Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Best Franchises To Own® (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates this website and provides franchise consulting, matching, and funding-referral services to individuals exploring franchise ownership in the United States and Canada. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle the information you share with us.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. By using this website or submitting a consultation request, you agree to the practices described below. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our website or services.

2. Information we collect

A. Information you provide directly

When you book a free consultation, contact us, subscribe to our newsletter, request funding resources, or otherwise interact with our forms, you may give us:

• Full name (first and last)
• Email address
• Phone number
• Country, state/province, or general location
• Information about your franchise interests — industries you’re exploring, investment range, timeline, prior ownership experience
• Financial context you choose to share during qualification (for example, liquid capital comfort range or financing interest) — we do not ask for, store, or transmit bank account numbers, credit card numbers, or full Social Security / SIN numbers through this website
• The contents of any message you write to us
• Veteran status, if you voluntarily disclose it for our veteran consulting program

B. Information collected automatically

When you visit our site, certain technical information is collected automatically by our servers and analytics tools, including:

• IP address and approximate location derived from it
• Browser type, operating system, and device type
• Referring URL and the pages you view on our site
• Date, time, and duration of your visit
• Clicks, scroll depth, and other on-page interactions
• A unique anonymous identifier stored in cookies (see Section 6)

C. Information from third parties

We may receive information about you from franchisors, funding partners, or referral sources when they introduce you to us, and from analytics providers that help us understand how visitors find and use our site.

3. How we use your information

We use the information described above to:

• Match you with franchise opportunities that genuinely fit your goals, budget, and lifestyle
• Schedule and conduct your free consultation
• Introduce you to franchisors, funding partners, or other vetted providers when you ask us to — with your knowledge
• Send you the information, PDFs, or resources you request
• Respond to your questions and provide ongoing consulting support
• Improve our website, content, and consultation process
• Send relevant updates, newsletters, or franchise alerts — only if you opt in
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms

We do not sell your personal information.

4. Legal basis for processing

Where applicable law requires a legal basis to process your personal information (for example, under Canadian PIPEDA or, for visitors from regions where GDPR-style rules apply), we rely on:

• Your consent — when you submit a form, opt in to communications, or accept cookies
• Performance of a contract or pre-contract steps — to deliver the consultation, matching, or funding-referral service you’ve requested
• Our legitimate interests — to run and improve our business, provided your rights and interests don’t override ours
• Legal obligation — where we are required to keep records or respond to lawful requests

5. How we share information

We share your information only in the limited ways below:

• Franchisors and funding partners — when you ask us to introduce you, we share the relevant details (name, contact, interest profile) needed to begin a conversation. We tell you who we are introducing you to.
• Service providers — trusted vendors who help us operate the website and business (web hosting, email delivery, scheduling tools, analytics, CRM/contact management). They are bound by confidentiality and may only use your information to perform services for us.
• Legal & safety — when required by law, subpoena, court order, or to protect rights, property, or safety.
• Business transfer — if our business is merged, sold, or restructured, your information may transfer to the successor entity, subject to this policy.

We do not rent, sell, or trade your personal information to advertisers or data brokers.

6. Cookies & tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies (pixels, local storage, anonymous identifiers) to:

• Remember preferences and keep the site functioning
• Measure how visitors find and use our pages
• Understand which content is useful so we can improve it
• Measure the performance of marketing campaigns that bring qualified visitors to us

Most browsers let you control or block cookies through their settings. Blocking cookies may affect site functionality. If a cookie banner is shown, your choices there govern what optional cookies are loaded.

7. Third-party services we may use

Our website may use the following categories of third-party tools. Each has its own privacy policy:

• Analytics: Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, or similar — helps us understand site traffic.
• Embedded video: YouTube — when you play an embedded video, YouTube may set its own cookies.
• Email & CRM: tools that send your consultation booking to our team and follow up.
• Scheduling: Microsoft Bookings — used when you book a strategy session.
• Form & spam protection: reCAPTCHA or similar.

These providers process data on our behalf or under their own privacy terms. We choose providers we believe handle data responsibly.

8. Data retention

We keep your information only as long as we have a legitimate need to:

• Provide the consulting, matching, or funding-referral service you requested
• Follow up on opportunities you’ve expressed interest in
• Maintain the business records and communications required by law or for audits

When information is no longer needed, we delete, anonymize, or securely archive it.

9. How we protect your data

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the information you share with us — including HTTPS encryption in transit, access controls on internal systems, and a need-to-know approach within our team. No method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Your rights & choices

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Correct information that is inaccurate or outdated
• Delete your information when we no longer have a legitimate reason to keep it
• Withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the basis for processing
• Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any message
• Object to certain uses of your information, or request that we restrict them
• Lodge a complaint with a privacy regulator (e.g., the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, or your state attorney general in the U.S.)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 14. We’ll respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.

11. Children’s privacy

Our services are intended for adults. You must be 18 years or older to buy a franchise or to use our consulting services. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us so we can delete it.

12. International users

We operate in the United States and Canada and our service providers may be located in either country or elsewhere. If you submit information to us from outside these regions, you understand and agree that your data may be transferred to and processed in the U.S. or Canada, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your country.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, new services, or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes will be communicated more prominently — for example, by a notice on the homepage or by email if appropriate.