Follow and You’ll Succeed

Franchising is all about investing into a tried and tested business model, a model which will help you see a return on your investment as soon as possible. Sometimes in our industry we see people investing their hard-earned money in a franchise but soon after launching they start to develop their own processes, and move away from the tried and tested methods put in place by the franchisor.

As a franchisee you’re the boss, and you’re responsible for your own turnover and profit. You’re also responsible for hiring and managing any employees you need, and growing your business by finding new customers or clients which, with hard work and enthusiasm will allow you to reap the benefits.

On the other hand, when it comes to selling and marketing the business it’s important to trust the tried and tested systems that your franchisor has put into place.

One of the things we do when we’re talking to potential Cleanhome franchisees is to demonstrate that our business model is a successful one and that franchisees can make a profit if they follow the system. We want to show prospective franchisees that they can save valuable time by using the existing framework. This doesn’t mean that we are resistant to our franchisees’ feedback though. We actively encourage them to share their thoughts with us and we often apply them to the business plan but having an existing marketing strategy just means that we do all the hard work and let them focus on growing their businesses.

So, here are a few things to consider before you join a franchise network:

Remember your ‘why’s’

The key is to remember why you chose your franchisor. What was it that made you invest your money into this specific franchise network and what were you hoping to achieve? Remembering why you trusted the franchisor and their system in the very beginning will help you to remember that you had enough belief in their business proposition to invest money into it.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint

Running a franchise will challenge you in many ways. You may find yourself outside of your comfort zone which may make you question the systems in place if you don’t see instant results. It may be hard to start with but sticking with it will help you achieve your long term goals.

Get over your fear

One of the biggest challenges is the fear of making mistakes. New franchisees often worry about messing up which can sometimes backfire when it comes to trusting the process.  If you are worried about making mistakes or have any questions, reach out to your franchisor and ask for help. It’s their role to support you and guide you through any problems you may encounter.

Supporting your network

Any business has structure and systems in place and a franchise organisation is no different. You are responsible for the success of your own business, but as part of a franchise you’re also part of a bigger team and everyone in that team plays their part in the success of the business as a whole. By adhering to plans that are already in place you’re helping your fellow franchises and the franchise as a whole to be successful by maintaining the high standards that have been laid out by the franchisor.

Franchising is a great opportunity to make money while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Take advantage of the work that’s already gone into implementing the strategy and rest assured that it’s designed to make your life easier and your business more successful.

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Technology and team collaboration go hand in hand

Collaboration is often the key to success for businesses particularly in the franchise world. Working together can boost innovation and productivity as people work together and combine their individual expertise.

However, the use of technology can get in the way of human interaction.

Technology is essential to any business empowering business networks to get more done in less time. Using technology in the franchise sector to free up time for more collaboration seems like a no-brainer, however, it has to be done right for it to work well. 

A great use of technology in business is reducing the amount spent on admin. We all know about that dark paperwork place full of forms, invoices and contracts. Nobody enjoys doing paperwork and it can actually prove to be a hindrance when it comes to team interaction and collaboration. We spend hours every week on isolating manual processes like spreadsheets and emails and sometimes fail to remember that humans excel making emotional connections and thrive in a collaborative environment where they feel listened to and supported. Although admin is an essential and productive part of our working, the time we spend on it isn’t.

One of the biggest positives of franchising is that you’re part of a bigger network and you can exchange ideas and solve problems by sharing best practise. Adopting tech to help with team collaboration is a really valuable investment for franchise businesses and even though many franchise businesses have been slow to adapt, we are seeing huge benefits from cloud computing. The operational streamlining provided by cloud-based tools as well as efficiencies in training and back-end operations like customer retention and billing, are enhancing collaboration within the network as our franchisees spend less time worrying about invoicing and more time growing the business and sharing best practise within the network.

Technology can also help maintain consistency across the franchise network and inspire innovation. As franchises continue to multiply, knowledge sharing becomes even more vital and technology can provide a sharing platform where users can find documentation, post comments, and ask questions. Setting up a sharing platform can be a vehicle for people to put forward their opinions and allow others to comment and discuss the merits of someone’s ideas.

Finding the right digital systems can empower the network and lead to happier, more productive franchise business owners. It’s about making the most of the technology to benefit the human resources.