Probably the first question that passes any business prospector's lips is: How much money can I make? Arriving at a true answer, however, may not be as easy as it seems. Related: Ready For A Career Switch? Consider A Franchise For starters, the question needs clarifying. For as everyone knows, different people perform better with different models whether it's because they have the right skills or they know how to adapt with the times and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Second, and even more important, it takes a while to get your business to profitability. And getting to maximum profitability may take longer, since you get better at the business as you go along. The good news is a good franchise system can show you how to absorb the rough spells and flourish at every step along the way, from the first day through every evolutionary change in your industry. The best franchises will also assess your bundle of skills and experiences for whether they provide a good fit for their business. So assuming you find a perfect franchise for your skill set, you like the executive team and have determined they have great training and support systems and a business in which you can thrive, how much profit are you shooting for? To answer this important question, you need to pose these more basic questions first.