Franchise Sellers is a nationwide franchise resale, consulting, and valuation firm. Eric Payne has been helping business owners value and sell their companies for 28+ years, and we're approved/preferred resale vendors for 55+ franchise brands. Two brands share the same team and back-office:

• Franchise Sellers (FS) — franchisesellers.com — specialists in franchisee exits
• Company Sellers (CS) — companysellers.com — specialists in independent business sales

Both brands run the same processes. Brand-specific differences are called out where they exist.

The Toolkit service handles marketing and buyer routing. We:

• Build the listing, create the CIM, create the data room, send seller draft ad copy
• Post ads across BizBuySell, BusinessesForSale.com, BusinessBroker.net, BizQuest, DealStream
• Draw buyer inquiries through our own websites
• Screen buyers via NDA + Buyer Profile
• Forward every interested buyer to the seller for their decision
• Manage CIM and Data Room access in DealBuilder per seller direction
• Provide bi-weekly buyer updates and monthly check-ins

The seller drives buyer conversations, negotiations, due diligence, and closing.

Mission: Run a great listing experience for every Toolkit seller from agreement signed through extensions — so they get a fair shot at a successful sale and a good experience with us.

What you own

• Seller relationship after onboarding
• Understanding the business, the franchise, the seller
• Listing lifecycle (kickoff calls, monthly check-ins, ad oversight, extensions)
• Buyer access decisions in DealBuilder (per seller direction)
• Bi-weekly buyer activity reporting
• Monthly seller check-in calls (incl. price-reduction conversations)
• Marketing-term and extension communication
• Reviewing Dropbox and DealBuilder to keep info current
• Deciding when to repost ads, run socials, or do another email blast
• Reviewing listings in Deal Studio and ads for errors / updates
• Offering LOI/APA forms, closing docs, lender relationships, general advice as asked

What you don't own

• Buyer qualification (Yvonne — Buyer Manager)
• CIM creation and ad copy drafting (Admin Team — Lelia, Rosie)
• Final ad approval (Marketing Manager)
• Seller↔buyer conversations after handoff
• Legal advice (refer to the seller's attorney)

For every listing, a new TM should be able to answer:

• What does this business actually do, in plain English?
• What's the current asking price, revenue, and cash flow?
• Why did we price it this way? (Ask Eric/Support.)
• Do the ads clearly explain why the price is justified?
• What does the franchisor relationship look like (if applicable)?
• What's working well and what's the seller's biggest challenge?
• Why is the seller selling now?

Sellers can tell within the first few minutes of a call whether you actually understand their business. If you do, they trust you. If you don't, they lose confidence in the whole service. Read the CIM, watch the seller interview, and skim the Listing Onboarding Questionnaire before every seller call.

• Status of Buyers → Yvonne Quinton
• Valuation, pricing, contracts → Eric Payne
• Tech, systems, Deal Studio, automations → Theodore Baird
• Listing onboarding, CIM, ad drafting → Admin Team (Lelia / Rosie)
• Anything else → ask Eric or Theodore and CC Support

1. Check email inboxes — both brands. Triage what's urgent, archive what's resolved, flag follow-ups.
2. Complete your CRM tasks for the day. Open Deal Studio, filter tasks by today, work through them. Don't delete tasks — they're your audit trail. Set the next task immediately after each one.
3. Process any seller responses on forwarded buyer profiles. If a seller has replied with a decision (mark lost / grant access / need more info), process it in DealBuilder immediately. Quick turnaround keeps the pipeline warm.
4. Send any 3-day buyer follow-up emails that are due when a buyer profile has been with the seller for 3 business days without response.

• Bi-weekly buyer screenshot email to each active seller (see Seller Management)
• Monthly seller check-in calls scheduled out for each listing
• 2-week-out expiration warnings when listings approach term-end

• Deal Studio (CRM, pipelines, tasks)
• DealBuilder (listings, data room, buyer access)
• Notion (this handbook + SOPs)
• Email (your Toolkit Manager address)

• Email account live and tested (both brand inboxes)
• Email signature configured with both brand sign-offs
• Deal Studio access
• Deal Studio calendar — availability + booking links
• DealBuilder — open a listing, find the data room
• Notion bookmarked
• Slack joined (TBD which channels)
• Zoom — log in, test camera/mic
• Loom — record a test video
• ChatGPT — log into work account
• Dropbox — confirm access
• BizBuySell + portals — confirm logins
• Profile picture taken + uploaded to Outlook signature, Deal Studio
• Timesheet excel file received

