Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using ResearchFranchises.com (the “Site”), submitting a contact form, booking a call, or otherwise engaging with any content or services provided by Andrew Horton (“we,” “us,” or “our”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (collectively, the “Agreement”).

If you do not agree with any part of this Agreement, please do not use the Site or engage with our services.

These Terms apply to all visitors, prospective clients, and any others who access or use the Site.

Services Provided

ResearchFranchises.com provides franchise research and consulting services, including:

• One-on-one consultations to evaluate whether franchising is a suitable path for you
• Matching prospective franchise owners with pre-screened franchise brands aligned to their goals, budget, and background
• Guidance through the franchise research and due diligence process
• Educational resources, recommended reading, and informational content

All consulting services are provided by Andrew Horton, a franchise industry professional with over 20 years of experience. Services are offered at his sole discretion and are subject to availability.

No-Fee Advisory Model

Important Disclosure

Our consulting services are provided to prospective franchise buyers at no direct cost to you. Andrew Horton is compensated by franchise brands when a successful placement is made. This is a standard practice in the franchise consulting industry, similar to how a real estate buyer’s agent is compensated by the seller.

This compensation model does not obligate you to purchase any franchise, nor does it compromise the quality or impartiality of advice provided. You are always free to decline any franchise opportunity presented and to end our working relationship at any time without consequence.

We only work with franchise brands we believe meet a reasonable standard of quality and viability. However, our compensation relationship with those brands should be understood as part of your evaluation process.

No Guarantee of Results

Franchise consulting and business guidance are inherently advisory in nature. While Andrew Horton brings extensive experience and diligence to every client engagement, we make no guarantees regarding:

• The financial performance or profitability of any franchise you invest in
• The suitability of any specific franchise brand for your personal or financial circumstances
• The accuracy or completeness of information provided by franchise brands during your research process
• Any outcome related to your decision to purchase or not purchase a franchise

All investment decisions, including franchise purchases, are made solely at your own risk. We strongly encourage you to consult qualified legal, financial, and accounting professionals before making any investment decision.

User Conduct

When using the Site or engaging with our services, you agree not to:

• Provide false or misleading information in any contact form, consultation, or communication
• Use the Site for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Site or its underlying systems
• Reproduce, republish, or distribute any content from this Site without prior written permission
• Harass, threaten, or otherwise engage in conduct that is harmful to us or other users

Intellectual Property

All content on this Site — including text, graphics, logos, the Franchise Research System methodology, testimonials, and other materials — is the intellectual property of Andrew Horton / ResearchFranchises.com, unless otherwise noted.

You may view and print content for personal, non-commercial use only. Any other use, reproduction, or distribution requires our express written permission.

Third-Party Links & Services

The Site contains links to third-party websites and services, including Calendly (for call scheduling), LinkedIn, and franchise brand websites. These links are provided for convenience only.

We have no control over the content, privacy practices, or terms of third-party sites, and we are not responsible for any harm or loss that may result from your use of them. Your interactions with third-party sites are governed by those sites’ own terms and policies.

Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability

This Site and our services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Andrew Horton and ResearchFranchises.com shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising from your use of (or inability to use) the Site or our services.

Our total liability for any claim arising from your use of the Site or services shall not exceed the amount you paid us directly (which in most cases is zero, given our no-fee model).

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. This section explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and how it is protected.

Information We Collect

We collect information you voluntarily provide, including:

• Contact form submissions: Name, email address, phone number, and any message you include
• Consultation calls: Information you share about your background, financial goals, investment criteria, and business interests
• Calendly: Scheduling data collected through the Calendly platform when you book a call
• Automatically collected data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on the Site (via analytics tools)

How We Use Your Information

• To respond to your inquiries and schedule consultations
• To match you with franchise opportunities that fit your stated goals and criteria
• To communicate relevant franchise research resources and updates
• To improve the Site and our services
• To comply with legal obligations

Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• With franchise brands you have expressed interest in exploring, for the purpose of beginning their candidate evaluation process — always with your knowledge and consent
• With service providers who assist in operating our Site (e.g., hosting, analytics, email tools) under confidentiality obligations
• If required by law, court order, or government authority

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

This Site may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and gather analytics data. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

We may use:

• Essential cookies: Required for the Site to function properly
• Analytics cookies: To understand how visitors use the Site (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Third-party cookies: Set by embedded tools like Calendly or LinkedIn

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain Site functionality. By continuing to use the Site, you consent to the use of cookies as described here.

Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services, maintain a record of our business relationship, and comply with applicable legal obligations.

Consultation notes and correspondence are retained for a minimum of three (3) years following the conclusion of our working relationship. You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Your Rights below), subject to our legal obligations to retain certain records.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt out of marketing communications at any time
• Lodge a complaint with your applicable data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 14. We will respond to requests within 30 days.

If you are located in California, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). If you are located in the European Economic Area, you may have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please contact us for details specific to your jurisdiction.

Changes to This Agreement

We reserve the right to update these Terms and Privacy Policy at any time. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Your continued use of the Site following any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Agreement. For material changes, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you directly if we have your contact information on file.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to these Terms or our Privacy Policy, please reach out: