3 Operations Tips To Keep In Your Playbook

No two franchises may be the same, but franchisors and franchisees will save themselves a lot of headaches in the long run if they implement certain best practices.

1851 Franchise spoke to franchise veterans to gauge their thoughts on best practices.

1. Go For The Pros

As a franchise owner, it may be tempting to be in two places at once and know everything, but the good news is that you don’t have to. Successful franchise owners will tell you that delegating is key, as is investing in having the right people on board.

“My experience is its one of those things where you really have to seek out the weakness, whether its sales or CS or whatever it is, and then seek out professionals,” said Mike Gould, Founder and CEO of Hounds Town USA, a daycare for dogs. “The average franchisor may be a brilliant or passionate business person, but they might not have the specialization required to address that point. It may cost a little more, but a person who is penny wise and pound foolish is a real issue in this industry, so it’s worth seeking out the pros.”

Hiring the right center directors is especially important from a brand perspective. Employees who are passionate about the brand will ultimately be the best representatives.

“You need to have the right people operating the stores — people that believe in your brand’s mission and values and people who are eager to execute on the brand’s promise,” Wild Birds Unlimited* Chief Development Officer Paul Pickett said. “You need people who engage with and embrace the brand’s culture.”

2. Training. Training. Training. (And Did We Mention Training?)

Investing in heavy-duty training from day one - and continuing to train employees on a regular basis after they’ve started - is critical for brand consistency and success. Franchisees, center directors and individual employees are more likely to excel when expectations are set and prioritized from the beginning.

“When you are creating a training program, the instinct is to fit every single aspect of your operations into the training,” Josh York, founder and CEO of GYMGUYZ said. “If you’ve got a two-week training program, chances are the franchisees aren’t going to retain everything. You’ve got to make sure you are focusing on the things that are crucial for them to succeed.”

The same attitude toward training must apply to every employee at a center.

“When we see a new name at a restaurant, we’ll reach out and help the franchisee make sure the new person is trained properly and that everyone is set up for success,” Lance Vaught, the Vice President of Operations for Penn Station said. “That kind of dedication assures that every link in the chain that is our franchise is strong.”

3. Show Your Face

Don’t be the faceless executive behind a closed door. Visiting locations and keeping it personal with the center directors and other representatives are crucial to long-term success. By connecting with the boots on the ground, so to speak, franchise owners can show their employees that they are approachable and can be easily reached for advice and guidance.

“I’m always shocked when I talk to franchise professionals in any department who don’t spend a lot of time with their franchisees,” Pickett said. “Not just new franchisees, and not just the most successful ones - you need to see for yourself how all of them are running their stores. You need to know why some stores are doing better than others and try to put your finger on what the differences are. For development, you need to know which characteristics and skill sets and personalities are proving effective.”

One-on-one time between franchisees and executives can also be helpful.

“People are blown away by how focused we are on operations,” Vaught said. “Other brands have one rep for every 75 restaurants, we have one for every 20 or 25, so we spend a lot more one-on-one time with franchisees. We’ve always felt its important that franchisees have a personal connection with their area reps, which in turn gives them a personal connection to the corporate office."