Which Franchise Is Right for Me? Start with the Franchise Decision Diagnostic

The Franchise Decision Diagnostic is a free exercise that finds the first question blocking your franchise decision. Answer five quick questions. Your first “no” or “not sure” sends you down one of five routes, and you leave with one next step instead of a brand list.

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By Dan Lorenz, founder of Guerrilla Franchising. Last updated: October 28, 2026.

Key takeaways

Most franchise quizzes match you to brands. This one finds the question you have to answer before any brand list is useful.
The five routes are outcome, owner role, boundaries, models and evidence. You only work the first one you cannot answer.
Three results are all good ones: a franchise, your own business, or staying in your W-2 job.
It is free, and so is the consulting after it. If you buy, the franchisor pays FranChoice, which pays Guerrilla Franchising.

Want help working through it?

Book a free 15-minute Clarity Call and bring the question you are stuck on.

Rather work on it alone first? Get the free Franchise Decision Diagnostic PDF.

Why do franchise quizzes leave so many people stuck?

Most “which franchise is right for me” quizzes ask for your budget and interests, then hand back a ranked list of brands. That is useful once you know what you want the business to do for you. Before that, a list just gives you more names to research.

When people come to me after months of looking, they usually do not lack information. They are trying to answer five questions at once. What should ownership change in my life? What work would I do as the owner? What limits does the decision have to respect? Which business models deserve a look? What do I still need to verify?

The diagnostic separates those questions and puts them in order. You start with the earliest one you cannot answer with confidence.

What are the five quick-check questions?

Start at the top. Your first “no” or “not sure” is your route. A “yes” means you have a working answer, not certainty.

#	Question	If “no” or “not sure,” go to
1	Can you describe what ownership should change in an ordinary week?	Outcome
2	Can you name the owner work you want and the work you can cover during the build?	Owner role
3	Have you listed your limits on time, money, location and family commitments?	Boundaries
4	Can you name one or two business models worth investigating?	Models
5	Do you have a specific question to verify for the opportunity you are considering?	Evidence

If you answer yes to all five, skip straight to the one-page action plan.

What does each route ask you to work out?

Route 1: What should ownership change in my life?

This route turns “I want more freedom” into a clear picture of the life you want ownership to give you.

Route 2: What would I do as the owner?

A business model is a set of owner jobs, not a logo. This route sorts out which of those jobs you would do yourself.

Route 3: What limits must the decision respect?

This route sets your limits on money, time, location and family before any brand gets a vote.

Route 4: Which business models deserve a closer look?

This route picks models by the work you want to do, not by brands you like. A few examples:

Business model	Work that may appeal to you
Home or mobile service	Coordinating crews and local selling
Business-to-business service	Developing accounts and relationships
People or care service	Recruiting, scheduling and responding to needs

Route 5: What facts must I verify?

This route turns “is it profitable?” into questions the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), owners and the franchisor can actually answer.

The full diagnostic walks through each route with worksheets. Get the free Franchise Decision Diagnostic.

Stuck on one route?

Bring that one question to a free 15-minute Clarity Call. You can stop after it.

Book a Franchise Clarity Call

Rather work on it alone first? Get the free Franchise Decision Diagnostic PDF.

What does a finished diagnostic look like?

There is no grade. You finish with a one-page action plan that names the question holding you up, the next action, where to get the answer and the date you will review it. Download the free diagnostic to build yours, or book a Clarity Call and build it with me.

What have I learned from running people through these questions?

I learned the boundaries route the expensive way. I grew and sold my first franchise. After I signed for my second, I found $321K in costs that were omitted from the FDD. Not buried. Omitted. That changed how I look at every opportunity.

The habit that came out of it is about working capital. Item 7 usually budgets about 3 months of it. I tell people to plan for 9 to 12. When someone gets stuck on Route 3, that gap is often the reason.

It is also why I do not push people to buy. About 1 in 3 people I work with end up buying a franchise. The others start their own business or stay in their job, and those are good outcomes too.

“Dan was very helpful and diligent when it came to picking out a franchise that would fit my skillset. He was a strong voice to keep me rooted during all of the excitement because it’s easy to get swept up in potential opportunities by reminding me of the things I actually wanted to gain by going down this route. The systems he has in place work well and sticking by them will lead you to your goal faster than I could have by myself.”

Dan D.

Dan Lorenz, founder of Guerrilla Franchising

Dan has guided 495+ people through the franchise decision. He has been burned by a franchise and has also succeeded with one. He spent 22 years in the Army, 18 of them in Special Forces, and worked as a forensic accountant and strategy consultant at Deloitte. More about Dan.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Franchise Decision Diagnostic?

It is a free PDF exercise from Guerrilla Franchising that finds the first question blocking your franchise decision. You answer five quick-check questions, follow the route your first “no” or “not sure” points to, and finish with a one-page action plan.

Is this a franchise quiz that tells me which brand to buy?

No. It gives you no score and no brand list. It tells you which question to answer next, and sometimes that answer is to wait or to skip franchising.

How long does the diagnostic take?

About 15 minutes for the quick check and the route you land on. You do not need to finish every route. You need the first one you cannot answer.

Is it really free?

Yes. The diagnostic is free, and so is my consulting. If you buy a franchise through our process, the franchisor pays FranChoice, and FranChoice pays Guerrilla Franchising. You never pay us.

How is this different from the Franchise Fit Finder?

The Fit Finder is a quiz about which franchise categories fit you. The diagnostic comes before that. It checks whether you have answered the questions a category or brand choice depends on.

What if the diagnostic shows franchising is not right for me?

That is a good result. Finding it out in 15 minutes costs you nothing. Finding it out after you sign can cost you your savings.

Sources

FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR Part 436 (eCFR): what a franchisor must disclose in the FDD, including Item 7 initial investment and Item 19 financial performance representations.
The Franchise Decision Diagnostic: the full routes, worksheets and one-page action plan.
About Dan Lorenz: background behind the 495+ people guided and the first and second franchise stories.