All successful businesses are built on hard work, drive, energy, ambition and persistence, and franchised businesses are no different.

However, if you want to be consistently successful and build a robust business that will stand the test of time then you need more.

If you are fortunate enough to have the huge advantage of being in a franchise then take advantage of the systems, processes, proven best practice and networking opportunities that are available.

To not do so would be negligent and frankly stupid!

I have eight tips to making your franchise work – and each is a challenge for you.

1. Work with the franchisor

Working with the franchisor is a pre-requisite – not because the franchisor is ‘better’ but because the franchisor has skills, experience and knowledge that you do not possess and will have a team of people whose combined years of experience in all business disciplines is worth tapping into.

2. Follow the system

Good franchising is a marriage and successful franchising is about building a strong and long-lasting relationship with a solid structure and proven processes.

Working with the franchisor means following the system – a business system that’s been created, developed, augmented, tested and proven to work.

Ignoring the experience of the franchisor is one step towards insanity!

3. Keep the franchisor ‘up to the mark’ by challenging their activity and motivation

Working with the franchisor is not about blind faith and part of the role of franchisees is to challenge the franchisor, to ensure the system is constantly being developed, that new tools are being created and that the franchisor is alert to customer and market changes.

4. Market, market, market

I run business to business franchises, and in B2B the most important discipline is marketing, the most important activity is communication, and the most important objective is building relationships.

In B2B especially it is imperative to constantly market your business, to be ever active and to regularly communicate with customers and to be effective requires structure.

To this end the basis of good and effective B2B marketing is thinking A, B, C, and D.

• Awareness – making and keeping people aware of your brand, your business and you..
• Business Prospecting – continually re-fill the ‘hopper’ by actively prospecting for new contacts.
• Create Brand Value – brand value identifies who you are and what you stand for and for me it means being customer centric, providing value for money, exceeding expectations and earning trust.
• Develop Key Accounts – critical in B2B – it is 5-6 times easier to keep a customer than to recruit a new one so creating AND maintaining customer intimacy is essential - but requires hard work.

5. Regular communication

Whilst regular marketing is critical to building a successful business so regular customer communication is crucial, and rest assured whatever you are doing today is not enough!

There are many ways to keep your name in front of customers and you should use the whole range to maintain interest with the customer - from email to letter; awareness postcard to leaflet; catalogue to give-aways to social media and the website.

What about a mug with their details on one side (Sally Smith, coffee black, three sugars) and your contact details on the other? Just a thought! Too analogue? Or simply very personal?

6. Get a good accountant and run a cash flow at least every six months!!

More companies (even seemingly successful ones) fail not through lack of profit or the failure of a good idea, but by running out of cash.

I know, I know – finding a good accountant can be like hens’ teeth and by and large I wouldn’t let most accountants run a bath let alone run a business.

HOWEVER, I would pay good money for a good accountant to look after my money because simply MANAGING YOUR CASHFLOW is a MUST.

7. Network

Running your own small business can be lonely at times so please attend all company meetings and take the opportunity to listen and learn, to mix and to share not just with the franchisor but more importantly with other franchisees.

Networking is a key part of business these days and whether it is with peer groups, fellow franchisees, or business clubs it is absolute necessary.

If you are nervous about going to a business club or the chamber of commerce or a breakfast meeting group, then talk to your franchisor and ask them to come with you initially so you can seamlessly get into the routine of networking.

8. SHOUT!

As fans of Lulu (for my older readers) would say – JUST SHOUT!

I am a big fan of using PR to amplify and enhance your message and to reach a wider audience – so if you have a good story be it a big job, successful achievement, 1,000 customer, charity gig, a new hire or simply an anniversary then get the message out there and shout about your successes because nobody else will!

Right, those are my eight tips for becoming a successful franchisee. But there is one last tip I would give you: Be positive, have a passion for the business and have fun!

About Nigel Toplis

Nigel Toplis is Managing Director of The Bardon Group stable of franchises which includes Kall Kwik, Recognition Express and Techclean. The Group specialises in developing and growing franchised businesses in the UK.

You’ve done all your research and picked the right franchise for you, now it’s time to run your business. Your first day of trading will probably be both exciting and pretty scary at the same time! No matter how much preparation you’ve done and how much you know the business inside out, be prepared for things to not always go to plan. This is very normal and should not be off putting, but instead it highlights one of the major benefits of being in a franchise network; the support you have from your franchisor and fellow franchisees.

All good franchisors will have a dedicated team or support manager at hand to guide you safely through your initial period of training. They should be on the other end of a phone if you need it and/or with you for the first few days to help iron out any issues you may come across. And as franchisees were once in the same position as you, they too will be more than happy to help and give you the support and advice you need.

In this step we look at the common mistakes that franchisees make, why the franchise operations manual is important, the support you should receive, how to make sure you don’t run out of cash, motivating your staff and marketing and promoting your business.

A franchisee's top tips for running a successful franchise

Lee Eaton, owner of Signs Express (Manchester) and the 2015 winner of the BFA (British Franchise Association) Franchisee of the Year award, shares the secret to running a successful franchise.

A recent survey, conducted on behalf of the BFA in conjunction with Natwest, revealed that the franchising industry in the UK is stronger than ever. It now contributes £15.1 billion to the UK economy every year – an increase of 46% over the past 10 years and an increase of 10% since 2013.

However, this is by no means an industry where you can sit on your laurels. With more people joining the franchising industry every year, you need to ensure that you choose the right business for you and you have the right mentality to succeed.

With over ten years’ experience running a successful franchise, here are a few of the tricks I have learned that have helped me to develop a business worthy of recognition.

Tip 1 - Join an exciting industry

Choosing the right industry to join when researching possible franchises can be extremely difficult, even overwhelming – especially if you have spent your entire career in a specific environment.

Do not fear, all of the best franchisors will offer you the training that you need to properly understand the industry you have chosen to enter, but most importantly, the industry needs to excite you!

After your discovery day, ask to visit some existing franchisees to see what a day in their life looks like; what support they receive, their projections for the future and what the industry feels like. This should give you a feel for whether it is the business for you.

Your happiness as owner of the business will have a ripple effect on the rest of the team who work for you. So choosing an industry that not only interests you, but makes you happy and this will encourage your employees to share your passion.

Tip 2 - A happy team = happy clients

Richard Branson famously said: “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”

Giving employees the tools to improve their jobs and skills, as well as showing them that they are valued members of the team through encouragement and praise, will give them a reason to stay with you. Plus, happy employees will automatically spread this to your clients through excellent customer service.

Great employees will support you in your business decisions and will tell you when you are making a questionable decision. Keeping the entire team in the loop and trusting others with responsibilities will allow you to focus on the crucial things and your employees will take care of the rest.

As your business grows and your team expands, you need to be increasingly aware of employment law and best practices with regards to HR. Well-established franchisors will have plenty of experience to draw upon and some will even have an HR expert on board to help you in any way that they can.

Tip 3 - Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

This is important for all aspects of work and life really. If you take the time to get it right from the start, the end result will follow.

We have adopted a saying at Signs Express which is, “measure twice, cut once,” a perfect motto to follow in every aspect of your business life, no matter the industry.

Preparing a business and preparing yourself are two completely different things; you need to be ready to work hard, put in the long hours and hit a few speed bumps along the way, especially at the start. With the right preparation and the support from HQ, the strain of starting up a business can be reduced.

Tip 4 - Go the extra mile

It might seem a bit cliché but every client is of equal importance, regardless of how big or small the job is.

Every client deserves to have the knowledge that they’ve come to the right place. This experience should be portrayed by the team from start to finish and keeping the client up-to-date throughout the whole buying process is a must. This level of feedback and information to the client goes a long way to help gain repeat business and confidence in the brand.

Indeed, some of our largest orders have come around as a result of one small job!

Tip 5 - You are not alone

The benefit of being a part of a franchise is that you have a whole pool of knowledge and experience from other franchisees and the franchisor in order to handle national, larger and more complex projects. We found this especially useful in the early years when we lacked experience.

Being a part of a well-established franchise will also allow you to seem bigger than just one branch, which helps to quote for work and to complete multiple national works for big blue-chip companies.

Tip 6 - Work on facts, not assumptions

Don’t assume business is going to come to you because you have taken on a franchise. Being part of a franchise can help, but ultimately it is your business and you will always be responsible for its development and growth.

Ask yourself if you are willing to work long hours and make tough decisions to establish your business and to ensure that it thrives.

The Franchise Operations Manual

The contractual relationship between franchisor and franchisee is formalised in the Franchise Agreement. While the Franchise Agreement sets out the initial and ongoing requirements of the contractual relationship and the obligations of both parties, it doesn’t explain in detail, how the franchisor and the franchisee must fulfil their obligations. This is the role of the Operations Manual.

The importance of the Manual’s role cannot be over-stated because, together with a comprehensive training programme and ongoing support, this is how the franchisor will transfer their know-how and embed the business system.  A comprehensive, well-constructed Operations Manual should evolve from first edition into a powerful management tool to help the franchisee establish and grow their business, renew the term, or prepare it for sale.

The franchisor must provide access to the Operations Manual on signing the Agreement. However, many franchisors introduce The Manual to the new franchisee during induction training so that they become fully familiar with its purpose, how it is organised and how the new business will be operated, audited, and improved. Initially, the franchisee will use the processes in The Manual to set up, launch and establish their new business over the coming 12 months. Actions will need to be completed, as specified, and approvals sought. Therefore, The Manual should provide the franchisee with detailed procedures so that the business model can be replicated successfully from the outset.

The Manual must be up-to-date, relevant and reflect amendments, modification made to the system, new products or services introduced. However, should a dispute arise, the Franchise Agreement takes precedence. The latest edition of The Manual should be easily accessible to the franchisee’s team for reference whenever needed for the duration of the contract.

In franchising, intellectual property (IP) consists of many different aspects, from trademarks (brand name and logo) through to products, services and processes that differentiate the business offer. The Operations Manual is the tangible way of protecting the franchisor’s IP. Because it comprises secret and substantive information about the franchisor’s working methods and practices that are not disclosed to the public, great care must be taken to ensure that no part of The Manual falls into the hands of any unauthorised person. The Manual is protected by copyright and access will be granted only with the franchisor’s permission.

Operating to processes and procedures may seem onerous – and not a little daunting – if you don’t have much or any management experience or some of the skills required. However, when supported with good systems and the sound advice and guidance of the franchisor’s professional personnel, you should be able to deliver excellent value to your customers and gain competitive advantage in your territory.

A competitive advantage helps the business distinguish itself from its competitors and allows it to charge higher prices than its competitors, build brand loyalty, and attract a wider audience. It’s what makes a customer choose one business over another. Therefore, by understanding, and promoting your franchise strategically and skilfully, you can increase market share.

Know-How & Business System

Know-How is defined as confidentially or closely held information. This will be in the form of technical data, formulas, standards, technical information, specifications, processes, methods, handbooks, raw materials, as well as all information, knowledge, assistance, trade practices and secrets – and improvements. Specifically in a franchise, these are communicated by the franchisor to the franchisee via the Operations Manual.

The Business System is how the franchisee will meet customer expectations by implementing a systematic approach to analysing, measuring, comparing, and testing all the possibilities of what the customer wants, or doesn’t want.  A strong Business System, capable of surviving the highs and lows of a business cycle, is at the heart of any high performing franchise model and should provide the franchisee with a process to fix their processes – e.g. by performing internal or external audits.

Implementation of a good Business System will help you to reduce costs and prevent the erosion of profits. When applied to safety, hygiene, quality, or getting the job done in a timely manner, this will give you effective, efficient, and repeatable results. It should also provide you with a clear plan to develop the business and improve top-line performance.

For example, the aim of a sound recruitment system is to provide suitable training and opportunities to all franchise team members so they can complete their work more efficiently and effectively. Franchisees also seek to harness their employees’ ideas and creativity and, in the process, increase their personal engagement. Having a procedure in place allows you to integrate new team members swiftly and makes it easy for them to see their role within the franchise and suggest new ideas that can improve the business.

An established franchisor’s Know-How will have been accumulated over many years – much of it learned the hard way. The way in which the complete Business System works, should be rigorously tried, and tested – and improved. Mistakes will have been made – and corrected – so that the franchisee can benefit from their first day to their last.

Standard Operating Procedures

Most likely, the franchisor’s Know-How and Business System will be presented in the Operations Manual as a structured set of Standard Operating Procedures – commonly known as SOPs. SOPs capture organisational knowledge for all core processes that are repeatable. The franchisor’s objective, then, is to ensure that the franchisee gets a reliable result – first time, every time. To quote Aristotle: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit".

