The art of franchise development is one that takes time and effort to define. Good franchises are composed of strong systems, dedicated marketing models, great training platforms and good brands. Most importantly they always include solid leadership who understand the value of scaling a business.
Christopher Conner has spent almost over 12 years in the franchise consulting field working with small businesses to expand and grow their concepts through franchising and has truly seen the good, bad and ugly in the franchise process. What is it about franchising that brings out the worst in some business owners? We read about the lawsuits, angry franchise owners, online rants about some conflict between franchisors and franchisees along with a myriad of other issues that seem to stem from the franchise expansion process. The fact is that some business owners just aren’t made for franchising.
In Mr. Conner’s experience and time with several hundred different business owners transitioning into the franchise model, there have been some evident truths to the process which have become apparent.
- Franchisors need to be patient….and some business owners just don’t have the time or ability to wait.
- Business owners who wish to franchise a business need to be long-term, value-oriented professionals. The franchise business is all about seeing where the voyage is headed, not focused on the mile markers along the way.
- Franchising requires strong relationship skills, a good franchisor knows how to get people to like them and then keep that relationship past the sale.
- Great franchisors are always looking for ways to add value to the franchise relationship and will continue to invest in the long term vision for the overall business.
- Business owners who “Get It” understand that the profitability you make from one or two businesses doesn’t add up to much when compared with the potential for true scale through franchising.
Franchise Marketing Systems 