Four Tips for Being a Better Franchisor From Point Franchise's Very Own

As a franchisor, your role is busy, varied, and key to the overall success of your business. From the moment that you first start franchising to the day that you open your 200th franchise unit and beyond, it’s your job to train, support and inspire your franchisees. Here are four expert franchisor tips for being the best that you can be.

In this article, you’ll discover a range of tips from business owners in the Point Franchise network. You’ll find the answers to two crucial questions: what are the qualities and characteristics of a good franchisor, and how can you be a better franchisor?

What makes a good franchisor?

Franchisors who are successful in their roles tend to share a few key traits and skills. To be a good franchisor, you should:

• Be diligent and hard-working

• Make each franchisee feel cared for, valued and listened to

• Strike a healthy balance between collaboration, delegation and leadership

• Have real passion for their work and business

• Have the ability to adapt quickly and make changes in response to new information

• Be able to manage money and finances

• Possess an ability to market and sell the business

Crucially, a great franchisor must understand the value of the relationship between franchisor and franchisee – recognising that a network of franchisees is just not a vehicle to expand the brand but a pool of talent and skills to be respected and valued. 
—Fiona Simpson, Forbes

Be a better franchisor with these four expert tips

These tips, direct from expert franchisors, will allow you to become the most reliable, supportive and open franchisor that you can be, satisfying your franchisees and growing your business in the process.

1. Lend a supportive, listening ear

I strongly believe it’s the responsibility of the franchisor to act as a ‘non-exec director’ to the franchisees. They need to be an outlet where the franchisees can vent, as well as someone who can advise, guide, and remind franchisees of the strengths of the system.
—Nigel Toplis, ComputerXplorers

Nigel is a managing director of ComputerXplorers, and he knows the value of a franchisee that feels supported and listened to. For many, starting a business can be an isolating or stressful process, but for franchisees, it doesn’t have to be that way. As a franchisor, you can be there to meet needs, respond to queries and resolve problems.

Your ability to fill this role for your franchisee won’t just make you a better franchisor, it will also benefit you. If you can build a strong franchisor-franchisee relationship, you’ll know that the franchisee in question is as invested as you in the success of the brand, and you might even avoid having to hire new people in future if the franchisee is open to becoming a multi-unit franchisee.

2. Keep your franchisees in the loop

[When the first lockdown began] we gave our franchisees a lot of information [...]. The Business Support Team sent out emails twice-weekly covering the latest updates. We were also conscious that some franchisees pay rent on commercial storage units, so we also gave them guidance on how to access loans and approach landlords about temporary rent relief.
—Pollyanna Smalley, Just Shutters

In conversation with Point Franchise back in February, Pollyanna, Just Shutters’ Franchise Recruitment Specialist, explained that the Just Shutters team is a family, and everyone checks in on each other regularly. This has been the case since prior to the pandemic, but has become especially important in the last twelve months.

Communication is the cornerstone of any good relationship, working or otherwise. Particularly during difficult and uncertain times, like those faced by the UK over the past year, it’s been extra important for franchisors to keep franchisees up-to-date with the latest. Even when the latest is an admittance that you aren’t sure what will happen next, being honest is important.

3. Accommodate unique franchisee needs wherever you can

We’re constantly refining and improving our franchise in light of franchisee feedback. Now, our franchise package offers two things: 1) a proven operating system that delivers results and 2) the support needed to achieve them.
—Peter Munro, Nationwide Cleaners

Nationwide Cleaners has always made it a point to prioritise franchisees, and as far as founder Peter Munro is concerned, any franchisee could be right for the business, providing they have the right attitude to franchising, and all the desire that they need to succeed. For example, one of Peter’s franchisees had a small child, and for her convenience, he drove to her home to deliver the initial training she needed. Now, she’s one of the network’s top performers, in large part thanks to Peter’s dedicated franchisor support.

Not every franchisee will have the same freedom of time and money as every other franchisee, but if you’re confident that someone has the commitment and desire, it can often be worth making a few unique accommodations in order to have them on board. If you can be slightly flexible and gain a really solid franchisee in return, why not do it?

4. Don’t be too prescriptive during the recruitment process

Some of the leads I’ve called have been in their early 20s, while others are in their 50s or beyond with lots of experience. I really enjoy speaking to every kind of person and working out how the DIGI-Sports business can fit into their life.
—Tony Triquenot, DIGI-SPORTS

Tony Triquenot, International Franchise Development Lead at DIGI-SPORTS, has learned not to create too narrow a definition of an “ideal franchisee”. If someone is truly passionate about the business model, and about the DIGI-SPORTS concept, Tony is willing and ready to give that person a chance.

When you’re too prescriptive during recruitment, you can shoot yourself in the foot if you’re prioritising the wrong traits. Try to be open-minded, and try not to write someone off immediately if they’re missing a few points on your checklist. Being a better franchisor comes down to listening and to treating every business situation with nuance and care. This is true of franchisee recruitment, and of every other stage of the process. Even ending the franchise agreement!

Running a franchise successfully takes care and commitment

Running a franchise successfully and creating a long-term business model of profit and growth takes a lot of effort and commitment. To be the best possible franchisor, you should always be searching for more ways to improve. To up your offerings and change your game. For more franchisor tips, browse Point Franchise’s range of articles.