An SOP needs to be flexible and take what is good and working well – and improve upon it. When replicated across a franchisee network, this results in three powerful interdependent pillars of a franchise:

• Quality
• Consistency; and
• Conformity

Quality is everything that adds up to providing complete customer satisfaction so that the franchisee can build on the franchisor’s desire to be the customer’s No.1 Choice – e.g. extensive choice of locations, longer opening hours, highly trained personnel. It is superior quality, in terms of knowledge, selling skills and an all-round professionalism, which are essential elements in communicating the franchisor’s vision and brand values. Ultimately, this will lead to more, loyal customers who become great brand advocates.

Consistency needs to be applied to every process – i.e. from the people the franchisee recruits, the training they provide, to the services and/or products that they sell. However, these processes will need to be sufficiently flexible to cope with potential external economic, political, legal, demographic, social, competitive, global, and technological influences, any of which can affect the smooth running of a business. A perfect example of multiple influences is the Covid-19 pandemic.

Regulatory compliance and compliance with the franchisor’s requirements and policies form the bedrock of a franchise. The franchisee’s obligations – and those of the franchisor – will be set out in the Terms and Conditions of the Franchise Agreement. However, it is the job of the Standard Operating Procedures to underpin these Terms and Conditions with the operational detail necessary for compliance. Non-compliance can be costly when the consequences are financial penalties, court costs, suspension of services. For example, a serious case of food poisoning in a fast-food franchise could lead to a fine or closure of the business. It would also damage the brand.

An operational process is an organised set of activities or tasks that produces a specific service or product and, usually, addresses what, when, why, who, and how questions.

For example:

• What is the process?
• When is this required?
• Why is it necessary – i.e. outcomes, results and payoffs?
• Who is responsible for meeting the franchisor’s minimum operating requirements?
• What will happen if the franchisee doesn’t conform to the specification?
• How will the process be performed, checked, and measured?
• What tools and resources are available to assist the activities or tasks?

The process should be described using logical, easy to follow steps. These steps will be tracked as needed, revised continuously – and improved. This is the recipe for efficiency, growth, and profit so the business can scale forward.

Example Processes

Franchises are service led and highly customer focused. A great customer journey doesn’t happen by accident. Customers are at the heart of every business; therefore, the franchisee will need to learn how to build long-term relationships with their customers and develop new ones. It is essential that a relationship of trust is built with every customer, to earn their loyalty so that, ultimately, customers become great brand ambassadors.

Let’s examine the processes involved in this simplified, fictitious example. A growing bakery franchise has 15 stores in prime High Street locations. Customers love the irresistible smell of fresh coffee and newly baked bread as they enter the spotlessly clean bakery. In the window display, there’s a wonderful variety of delicious cakes and pastries at competitive prices to which passers-by are temptingly drawn. At point of sale, there are several special offers – including ‘Loaf of the Day’, ‘Cake of the Day’ and ‘Coffee Flavour of the Week’. Collectively, the chefs across the franchise network bake thousands of loaves, cakes, and pastries every day to the same recipe. There are 25 core recipes.

The Franchise Manager always orders top quality ingredients from the same reliable quality-checked suppliers approved by the franchisor. It’s vital that deliveries of ingredients arrive at each franchise on time. Chefs follow the same process measuring out exact quantities and using the same method for a recipe so that each loaf, cake, or pastry will be baked to the same standard of excellence as those baked the day before – and will be the day after. Every barista ensures that the roasted Italian coffee they serve is freshly ground, perfectly tamped and the cappuccino milk is heated to the exact temperature necessary to obtain the right quantity and density of froth. All team members understand that any wastage will erode the bakery’s profits.

The staff, in their smart, pressed workwear and name badges, greet each customer warmly with a genuine welcoming smile and a cheery ‘good morning / good afternoon’ remembering the names of their regulars – always. The counter staff are skilled at selling the bakery’s products and many have been there since the franchise was launched five years ago. They know the ingredients of every product – which ones are gluten free, contain lactose, or nuts. They cannot afford to get it wrong in case a customer has an allergy. Staff often manage to persuade the customer to try a little something extra upselling the value of the sale.

Regardless of where a bakery is located, it’s instantly recognisable. Customers feel comfortable and safe in the familiar pastel co-ordinated surroundings. They receive the same welcome, enjoy the same high-quality products, sold by a small friendly team who have created a happy and harmonious environment. Customers can choose how they like to pay and leave the bakery looking forward their next visit, purchases placed carefully in eco-friendly carrier bags with the bakery’s corporate logo, local phone number and longer than average opening times advertised prominently. At the end of the day, all equipment is stripped down, utensils cleaned, the shop and bakery floors and surfaces scrubbed and sanitised ready for opening the next day.

All new customer contact details are added to the bakery’s email list and each bakery enjoys a strong core of loyal customers who need to be – and like being – nurtured. Customers enjoy their regular visits, but they also love receiving the monthly newsletter introducing special offers and recipes with the occasional new product to try, free of charge, on their next visit. Loyal customers recommend the bakery to all their friends. So, the bakery acquires more loyal customers to serve.

Let’s take a moment to consider some of the processes that the franchisor would need to cover in the Operations Manual.

• Bakery Establishment – e.g. legal entity, registrations, location, site selection, acquisition, design, fit out, equipment for shop and back of house baking
• HR & Recruitment – e.g. team job roles and descriptions, advertising, interviewing, selection, onboarding (Induction), people management
• Initial, Development & Refresher Training – e.g. customer service, bakery, coffee preparation, selling and management skills
• Food & Beverage – e.g. recipes for bread, cakes, pastries, beverages
• Environment – e.g. ambiance, team presentation, workwear, cleanliness, maintenance
• Marketing & Promotion – e.g. advertising & PR, launch programme, brand guidelines, point of sale materials, merchandising, data capture and protection, communications
• Health, Safety & Hygiene – e.g. food safety, customer, employee and contractor safety
• Supply Chain – e.g. approved suppliers, ordering, checking, safe storage,
• Quality Control – e.g. product and batch testing, internal and external audits
• IT Systems – e.g. Till system, payment options, financial management, general administration

When you add all the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual routines that the franchisee and the team will need to perform, it follows that to be useful, the processes that need to be described in the Operations Manual will be substantial.

Due Diligence & The Manual

During the process of due diligence – i.e. homework that you need to conduct before signing the Franchise Agreement – it makes sense to gather as much intelligence as you can about the Operations Manual.

The Terms and Conditions of the Franchise Agreement state that the franchisee’s obligations will be carried out ‘as described in The Manual’. These references should dovetail with the Standard Operating Procedures set out in The Manual whose job it should be to underpin every regulation, rule, and policy as a minimum requirement.

Because franchisees are required to conduct their business strictly in accordance with The Manual, it would seem entirely reasonable that an intending franchisee would be given sufficient opportunity to study The Manual and determine, for themselves, how useful it will be in the day-to-day operation of the franchise in which they may invest. However, a franchisor is not obliged to give you access to The Manual until you have signed the Franchise Agreement. Also, there may not be sufficient time to look through The Manual in any depth – even when you have signed an Intending Franchisee Confidentiality Agreement.

One reason is that the Operations Manual is most likely to be published in an electronic format, rather than the weighty tomes that often remain on a shelf gathering dust. Today, the latest edition of The Manual may only be accessed via a password-protected franchisee portal.

A franchisee portal is a specially designed website that serves as the single point of access for information. It can also be considered a library of personalised and categorised content. A franchisee portal assists in search navigation, personalisation, notification, and information integration. As a result, The Manual becomes part of a highly interactive system often providing features such as task management, collaboration, business intelligence and application integration.

Other franchisors may keep their Manual in cloud-based systems such as Dropbox or Microsoft Sharepoint. These also require a password for access. Although a good, simple alternative to the franchisee portal, this may be more limited in scope and functionality.

Access to The Manual will be provided for the duration of the term of the agreement and is for the exclusive use by the Franchise Owner/Manager and their staff. However, it remains the sole and exclusive property of the franchisor. When a team member leaves, or when the Agreement is terminated, password access will be withdrawn immediately.

An electronic version of the Operations Manual is easy for the franchisee to access and refer to, as part of day-to-day operations. It is easy for the franchisor to keep up to date in a timely manner – i.e. when updates are necessary, a modification is made or a new product/service is introduced to the Business System.

This is a summary of the classic building blocks of a good Operations Manual:

• People: How to get the business off to a flying start and deliver the perfect customer experience – first time, every time – through a handpicked, motivated Team.
• Sales & Marketing: How to present the brand in accordance with brand guidelines and promote it to generate more business through local marketing and social media.
• Operations & Management: How to manage customers, the workplace and achieve a work-home life balance.
• Growth & Profit: How to keep finances on track, grow the business and develop new skills, manage renewal, and prepare the business for sale.
• Regardless of its format, the Operations Manual must be fit for purpose – i.e. up-to-date
• Relevant (underpins The Agreement)
• Detailed (as described in this article)
• Well written and easy to understand
• Readable (without waffle and jargon)
• Well laid out (a simple page design)
• Easy to navigate (fully searchable)

When you meet the franchisor, you should obtain satisfactory answers to these questions:

• What is the format of The Manual?
• How and when do I obtain access to it?
• How is The Manual organised?
• Can I see a Table of Contents – and / or a sample Section
• When was it last updated?
• Is there a formal process for updating it?
• Will I/my team have an opportunity to suggest improvements?

Note: If you intend to buy a franchise which has not yet launched and is proving / piloting the concept over 12 to 18 months, some franchise systems may not be fully embedded and, therefore, not fully documented. In which case, you have a unique opportunity to become involved in the evolution of the Business System and the Operations Manual. Armed with this knowledge, you should now have a good perspective on what makes The Manual a powerful quality management tool that can benefit new franchisees for when the franchise is launched officially.

Also, when you talk to franchisees, as part of your due diligence, take the opportunity to ask them about The Manual:

• Was The Manual helpful when they established their business?
• Do they still refer to The Manual – if not, why not?
• Does it help them grow their business?
• Are they empowered to suggest improvements towards Best Practice?
• Has the franchisor appointed a group of franchisees to review The Manual and feed back the network’s comments?

Only when you know what the Operations Manual contains, how it is supported and have the answers to these questions, can you decide whether The Manual will be sufficiently effective to establish, run and grow your new business.

The Future for The Manual

As people have less time and everything becomes more digital, changes faster, and becomes more complex, franchisors will employ faster, leaner, knowledge-sharing solutions. Already, technology is making procedures more digital and accessible and the exchange of information more effective and efficient. For example, QR (Quick Response) codes can be read and understood by mobile devices. Therefore, in the coming years, the way in which franchisors engage with their franchise networks will become more innovative, flexible, and instant. Franchisees and their teams, whatever language they speak and wherever they are in the world, will have the information they need at their fingertips as soon as they need it, not as a traditional Operations Manual. No longer will they need to waste valuable time searching manually for an answer.

About the Author

Penny Hopkinson, Manual Writers has over 35 years' experience of writing manuals. Penny advises and coaches on how best to develop and publish an Operations Manual to impose and replicate uniformity and conformity across a developing franchise, licence or branch Network. To find out more, please contact Penny on 07956 315750 or penny@manual-writers.com for a no-obligation strategy call.

Franchise support

Having established that the franchise is reputable, and it is a business you see yourself being part of, you then need to examine the strengths and weaknesses of their franchise operation.

You need to be confident that they will provide you with the required support you need at the launch of your franchise business and on an ongoing basis. This is central to the success of your franchise.

If you receive no or little support, your business will be on a downward spiral from the start. You will have no one to turn to when problems arise and will continue to make the same errors time after time.

What support will a good franchisor give you?

• Help whenever you need it: A good franchise company will be available 24/7 to help you with any problems you have.
• Support from Day 1: They will be there throughout your launch and will continue to provide you with the dedicated support you need on an ongoing basis. They should provide you with a detailed operations manual that outlines all areas of running your business.
• Visits to your premises: They will have support teams in place to deal with your queries and will regularly visit you at your workplace to make sure that you are coping and to make sure that the business is being run efficiently.
• Opportunities to network: Good franchisors will hold an annual conference where franchisees can get together to discuss any issues or ideas they have, and to hear from the franchisor on their plans to take the business forward.
• Assistance with accreditations: The franchisor should also assist with making sure that you have the correct insurance for your business as well as any certificates and accreditations you may require e.g. health and safety.
• Access to current franchisees: Ask other franchisees about the what support they receive and what changes they would make. This is the best way to get an insight into the business.

