Ask an Expert: What to Look for in a Potential Franchisee

Recruiting franchisees isn’t easy. It’s a delicate process, and it can make or break the success of your company. In a fierce job market, choosing the right person for the job is extremely important. Here are some top tips, straight from the experts, on what to look for in a potential franchisee.

As a franchisor, you’re bound to hold your franchise close to your chest. You built it, you nurtured it, and you watched it grow into something great. It won’t ever be easy to hand control to your franchisees, but if you find the right people - the people you can trust with your brand - you’ll benefit yourself and your business.

How to recruit good franchisees

So, how do you do it? How do you recruit good franchisees? There’s a lot to it, and those promised expert tips are coming, but the basics are:

• Do your research, and a lot of it

• Don’t rush into things, and definitely don’t sign anything without certainty

• Ensure your business values and goals align with potential franchisees

• Make sure potential franchisees have solid credit histories to their names

• Listen to character references carefully

Finding the right franchisees for your business will take time, and frankly, it should. In an ideal world, you’ll be building a lasting relationship with each of your franchisees, and you’ll need to be absolutely confident that they’re the right fit in order for you to do that.

Expert franchisee recruitment tips

1. Find good franchisees through solid marketing 

If I could share one piece of advice with new franchisors, it would be to concentrate on marketing your business via franchise-specific websites. I’ve spoken to people who do it alone, and it seems impossible to succeed that way. - Peter Munro, Founder of Nationwide Cleaners

Peter is a franchisor at Nationwide Cleaners, and his advice is sound. He recommends that all franchisors create a quality website, full of information, and that they advertise across social media and on franchise websites in order to find the right investors.

When you’re looking for new franchisees, don’t undervalue the power of solid marketing strategies. With good marketing, you’ll be able to target the right demographic, and you’ll ensure that the eyes of skilled, valuable individuals are landing on your investment opportunities.

Take a dual approach to marketing. Optimise your digital marketing strategies, and ramp up your in-person marketing by networking at exhibitions and other sector-specific events. Meet potential franchisees, chat face-to-face, and make a memorable, positive impression. 

Here are the most useful channels for franchisee recruitment [British Franchising Association]:

• Your franchise’s website

• Other franchise-specific websites

• Social media

• Word of mouth

• Exhibitions

• Franchising seminars and open days

• Mail shots

• Magazine advertising

2. Aim to partner with passionate people

Success means having good people around you, clear objectives, a genuine passion for the business, and being happy to work hard.
—Nigel Toplis, The Bardon Group 

Nigel, from The Bardon Group, has highlighted something absolutely vital. One of the key things that franchisors should be looking for in their franchisees is genuine passion for the role and the business. When engaged in their jobs, employees are 59% less likely to quit within a year [Forbes]. If you like what you do, it stands to reason that you’ll do it better.

It’s only natural to assume that people wouldn’t want to invest in a franchise that didn’t interest them but this isn’t necessarily the case. Certain unsuitable potential franchisees might be motivated solely by money, and this is something you’ll need to figure out during the interview process. Ask the franchisee what they like about your franchise. Give them a chance to demonstrate their passion.

3. Prioritise character over specific experience (after all, training will be provided)

The ideal TechClean franchisee will be well organised, ambitious, and good with people. Ideally, they will also have an aptitude for sales and marketing. They won’t need to have any previous cleaning experience, though, as full training is given.
—Nigel Toplis, TechClean 

While a varied skill set is important, Nigel, who heads up TechClean highlights just how crucial it is to find a franchisee with good character traits. The system hygiene franchise is always looking for someone who is good with people, disciplined, well organised, and willing to learn.

Like many franchises, TechClean offers all its new franchisees training and support in return for that initial investment. Regardless of experience level, training helps franchisees to understand exactly what’s required of them, and allows them to expand on their existing knowledge and do the job as effectively as possible. Training can fill knowledge gaps, but it can’t change a person’s character. Remember this, and choose your franchisees wisely.

4. Choose driven leaders with business sense

Owning a franchise means you have the chance to build a valuable asset for yourself and your family. There is nothing in our operating model that cannot be quickly learnt. However, a natural inclination towards managing people, commercial sense and willingness to put in the effort, especially in the first 12 months of operation, are welcome qualities.
—Imran Mamud, Rooster Shack 

In most jobs, employees report taking between three to six months to feel settled [Hays]. A franchisee will need to be up and running much more quickly than this. The ideal franchisee is driven, fast-learning and willing to push forward at every turn. The ideal franchisee is a natural leader with commercial sense.

The first year won’t be easy, and franchisees will need enough confidence in their abilities to be able to see things through. Franchisors should prioritise connecting with franchisees who will work hard to pursue profitability and success. 

Start your franchise on the right foot and nail franchisee onboarding

If you can nail the recruitment process and turn potential investors into perfect-fit franchisees, your franchise’s chances of success will skyrocket. Find more franchising advice in Point Franchise’s range of articles, or check out this selection of interviews with industry experts.