1851

Franchising is an industry that works best for brands and owners alike when a win-win situation is created. In order for brands to move forward, the local owners behind them need to be doing well in their individual businesses. That&rsquo;s why franchisee retention is of the utmost importance &mdash; without happy franchisees sticking around, franchisors will never be able to move forward.

The ways that brands retain franchisees that are already in their system varies across the board. That&rsquo;s why 1851 Franchise spoke with executives from three different brands to get their take on what really goes into creating &mdash; and maintaining &mdash; long-term relationships with franchisees. Here are their top pieces of advice. 

David Davoudpour, Chairman and CEO of <a href="http://franchising.shoneys.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=3-ways-to-retain-franchisees-once-theyre-in-your-system-2707233" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shoney&rsquo;s</a>: &ldquo;As always, retaining franchisees is a process. And if it&rsquo;s not right from the beginning, it&rsquo;s never going to be right. Like any good relationship, you must take your time to understand your future franchisee. You have to explain to them the financial needs and qualifications, and they need to understand what it means to become apart of the brand. That itself is one piece that they must understand &mdash; that goes into what it&rsquo;ll take to stay. On our end, what we then have to do is provide strong support throughout the system. That includes a variety of functions, from branding and marketing support to real estate development and construction oversight. But above all of these things is training. That&rsquo;s the biggest piece of what will ultimately determine whether or not a franchisee will stay.&rdquo;

Roger Martin, <a href="https://www.rockboxfitness.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=3-ways-to-retain-franchisees-once-theyre-in-your-system-2707233" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RockBox Fitness</a>: &ldquo;We are a younger franchise. While we currently have 11 franchisees in place, the first one is preparing to open their first gym. But our approach &mdash; especially as a younger brand &mdash; is to work hand-in-hand with these locations. That includes everything from site location and facility layout to pre-launch marketing and staff training and recruiting. We&rsquo;re actively involved in our franchisees&rsquo; businesses because at the end of the day, we&rsquo;re in it with our franchisees. The more support they have, the more likely they are to be successful and grow their businesses. It&rsquo;s not rocket science &mdash; it comes down to strong execution.&rdquo;

Lonnie Helgerson, President of <a href="http://franchisemegabrand.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=3-ways-to-retain-franchisees-once-theyre-in-your-system-2707233" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Helgerson Franchise Group</a> and <a href="http://kixfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=3-ways-to-retain-franchisees-once-theyre-in-your-system-2707233" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kix Mobile</a>&rsquo;s Chairman of the Board: &ldquo;Relationships start with leadership. Leadership has to understand the fundamental premise of franchising and the fact that in order to have a successful franchise, you have to have profitable franchisees. It absolutely has to be a win-win. Management also has to understand that it&rsquo;s not a push-down type of situation &mdash; franchisors need to offer strong inclusion programs. There are hundreds of different ways you can include your franchisees, whether it&rsquo;s an advisory council or bringing them in for strategic planning. But before franchisees feel like they&rsquo;ve had some input on the direction or improvement of a brand, it starts with management&rsquo;s ability to be transparent, have strong communications and be great listeners.

3 Ways to Retain Franchisees Once They’re in Your System

1851 Franchise

From franchisee inclusion to strong training and support systems, these tips are designed to lead to long-term relationships with local business owners. 

3-ways-to-retain-franchisees-once-theyre-in-your-system

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue’s Home Maintenance Plans: Peace of Mind for Homeowners

trublues-home-maintenance-plans-peace-of-mind-for-homeowners

Caring Transitions

Caring Transitions Targets Peoria, Illinois, for Franchise Growth

caring-transitions-targets-peoria-illinois-for-franchise-growth

Caring Transitions Celebrates a Strong Start to 2025 With 19 New Franchise Sales and Momentum-Building Training Events

caring-transitions-celebrates-a-strong-start-to-2025-with-19-new-franchise-sales-and-momentum-building-training-events

Right at Home

Right at Home 30th Anniversary in Home Care with Right at Home Logo

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence and Future Innovations in Home Care

celebrating-30-years-of-excellence-and-future-innovations-in-home-care

Why TruBlue is the Ideal Franchise for Multi-Unit Owners: Scalable Growth With a Purpose

why-trublue-is-the-ideal-franchise-for-multi-unit-owners-scalable-growth-with-a-purpose

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

doordash-acquistions-deliveroo-sevenrooms

Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

crumbl-franchise-investment-tsg-consumer

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

Layoffs Surge to Pandemic-Era Highs, Opening Doors for Franchise Growth

layoffs-surge-to-pandemic-era-highs-opening-doors-for-franchise-growth

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Amy Lepke and family and Papa Murphy's logo

After 14 Years as a Stay-At-Home Mom, Amy Lepke Returned to Papa Murphy’s — This Time as an Owner

papa-murphys-franchise-amy-lepke

Franchisee Spotlight with Micki Waters and Papa Murphy's Logo

Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

work-mom-how-micki-waters-became-a-mother-figure-to-her-entire-papa-murphys-team

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Robert Trujillo Expanded His Construction Business With UWRG

how-robert-trujillo-expanded-his-construction-business-with-uwrg

3 Ways to Retain Franchisees Once They’re in Your System

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS