Privacy policy

What we collect

Most of what we hold, you typed in. The match survey asks about your goals, your work background, how much you can invest, how involved you want to be, the industries you're drawn to, where you want to open and when. Creating an account adds your name, email address, phone number and a password, or the name, email address and profile picture Google sends us if you sign in with Google.

As you use the site we record what you do in it: the brands you favourite and compare, the calls you book with your coach, the territory requests you submit, the messages you send, and the documents you open and acknowledge in the document room. Our servers also keep standard technical logs, your IP address, browser and device type and the pages you request, so we can keep the site running and secure.

If you start the survey without an account, your answers stay on your own device until you create one. We don't see them before then.

How we use it

To match you. Your survey answers produce a Match score for every brand in our catalog and let your coach curate the matches you see.

To coach you. Your coach reads your survey before your intro call and uses your answers, your calls and your messages to guide you from your first question to a signed agreement.

To run your account: signing you in, sending the emails your journey needs (a booking confirmation, a released document, an answer to a territory request) and keeping the site working. You choose which notifications you get in your account settings.

We don't sell your information and we don't use it for advertising.

Who we share it with

Franchisors, only after your coach introduces you to a brand, and only in bands. An introduced brand sees your capital band (for example $150K to $250K), your involvement level, your timeline and your target location, with your coach's confirmation that you're qualified. It never sees your exact financials. If the brand releases a document to you, it can see whether you've acknowledged and opened it.

Partners, only when you ask. If you request an introduction to a funding, legal, accounting or insurance partner, we pass them your name and contact details so they can reach you.

The companies that run our infrastructure, under contract and for no purpose of their own: Supabase hosts our database and sign-in, Vercel serves the site, SendGrid delivers our email, and Google handles sign-in when you choose it. Your data is stored in the United States.

Authorities, if the law requires it. And a successor business if Franchise Outfit is ever sold, on the same terms as these.

Signing in with Google

If you sign in with Google, we ask Google only for your name, email address and profile picture, and we use them to create your account and sign you in. Our use of information received from Google APIs follows the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements. We don't read your Gmail, calendar or contacts.

How long we keep it

For as long as your account is open, so your coach has the full history of your search. Delete your account from your settings and your profile, survey answers, Match scores and favourites are removed with it. Messages you sent stay in the conversation, no longer tied to your name, so your coach's record of it still makes sense. We keep what the law makes us keep, such as the record of a placement fee, and technical logs for a short period for security.

How we protect it

Every request to our database is checked against who you are, so you see only your own data and a franchisor sees only what an introduction allows. Connections are encrypted. Admin accounts use two-step verification. Internal fields about a brand, such as its contacts and its fee arrangement, never reach the public site.

Your choices

You can read and correct what we hold on you in your account, change your survey answers, turn notifications off, or delete your account outright. If you'd rather we did any of that for you, or you want a copy of your data, email us and we'll do it within 30 days. Some laws give you more rights than these, and where they apply we honour them.

Children

Franchise Outfit is for adults exploring franchise ownership. It isn't directed at anyone under 18 and we don't knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has given us data, email us and we'll delete it.

Changes to this policy

When this policy changes we update the date at the top and, for changes that matter to you, email you before they take effect.

Contact

Questions about your privacy go to info@franchiseoutfit.com.