You need to be happy with the results of all your research before you should consider entering into an agreement with the franchisor.

Questions to ask the franchisor

• Ask the franchisor and franchisees about implementing change and what support you would receive e.g. new computer systems, rebranding, new product development etc.
• How do they support your marketing activities? Who does what and what is provided?
• Do they offer cover if you go on vacation? What happens if you are ill, what support do they provide?
• What support would you receive to help you with staff recruitment and training? Do they train your staff for you or train you to train your staff? Or do they not offer any training support?

One of the most misused words in the English language, in franchising, is ‘support’.

This article is aimed at both franchisor and franchisee. For the former, it outlines what could be done and should be done; for the latter, it describes levels of involvement that may be important to you.

The dictionary has a number of definitions – I picked out the verb ‘to support’ and saw that it was defined as ‘to help someone emotionally or in a practical way.’

In franchising, I think you could say it should read ‘to help someone emotionally AND in a practical way when establishing, developing and eventually exiting from a franchise business operation.‘

A franchisee reading a Prospectus, or the Disclosure Documentation will see that word support used a number of times and reasonably expect it to be all-encompassing, whereas the franchisor may see their involvement as being fairly well engaged at the beginning but gradually ceasing over time.

Franchisors often talk about the lifespan of a franchisee as being that of child, toddler, teenager, adult, and senior citizen. When we think about it in life’s normal course of events and in any of those 5 situations, we all need support from someone somewhere, but in a different form. As a child, one needs to be completely handheld, nurtured, and encouraged. As a toddler, one looks to have one’s boundaries extended and somebody there to guide us. As a teenager, we look for certain freedom but within a safety net, that means we do not become damaged or damage the family unit. As an adult support is often more about emotional connection or financial in today’s world where young people cannot get on their feet until they are in their thirties, and in senior citizen status it is all about supporting a person to wind down gradually and maintain their contribution and dignity to the end.  At any point on the lifespan, we all need support and from experience, that life-cycle support can also be applied to franchising.

In franchising, support means providing:

• A listening ear
• Technical advice
• Business building tools and marketing collateral
• Financial guidance
• New innovations, ideas, and direction
• Constant encouragement and motivation
• New products or services to enable the franchisee to remain competitive
• A strong communication network within which to thrive
• Recognition & Reward
• Supply chain negotiation and relationship management
• Continued training to improve all aspects of a person’s business capability
• Customer service policies and guidance

I very much doubt that this list is exhaustive, but it is plentiful!

A would-be franchisee should be able to ask the franchisor and operating franchisees in the network what their experience of giving and receiving support looks like in theory and in reality.  

A franchisee looks for support, not just from the franchisor, but from a wider network. Here I am thinking for example of support from their family when they are setting the business up and the going is tough, from the bank all the way through the business cycle, from fellow franchisees who are established and doing well, from suppliers and from customers.

No man is an island – we all interconnect, and we all need each other, and support comes in many ways.

So, whether you are a potential or operating franchisor or a potential or operating franchisee, this franchise support discussion should give food for thought. 

Now, I’m off to support my football team….. oh dear, it is Norwich City! Never mind, there is always next season!

Author
Nick Williams is an experienced national and international franchise development consultant who has worked in the UK franchise industry for over 22 years. Nick and his team of franchise specialists at Ashtons have assisted hundreds of business to expand and grow through franchising since the inception of the business in 1981. We have worked with companies of all sizes from all sectors.  Ask Nick a question / get in touch

Ongoing support for business growth

Sharon Hayman, Head of Operations at Rainbow Restoration discusses how ongoing support from a franchisor can help you to build a successful business.

Once you’ve finished your initial training and opened your franchise for business, you should be well-prepared for the initial set up of your business and getting to grips with the systems and processes. However, what happens when you come across something new or a difficult situation? A good franchisor should be available for you to ask questions and solve problems 24/7 or at least during your working hours.

You should be confident that your chosen franchisor will offer an effective ongoing support programme to help you build a successful business. In the early days, you are likely to find areas you’re not too sure about or can’t quite remember from the training so having a franchisor who is contactable at all times will help you to make sure that you continue on the right path.

Effective business plan

Before moving on to operate your business, you will have drawn up a business plan with realistic targets and what you can hope to achieve in the next 1-5 years. Reviewing this plan and checking your progress will help you to measure your success and keep you on track with hitting and exceeding targets.

The franchisor should regularly invite you to review your plan with them to help you stay on track and keep your business profitable and successful. The business plan should take on board your strengths, weaknesses and skillsets and the franchisor should work with you to improve areas of weakness and help you to develop your skills.

As part of the ongoing support programme at Rainbow Restoration, our franchisees develop a 100-day plan to ensure that their businesses launch smoothly and successfully. The plan fits around franchisees’ existing skills and experience to ensure that they know exactly what they need to achieve in the first few months of their business and beyond. Franchisees work alongside Central Office to implement and regularly review the plan to ensure that goals are met and exceeded. We have a well-established network of franchisees willing to support new franchisees as they build their knowledge and experience.

Field Support

Field support visits during which the franchisor or a member of the support team visits you on-site are an integral part of any franchise support programme. This provides an opportunity for the franchisor to observe how the franchise is being run whilst allowing them to coach you in the field on ways to improve your business operations for success.

These visits are likely to be regular during your first year of business and the intervals between them will become more spaced out as you develop and grow. Field support is a great way for you to gain more practical knowledge of the business. As much as you learn in the training, you still find that you need support in certain elements of the business.

At Rainbow Restoration, our franchisees are supported by our Central Office team of 30+ staff. We tailor our support to ensure we are offering the right support at the right time allowing the best environment for the franchise to develop a strong business keeping in line with our system and processes ensuring consistent service throughout our network.

Technological or business developments

As part of the support from your franchisor, they should keep you updated with any changes in the technology or software you use and the overall business. If the franchisor decides to offer a new product or service, they should provide you with the training and equipment you need to offer it within your business.

Part of being a business owner is to ensure that your business stays profitable and stays ahead of market conditions and this means updating your systems, processes, products and services. Part of being in a franchise network is that most of this is done for you!

Most franchisors hold annual conferences, regional meetings and franchisee forums to ensure that you know about any updates in the business and so that you remain up to speed with the way things are done. This is beneficial for both you and the franchisor – you’re able to compete with other businesses in your local area and your fellow franchisees are performing at the same level, thus the brand is protected for all franchisees. The franchisor ensures that their business continues to be updated and the whole network is operating on the same level.

Staff training and recruitment

In addition to training franchisees in running the business and the products and services you sell, your franchisor should also offer training to your employees. They will be your day to day support within the business so it is essential that they are educated on the values of the business, especially if they are customer facing! Many franchisors offer to train your staff as they are also brand representatives and it is important that they know how the business works.

Tech support – product support

As part of your ongoing support, franchisors should be available for tech and product support. If you have a question about how to carry out one of your services, they should be on-hand for advice and guidance as you complete the work. At Rainbow Restoration we have a comprehensive Learning Management System ‘MiGateway’ which contains a wealth of courses, combined with an Intranet allowing our support material and company manuals to be available 24/7.

You may have a customer who has a problem or query about a product or service and, one of the biggest advantages of being part of a franchise network is that you can call the support team for help whenever you need it and have your questions answered in real time. This also ensure that your customers are not kept waiting whilst you call on support from head office.

For example, at Rainbow Restoration, we support our franchisees with the equipment they use. We can advise on which piece of equipment is the best to use in any given situation to ensure that damage is kept to a minimum.  Technical and Operational Support visits are carried out during the initial 100 days and periodically thereafter. We also arrange sessions over Microsoft teams so they can be flexible and time efficient covering key areas.

Ongoing support is essential to the success of your franchise and will aid you in developing and growing your business.

Click here to find out more about Rainbow Restoration franchise opportunity

Visit Rainbow Restoration website

Why are franchise policies and procedures so important?

Having worked in the franchise industry for more years than I can to remember, the importance and need for clear policies and procedures remains a constant.  Franchisees may come from an experienced management background and be used to running a business or they may well be setting up for the first time.  Guidelines ensure there is a baseline of information to adhere to in any given situation.  It means everyone is on the same page, and brand experience and delivery of service is more likely to remain the same across different territories or franchised outlets.  This is what customers buy into and indeed, what franchisees have signed up for too.

For most franchisors, managing policies and procedures in one place takes the form of the operations manual.  It needs to be in place from the outset.  The operations manual should set out details of every aspect of the business from recruitment to ordering to health and safety to branding, reporting and more...  It can also include information from training sessions.  It’s the rules of engagement if you like.

In the old days, the operations manual was usually a printed booklet contained in a ring binder or similar!  It was hard to keep it updated and was not easily ‘searchable’ for franchisees trying to find the information they needed quickly.   Fortunately, these days operations manuals are usually held online which makes them much easier to keep up-to-date and also more straightforward for franchisees to find what they are looking for.

For Wingers – the Chicken Wing company – we have adopted a secure online portal to bring everything into one place acting a little like an internal website.  It’s a knowledge hub, where every policy and procedure including training and operations manual is searchable at a micro level, making the right information easy to locate and update.  Instead of discovering and needing to download numerous shared PDF documents, it is easy to locate just the small section of information required.  It's a modern approach to an age old problem.

For new franchisors, it is particularly important that their operations manual can be updated easily as it is inevitable that things change as the franchise develops and new and better ways of doing things are established.  Standard operating procedures will also need to be updated to ensure compliance with the franchise agreement so online flexibility is helpful as documents are always live.

With an online manual, other staff, can be provided with restricted access as required too, ensuring they have all the information needed to complete their daily work.  Over the years, technology has advanced to enable policies and procedures to be kept online.  Now it has advanced beyond the level of merely a collection of printable pdfs into a fully functional searchable internal web interface and I would encourage franchisors to take advantage of these technology developments.  With clear policies and procedures in place which are constantly kept up to date, it will be easier for franchisors to ensure the consistency of customer experiences across the network.  This is the essence of franchising a successful concept, as a customer in one region will receive the same great service or product in one territory as another.

A considered operations manual takes time to put together but it then becomes the backbone of the operation and ensures – as far as possible – franchisees remain on track to become successful within their individual businesses.

Find out more about Wingers...

Franchising rules of engagement

Defining the roles and responsibilities is critical.

The franchisor and the franchisee are different ‘animals’ and whilst they should share the same goals – creating a successful business for the franchisee they will approach things from different angles.

To this end I thought it would be useful to understand the ‘rules of engagement’ in franchising – that is the different and clear responsibilities faced by both the franchisee and the franchisor.

This is YOUR business

Whilst it is very much the duty and responsibility of the franchisor to create, provide, run and train the proven business system – including processes, systems, methodology and tools - it certainly is not the franchisor’s responsibility to run your business.

It is also the responsibility of the franchisor to support the franchisee in key business disciplines - including training, sales, marketing, procurement, plus much, much more, and you would also expect the franchisor to be a guide and a mentor.

However, YOU the franchisee remains the business owner. Therefore, when you buy into a franchise, it is not an excuse to abrogate from the responsibility of running the business.

If the business fails you cannot simply blame the franchisor, nor can you put the onus to build a successful enterprise on to someone else. Ultimately, this is your business, and you must assume responsibility.

Building success

With this in mind, how does the franchisee approach life as a new business owner?

Rule number one - build on what the franchisor has given you.

Pound the pavement

I am a great believer in ‘walking the patch’ and ‘smelling’ out prospective customers. The closer I get to a customer, the more I start to understand them and, therefore, the better chance I have of doing business with them.

So as a start point you need to ‘get down’ and ‘get dirty’.

Network

You need to inculcate yourself in the local business community so get out there and carry out as much local networking as possible by getting involved in the whole plethora of opportunities such as the BNI (Business Network International), BRE (Building Research Establishment) and 4-Networking, as well as the long-established Chamber of Commerce, Women in Business and other local enterprise clubs.

Networking will help to raise awareness of both you and your business. I would target at least three referrals from each event, to help build a strong customer base.

Ask a friend

We Brits are stoic when it comes to asking for anything – but particularly for assistance. We tend to just keep plugging away hoping to eventually find ‘the solution’, whereas what we should be doing is asking for referrals.

Not easy for some but it will boost your profile in the world of business so ask friends and family, plus existing customers and suppliers, to provide contact details of one or two other people. Not just any old details, but for those who our friends believe would benefit from knowing about our existence – and what our business has to offer them.

