Understanding the structural tension, and knowing what alignment looks like in practice, is one of the most important things you can do before you sign.
- [How to Pick a Franchise Territory](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/how-to-pick-a-franchise-territory.md): Territory selection is one of the decisions that most franchise buyers spend the least time on. It is also one of the few decisions you cannot undo once you have signed.
- [How Franchise Funding Works](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/how-franchise-funding-actually-works.md): Before you fill out a loan application, inventory what you actually have. Most buyers are closer to a clean funding solution than they realize. The SBA, while useful, is the most painful path available.
- [Fast-Growing Franchise Brand: Good Sign or Red Flag?](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/fast-growing-franchise-brand-good-sign-or-red-flag.md): Fast growth in a franchise brand is a signal that the model is working well enough that buyers and the franchisor both want more of it. Slow growth is a signal that something isn't working. Here is how to evaluate the difference.
- [Big Name vs. Emerging: Which Franchise to Buy](https://www.waypointfranchise.com/resources/big-name-vs-emerging-which-franchise-to-buy.md): The right franchise brand depends on your goals, not on name recognition. Here is how to think through the difference between established and emerging franchise systems before you commit to either.