Posted:16-October-2020
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE JOINING AN IT'SEEZE FRANCHISE
If you have ever dreamed of running your own business but the thought of being out there all alone is a little too daunting, then joining a franchise could be the right option for you.
When you join a franchise, you get the best of both worlds. You get the freedom and control of being your own boss, able to make decisions for yourself that affect your own future, happiness and success. But you also get the support, network and infrastructure of being part of a larger organisation.
However, you also need to remember that not all franchises are the same or operate in the same way. Before making the decision to join a franchise, you need to think carefully about the level of support you want or require, what your options are for growth or reselling your franchise in time, and how the franchise operates in terms of giving you autonomy over the decision-making process. The last thing you want when starting your own franchise business is to find that you are simply an employee again in everything but name.
With this in mind, it is important that you ask the right questions of any franchising business before you make your mind up. Take some time to do the research and find out the franchising benefits of investing with each franchisor. To help you out, we have compiled a list of the things you should find out when looking for the right franchise for you.
How long is the training and where does it take place?
All franchises will offer some initial on-boarding training to help get you up to speed with how they operate and what their main policies are. Depending on the franchise, this training can last anywhere between 3 days and 3 months. The initial training should ideally be conducted face-to-face and take place at the head office where you get to meet the team you’ll be part of, although there may be an element of remote training thereafter.
When investing in an it’seeze franchise, you’ll benefit from five full days of training at our head office. After the 5-day training, you’ll head out for a day with an established franchisee. You’ll see first-hand how they run their web design franchise.
Do they offer regular coaching or business mentoring as part of the franchise package?
The ongoing support of mentors or coaches is fundamental to the success of any franchise and any credible franchise will offer this kind of support as a result. It can take many forms, be that in the shape of a weekly video call to see how you’re getting on and answering any questions, or it could be regular in-person visits. It can often be helpful to have one central point of contact at Head Office who will be with you for every step of your franchise journey - offering advice and sharing best practice.
As well as a full induction from the outset, all it’seeze franchisees have multiple opportunities to upskill - whether it be through how-to videos, webinars, or training courses with Head Office or through third party trainers, either online or face-to-face. This ensures our franchisees always stay ahead of the curve in terms of your knowledge and skills. From day one as an it’seeze franchisee you'll benefit from having the personal support of an experienced Franchise Development Manager - Alex Brook.
Do they provide easily accessible online resources for franchisees?
Sometimes you may need some assistance or inspiration but it might not always be possible or convenient to speak with someone. That’s why it’s important that you are able to access a great deal of information online at any time. Many franchisors have online portals where their franchisees can find commonly requested information.
At it’seeze, all franchisees have access to our online support centre that ensures you always have access to tools, information, and marketing assets that will help you drive your business forward. We also have forums for franchisees and Head Office staff to post topics for discussion. We promote a positive culture of peer support, so you can share ideas, best practice, and ask other franchisees questions day or night.
How often does the franchisor check in with their franchisees once they’re up and running?
As a franchisee you are looking for some level of autonomy, without having a boss looking over your shoulder the whole time. However, there will also undoubtedly be targets to meet as part of a franchise, so regular catch-ups with the franchisor are to be expected. However, these catch-ups should not solely focus on whether you are achieving your obligations as a franchisee. Instead these catch ups should also be an opportunity to share ideas, and discuss best practices to assist with both your business development and that of the franchise as a whole.
The regularity of these catch ups will depend on the franchise, but usually vary from weekly catch-ups to more formal monthly meetings. This seems to strike the right balance between offering support and motivation, while maintaining the freedom many franchisees require.
it’seeze franchisees can expect monthly catch ups from our Franchise Development Manager, however these can be more frequent if required.
Do franchisees receive business support with accountancy, marketing, HR systems, bookkeeping and call handling?
Some of the scariest aspects of starting your own business are learning how to deal with all the admin, including accounting, HR, call handling and more. This is one of the main advantages of joining a franchise, as the franchisor can help you set up and manage all of these processes based on tried and tested methods and processes.
Again, it depends on the franchise as to how much support you will get and what you as a franchisee will be responsible for doing. Things like accounting and bookkeeping are often the responsibility of the franchisee. But support and training should always be given to help you deal with these aspects of the business.
At it’seeze, our skilled web designers, web developers, support team, marketing experts and finance administrators are on hand to make sure the customer journey is as smooth as possible - from designing every website to invoicing your clients and providing technical support, it's all part of our commitment to delivering a hassle-free web design experience. With a Head Office full of highly skilled experts, you'll be fully supported from day one.
How regularly do they provide marketing materials?
Another of the main benefits of being in a franchise is that the marketing strategy, branding and all the tools that go with this is generally in place and handled centrally.
Marketing as a small business can be very difficult, especially when you don’t have the brand power to really resonate. It varies with each franchise, but as part of a franchise you may receive marketing materials such as blog posts, social media campaigns and more to roll out. Of course, creativity is encouraged too but generally materials will need to be signed off before use to ensure brand guidelines are adhered to by all franchisees – after all, when you’re investing in a franchise, you’re investing in the brand too so it’s paramount that every franchisee upholds the reputation of the brand in order to protect all franchisees' investments.
With it’seeze we offer a large array of support from our award-winning marketing team – we provide both online and offline marketing materials weekly.
TOP TIP: When considering a franchise to invest in, be sure to check online reviews from other franchisees and their clients to get a sense of how reputable and credible the brand is. You can read what some of our franchisees says about partnering with it'seeze here and what their clients have to say here.
Do they track franchisees’ progress? And if so, how is it measured?
As you might expect, all franchisors monitor the progress of their franchisees. This is usually done by keeping track of SLAs, sales/order values, client retention and reviews. You should find out what your obligations would be before deciding if a franchise opportunity is right for you. But it should not always be about financial success. The best franchises also like to keep an eye on the wellbeing and happiness of their franchisees, knowing that this is an important metric for success - which is something we do here at it’seeze.
At it’seeze we work hard to strike the right balance between giving our franchisees the freedom and autonomy to succeed on their own. But we are always there to offer support and assistance to help them achieve their aims.
We provide support with marketing and branding, offer superior training and make sure all our franchisees are happy with the level of mentoring.
If you would like more information about joining it’seeze, then simply get in touch below with a member of our team and to find out how to get your franchise journey started.
It'seeze are actively recruiting franchisees across the UK. To find out more, click here.
Interested and want to know more about It’seeze?
The It’seeze profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