Relationships

Business is about getting personal with your customers and building relationships – intimacy lowers barriers and builds trust.

The franchisor is not equipped to get close to your customers – but you can, and you must!

To make an impact with customers, then you have to get noticed. This may mean marketing them directly and building intimacy by sending something which may appeal to them personally.

Intimacy tools

Personalised promotional products are potentially a key weapon in retaining or attracting customers. We might send, or hand deliver, a gift that is personal to our customer. This provides us with an opportunity to make that customer feel special. The product could be a mug with the customer’s name on it, or even a long-lasting durable pen, or a pair of cufflinks inscribed with a personal emblem.

Whatever the chosen product, the most important aspect is the intimacy you gain with the customer. You are then perfectly placed to build a personal relationship.

All of the tips in this article need to be carried out by the franchisee – and not the franchisor.

Franchisors have their own responsibilities to carry out to ensure the network is continuously improving and developing.

Franchisee support is a critical responsibility of the franchisor and working together creates a successful business – as such each party needs to know and understand their own personal responsibilities for achieving mutual success.

About Nigel Toplis

Nigel Toplis is Managing Director of The Bardon Group stable of franchises which includes Kall Kwik, Recognition Express and Techclean. The Group specialises in developing and growing franchised businesses in the UK.

Steps franchisees should follow before renewing their franchise agreement

Renewing a franchise contract can be a critical decision for franchisees, with many factors to consider before signing on the dotted line. Renewal can come up from every five to 20 years depending on the franchise brand. So, to avoid confusion and potential conflict with franchisors, it is essential for franchisees to be knowledgeable and strategic in their approach. In this article, Cheryl Harper, Managing Director, Greensleeves Lawn Care, provides expert advice on what franchisees should do before renewing their franchise agreement. From evaluating franchise performance to seeking professional advice, Cheryl outlines five key steps to help franchisees make informed decisions and secure long-term success for their business.

1. Evaluate your franchise’s performance and goals

Before renewing a franchise contract, it is important for franchisees to take a step back and evaluate their current situation. This includes reviewing the franchise’s performance against their expectations and goals. Franchisees should look at the franchise’s financial performance, customer satisfaction ratings and overall growth and ask themselves if they are achieving the results they expected when they first signed on as a franchisee. If they are not, they need to understand why and determine whether renewing the contract will help them achieve their objectives or whether now is the time to exit.

2. Ensure your goals still align with your franchisor’s

Making sure that you are pulling in the same direction as your franchisor is vital when operating a franchise business. So, before making any decision, assess whether your business goals and values still align with your franchisor. I suggest reviewing the franchisor’s mission statement, long-term objectives and any recent changes to its business model or product offerings. Then consider whether these still match your own goals and values as a business owner and whether you feel confident in your ability to continue representing the brand in a way that aligns with their vision. If there are any major discrepancies, it may be worth exploring other franchise opportunities or pursuing independent business ownership.

3. Aligning your business plan with your franchisor's objectives

When deciding to renew your franchise agreement, it is essential to have a business plan that aligns with the franchisor's objectives. A well-crafted business plan can help you clearly define your goals, strategies, and tactics for achieving success in the franchise system. By aligning your plan with the franchisor's objectives, you can demonstrate commitment to the system and an understanding of the franchisor's vision. A strong business plan can also help the franchisee secure financing, attract customers, and retain employees.

4. Examine franchise renewal terms and conditions

When reviewing the current agreement, franchisees should pay particular attention to the renewal terms and conditions to ensure they understand any requirements or restrictions associated with their renewal. For example, franchisees should look at the length of the renewal term, any performance or sales targets required for renewal and any fees associated with re-signing. They should also have reviewed the clauses to ensure they understand their options at the end of the renewal term well in advance of the deadline. If there are any terms that are not clear or that they do not understand, I suggest they seek clarification from the franchisor.

5. Seek expert advice on franchise contract renewal

Renewing a franchise agreement is a complex legal and financial process, and franchisees should seek professional advice from a lawyer or an accountant before deciding to renew. These professionals can help franchisees gain a deeper understanding of the legal and financial implications of renewing their contract. They can review the contract terms and conditions, advise on any potential legal or financial risks and help franchisees weigh up the pros and cons of renewing. With their help, franchisees can reach a decision that is in their best interests.

6. Communication is key

Finally, franchisees should engage in open and honest communication with the franchisor about any concerns and objectives. In 2022, 95% of Greensleeves franchisees said they planned to renew their franchise agreement when it came up. This is largely down to the support, communication and dedication they receive from the team in head office. So, for a franchise to be successful, it is essential to ensure that franchisees are getting the support they need and that their objectives are aligned with those of the franchisor. Franchisees should be transparent about their concerns and objectives and should ask the franchisor for feedback on how they are performing. By working collaboratively with the franchisor, franchisees can help ensure a successful renewal process and build a positive ongoing relationship.

Renewing a franchising contract is an important decision that requires careful consideration. By keeping these key factors in mind, franchisees can make an informed decision that will set them up for long-term success. As always, be sure to communicate openly and honestly with your franchisor to ensure a successful renewal process.

Find out more about opportunities with Greensleeves Lawn Care

Why franchisee satisfaction really matters

Franchisee satisfaction is a pivotal factor in the success and sustainability of any franchise. It affects the reputation of the franchisor and directly impacts the franchise's growth potential, profitability, and longevity. Franchisees are the brand's front-line ambassadors, and their satisfaction is crucial to the franchise's success.

Franchisee satisfaction is essential for all stakeholders in the franchise system—franchisors, franchisees, prospects, and staff. Paul Edwards, Managing Director of GreenThumb, discusses the importance of positive franchisee satisfaction and how it contributes to robust network growth and development.

Enhanced franchisee performance

A motivated franchisee is more likely to operate a successful and profitable business. Those who feel supported by their franchisor and are content with the resources provided, for example marketing support, training, and technology, are better equipped to focus on business growth. This support leads to improved sales, effective employee management, and increased overall profitability, benefiting the entire franchise.

Maintaining brand consistency

When franchisees receive suitable support from their franchisor, they will probably operate their businesses at their best, making sure their businesses uphold the high standards connected with the brand. This adherence translates to a consistent customer experience and maintains the franchise's reputation. Conversely, dissatisfied franchisees might compromise on quality, which could reduce customer satisfaction and damage the brand image.

Decreased franchisee turnover

High franchisee satisfaction can considerably decrease turnover, which can be expensive for both parties. Unhappy franchisees may exit the franchise, either by selling their franchise unit or simply by closing down their business, causing disruptions in local markets and potential revenue losses. By fostering franchisee satisfaction, franchisors can minimise early departures, creating a more stable and sustainable network.

Stronger franchisor-franchisee relationships

The franchise system relies on a strong partnership between franchisor and franchisee, necessitating effective communication and trust. Valued and supported franchisees are more likely to have enduring relationships with their franchisor. Transparency and mutual respect are crucial for long-term success and foster a positive environment where both parties can collaborate effectively.

At GreenThumb, we take collaboration and feedback from our franchise partners seriously. Not only do we speak to our franchise partners regularly, but we have also introduced collaborative channels over the past two years to provide monthly updates and share performance highlights and top performers in the network. This is just one of the ways we build excellent franchisee satisfaction to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our franchise network.

Franchise growth

Franchise growth occurs through new and existing franchisees expanding their operations. Content franchisees often reinvest in the brand by buying additional locations and act as advocates, enhancing the franchisor's ability to attract new franchisees to the network. Positive word-of-mouth from satisfied franchisees is a trusted endorsement for any prospects considering investing in a franchise.

Greater competitive edge

In a competitive market, a network of satisfied franchisees offers a significant competitive advantage for franchisors. It is more likely that prospects will invest in a system where current franchisees report high levels of satisfaction and success. This satisfaction leads to a more efficient operation, attracting more customers and achieving better business results, making the franchise more appealing to prospects and investors.

Innovation and feedback

Franchisees often interact directly with customers, understanding their preferences, and identifying trends in the local market. As a result, engaged franchisees are more likely to offer valuable feedback and share innovative ideas that can benefit the entire network. This feedback loop is essential for the franchisor to remain competitive and always improve its offerings, processes, and customer service. Disengaged franchisees on the other hand may withhold critical information, hindering innovation and improvement.

To sum up, franchisee satisfaction is crucial—it drives performance, supports growth, minimises turnover, and enhances the brand's reputation. A franchise focused on the satisfaction of its franchisees is well-placed to succeed in a competitive market. For franchisors, prioritising franchisee satisfaction is essential not only for maintaining a contented network but also for ensuring the brand's future viability.

Click here for further information about GreenThumb franchise opportunities

A happy franchisee is a successful franchisee

So, if only from a commercial point of view the importance of franchisee morale cannot be underestimated, and, in a franchisee/franchisor ‘marriage’, it is the responsibility of the franchisor to keep franchisee morale high.

Why, I hear you ask? Well, if for no other reason than it’s a core tenet of franchising that a franchisee is ‘in business for themselves, but not by themselves’. SIMPLES!

That said it is incumbent on the franchisee to embrace the franchise relationship and when a franchisee follows the system and uses the tools available, they are significantly more likely to see their business grow and flourish and there is no greater morale booster than a successful business.

Why pay into a franchise when I could simply open my own business?

If you start your own business, you are responsible for every aspect – from sales and marketing to production and procurement to researching new products and the administration, staff and financing, plus of course you have to build your brand. Frankly you are in business by yourself.

In a franchise, the franchisor provides a experience, knowhow, a proven business system, marketing tools, collateral and processes, sales training, technical guidelines, procurement support as well as an established corporate identity, trademarks and of course the brand.

You get a complete package built on a solid foundation of knowledge, experience and certainty, underpinned by strong and consistent core values ensuring the feel-good factor follows.

What about short cuts?

Franchisee morale is built through effective and strong core value from the franchisor – so there are no ‘short term fixes’.

Franchisees need leadership and strength of conviction from the franchisor, access to best practice, readily available advice and guidance and sometimes even an injection of discipline.

However, it is the knowledge that the franchisor has their finger on the pulse of the market that gives franchisees confidence and a franchisor’s certainty in its strategy is critical to the morale of the network.

Knowledge, experience and certainty are the cornerstones of creating high morale together with the availability of tools, collateral, processes and programmes to ensure franchisees feel individually supported.

By the same token franchisees also need to understand that following proven best practice procedures is the surest route to success.

Franchising is a crazy mixture of conformity (to the proven and established business system) and individuality, merging the best of big business practice and smaller innovative operations with the common objective of maximising business performance.

Franchisors expect franchisees to work hard and implement the system, using whatever core skills they already have to build and drive their business. As a member of this special club, franchisees also need to also work within the network to assist other franchisees.

In our businesses, we look for people with the ambition, drive and desire to run their own business; people with good communication skills and the ability to build relationships and ultimately, we try to recruit people with passion who share our values of honesty and integrity.

If a franchisor selects its franchisees wisely and provides the franchisees with guidance, discipline and vision then all parties share in the happiness.

How to make sure you don’t run out of cash!

In this article, Chris Robert looks at how to make sure you don't run out of cash when running your franchise.

Wanting your own business is the dream for many people but the reality of the situation can mean you end up confused and alone, responsible for everything from dealing with difficult staff personnel matters to issuing and chasing invoices.

You really do need to be a ‘Jack of all trades’ and that isn’t easy if you don’t have the appropriate experience, training and /or support. That’s why more and more people are turning to Franchising, because if you choose a good Franchise, you will get plenty of training, support and of course you will actually achieve your goal of being ‘The Boss’ of your very own business.

Make use of all the tools given to you

The reality is that you will be given all the tools you need to run a successful business and providing you follow the model and put all your energy into the process you are likely to be successful. That is as long as you don’t run out of cash!

Only you can control this so don’t leave it to chance. Be aware of what is happening in your business. How much money you have and how much money you need. It is your job to find a way to ‘balance the books’.

So if you are new or relatively new in business, here are some tips and hints to help you,
Let’s start with some fundamental points: You are about to set off on a business journey. You need to be clear in your mind what your destination is and then plan your route accordingly. So what are your business objectives and how are you going to achieve them i.e. you need to set out your business strategy.

Create a financial plan

The next step is to create a financial plan around this strategy. Your financial plan should have three main parts to it:

1. The projected profit and loss account, as the name suggests, tells you whether you are likely to make a profit or a loss and therefore whether it’s worthwhile doing what you want to do the way you are planning to do it!
2. The Cash Flow Forecast tells you how much cash you will need, each month, in order to stay on course and whether therefore you can actually afford to do what you are planning to do.
3. The projected Balance Sheet tells you in advance what your business will look like in the future in terms of its assets and liabilities, i.e. what your business owes and what your business owns.

Check on track

Having now properly planned and started your business journey you then need to make sure you are staying ‘on track’. You cannot really manage your business performance properly unless you regularly measure how well you are doing.

This is the next fundamental point. You need to monitor your business performance as you go and take the necessary corrective actions to ensure profitability and even more importantly that you don’t run out of cash.

Using your bookkeeping system to create monthly (or at least quarterly) management accounts will help you to do this. You can then look at trends to spot problems before they become too serious (e.g. negotiate longer credit terms or increase an overdraft facility).

Trend analysis will also help you to change your plans or route along the way because you will soon learn that your business will be influenced by many outside factors which you will not be able to control. Your plan, therefore, should be flexible and not ‘cast in stone’.

So from a positive perspective be prepared to take advantage of any unexpected opportunities that crop up, e.g. a competitor closing down or a sudden upturn in the economy. However make sure you have worked through the ‘cash’ consequences of your actions as there can be a big difference between ‘potential profit’ and ‘actual cash’.

Final thoughts

So, in conclusion, what are we saying? You want to be ‘The Boss’ and to run your own business and you want to be successful. Well you will be, if you start with the right ‘mind-set’ and remember the following:

• Invest in some appropriate training (such as our ‘Understanding Business Finance and Accounts Course’) to ensure you have the skills you need.
• Decide on your business objectives and plan your strategy.
• Build your business and financial plan around this.
• Don’t be a ‘Busy Fool’! – Make sure the business you do is profitable.
• Measure and monitor your progress against your plan.
• Always remember: ‘Turnover Is Vanity, Profit Is Sanity and Cash Is Reality’.
• So now, when or if you have your own business and you are ‘The Boss’ you now know what to do!

Common mistakes franchisees make in initial period of trading

In this article, Graham Duckworth, Franchise Sales Director at Driver Hire looks at the most common mistakes that franchisees make during the initial period of trading and outlines how to avoid them.

So you’ve taken the plunge and decided to run your own business. You’ve written your business plan and thought it all through, crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s. Now it’s time to open your doors, sell your products or services and make some money.

Sounds simple really, but once you officially open for business it’s easy to trip up in the early days and make a few of the following common mistakes. If you have chosen the franchise route the training your franchisor provides should help to better prepare you for these pitfalls. Nevertheless it’s essentially up to you to avoid veering off track and listen to the experience of those around you. A successful franchisor has learnt over time what works and what doesn’t.

Concentrate on the right things

In all the excitement of getting set up in your home office or moving into new premises such as a serviced office or a retail unit, it’s easy to get distracted by the colour of the flooring, how the office looks and what technology to get in.

This is all important but if you’re not making sales you’re not going to be able to pay for it all.

In the early days of trading you have to keep asking yourself, “Is this a big detail and does it really matter right now?” Remember to stick to the business basics on a daily basis. For a Driver Hire franchisee running a recruitment business that’s: find candidates, find clients with vacancies and put them together.

Focus on your strengths, don’t panic about your weaknesses

There’s a lot to learn when running a business for the first time especially if it’s within an industry that you’re not accustomed to.

A large proportion of Driver Hire franchisees have never worked in either the recruitment or logistics industry prior to starting but they’ve identified their strengths that carry across to suit the type of business they’ll be running.

Concentrate on your strengths; you’ll learn to deal with the tasks you’re not so hot on, (either you’ll simply have to or you’ll be able to employ someone whose own strengths and weaknesses complement yours).

When you’re ‘forced’ to learn something because your business is dependent on it you’ll be surprised what you can take on board and how you can soon become the expert.

Time management

We all mismanage our time every so often. To help overcome this some people will only check their emails once a day. Or when a specific period of time is required to concentrate on a task in hand they’ll ‘close the door’ as it were and switch off their phones. You need to decide what works for you and be bold enough to implement it.

When running your own venture it’s also imperative that you don’t spend too much time in the business and that you allocate time to work on the business. Give yourself time to step back and look at what you’re doing and where you’re going. This is sometimes called the ‘helicopter’ approach and is important when looking to identify new opportunities, assessing current operations and setting longer term goals.

Attempting to do everything

As a new business owner / franchisee you’re probably buzzing with new ideas and ways to implement things. Your franchisor might offer a plethora of products or services for you to sell. You can’t do everything from the outset and therefore you need to concentrate on your core business objectives first.

At Driver Hire the core business is providing temporary staff working in the transport and logistics sector. Other revenue streams include permanent recruitment, classroom training for the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence, online training modules relevant to the industry and a driving licence checking service linked with the DVLA.

To try to offer all these from day one would be a mistake unless you were buying a resale opportunity that came with a team of staff already well briefed and skilled to sell and service these add on products. In particular with a brand new business or start-up opportunity you need to grow your foundations first. Remember use your strengths.

Recruiting or investing in your own team of staff

It’s understandable that if you’re starting a business from scratch you may not initially be able to employ a team to help you. It might be that you intend to run a business on your own, at a level you feel comfortable with, and therefore knowingly place a cap on your growth potential.

If you have the entrepreneurial spirit you’ll want to cultivate and grow your business and this will mean employing staff and investing in them.

The preferred number of staff (in the beginning) to work in a Driver Hire franchise is three, including the franchisee. This means when you do let yourself or one of your team members take a holiday – we all need a break! – there will still be two left in the office to keep the business running or at least ticking over until you’re at full capacity again. Some business owners in their initial period of training will claim that they can’t afford to employ staff. This means they will continue to run their business but will risk not developing it. When it comes to taking staff on board - you sometimes can’t afford not to.

Credit control

In and amongst researching who to target, making the essential sales calls and visits, implementing your marketing and communications plan, managing staff and what seems like a list as long as your arm...don’t forget to collect the money you’re owed.

‘Cash is King’ and although it seems an obvious task it can quite often be forgotten or pushed back to another day that never seems to arrive.

To help manage this you need to get your daily, weekly and monthly routine in order. Get some processes in place. If you’re not on your own, assign responsibility and ownership of those tasks that simply can’t be missed.

And finally

Try and get your plans and housekeeping in order before you open the doors to your business and decide your plan of action from day one so that when you actually start, you are actually doing, not planning to do. Learn as much as possible from those that have been in a similar position to you.

A franchised business enables you to speak to fellow franchisees that are in the same business as you but not in competition with you. They will truly understand the common mistakes relevant to your industry and the franchisor’s support network can prove invaluable in those early days.

 

Top tips for promoting your franchise business

In this article, Coconut Creatives, award-winning marketing company, has provided a useful list of top tips for franchisees to help promote their business.

One of the main advantages of buying a franchise business is the backup, support and brand name you receive for your investment. Although your franchise brand may be well known, unless you’re running a McDonald’s franchise, you will still need to market your franchise in your local area to let people know who you are and what you do. Marketing will help you push your business and make sure those all-important customers keep coming through the doors.

Marketing encompasses a range of activities that must be undertaken to promote your business. The type and number of activities you undertake will vary depending on your market, business and product or service. Here are just a few of our top tips for promoting your franchise business.

Understand your customers

The first step in any marketing strategy is to get to know who your best customer are, what they like and their habits, and target similar people. 15% of your best customers account for 55-70% of your total sales.

That’s a huge proportion of your sales and you need to make sure that not only are these customers kept happy but that the 15% continues to grow. Once you have defined your target audience, you can ensure that you’re not spending time and money on marketing activities that do not communicate the right message to the right people.

What does your franchisor have to offer?

Your franchisor has spent years refining their business model and sharing it with others to help them build and run successful businesses.

Everything they know about the business is written down in the operations manual which should also have a marketing section. It is important that you keep referring back to this as many of the methods outlined can be translated to your own local area.

The franchisor is also there to help you if you’re struggling with the marketing for your business. Once you’ve drawn up a marketing plan, send it to them to see if they have anything they can add or give you any advice. Make the most of the marketing team at Head Office and the materials they produce to support you.

Social media

The power of social media in business cannot be underestimated. Social media is transforming the way businesses sell their products and services.

A recent study by the Internet Advertising Bureau revealed that nearly 80% of consumers would buy more often in the future because of a brand’s presence on social media.

Social media is a great channel to engage your customers and provides a free method for letting people know who you are and what you do.

Reviews from existing customers

Reviews from your existing customers are a great way to promote your franchise and let people know how good you are at what you do. People are more likely to trust reviews and personal recommendations from other people.

By asking your customers to leave a review either online or in written form so that you can use it on your marketing collateral, means that when people look you up to decide whether or not to use your product or service, you’ve got glowing reviews that will help them decide if it’s right for them.

 

It is NOT the franchisors responsibility to run YOUR business!

Becoming a franchisee, it is not an excuse to shift your responsibilities onto the franchisor.

Certainly, the Franchisor has responsibilities BUT if you want to be successful and build a robust and profitable business then you need to get off your arse!

With this in mind I thought it might be quite useful to detail some of the key things I think you need to do to build your franchised business.

The business is your business and your responsibility and buying a franchise is NOT an opportunity to put the onus for success on to someone else – ie the franchisor.

That said, the franchisor DOES though have responsibilities and good franchisors take those responsibilities very seriously.

To begin with it is the franchisors duty to lay down the processes and methodologies of the business and deliver to the franchisee a proven business system.

It is also their responsibility to support the franchisee in key business disciplines – including, but not limited to, training, sales, marketing, procurement etc. and I would also expect the franchisor to be a guide and a mentor to the franchisee.

HOWEVER, the franchisor is NOT RESPONSIBLE for running the business for you.

In fact, I have always said to my franchisees that I am NOT going to tell you how to run what after all is YOUR business – but what I will do is to provide you with a route map to how I believe you should run the business to maximise your return and optimise the business.

Added to this I will provide the tools, strategies, processes and collateral which if followed and utilised will assist in achieving the business goals.

Moreover, I and the team will be on hand to advise and guide throughout your time with the franchise.

But,this is your business and to this end there are things incumbent on you.

As a MUST, you need to build on what the franchisor has given you, on the training provided, and on the support and collateral available to you.

Thereafter, there are some specific activities you should undertake.

I deal primarily in the B2B arena and in business to business there are THREE things I think make a real difference.

First, it is imperative that you get exposure in your local community – so get out and about and do as much local networking as possible.

There is a plethora of opportunities out there from the BNI, BRE, 4-Networking and BOB through to Chamber of Commerce, Women in Business and other local enterprise clubs.

Networking will help to raise awareness of both you and your business and if you can get at least three referrals from each event then networking will also help you to build your customer base.

Second, I’m a great believer in walking the patch and ‘smelling’ out prospective customers.

The closer I get to a customer the more I understand them and the more I understand them then the more I know how to get business from them.

You can only build this understanding if you are prepared to get ‘down and dirty’.

Thirdly, we need to ask for referrals.

The British are terribly stoic about asking for anything – if we can’t do something on our own then ‘damn it just keep trying, old boy’ – well, frankly, that just doesn’t work, and referrals can be a key area for recruiting new customers.

People tend to be nervous of asking for a referral in case of ‘upsetting my contact’ and the process is certainly different from networking which is much more straight forward because the environment encourages the activity.

What we should be doing though is getting referrals from friends, family, existing customers and suppliers by encouraging them to give us a contact or an ‘in’ into companies we want to get into.

Business (especially B2B) is about getting intimate with your customers and building relationships. This is something the franchisor just can’t do, must not do and certainly will not do at a local level - but you can, and you must.

The franchisor can though work with you and help you to maximise your involvement in all three areas and can share best practice with you and help you to do the right preparation (BNI presentations for example) and create the right impression for your meetings with prospective customers.

Other things you need to be aware of and where possible make use of include:

• Direct marketing - If you want to make an impact with customers, get noticed by prospects then why not market directly to them and build the intimacy by sending something that appeals to them personally?!
• Social media – in B2B most social media is not appropriate BUT LinkedIn is a powerful weapon to locate decision makers and to open an initial conversation.
• Personalised promotional products - send or hand delivery a gift with details that are personal to the customer, thus giving us the opportunity to make that customer feel special.

Whatever the product, the most important aspect is the intimacy you gain with the customer.

You are perfectly placed to build a personal relationship with your customer/prospect and in all the examples outlined in this piece none of them can be done effectively by the franchisor – but all are mandatory for the franchisee.

About Nigel Toplis

Nigel Toplis is Managing Director of The Bardon Group stable of franchises which includes Kall Kwik, Recognition Express and Techclean. The Group specialises in developing and growing franchised businesses in the UK.

Positive franchisee morale is critical to business success

It is human nature to have high spirits when times are good, it’s when times get tough that morale needs a boost and in a franchise the franchisor needs to take responsibility for the morale of its franchisees. WHY, I hear you ask?

Essentially, it comes back to the core tenet of franchising, that a franchisee is ‘in business for themselves, but not by themselves’ and part of being ‘not alone’ is knowing that the franchisor is more than just a business partner.

If you start your own business, you are responsible for every aspect of it. In a franchise, the franchisor provides experience, knowhow, marketing tools, collateral and processes, sales training, technical guidelines, procurement support as well as a corporate identity, trademarks and of course the brand. In fact, a proven business system and identity.

When a franchisee follows the system and uses the tools at their disposal, they are likely to see their business grow and flourish, and to this end there is no greater morale booster than a successful business.

That said, when things aren’t going so well, some franchisors are tempted to try ‘short term fixes’ to get improve their morale.

Generally, in life ‘short cuts’ are often a route to disaster and business is no different, and in my mind it is more effective to stay loyal to a strong and consistent set of core values – the values of a tried and trusted system – and to believe in the franchisor.

Franchisees need leadership and strength of conviction from the franchisor, plus best practice guidance and sometimes even an injection of discipline.

It is the knowledge that the franchisor has their finger on the pulse of the market that gives franchisees confidence. A franchisor’s certainty in its strategy is critical to the morale of the network. Franchisees also need to understand that following proven best practice procedures is the surest route to success.

Similarly, the availability of tools, collateral, processes and progammes ensures franchisees feel individually supported.

Franchising is the convergence of two bodies with different skills but one common purpose – a crazy mixture of conformity (business systems) and individuality merging the best of big business practice and individual skill sets..

As franchisors, we expect franchisees to work hard and implement the system, using whatever core skills they already have to build and drive their business. As a member of a franchise, they also need to also work within the network to assist other franchisees.

To achieve this, we look for people with the ambition, drive and desire to run their own business. We seek personable people with good communication skills and the ability to build relationships. And we ultimately select passionate people who share our values of honesty and integrity.

If a franchisor chooses its franchisees wisely, maintaining morale is not a chore but a pleasure. Our franchisees look to us for guidance, for discipline and for vision. By delivering these key elements, we ensure the morale of all parties remains high.

Market your franchise; the power of social media!

In this article, Coconut Creatives, award-winning marketing company, looks at why the power of social media for business must not be underestimated.

Social media is transforming the way businesses sell their products and services. A recent study by the Internet Advising Bureau revealed that nearly 80% of consumers would be more inclined to buy more often in the future because of a brand’s presence on social media.

With these statistics in mind, if you’re not using social media to promote your franchise in your local area, you’re missing out on a lot of opportunities to get your message out there. Whilst it’s vital that your business has a presence on the most relevant networks for you, it’s more vital you’re not wasting time and money on activities that don’t contribute to getting the right message to the right person at the right time.

Social Media checklist

Here’s a quick checklist to guide you through the use of social media for business:

• Identify where your target audience is
• Set goals of what you want to achieve
• Choose social media channels accordingly
• Share, listen and reply in a non-salesy manner
• Appoint a ‘Social Media Keeper’
• Integrate it into your marketing plan
• Measure your results

By following this process and making social media an official part of your marketing plan, you can measure its effectiveness through leads generated.

Focusing your efforts

In order to get the most out of your social media channels, you must think about your target audience before launching any campaign.

Here are out top factors to consider when marketing your business on social media:

• Who are your customers?
• What do you know about your customers?
• Where do your customers live?
• What interests do they have?

Answering these questions will help you to decide which social networks would be best for your business and how you can utilise them for success. Thinking about where your customers go when they are online is a key factor in using social media for sales.

How does social media work?

Although social media may not generate direct sales for your business, you need to consider how these leads will translate into sales for your business - this is KEY!

Will your social media channels drive traffic to your website, fill seats at your next event or drive footfall into your store? Every time you post on social media you should have the end goal in mind to generate the best results.

Social media acts as a great channel to engage your customers and provides a free method for letting people know who you are and what you do.

There’s really no excuses not to be using it!

Be a motor mouth!

You have two ears and one mouth, use them in that proportion! Motor mouth and huge Social Media exponent Gary Vaynerchuk has coined a great phrase to explain how to best use Social Media for business.

His ‘jab, jab, jab, right hook’ boxing metaphor explains how we need to provide valuable information (jab) out to our market before going for the sale (right hook). You need to listen to what your audience is talking about and asking about, then adapt your messaging accordingly.

How PR Can Create a Buzz Around a Franchise

I’ve worked in the franchise industry for coming up to 30 years!  I’ve supported brands from greetings cards franchises to children’s messy play right through to fast-food, publishing, home care to property and a few in between!   It’s been a roller coaster ride, but one thing all the brands I work with still have in common is that they need long form, quality content to promote the benefits of becoming a franchisee.  In other words articles, press releases and case studies published on the leading franchise portals such as whichfranchise and in the relevant trade press, to get noticed and build a detailed picture of what it’s like to be a successful franchisee for that organisation.

PR has traditionally been seen as a bit of a ‘dark art’. No-one is really sure how content ends up on the pages of a franchise magazine or a website.  However, I believe the best approach is to develop a carefully planned pipeline of content which is delivered in a timely way in the format journalists would like to receive it. 

Quality, original and innovative content must be accompanied by great imagery.  A picture is worth a thousand words and for any franchisor considering PR, any investment in professional photography won’t be wasted.

In the content pipeline, a series of news or press releases are agreed and developed to create a buzz around a franchise.  With a new franchise, stories about new franchisees joining could be limited initially, so special offers, new menu choices, award wins, charity work or new team members joining can all be good sources of news content.

Local news stories can also be used to support individual franchisees, generating awareness and interest in their services within the local press.  A client’s 100th birthday was recently used to illustrate franchised home care services while a charity donation grabbed the headlines for a local property franchise during the festive season. Coverage of a recent franchised restaurant launch ensured local customers came to enjoy offers on food during the opening weekend.

Case studies are real-life stories about franchisees and how they have built their franchise successfully.  The human-interest angle is always important, as prospective franchisees want to learn a little about the challenges and the business owner’s background, and how they overcame hurdles to become the successful franchisee they are today.  Cut down versions of approved copy can be used as short testimonials too.

Opinion or advice piece articles can also be a rich source of long-form content.  They put a franchisor in an expert position on a particular topic, whether that’s how best to use tech to attract leads in a property franchise or how to manage staff in a quick service restaurant franchise.

The valuable PR content developed can be shared on the franchisor’s website and used to feed the ‘hungry beast’ that is social media!  It means when prospective franchisees want to find out more, rich and detailed information is readily available.

In the past year alone, I’ve helped launch three new franchise propositions to the market successfully with a planned approach to PR.  Each franchisor has attracted many leads and that buzz has got those franchise brands off to a great start.

There are many other ways to market to prospective franchisees which should also not be overlooked: from promoting reviews to search engine optimisation to analysing and nurturing the correct key words in web copy to developing video content and e-marketing campaigns.  The long form PR content of press releases, case studies and article placed in the media work hand-in-hand with these marketing methods but what sets PR apart is the level of credibility it gives the franchise to have published content to share.  

So if you are looking to stand out from the crown and creating more of a buzz around your franchise, then PR could help you generate more franchise recruitment leads.

For further information or a no-obligation chat, please see:  www.grapevinepr.com

Utilising PR for franchise growth

In this article, Rev PR looks at the importance of PR in franchising, tips for planning a campaign and seasonal PR opportunities to keep in mind.

When you get it right, Public Relations can make a huge impact in your business. Do you utilise it effectively or, like many business owners, are you unsure how to harness the power of PR?

Public relations does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s about communicating with your public audiences to help raise the profile of your business and increase consumer purchases or franchise sales – or both!

Create a captivating campaign

The best campaigns captivate your desired audience and cause a pre-planned reaction. Sounds simple right? But there are some golden rules to follow. It’s something that we specialise in at Rev PR so here are a few tips when planning your own PR power campaign:

1. Identify your target audience: Be specific here. It’s normal to have multiple PR campaigns running that are targeting different demographics
2. What message do you want to communicate? For example, are you looking to educate, inspire, raise a fear-factor or simply have a bit of fun to raise awareness with your audience?
3. How do you want your audience to react? Be very clear and keep it simple. Asking people to do more than one thing is tricky. Be sure your call to action fits in with your sales process or has a specifically planned outcome if it’s a one-off.

Once you’ve done that, you need to work out how you’re going to capture the attention and imagination of your audience. People’s attention spans aren’t what they used to be, our senses are constantly bombarded by TV, radio, print and social media so you need to get creative to stand out!

4. Brainstorm some fun ways to engage through suitable media platforms: They can be as whacky as you like because you can always make them practical later! Consider things like - competitions, sponsorship. celebrity endorsements, affiliations with charities and surveys and their results.

To complete your planning think about:

5. Who can you get involved to help spread the campaign far and wide?
6. What can you put in place to make your audience response measurable?

Following these steps will help you to create a dynamic and effective campaign that can be monitored as part of your overall marketing strategy.

Making the most of seasonal PR opportunities

One of the great ways to get PR published is by hooking on to something already being talked about in the media. So, does your business have anything to say as the year progresses through the seasons? Here are some things to think about as you plan your PR schedule each quarter:

• Do you have products or services that are more popular at certain times of the year?
• Are there hints and tips you can give for customers to prepare for certain weather conditions?
• Do you have such busy times of the year that customers need to pre-order items?
• The big holidays
• Can you feed into the hype surrounding Christmas, Valentine’s Day or Summer holidays? Don’t forget that customers prepare well in advance and this means that the media prepare even further in advance! You can normally find out their deadlines for holiday features from their editorial team – just give them a call!

Celebration days

At Rev PR we keep a calendar of special events and days so that, for example, if we have a client in the QSR sector and “Burger Day” is coming up then we’ll plan a story to pitch out to the media in plenty of time.

Now all you have to do is decide how you are going to pitch your article, news item or advice piece! 

How to write a winning award entry

Awards season has come around again but never attempted to write an award entry before? No problem – here, Rev PR gives the lowdown on how to write a winning award entry.

Let us start off with the most important thing to note about putting together a top-class award entry – the elephant in the room, if you will. It’s much more than just throwing what you know at a piece of (digital) paper and hoping for the best. What you need is a succinct yet detail-rich submission – quite the juxtaposition! 

Luckily, here at Rev, we’ve quite the track record when it comes to getting our clients on the podium. Here are our top tips to help you write an award entry that stands out.

Team triumphs over individual feats

Egos don’t win awards, and that’s a fact. Why? Well, in 99% of cases, the awards you enter are designed to be a testament to your franchise's ability to function and excel as a unit. If you find yourself praising ‘me, myself and I’ throughout your award entry, it’s time for a do-over.

Instead highlight instances where collaborative efforts have directly contributed to milestones and success. Quantify your team's achievements and illustrate the collective drive and problem-solving capabilities within your head office team and franchise network.

Pro tip: for authenticity, use a testimonial from a franchisee that reflects your brand’s collaborative spirit.

Use the criteria as your checklist

For the love of *insert appropriate deity* please use the criteria as the backbone of your award entry. Align your answers to the specified requirements, treating them as non-negotiable targets to hit. This ensures your entry is precisely tailored to what the judges are tasked to look for.

For example, if innovation is specifically referenced in the criteria, don’t just state that your franchise is innovative; show it by describing a particular scenario where an innovative approach led to a breakthrough in your offering or support structure. Use numbers to support your claims, such as percentage increases in revenue or customer conversions.

Pro tip: convert the entry criteria into bullet points to ensure clarity. Most categories have a paragraph of ‘blub’ as the criteria. Break this down into section headings and work methodically through them.

Hard truth: if you can’t hit all the criteria points then this is either the wrong entry for you or you’re not ready to enter this award quite yet.

Craft full yet concise responses

Most award entry forms will allow you 1000 words. And that’s it. Whilst to some the thought of writing roughly two pages of text is daunting, once you get going, you’ll realise it’s surprisingly difficult to distil a year’s worth of activity, even in one specific area of business, down into 1000 words.

To paint a complete picture concisely is an artform. If your award entry is overflowing try to:

• Use bullet points to make an impact.
• Make short, strong statements backed up with statistics.
• Avoid ‘scene setting’ and get straight to the point where you can.
• Be ruthless when editing. If it’s not directly addressing a criteria point, lose it.

Pro tip: stay away from industry jargon that could obscure your message. Plain language paired with statistics and testimonials is what will cut through the noise.

Showcase achievements, not aspirations

This one is short and sweet but incredibly important. An award entry is a historical record, not a business plan. Focus on what has been completed and verified. Judges are looking for evidence of a proven track record, not the potential.

With the greatest respect in the world to all entrants, if you can’t prove it, don’t write it. Quite literally anyone can say anything about what they plan to achieve. Whilst good intentions and ambition is admirable, when it comes to an award entry, it is all but meaningless.

Pro tip: use before-and-after data points, financial results and testimonials to demonstrate the value delivered for and by your franchisees.

Meticulous planning wins the race

An excellent award entry is never a last-minute endeavour. Trust us, we know. At Rev, we allow six to eight weeks to research, collate, write and refine an award entry. Often affectionately known as the longest eight weeks of our lives…

The best entries are a product of thoughtful planning and collaboration. Begin by mapping out the entry process and setting internal deadlines for content collection, writing, and review stages. Ensure that each section of the entry is assigned to the team member best equipped to address it. Then, gather all necessary data and compose your draft well in advance of the deadline.

Pro tip: schedule a review session with key team members. This collective review not only polishes the entry but also ensures all sections align to form a cohesive narrative.

Never assume (we ass-u-me you know why!)

Write your award entry for an audience that knows nothing about your franchise. This approach ensures that your entry is comprehensive and self-contained, painting a full picture for the judges. If appropriate and within the word count, offer background information succinctly, providing context for your accomplishments. If your franchise has a unique origin story or has overcome significant industry hurdles, include this to add depth and relatability to your entry.

Pro tip: remember that if it’s not on the ‘paper’ you cannot and will not be judged on it. Judges are the epitome of professional and have an uncanny knack of wiping all prior knowledge and sentiment of your brand from their minds when the judging process begins.

What’s the point in entering?

If you’ve read this far, thank you. If you’re now thinking it all seems like a lot of hard work, then you’re right! It is. But the fact is, awards matter.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have heard and seen us talking about ‘trust’ pretty much at every given opportunity. Prospective franchisees and customers will only buy from, or invest in, a brand that they feel they can trust. An award badge – provided it’s for a suitable category – is a trust credential, and it’s very appealing. Imagine that you’re being compared to several other brands, you have an award-win logo on your website or email footer that the others don’t. Do you think that helps to elevate you above the competition? There you go then.

Awards are also a great morale boost for your internal teams and even your franchise networks. That’s reason enough in itself sometimes.

PR, darling

It would be remiss of us to not mention another massive benefit that can come from an award entry, in the form of PR. Being shortlisted for, or winning, an award is a fantastic news story that you can share with your target audiences. From traditional media relations to social media coverage and sharing with your pipeline in a newsletter. The content you can create from this activity and its myriad of uses is extremely valuable.

If you don’t have a large team, or if it’s just you, you may want to think about outsourcing your award entry to someone who specialises in them. *Cough, cough*. The downside to this is that there will be a cost associated, but the obvious positive is after a phone call or two, you can sit back and relax while things get done.

If you want our two-pennies – sometimes called, advice – on what to enter and which categories would work best for you, just drop us a line or give Lucy a call. She loves to talk. Does anyone else still think of Bob Hoskins when you read that line? Just us? Email lucy@revpr.co.uk or call 07921 572554.

Franchise decree nisi - is it avoidable?

Life is not perfect – there are franchise breakdowns

Anyone who knows me or has read my books on franchising or indeed the numerous articles, blogs etc on franchising will know that I am a staunch proponent of franchising, a great supporter of the whole franchise concept and generally a positive bloke!

However, I am not naïve and recognise that sometimes the relationship breaks down.

SO, I thought I would write ONE article that examines the consequences of a franchise divorce and the questions / options we need to consider.

I will start off by saying that in my 30 years in franchising I have been fortunate to have had very few ‘bad’ experiences with franchisees. We’ve had a couple of occasions where the franchisee has broken the Franchise Agreement and we have had to clean up a messy situation – but these have been very few and far between.

The worst experience is not what a franchisee goes ‘rogue’ – that is rare. No, it is when a franchisee decides that they will not follow the system or turns out that they are simply lazy – both instances sap your resources and your energy.

Scenarios:

The following are the three most common scenarios a franchisor faces from a non-compliant franchisee.

Can’t be bothered: There is little that you can do if the franchisee is just not prepared to put the effort, energy and hard work into making the business work and so we would look to meet with the franchisee and encourage them down an ‘exit planning’ route.

Won’t work the system: If the franchisee has gone ‘off piste’ then out first course of action is to meet up and discuss the situation, go through a review of the business, work with them to prepare a Business Plan going forward and then show how working within the system can help to achieve the Business Plan objectives.

Breach of the Franchise Agreement: There are different types of breach.

• If the breach is minor and is remedial then we would meet up and point out the breach to the franchisee and work with them to remedy such.
• If the breach is continuous or is of such a serious nature that it cannot be remedied, then you have a choice of going down an ‘exit planning’ route or simply cancelling the Franchise Agreement. Cancelling the Franchise Agreement is a final resort.

A question often asked is ‘would you ever sue the franchisee for breach of contract’?

A good friend of mine who also happens to be a foremost franchise lawyer once advised me to litigate only as a final and desperate measure.

Any time you go ‘legal’ in any situation the ONLY winners are the lawyers and frankly that is bad for the franchisor and bad for the franchisee.

No matter what the breach I would always take the option of meeting up first and if that doesn’t work I would try mediation or arbitration before I go to court.

I have gone to court on a couple of occasions (and won) but frankly it is not one of life’s most uplifting experiences. Plus, it’s expensive.

Preventing a divorce:

If there is a strong relationship between franchisor and franchisee AND the franchisee can see value in the franchise and values the input from the franchisor then there will be no divorce.

To this end, I don’t look at what a franchisee should NEVER do. I am more concerned about what the franchisee SHOULD DO if they want a robust, successful and long-lasting business.

If that is their objective then the best way of achieving this is to work closely with the franchisor, be passionate about the brand, follow the system that’s been developed, meet regularly with the franchisor to review the business plan and attend all opportunities to meet with other franchisees and share best practice.

Providing wiggle room for a franchisee:

It does depend on the franchise of course, and in some cases, there is absolutely NO wriggle room and the franchise is effective a licence to do exactly what it says in the franchisors’ Operations Manual.

However, I have been involved in business-to-business franchising for the last 30 years and certainly in the case of many business-to-business franchises there is room for ‘self -expression’.

A core component of B2B is building relationships with customers and whilst you can systemise the process and the methodology you MUST allow (in fact we encourage it) a franchisee to present their own character and their own passion.

After all it is they who are forming the relationship NOT the franchisor.

Conclusion:

I have come across very few instances of ‘franchisee misconduct’ or franchisees going rogue and I regard all my franchisees as my spouses and so always aim to nip any ‘misconduct’ in the bud long before it festers.

The franchisor needs to build a close relationship with franchisees – to meet personally with them on a regular basis – to encourage all franchisees to come to corporate networking events and to share best practice with their peers.

It is true that NOT ALL franchisees will want a personal relationship with the franchisor themselves, so you need to encourage others in the organisation to have that relationship.

In a couple of instances, I’ve had franchisees who prefer to work in their own bubble and be isolated. I’ve never had a problem with that BUT I have always maintained the same level of communication to them and given them the same access to the system, tools and meetings as all other franchisees.

Remember, there is no such thing as a ‘bad franchisee’ – there are only people who are either in the wrong franchise or people who should not be working for themselves.

It is very difficult to spot the characteristics, because if people really do want this franchise and they have convinced themselves that this is the right opportunity then they are probably going to convince the franchisor.

We have a practice where we do a telephone interview, followed by a 1-2-1 meeting at our offices and then we insist that they speak or visit our franchisees and we ask existing franchisees for their input.

BUT even with such a protracted process we have still occasionally ended up with the wrong franchisees and when that happens you need to move quickly to help them through the ‘exit process’.

Do franchisees sometimes leave the system – either on their own volition or through encouragement? – YES.

BUT is divorce avoidable? In 99% of cases YES.

About Nigel Toplis

Nigel Toplis is Managing Director of The Bardon Group stable of franchises which includes Kall Kwik, Recognition Express and Techclean. The Group specialises in developing and growing franchised businesses in the UK.

How to keep your staff motivated

It is said the success of a franchise is a result of having good franchisees. It can equally be said that a franchisee’s success can be attributed to their staff.

A franchisee needs to make their staff feel wanted and respected. If they feel like part of the family then they are more likely to work hard and stay with the business.

Why is motivation important?

A company that offers no incentives and has a lack of moral in the workplace can expect a high turnover of staff. 

Finding the right staff is not the hardest part of a successful work place, retaining staff is. It can be difficult to hold on to good people if not treated right. You need to use incentives to keep them interested. Monetary incentives are useful in the short term, but it is instead incentives that make employees recognise that the company is investing in their future that works e.g. training them in new skills, sending them on management training programs etc.

The culture of the business can help to retain staff. If franchisees can build a culture that shows that they are hands-on in the business and that they care for and are willing to invest in the future of their employees and the business, then they are more likely to retain happy staff.

How can a good franchisor help?

Franchisees will work with their franchisor to make a plan for who they should be recruiting, what training to offer and how to motivate. They will put together a comprehensive training plan.

If the franchisor ensures that there is consistency throughout their network when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff, then they will become known as “a company to work for”. If they can get this status, then it will be a lot easier for them to hire the best people.

What should be considered when a franchisee is recruiting staff?

Franchisees need to make sure that the people they bring in to the franchise, fits in with the culture of the business. If someone doesn’t fit in then it can disrupt the workplace.

It is vital that the franchisee knows that they are looking for including the skills and personality sought after. A good interviewer will know how to abstract the information they need from the interviewees.

Find out more about the interviewee. What are they looking for from the job, what are their aims and objectives, where do they see themselves in 5 years time? Their goals and aspirations need to fit with what you are offering. Also ask behavioural questions to help determine what a person would do in certain situation

What can franchisees do to motivate their staff?

Franchisees sharing information such as weekly sales, new developments in the franchise network etc can help staff members feel like an integral part of the company.

Simple incentives like bonuses for meeting targets, employee of the month, team building events etc can make a difference to a company.

Is your customer service killing your franchise?

By Tim Morris, Cymphony

Customer service. Once upon a time, that phrase would have meant being the very best you can be for your customers. Going above and beyond, making people feel like they were the most important thing in the world to you in your businesses. But in today’s digital, automated, oversaturated and, often, revolving world of ‘flash in the pan’ trends and short-lived independent start-ups, it’s become something else.

Customer service, when you break it down, is doing the bare minimum. It’s giving the right information, at the right time and in the right place so that your customer can use your product or service how you intended. Perhaps offering technical advice when things go wrong or having a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section on your website.

What’s changed is that, today, customers expect good customer service. In fact, they demand it as the very least you must do to earn and maintain their custom. But it’s not going to result in them referring you to friends and family or becoming a raving brand ambassador – arguably your most valuable marketing asset. What will good customer service do for franchisors and franchisees in today’s market? It will simply ensure that they have a neutral, and not a negative, experience with you. Hardly inspiring stuff.

If you’ve had a lightbulb moment – or perhaps an uncomfortable realisation – after reading this then perhaps you need to reframe your customer interaction. Stop thinking customer service, and start thinking, client care.

What’s the difference? Well, it could quite literally be the difference between failure and success. Client care is all about how we, as business owners, ensure that our customers feel valued, cared for and part of our brand. It’s having empathy and taking the time to build relationships that aren’t based purely on the sale. The end goal being that customers feel a sense of commitment and belonging – part of your tribe. For the sceptics out there, this is actually the most financially rewarding approach you can take.

When you get this right, your customer-base becomes loyal, either as long-term customers or repeat purchasers and are far more likely to refer you to family, friends and business associates.

• Customer retention is cheaper than customer acquisition
• 80% of customers would be willing to pay more for a better experience1
• Client care directly impacts the lifetime value of a customer
• Nearly three out of five consumers report that client care is vital to feel commitment to a brand2

A client care approach all starts with deep listening to really understand your customers, their challenges and emotional drivers. What are they passionate about? What problems are your products or services helping them to overcome and what does that actually mean for people in their lives. What causes and charities do they support and hold dear? Widening your gaze to the bigger picture will allow you to connect on a much more emotional level. It means you can think beyond the transaction and start to personalise each customer’s interaction with your business. A whopping 33% of consumers3 reported that they ended their relationship with a company because their experience wasn’t personalised enough. Food for thought indeed!