• Welcome conversation
• Walk through Toolkit Manager hub starting at About / Overview
• Walk through Daily Work Process
• Show Deal Studio — pipelines, contacts, opportunities, tasks
• Show DealBuilder — listings, data room, buyer access mechanics
• Team intros
• Hand off any active Toolkit listings (transfer ownership in DS)

• Complete Training Resources reading list
• Sit in on at least one buyer handoff (Yvonne forwarding to seller)
• Sit in on at least one seller interview
• Sit in on at least one monthly seller check-in
• Schedule recurring tasks for any inherited listings

1. About / Overview (this hub)
2. Toolkit Manager SOP — the operational playbook
3. Toolkit Process in Deal Studio
4. Buyer Manager SOP (Yvonne)
5. CIM SOP & Portals
6. Toolkit Process Guide (client handout — same one your sellers see)

1. Log in to Deal Studio → "Deal Studio Support" (top right) → "Training Video"
2. Create an account using your franchise sellers email; password Franchise#1
3. If training videos don't show, notify Theodore
4. ~63 short-form videos. Go slowly and take notes.
5. Note: Not everything in the training is 100% accurate to our processes.

Every Monday at 11:00 AM, Deal Studio runs a live training called Deal Studio University. It covers new features, workflow updates, walkthroughs (listings, pipelines, automations, DealBuilder), and live Q&A. Attend regularly — Deal Studio is the system of record, fluency makes you faster and more accurate.

See the Loom Video Library for all available training videos. ⚠️ Some Loom videos may reference the older qualification-based buyer flow. Defer to Managing the Buyer Process when in doubt.

Login: laura@franchisesellers.com / Franchise#1 → businessbrokerhq.com → "Past BBBB Webinars" → Ctrl+F to search by title.

Note: All other brokers in this industry manage full-service listings. The Toolkit Manager role is unique — some content won't be 100% applicable, but it's a great way to broaden your knowledge.

Tier 1 — Must watch

1. Educating Sellers: What They Need to Know Before They List
2. The Seller Reality Check: Managing Unrealistic Valuation Expectations
3. How to Value a Business with Confidence
4. Guiding Sellers Through Their Exit
5. Building Trust with Buyers and Sellers Within 5 Minutes
6. How to Write Listings That Attract Serious Buyers
7. What is the role of the business broker?
8. How to Handle Confidentiality in Business Sales

Tier 2 — High value

1. Working with Franchise Resales
2. The Art of Recasting: Defending Add-Backs Without Losing Credibility
3. Basics of Working Capital with Mike Adhikari
4. The MBO Playbook: Turning Employees Into Qualified Buyers
5. Earnouts: Smart Tool or Deal Killer?
6. Seller Notes: The Hidden Lever That Saves (or Sinks) Your Deal
7. Understanding Asset vs. Stock Sales
8. Creating a Strategic Exit Plan With Sellers
9. Marketing Your Listings Effectively

Tier 3 — Good background

1. Quality of Earnings Deep Dive with Avnit Sekhon
2. AI for Deal Execution: From Research to CIM to Buyer Outreach (Allie Weaver)
3. AI Tips and Tricks for Brokers
4. Working With First Time Business Buyers
5. Managing Buyer Expectations
6. Why Buyers Push Back on Brokers
7. Psychology of the Buyer
8. Why Buyers Hate Brokers (Liz MacRae)

A new Toolkit listing is created when agreement is signed + payment is received. Deal Studio automatically:

• Creates the Seller Opportunity and DealBuilder Listing
• Sets Listing Type = Toolkit
• Assigns you as owner
• Notifies you and the Admin Team
• Fires the Welcome Email to the seller (with Listing Onboarding Questionnaire link)

You'll see the new listing in your Deal Studio dashboard.

Admin Team owns the listing setup from creation through ad approval. They handle:

• Confirming the seller completes the Onboarding Questionnaire
• Building the CIM / Business Summary
• Drafting and routing ad copy through Marketing Manager approval
• Setting up the seller portal in DealBuilder
• Posting the listing across business-for-sale sites
• Communicating with the seller until their portion is done
• Notifying you when the listing is fully onboarded

You handle:

• Two kickoff calls with the seller (in parallel with admin)
• Listing review on takeover (once admin notifies you)
• The Seller Interview itself

Call 1: General Introduction (phone or Zoom, ~30 min)

• Personal introductions
• Verify confidentiality level (branded vs. confidential — first switch is free)
• Verify asking price is correct
• Walk through the Toolkit Process Guide (their primary reference)
• Walk through how the buyer flow works
• Answer any questions about agreement or process

Call 2: Seller Interview (Zoom, 1 hour scheduled, ~30–40 min actual)

• Capture the seller's story for the CIM. See Seller Interview section.

