Let’s get started right now. Want to turn your successful small business into a franchise? That’s a lot of money. You’re basically getting franchise your business meal ready for a lot of new chefs. Some chances here are greater than a blue whale, but so are the potholes that may break your ankle.

First, you need to be really honest with yourself. Can you do your operation again? Is it possible for someone to follow your steps and acquire a Big Mac that is pretty much the same every time? The name of the game is standardization. You should start writing things down if your business strategy has more moving components than a Swiss watch. Clear manuals, consistent branding, and processes that work well. No one wants a package of chaos.

Franchising throws hard questions to you faster than a cook can flip pancakes. Can you put in a bottle what makes your business unique? Put together each recipe, rule, and odd thing your company does, brick by brick. Make it as near to impossible to fail as you can. Don’t just look at the food on the menu. Think at how you train your team, how you get your supplies, how you market your business, what your employees wear, and even how you answer the phone.

Here’s a hint you won’t discover on the back of a napkin: legal groundwork is your best friend. You will need to make a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). This pile of papers is full with useful information for anybody who might want to become franchisees. If you don’t want to deal with legal jargon, don’t. If you don’t have clear rights and sloppy contracts, you’ll be swimming with sharks before you can say “royalty payment.”

Choose your people with more care than a security guard in Las Vegas. Franchisees are the face of your brand. Not the right fit? It’s like letting a bull go free in a store. Make a screening process that keeps your standards higher than a double-shot espresso and gets rid of people who just want to kick tires.

A lot of business owners trip over help and training. Don’t be that person. Help out all the time, answer panicked calls late at night, give out detailed playbooks, and do regular check-ins. Think of yourself as their business parent: you need to be there for them, but not all the time.

Also, get your ducks in a row with a great marketing plan. Your plans need to fit together like puzzle pieces at the national, local, and social levels. Don’t make the same mistakes at every new site; just provide franchisees the tools they need.

Keep in mind that your goal is to franchise, not copy a trash fire. Graft makes growth shine, yet growth can be sweet. Learn from your mistakes, be flexible, and talk less than you listen. The road to owning a franchise can be rocky, but the ride? Every turn and twist is worth it.