Do you receive the operations manual before or after signing the franchise contract?

This will depend very much on what is contained in the manual. The manual may contain commercially sensitive information that the franchisor may not want a potential franchisee to see until after the agreement is signed or a commitment has been made.  The franchisor might consider allowing such information to be viewed if the potential franchisee enters into a confidentiality agreement to keep what it sees as confidential until it signs a franchisee.  Equally, there may well be no commercially sensitive information in the manual and so the franchisor may be happy to let the potential franchisee see it as part of the franchise package being offered. It will ultimately be the franchisor’s decision to let it be seen.  However, clearly, a franchisee might have reservations about buying blind. A prudent franchisee should research as much as they can about the franchise business before entering into the agreement. If the franchisor cannot provide enough detailed information for a potential franchisee to assess the potential of the franchise business, it may be worth considering if it is a risk worth taking.