Confirm Deal Studio data

• Listing Type = Toolkit
• You are the owner of both contact and opportunity
• Your name is set under the Client Manager field

Confirm DealBuilder setup

• Seller intake form populated and accurate
• CIM / Business Summary content reviewed
• Data room documents present and properly redacted
• Website listing page removed (if applicable)
• Business listing ads live across all expected portals — log into each to verify

• Bi-weekly buyer screenshot email (see Seller Management)
• Monthly seller check-in call
• 2-week-out warning before contract expires

Once review and tasks are set, the listing is fully yours. You handle the seller relationship from this point through marketing extensions or close-out. For ongoing work, see Seller Management and Managing the Buyer Process.

After:

1. Admin has completed onboarding and notified you
2. You've completed the listing review checklist
3. The CIM is live and ads are posted
4. The first buyer profiles have started arriving (or are imminent)

Every two weeks, send each active seller an update on their buyer pipeline.

What to include:

1. Screenshot of buyer list in DealBuilder showing each buyer's current access level (no access / Level 1 / Level 1+2)
2. Short note summarizing recent activity since last update
3. Clear ask: "Please reply if any of this needs to change — open Level 2 for anyone, revoke access, mark anyone lost, or re-open a previously-lost buyer."

This is the cornerstone of the seller's visibility into their listing. Don't skip it. Under the new flow, Yvonne handles the initial buyer forward; after that, the bi-weekly is your standing forum for ongoing access changes.

Once a month, do two things together: audit first, then a 15–30 min seller call.

Step 1 — Audit BEFORE the call

• Deal Studio data current (price, revenue, cash flow match latest financials; key fields filled)
• CIM still compelling and current (price, revenue, cash flow, recast all up to date)
• Ads on every portal reflect current numbers (log into BizBuySell, BusinessesForSale.com, BusinessBroker.net, etc.)
• DealBuilder financials current (see Financial Freshness)
• Buyer activity — review bi-weekly screenshots; does volume look reasonable? If not, dig in (stale ad? wrong price? missing photos?)

Step 2 — Call the seller (15–30 min)

• Confirm asking price, revenue, cash flow still accurate
• Walk through listing performance
• Ask whether they want to explore a price reduction
• Request fresh financials if anything is stale
• Surface anything else on their mind

Two weeks before the 6-month term ends, send the seller an extension reminder.

• Reminder that the term ends on [date]
• Recent listing analytics
• Standard extension: $750 / 3-month term
• For multi-location listings, confirm pricing with Eric before quoting
• Clear ask: extend, expire, or take a price reduction first?

Buyers expect current numbers. During your monthly audit, confirm in the Deal Builder folder:

• YTD P&L through the previous month — refreshed monthly
• Balance sheet within the last 60 days
• Tax returns through the most recent filed year

If anything is missing or stale, ask the seller for an update. Offer a secure upload link on request.

For every franchised listing, make contact with the franchisor early — typically within the first two weeks — and stay in touch.

Why

• Franchisor may have approved buyers in their pipeline
• They can flag issues (territory disputes, royalty concerns, transfer requirements) before due diligence
• Franchisor approval is a required closing step

What to do

• Identify the franchisor's resale or development contact
• Send an intro email sharing the marketing materials and asking whether they have buyers
• Loop back monthly with listing updates
• If anything concerning surfaces, flag to Eric immediately

Listings on portals need periodic refresh — a stale listing sinks in search results. Support owns the reposting cadence. During your monthly audit, log into each portal and verify freshness. If a listing is buried or has the same posting date as last month, flag to Support and ask them to repost.

