7 Tips for Running a Dessert Franchise

If you’ve got a sweet tooth and a desire to run your own business and become a franchisee, you could find exactly what you’re looking for with a dessert franchise. This competitive sub-sector of the food service industry is waiting for your investment, but before you sign on the dotted line, check out these seven tips that’ll help you with running a dessert franchise effectively and efficiently post-launch.

When you start your own dessert franchise, you’ll quickly find that the industry is thriving in late 2021, with changing consumer habits and an increased menu of options when it comes to tasty treats fuelling growing demand [Mintel]. If you want to make your sweets business a success and see it come to profit as quickly as possible, keep reading.

Why start a dessert franchise?

Running a franchise of any kind is a highly recommended, lower-risk way of becoming a business owner. As a franchisee, you’ll always know you have the support of your expert franchisor to fall back on. This is particularly beneficial when running a sweets franchise, because the industry can be very competitive. Beyond the benefits of franchising and the biggest pro of all – the huge amount of dessert demand among the UK public – there are other advantages to running a dessert franchise. Advantages like:

• The huge amount of room to specialise, find your niche and choose the dessert franchise that’s truly perfect for you
• The chance to run a restaurant-style business at a lower-cost investment level
• The ability to easily respond and adjust to changing customer demands/wants/needs
• The constant ability to grow and develop within the network, knowing you’re always backed by your franchisor

7 tips for running a dessert franchise effectively

If you’re more certain than ever that starting a sweets business would be the right move, and you’re just about poised to find that ideal dessert franchise investment opportunity and take the plunge, keep reading. These seven post-launch tips will help you to build a truly successful business and run it as well as you can...

1. Create and update a strong and comprehensive franchise business plan

The first part of this tip should take place pre-launch, so if you’ve not already got a business plan locked and loaded by this stage, make it a priority to create one. Otherwise, ensure that your business plan is more than a document that sits in the drawer gathering dust. Return to it regularly, update it as you discover new information/change your plans/adjust your goals. Keep it as in sync with you as possible, and it’ll be your most valuable resource – and also a way to communicate effectively with your franchisor and show them exactly what you’re up to!

2. Never underestimate the value of creativity

When it comes to running a dessert franchise, creativity is a must-have trait. You’ll be using your creative flair to create new specials and try out new flavour combinations, to arrange window displays and decorate your storefront, and even to market your franchise distinctively from the competition. Look for creative, innovative energies as you hire employees, too. They’re bound to be valuable to you sooner or later.

3. Always keep an eye on the latest industry trends

The best way to stay one step ahead of the competition is to anticipate a trend before it hits your customer base and begins to impact your dessert business. This way, you can market distinctly and tailor your offerings in time to really capitalise on surges in demand. Do this by paying attention to your industry, and to your micro-niche in particular. Some of the biggest dessert trends to watch out for in 2021 include an increased focus on low-sugar options, dessert charcuterie boards and drinkable desserts.

4. Build and maintain strong relationships with your suppliers

The supply chain is absolutely crucial to the smooth running of any business, especially a food business that relies on the freshness and quality of its ingredients in order to make money. To this end, you should make developing and holding onto strong supplier relationships a priority. Even if suppliers are connected to you by your franchisor, you should still make the effort to form that personal connection and forge a bond of trust.

5. Keep a pristine and aesthetically beautiful location

Customers – especially dessert lovers – are drawn to beautiful, well-decorated things. Your franchise location is no exception. Whether you’re running a dessert bar, a bakery, a sweet shop or a cafe, keeping the space as clean and attractive as it can be should always top your list of to-dos. Don’t forget to take the time to create seasonal displays, too. That extra bit of intrigue could make the difference between pulling in a new customer and failing to draw their attention.

6. Ensure employees feel important and heard within your franchise

If you make an investment with a dessert franchise that sees you managing a team of employees, treating those employees well is a must. Not just because being a good person is always the ideal course of action, but because well-treated employees are conclusively proven to be more effective at work, and will put in much more effort to provide excellent customer service and product quality if you give them the respect they deserve. When these things can make or break a business, incentivising your employees to provide them is crucial.

7. Reward your most loyal customers

One final tip for running a dessert franchise well and remaining head-to-head with the fierce competition present in the sector is this: Reward your loyal customers. Offer loyalty schemes, or discounts, or a free-item-after-X-purchased-items style punchcard. If you do, not only will your loyal fans keep coming back and feel more personally connected to the business, they’ll also be far more likely to recommend your franchise to friends and family, increasing your customer base as a result. You could even often referral rewards to the existing customer and the new customer to further incentivise recommendations!

Start running your own business in the sweets sector today

You’re now equipped with two important things: An understanding of why you might want to start a dessert franchise, and an understanding of how to do that effectively. You’ve never been in a better position to do your research, find the right franchise and start your investment journey. As a jumping-off point, why not consider an investment with Bubblewrap, an innovative producer of bubble waffles, or Crepe Delicious, a quick service crepe chain?