Tag Archives: franchisors

Five Questions for Your First Contact With a Franchisor

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We found this helpful article from BeTheBoss.ca and wanted to be sure to share it with you all because these tips are so spot on! Check out the 5 helpful tips below to help you prepare for the next step after you’ve found your perfect franchise fit.

What is your mission statement?

The franchisor’s mission statement will help you decide if your values actually align with the brand’s. This also gives the franchise the chance to ensure you understand what the brand is really about and how their principles are brought into each franchise location. Does the brand focus on creating experiences for its customers, or is it one that aims to help clients plan for their futures? Regardless, you want to ensure the franchisor’s values don’t clash with your own as that can make it more difficult for you to be happy or even successful.

What are the financial requirements?

You may have already seen estimates online, but you want to hear this directly from the brand as well. Find out what the franchise fee is and the initial investment range–this is the total amount needed for things like training, build-out (if there is a location), licenses and so on. Ask the franchise what liquid capital and net worth is required for franchisees to qualify; this will allow you to determine whether you would qualify for this franchise.

What type of franchisee are you looking for?

A franchise search is about finding the fit that’s right on both sides, so ensure the brand is right for you and you are right for the brand. Does the franchisor want franchisees with specific experience or skills or just general business sense? To see how well you line up with the brand’s typical franchisee, ask for an ideal franchisee profile and see where you land.

How would the franchise describe the franchisor-franchisee relationship?

Whether you want a brand that is hands-off to a degree or one that provides a lot of support, this question can give you insight into how closely the brand works with its franchisees. Is there ongoing training? Who is the contact person for franchisees at corporate? How often does the brand hear from franchisees? With some insight into this relationship, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect should you decide to go with the brand.

What else should I know?

A handy catch-all question, a good franchise representative should answer this by providing you with some new information or taking a deeper dive into something you previously asked. Not only will you receive additional information, but you may even learn the answers to questions posed by previous franchise candidates.

The Healthy Psychology of Franchise Relationships

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Franchising World Magazine recently wrote a piece on the healthy psychology of franchise relationships. The author Greg Nathan focused specifically on the how franchisees and franchisors feel about being legally and commercially connected, “It incorporates trust, commitment and the informal expectations people have of each other. We would call this the “psychological contract.” Nathan expresses that this psychological aspect of the franchise relationship can be a potent source of competitive advantage by those who recognize its power, as well as a source of misery for those who deliberately or inadvertently ignore it.

Nathan says that in order to achieve a healthy franchise relationship, there must be high levels of franchisee advocacy, commitment and engagement.

The team of psychologists at the Franchise Relationships Institute has been studying the factors that drive advocacy, commitment and engagement for more than 20 years. Nathan’s article includes the entire seven principles (which we encourage you to check out here), but we have chosen three of our favorites:

  1. Leadership messages should be focused on promoting optimism. The franchisor has an important role to provide franchisees with a sense of confidence in the future. Optimism drives positive attitudes, and in return, positive behaviors. Despite businesses facing significant marketplace or commercial challenges, many have managed to maintain healthy franchise relations because franchisees have confidence that their franchisor is taking them to a better place.
  2. The way in which changes are introduced is extremely important. A poorly managed introduction of new initiatives is said to be a common source of franchisee dissatisfaction. The loss that comes with change, financially, or with identity, status, certainty, convenience or relationships. Communication is key during these times of change, and will impact franchisee commitment to change.
  3. It is important to encourage connection and pride. A sense of belonging is a string that extends through seven of the principles that the Franchise Relationships Institute offers – not surprising given that the simple need to belong is a powerful human instinct. Having a sense of connection to the brand and culture, networking with other franchisees, and interacting with customers and staff is powerful for the business. The way group meetings and conferences are structured is important as they should maximize small group interaction, allowing people to get to know one another.

How to Embrace Change

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Whether you are a current franchisee, a future franchisee, or even just a fan of our blog, chances are that you have experienced major changes in your workplace. Changes can cause great anxiety, especially if you are forced to adjust the way you have always approached a situation. Changes in process are often the best way to enhance productivity in business, yet the transition can prove to be troublesome.

We wanted to take this week’s post to discuss dealing with change and the growth contained in the process of change. Most of us operate under the illusion that life remains constant, but in reality, it is always changing. Your business, if it’s growing, is always changing, too.

Based on a study by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), the number one issue facing senior leadership today is “dealing with complex challenges.” Furthermore, studies say that the number one most important competency in shortest supply today is dealing with change. The CCL defines challenges as problems that:

  1. Lack a clearly defined solution
  2. Remain beyond an individual’s or single group’s ability to overcome
  3. Have significant strategic, cultural, environmental, and marketplace impact
  4. Create a paradox of reflection and action
  5. Render traditional solutions ineffective
  6. Demand flexibility and agility as challenges shift seemingly overnight

Being open to change and the lessons within change is no small task. Positive change requires letting go of old patterns and taking a fresh approach. In business, and in life, we must go beyond our preconceived ideas. We have to embrace, rather than resist, the change.

Change in an organization calls for a great deal of communication, specifically from the leaders in the group. What are some important lessons that you have learned about change from your business? Leave comments below!