Our job (the Toolkit team)

• Build and run the listing — CIM, ad copy, posting
• Screen incoming buyers (Yvonne) and forward qualified profiles to seller
• Manage data room and CIM access in DealBuilder per seller decisions
• Send bi-weekly buyer activity updates; run the monthly check-in
• Coordinate ad refreshes, price-reduction blasts, term extensions
• Be available for Q&A throughout

The seller's job

• Decide which buyers get access (L1 only, L1+L2, or decline)
• Communicate directly with buyers once access is granted
• Provide updated financials monthly (YTD P&L, balance sheet, tax returns when available)
• Negotiate terms, manage due diligence, coordinate closing with their attorney
• Reach out to us with questions

Quality-check questions to keep in your back pocket

• "Does the process make sense to you so far? Is anything unclear?"
• "Do you feel comfortable reaching out to me between calls?"
• "Have you had a chance to look at the Toolkit Process Guide?"
• "Have you had your seller interview Q&A Zoom yet?"
• "Do you have your selling-document templates? Did you know we provide rough-draft LOIs and APAs in Dropbox for your attorney?"

If the seller seems uncertain, hesitant, or unresponsive — that's a red flag. Circle back, re-explain, reassure.

What the seller sees

• Their CIM (live, current version)
• The data room — incl. a Seller-Only section for private files (unredacted returns, listing agreement, internal seller files — buyers never see this)
• The buyer list with current access levels
• Seller questionnaires (Onboarding + follow-ups)
• Document upload area for new financials

Common seller questions

• "How do I see who's looking at my listing?" → Bi-weekly screenshot covers this; they can also see the live buyer list in the portal.
• "Where do I upload my new P&L?" → Document upload area, or email it to you.
• "How do I grant access to a new buyer?" → They don't grant directly. Initial decision goes through Yvonne (seller replies to her buyer profile email). Ongoing changes go through your bi-weekly check-in.

For new TMs: walk the seller portal yourself before your first kickoff. Consider screen-sharing it with the seller on call 1.

• Toolkit Process Guide — at toolkit.franchisesellers.com/guide (also embedded below in this hub). Their primary reference for the entire process.
• Selling Documents and Agreements — Dropbox templates (LOI, APA, etc.). ⚠️ Confirm exact Dropbox location.
• Attorney Referrals — we don't give legal advice. ⚠️ Document current referral list.

Social Media Ads — ⚠️ Document who runs the program and TM's role.

Email Blasts — Marketing/Admin runs these. Common types:

• Price Reduction (seller drops price)
• New Listing (new listing goes live)
• By State / By Industry (segmented)
• Back on Market (paused listing relaunches)

Your role: ensure the seller's listing is included in the right blasts. Gather and share stats with the seller after each blast.

If the seller wants a change to ad copy, photos, or details:

1. Capture the request in writing (email or DS note)
2. Ping Admin Team to make changes
3. Marketing Manager approves
4. Confirm changes go live across all portals
5. Notify the seller when refreshed ad is live

Step 1 — Send a Thank-You Gift (via Support). Email Support with seller's name, shipping address, business name, closing date.

Step 2 — Capture Sale Data in Deal Studio:

• Final sold price
• Closing date
• Buyer name (for attribution)
• Notes (deal structure, lessons, franchisor involvement)

Step 3 — Send the Feedback Form. (Under construction.)

Step 4 — Review Ask (only if feedback is positive). (Under construction.)

Step 5 — Ask for a Referral. (Under construction.)

Internal wrap-up

• Mark listing WON in Deal Studio
• Pull listing down from active marketing (if Support hasn't)
• Revoke all buyer access in DealBuilder

Yvonne (Buyer Manager) owns initial flow

1. Buyer inquires — via BizBuySell or another portal
2. NDA + Buyer Profile — Deal Studio sends an automated request (must be current within 6 months)
3. Buyer submits — profile data updates the Deal Studio record
4. Yvonne screens — confirms NDA + Profile are complete. If financial fields are blank, Yvonne reaches out. If populated, sends to seller.
5. DealBuilder listings: Yvonne forwards the buyer profile to the seller (not CC'ing buyer) with a two-option reply: (a) Grant access — Level 1 only, or Level 1 + Level 2. (b) Mark lost — keep available (buyer stays in DS for re-engagement)
6. Non-DealBuilder listings: Yvonne approves/qualifies based on listing requirements. If not approved, confirms financials. If approved, introduces buyer + seller in same email with CIM URL and attached Buyer Profile PDF (seller has Dropbox Data Room link from onboarding).
7. 3-day follow-up — if seller hasn't replied in 3 days, Yvonne sends one nudge (email or SMS). No buyer follow-up required.
8. Yvonne processes seller's reply — grants access at requested level, or marks lost. For DealBuilder listings she sends two emails: (1) reply directly to seller confirming, and (2) separate email to buyer + seller with the buyer's DealBuilder portal access link and login instructions.

