Businessman opening metaphorical door in field
Q: I have been offered a McDonalds franchise and I am in my early forties. Is this the strongest of all the franchises out there?
A: There is no strongest of all franchises - each franchise comes with it's own strengths and weaknesses. To get an effective understanding of what type of franchise may be best for you consider interviewing franchise owners of several different types of franchises and listen to their successes and troubles.
You may find that managing dozens of part time staff on a 24 hour seven day a week basis is not your thing. If you are driven by maximizing profit all may be well with your retail franchise until a competitor opens up shop across the street. Small businesses have some of the highest risk levels an investor can take on - if you are betting all your net worth and future on this one business do your homework and make sure you can stomach a worst case scenario.
An accountant and lawyer should be essential parts of your evaluation and advisory team.