Now, building up an emotional bank account with customers isn’t just about the warm and fuzzies, as I’m sure you’ve already realised. It’s also vital for protecting your business in case things do go wrong. Mistakes happen from time to time, of course, and the outcome relies on two things: how you deal with complaints and how much goodwill you have built up. Dealing with complaints well, even turning one into a success story, can only be achieved by putting in to practice all of the above. Empathy, understanding, compassion... Communicating with the person at the end of the grievance with emotional intelligence. Never leave this type of interaction to an automated system. And, if you have been putting in the work to genuinely care for your customers, you’re likely to survive the odd blip. 78% of consumers say they would do business with a company again even after a mistake4, and 80% would forgive a mistake5, if they deem the customer care up to that point to have been excellent.

And, finally, when you acknowledge that your customers actually have a choice about where they spend their hard-earned money, you can start to genuinely appreciate their business. Both internally – because a little gratitude is good for the soul – and externally. Saying thank you is a great way to start but use what you know about your buyers to demonstrate you understand them and that you are on the same team.

It’s time to flip customer service into client care. It’s time to ditch the transactional in favour of the power of the personal.

About the Author

Tim Morris is a distinguished franchise professional with decades of experience across sales, customer care, operations and compliance. From leading the expansion of an international franchise brand to heading up the support functions of both national international franchisors, Tim has been instrumental in the growth of hundreds of franchisees. His proven success record comes with a passion for 360 business development and his unique perspective empowers franchisors and franchisees alike to get the very best from their partnership.

• T: 07767135125 
• W: https://cymphony.co.uk

1. https://truelist.co/blog/customer-retention-statistics/
2. https://d1eipm3vz40hy0.cloudfront.net/pdf/cxtrends/cx-trends-2020-full-report.pdf
3. https://review42.com/resources/customer-retention-statistics/
4. https://www.helpscout.com/75-customer-service-facts-quotes-statistics/
5. https://success.qualtrics.com/rs/542-FMF-412/images/ROI%20of%20customer%20experience%202020.pdf

How financial key performance indicators work for a franchise

You can use key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the growth and financial health of your franchise. Here is a guide to KPIs and how to choose what to track for your business.

KPIs are an important factor in monitoring the success of your business. Keeping track of how you are performing will help to keep your operations on track and achieve the success you want.  

There are lots of KPIs you can measure and they can be financial and non-financial. The most relevant for you will depend on your type of business, your customers and what products or services you are selling.  

It will be potentially a waste of your time to track every possible KPI, so think about the best ones for your circumstances.  

Consider your business goals and objectives. Examples include improving sales revenue, increasing the number of clients, enhancing customer satisfaction levels and boosting profitability. Set KPIs that allow you to track those targets.  

To stay organised and measure your KPIs, you can use accounting software. You should also include KPIs in your management accounts which show up-to-date information about a business and can be used to make strategic decisions.  

Examples of financial KPIs to monitor 

Cost of customer acquisition 

Customer acquisition cost (CPC) is the average amount of money your business spends to secure a new customer. To calculate this metric, you need to divide the costs involved with converting a customer by the number of customers acquired. 

Monitoring your CPC will indicate if you are getting good value from your sales and marketing efforts. It may show that you are spending too much, need to cut marketing costs and place more focus on upselling to existing customers. Comparing the CPC to lifetime customer value will provide an indication of the long-term sustainability of your business. 

Profit margins 

To measure your franchise’s profitability, you need to know your profit margin. It shows how much money your company retains once costs have been deducted. The higher the margin, the more profit you are making.  

Profit margins, which are measured as a percentage, are important for understanding your costs. They also help with setting and, when necessary, increasing your prices. 

There are three types of profit margin to understand: 

• Gross profit margin: This is the amount of revenue that stays in your business once direct costs have been deducted. Direct costs are those directly linked to the production of your products or services. Examples include raw materials, transporting goods and wages for the people who manufacture a business’ products.  
• Operating profit margin: This is the percentage of income your business retains once your day-to-day operating costs have been deducted. These are variable expenses such as rent, marketing and insurance.  
• Net profit margin: This is the percentage of revenue retained by your business once you have deducted all direct costs, operating expenses, interest payments and taxes. 

An accountant can help you work out your profit margins.  

Working capital 

Working capital is essential to the smooth running of your franchise. It is the amount of money you need to run your operations and pay your bills. You can calculate it by subtracting your current liabilities from your current assets. 

Positive working capital means you have enough cash to cover your debts and other expenses. Negative working capital means your franchise’s liabilities are more than your assets and you don’t have enough money to pay your debts.  

Working capital is different to cash flow because it takes into account liabilities and assets that will affect your business during the financial year. In contrast, cash flow indicates the money coming into and moving out of your business at a particular point in time.  

Quick ratio 

Quick ratio, also known as the acid test and the quick assets ratio, is an important KPI for monitoring your cash flow. You use it to work out if your business can cover its short-term liabilities without the need to sell inventory or take on extra funding.  

To calculate quick ratio, you need to divide your most liquid assets such as cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivables by your business’ total current liabilities. The higher the ratio, the more financially healthy your business is. If the ratio is below 1.0, you may have problems covering your bills. 

Total sales revenue 

Your sales revenue is the amount of money received as payment for your business’ products or services.  

You need to track sales revenue for your company accounts, but it can also be a KPI. Monitoring both upward and downward trends in sales will indicate the financial health of your business and give you the information you need to take steps to fix any problems.   

Accounts receivable days 

This is the measurement of how long on average it takes your customers to pay an invoice after they purchase your products or services.  

The formula for calculating your accounts receivable days is as follows: 

Accounts receivable days = (accounts receivable / total revenue) x 365 

Knowing this number will say how good your business is at collecting payment from customers. It is also important for understanding how accounts receivable impacts on your cash flow. If the number is increasing, you may have a problem with a late payments.  

Accounts payable days 

This is an indication of how long on average it takes your business to pay its creditors.  

While prolonging payments can be positive for cash flow, it could indicate financial instability. Paying your bills on time will ensure your business maintains a good credit history which is important if you want to successfully apply for a business loan.  

Need help with setting and monitoring KPIs? 

Running your own business can be challenging. Speak to an accountant who can help you with the right advice about key performance indicators to grow your business.   

About TaxAssist Accountants

TaxAssist Accountants is a franchise and the UK’s largest network providing tax advice and accountancy services specifically for small and medium sized businesses, sole traders, partnerships, limited companies and personal taxpayers.

With 407 TaxAssist Accountants offices nationwide, the network provides accountancy services, tax returns, payroll, bookkeeping, tax savings and tax advice to 78,000 clients.  Find out more about TaxAssist franchise opportunity.

How to make selling your franchise as friction free as possible

Some franchisees view their business as something they can pass on to their children. Most however, hope to create a capital asset and sell the business sometime in the future.

Unfortunately, in my experience, the decision to sell is often taken without appropriate planning and most franchisees simply do not understand what is entailed or required when selling their business on the open market or to the highest bidder.

There is a process

Selling even a small business is complex. It is not simply a case of sticking a few basic details on a ‘for sale board’, then waiting for hordes of potential buyers to come knocking at your door.

This is not a ‘garage sale’! Getting the right price and orchestrating a seamless takeover of ownership requires a great deal of care, attention and effort and to ensure the sale is ‘friction free’ you must follow certain protocols.

The process

Firstly, plan your exit.

Step one is to draw up a set of accounts (preferably three years’ worth).

All buyers will offer you a price based on your recent profits so detailed accounts are critical.

There is a calculation we call Sustainable Transferrable Operating Profit (S.T.O.P.), which essentially is a calculation of sustainable operating profits less Owners Drawings; lifestyle benefits; tax; interest and extraordinary items.

Your buyer will offer you a calculation of S.T.O.P. based on their assessment of your business.

You need to speak to your accountant about determining your own Business S.T.O.P. figure.

Keep the gas down

Often, when franchisees decide to sell, they subconsciously take their foot off the pedal. Don’t do this!

It’s the worst thing any business owner can do. You need to keep the business functioning on maximum power. A sale can take anything from six to 18 months to complete and the last thing you want is for profits to take a nosedive.

Find the right broker and use the franchisor’s resources/experience.

There are plenty of agents out there prepared to take your money. Personally, I would only use a BFA (British Franchise Association) accredited broker to prepare the sale. I would also make full use of your franchisor’s resources to prepare an attractive and comprehensive sales prospectus.

As a franchisor, I expect my franchisees to sell up at some stage and good franchisors must be ready to assist their business partners to make a sale. 

Work with your franchisor

Franchisors are geared up to help franchisees exit the system and have most likely been through the process many times before.

It’s worth remembering also that the franchisor has the right to veto a purchase if they don’t think the buyer is suitable.

Most franchise agreements will include a section relating to ‘exit fees’, which is essentially a charge for associated costs such as training, marketing, stationery etc. 

Franchisees considering selling should inform the franchisor at an early stage. This will help to ensure the process runs smoothly and that there are no unexpected costs.

Franchisors will help franchisees to set a realistic price, though generally buyers are only interested in current performance, not business potential.

However, your selling price does need to consider both agent and franchisor fees. 

The final act

Once you’ve set a plan, drawn up a prospectus and arrived at a sale price, it’s time to involve the lawyers. My recommendation would always be to use a BFA approved solicitor. They understand the nuances of selling a franchise and will help ensure the process runs smoothly.

Selling a franchise, or any business, is never easy.

However, careful planning and collaboration with the franchisor can help make the process as pain-free as possible.

Find out more about franchise opportunities with Techclean and Recognition Express

Planning your exit – when you start

Passing your franchise on to someone else is all about planning – so start now!

It sounds counterintuitive – but one of the first things you should be planning when you buy into your franchise is when to leave. It might sound weird, but we all know that you will leave the business at some point, either by selling, handing it over to children, creating a management buyout or simply passing away.

Whatever happens, you will want to avoid a situation where you are desperate to sell, where you have done no planning or where the business is no longer attractive to potential buyers.

To this end you need a strategic approach to exit planning – else you will end up with a fire sale and get ‘squat’ for the business.

The business lifecycle

Your business will have a natural lifecycle. Running a company is a journey and so you need to create a map for the future that considers various options, routes and rewards.

Start by thinking about what you want to be doing in five- or ten-years’ time and how much you want or need to earn during your life as a business owner.

Once you have a financial target and a lifestyle target then you need to get down to doing some serious business planning and setting focused growth targets to help you achieve your goals.

You are a franchisee so take advantage of the support, experience, knowledge and tools of the franchisor and plan accordingly. Make use of their intellect.

Valuing the business

It can take two to three years to prepare a business for sale and create an attractive proposition. You need at least two – but preferably three – years of accounts showing positive growth. But the value of your franchise itself will always come down to profit. Independent accountants use a multiple of sustainable transferable operating profit (STOP) – that is operating profit, excluding owner drawings, lifestyle benefits, tax, interest and any ‘extraordinary items’.

Generally, accountants will calculate an average STOP over three years and add a multiplier. Different accountants will tell you different things, but in my experience, a franchise business in good health will be worth somewhere between 1.75 and 2.25 times STOP. At the most it may stretch to a multiple of 2.5.

Getting a top-end multiple

Buyers are put off if they sense any fear or panic in the seller or if they glimpse any undue risk in the business. You can reduce any perceived fear or risk if you have experienced staff with defined roles and relevant qualifications. Moreover, if you can show you’re following the franchisor’s business system and taking advantage of tools and processes, it gives the buyer added comfort. Knowing that the business has the back up of a franchisor system – one that works and is being exploited – bodes well for their future as the business owner.

The bottom line is, if you want the business to be worth more, you have to make it be worth more.

Three things will significantly help here:

•  Develop a robust profit line, show consistent growth and create strong brand awareness in your local market.
• Keep equipment, software and processes up to date.
• Having a broad mix of clients – and not being too reliant on a few – builds further value and creates higher multiples.

Finally, run a happy ship. After all, positivity breeds success.

About Nigel Toplis

Nigel Toplis is Managing Director of The Bardon Group stable of franchises which includes Kall Kwik, Recognition Express and Techclean. The Group specialises in developing and growing franchised businesses in the UK.