You (Toolkit Manager) take over after handoff

1. Bi-weekly buyer check-in email to seller — your primary buyer-process touchpoint
2. Ongoing access changes based on seller's reply:
   • Give Level 2 to a buyer who has Level 1
   • Revoke access
   • Re-open a previously-lost buyer

Under the Toolkit model, the seller decides which buyers get access. Not you. Not Yvonne.

Our job

• Provide the buyer pipeline (route every interested buyer to seller)
• Give and revoke access to CIM and Data Room per seller direction
• Support the seller through the process

What we do NOT do

• Qualify buyers (retired for Toolkits in DealBuilder)
• Answer listing-specific questions from buyers (seller's job)
• Run buyer↔seller conversations once handoff is complete
• Get involved in negotiation, due diligence, or closing

The first decision on each buyer (mark lost vs. grant access at L1 or L1+L2) is Yvonne's. She forwards the profile, runs the 3-day follow-up, processes the reply, and grants access in DealBuilder. You are not CC'd on the initial handoff. By the time a buyer is on your radar, they've already been granted (or denied) access by the seller.

Every two weeks, send each active seller a check-in email.

What to include

1. Screenshot or summary of the buyer list in DealBuilder — every buyer + current access level
2. Clear ask: "Please reply if any of this needs to change — open Level 2 for anyone, revoke access, mark anyone lost, or re-open a previously-lost buyer."

Act on whatever the seller replies with

• Open Level 2 → grant Level 2 in DealBuilder (auto-includes L1)
• Revoke access → update buyer opportunity status to "Lost" (auto-revokes CIM + Data Room access for that listing). Seller handles any direct communication with the buyer.
• Re-open a lost buyer → DealBuilder → specific listing → Buyers → find buyer → three-dots → Re-Open
• Enable download → DealBuilder → specific listing → Find buyer → Data Room Access Level → "Allow file download"

• Seller owns the conversation. Step back. Available for Q&A but don't run the conversation.
• Don't answer listing questions from buyers. Redirect them to the seller.
• Level 2 access can be opened later on seller request (typically via your bi-weekly check-in reply). Auto-includes L1.
• Default no download — explicit seller approval required per buyer.

Buyer sees

• The CIM built by Admin
• The data room — folders organized by access level

Buyer does NOT see

• Other buyers in the pipeline
• Seller's private documents (unredacted returns, listing agreement, etc.)
• Other buyers' contact info

Common buyer questions

• "I can't access the data room" — check DealBuilder; usually a permission or login issue
• "Can I download these documents?" — default no; only if seller explicitly approved
• "I have a question about the business" — redirect to seller

The seller interview is one of the most important content assets we produce. The edited video lives in the buyer-facing data room (Level 1), giving qualified buyers an authentic, unscripted look at who the seller is and what makes the business work — something financial statements alone can't convey. A good interview also builds rapport early, smoothing the rest of the listing relationship.

Confirm every listing has a completed seller interview. During monthly check-ins, if a seller's interview hasn't happened yet, prioritize scheduling it.

ASAP after the agreement is signed — target within 7 days. It's the second of two kickoff calls (the first is the General Introduction).

If the interview is delayed, don't wait to start marketing. The CIM goes live and gets updated after the interview is completed.

• Tool: Zoom
• Length: 1 hour scheduled (often ~30–40 min actual)
• Booking: Seller books via your Calendly link

1. Fill the short Interview Prep Form in Deal Studio (stored on the Opportunity)
2. Review the seller's Listing Onboarding Questionnaire
3. Review any documents already in DealBuilder

• What was your background before starting this business?
• Why did you choose this franchise/business?
• How does the business actually run day-to-day?
• What do your best customers look like, and why do they choose you?
• What's worked best for generating and keeping customers?
• How has your experience been working with the franchisor?
• What have been the biggest challenges?
• What's made the business successful over time?
• If a new owner came in, where should they focus first?
• Why are you selling now?

