Positive franchisee morale is critical to business success

morale shouldn’t flag with a robust franchise system.

 

It is human nature to have high spirits when times are good, it’s when times get tough that morale needs a boost and in a franchise the franchisor needs to take responsibility for the morale of its franchisees.

WHY, I hear you ask?

Essentially, it comes back to the core tenet of franchising, that a franchisee is ‘in business for themselves, but not by themselves’ and part of being ‘not alone’ is knowing that the franchisor is more than just a business partner.

If you start your own business, you are responsible for every aspect of it. In a franchise, the franchisor provides experience, knowhow, marketing tools, collateral and processes, sales training, technical guidelines, procurement support as well as a corporate identity, trademarks and of course the brand. In fact, a proven business system and identity.

When a franchisee follows the system and uses the tools at their disposal, they are likely to see their business grow and flourish, and to this end there is no greater morale booster than a successful business.

That said, when things aren’t going so well, some franchisors are tempted to try ‘short term fixes’ to get improve their morale.

Generally, in life ‘short cuts’ are often a route to disaster and business is no different, and in my mind it is more effective to stay loyal to a strong and consistent set of core values – the values of a tried and trusted system – and to believe in the franchisor.

Franchisees need leadership and strength of conviction from the franchisor, plus best practice guidance and sometimes even an injection of discipline.

It is the knowledge that the franchisor has their finger on the pulse of the market that gives franchisees confidence. A franchisor’s certainty in its strategy is critical to the morale of the network. Franchisees also need to understand that following proven best practice procedures is the surest route to success.

Similarly, the availability of tools, collateral, processes and progammes ensures franchisees feel individually supported.

Franchising is the convergence of two bodies with different skills but one common purpose – a crazy mixture of conformity (business systems) and individuality merging the best of big business practice and individual skill sets..

As franchisors, we expect franchisees to work hard and implement the system, using whatever core skills they already have to build and drive their business. As a member of a franchise, they also need to also work within the network to assist other franchisees.

To achieve this, we look for people with the ambition, drive and desire to run their own business. We seek personable people with good communication skills and the ability to build relationships. And we ultimately select passionate people who share our values of honesty and integrity.

If a franchisor chooses its franchisees wisely, maintaining morale is not a chore but a pleasure. Our franchisees look to us for guidance, for discipline and for vision. By delivering these key elements, we ensure the morale of all parties remains high.