Automation handles most of the post-call work:

• Recording emailed to Rich automatically
• Rich gets a task to edit the video (7-day reminder fires if not completed)
• Rich uploads the final edited video to the data room (Level 1)

Your follow-up

• Verify the edited video is uploaded and visible in the data room (Level 1). Don't assume the upload happened just because Rich's task is closed.
• Update CIM and data room metadata if anything else needs refreshing
• Send the seller a quick note confirming their interview is edited and live

When agreement is signed + payment is received, Deal Studio fires the listing creation automation:

• Creates Seller Opportunity in the Sellers pipeline
• Creates DealBuilder Listing
• Sets Listing Type = Toolkit
• Assigns Toolkit Manager as owner
• Notifies Admin Team + Toolkit Manager
• Fires the Toolkit Onboarding Welcome Email to the seller

The Listing Type field is the master switch:

• Toolkit → routes through Toolkit-specific automations and assigns Toolkit Manager
• Full Service → routes through commission-based workflows and assigns a Client Manager

Toolkit-relevant stages in the Sellers pipeline:

• Listing Created — auto on agreement + payment
• Onboarding — admin backend setup (CIM, ad copy, portal)
• On Market — CIM live; ads posted; buyers can inquire
• Coming Soon — pre-CIM stage; collects buyers before ads go live
• Toolkit Handoff Complete — buyer intro sent; seller owns conversation
• Under Contract — LOI signed
• Closed Won / Closed Lost / Expired

• Inquiry Received — auto on BizBuySell or other channel inquiry
• NDA + Buyer Profile Sent — automated email + SMS
• NDA + Buyer Profile Submitted — Yvonne reviews
• Profile Forwarded to Seller — NEW — Yvonne forwards to seller, CC's TM
• Awaiting Seller Decision — NEW — 3-business-day reminder fires
• CIM/Data Room Sent — after seller approves access
• Lost — declined, not a fit, or no response

Listing-side

• Listing Type — Toolkit or Full Service (master routing)
• Client Manager — currently doubles as Toolkit Manager assignment
• Listing Market Status — On Market, Coming Soon, Under Contract, etc.
• Level of Confidentiality — Branded or Confidential
• Asking Price
• CBR/CIM URL — populated when CIM is built
• Toolkit Buyer Vetting Status — formerly used in qualification flow; review

Buyer-side

• NDA Executed — auto on signing
• NDA Document — uploaded NDA
• Buyer Approval-Money Email
• Franchisor Minimum Cash Available? / Franchisor Minimum Net Worth? — listing requirements
• Introduced to Seller — date stamp when intro sent

• Agreement signed + payment received → listing creation, owner assignment, welcome email
• Buyer inquiry received (BizBuySell API or manual) → buyer record, NDA + Profile request, SMS confirmation
• Buyer submits NDA + Profile → Yvonne notified, profile data populates
• Seller interview Zoom completes → recording emailed to Rich, edit task created, 7-day reminder
• CIM PDF re-uploaded → tracking codes reset, view stats return to zero
• Seller portal upload → internal review task for TM (publication paused until approved)

• Seller Portal — sellers view ad, CIM, upload documents
• Buyer Portal — buyers view CIM and data room (after seller approval)
• Buyer access levels — Levels 1–5 + seller-only. Toolkit primarily uses 1 and 2.
• Data Room Release — set per-buyer after seller approval under new flow
• Download default = OFF — seller approval required per buyer
• Unique buyer portal links — each buyer gets a unique link; don't copy

• Weekly exec summary — auto-generated; active listings, buyer intros, ad health
• Monthly management report — broader metrics
• Toolkit Manager filter — listings owned by TM via owner field

Defer. We don't give legal advice. Refer them to their attorney, or offer a referral if they don't have one. Eric can help — feel free to send them to him.

Toolkit listings are typically businesses that aren't doing very well financially — losing money or not very profitable. These are harder to sell and less attractive to buyers. Action items: double-check all business-for-sale ads are up to date; consider social media ads, BizBuySell email blast, internal buyer email blast; consider whether a price reduction is appropriate.

Send a friendly reminder; explain that current financials drive buyer confidence. Escalate to Eric if consistently unresponsive.

First switch is free. Coordinate with Admin to update ad copy. Communicate change to current buyers if applicable. (Subsequent switches require a new set of ad copy, which takes time — that's why the first one is free.)

Escalate to Eric. Rare, but typically we're okay with this since we don't charge commission.

Yvonne owns the initial forward + single 3-business-day follow-up. After that, the buyer is held indefinitely — no further pings. Your bi-weekly check-in will surface the pending decision naturally.

Send extension communication 2 weeks out. Quote $750 / 3 months (single location); confirm pricing for multi-location with Eric.

Normal — happens every time the CIM PDF is re-uploaded. Document the reset date; explain to seller in next monthly update.

Eric typically provides a value range based on financials and market comps. We encourage the seller to list within that range. Ultimately the seller decides. If they price outside Eric's range, they shouldn't expect strong buyer traffic. Document the conversation and revisit pricing monthly.

Email Support (Lelia/Rosie) with the change request. Admin updates and routes through Marketing Manager approval if needed. Don't make changes yourself — capture the request in writing and hand it off.

Seller's call. Most wait until late in the process — typically once a deal is close to closing — to protect confidentiality. Coach the seller to plan the announcement around closing rather than the listing date.

Reach out to buyers quickly — don't wait. Answer quick questions and schedule a first call/Zoom. Before that meeting, make sure the buyer has reviewed the CIM, the seller interview, and the data room.

Recorded Zoom call (20–30 minutes) where the seller walks through their business. Buyers watch it as part of the listing materials. Typically scheduled in the first few days. Standard questions cover history, day-to-day, customers, reason for selling, ideal buyer. Recording is given to the seller afterward (currently as a YouTube link).

Currently as a YouTube link. The seller can view it ahead and share as they wish. We're working on moving these into the data room, so this may change.

Yes — the seller always reviews the CIM before it goes out. Marketing/Admin drafts, the seller reviews and requests edits, and only after seller approval does it go to qualified buyers. For post-approval changes, route to Support (Lelia/Rosie).

Franchisor approval is separate from Franchise Sellers — we qualify buyers, the franchisor approves. Happens after the buyer and seller agree on a deal. Franchisor evaluates net worth, liquid capital, background, industry experience, and territory fit. We can give the seller a sense based on the profile, but the franchisor has final say. Direct specific approval questions to Eric or the franchisor's franchise development team.

Send the buyer over to us — we'll handle the intake. Our system requires every buyer to complete an NDA + buyer profile before getting access to the listing details in DealBuilder. Since the Toolkit listing is non-exclusive and we don't charge commission, we're happy to qualify and onboard any potential buyer the seller refers.

Seller financing = seller carries part of the purchase price as a loan to the buyer instead of the buyer paying 100% cash at closing. Typical structure: 20–30% of the price financed over 5–7 years at 6–8% interest, with 20–30% cash down. Meaningfully expands the buyer pool and often results in a higher final sale price. Tradeoff: some default risk, though the seller can typically take the business back. For most Toolkit listings, offering some level of seller financing helps the deal close. Loop in Eric for terms.

Yes — recasting (add-backs / normalization) is standard. Adjust the P&L to show true earning power: add back owner's salary above market, one-time expenses, discretionary expenses (auto, travel, owner meals), non-cash items (depreciation, amortization). Result is Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) — the metric buyers and lenders use. Route to Eric. Keep backup docs in case a buyer's lender wants to verify.

Once a buyer completes NDA, sharing financials is the normal next step. Serious buyers won't move forward without it. The listing itself can stay confidential (no business name in the public ad) — financial disclosure happens only after a buyer is qualified and under NDA.

Public listing lives at franchisesellers.com; seller receives a direct link during onboarding. The Seller Portal is in development. If the seller can't find the link, Support can resend.

Capture exactly what's wrong (screenshot helps) and email Support. Admin updates and routes through Marketing Manager approval. Most fixes turn around within 24–48 hours.

Toolkit listing fee is paid upfront and covers ad creation, marketplace listings, CIM, video interview. Toolkit listings have no seller commission. Other charges: extension/renewal $750 per 3 months (single location), BizBuySell auto-renewal ~$89.95 (we cover that — part of the toolkit pricing).

Don't answer. That's the seller's job. "Once we've granted you access to the data room, please reach out to the seller directly with questions about the business."

Default is no. Need explicit seller approval first. Once approved, enable per-buyer in DealBuilder.

Toolkit principle: seller owns the relationship. Offer support but don't take over. If the buyer is genuinely problematic, you can revoke their access on seller request.

If the seller wants to reconsider, re-open access in DealBuilder: specific listing → Buyers → find buyer → three-dots → Re-Open.

Support (Lelia/Rosie) is your first stop — they'll resolve most issues fast. Reach out to Theodore (tech, systems, automations) or Eric (valuation, contracts, escalations) only for unique cases. When you do, CC Support so they have visibility.

Push back politely. Don't accept the handoff until the CIM passes your review checklist. Loop in Lelia/Rosie with specific feedback.