Buy a Franchise
The support available from the franchisor is a key motivator to buy a franchise. Here’s what to expect and some steps you can take to ensure you’ll be appropriately supported.
One of the primary advantages of a franchise investment is the training and support provided by the franchisor. While traditional business start-ups tend to have steep learning curves and an extended runway to profitability, franchisees benefit from a business model that has already been proven and perfected, often over the span of years or even decades.
Though support, in general, is an expectation of all franchises, not all models are created equal. Here are a few things to consider as you research a franchise opportunity.
All franchisors should offer an initial training program to prepare owners to launch a strong business. However, the exact training model followed will vary between concepts. Some brands leverage virtual learning through a learning management system while others bring franchisees to a corporate location for intensive hands-on training.
“Franchises are looking for skill sets; they’re not looking for industry experience,” said Roxanne Rapske, a Dallas-based franchise consultant. “It’s almost better if [franchisors] can start with a blank slate and train you from scratch to do it their way than to try to retain old or bad habits out of you. It’s better to come in as a blank slate — a sponge.”
Depending on the brand, the exact training model will vary, but Rapske encourages prospective franchisees to trust, but verify.
“Let’s say you’re going with Bumble Roofing. Bumble Roofing knows what kind of training you need to get off the ground,” she said. “I feel like the franchisor knows what kind of training you need, but part of what you need to do as a candidate is interview the franchisees and find out if they felt like the training was adequate. And if not, what was missing? Sometimes, younger franchises learn as they go and improve based on feedback. Talking to franchisees [who have been through the process] is invaluable.”
Training lays the foundation, but ongoing support is what keeps franchisees growing. Many franchisors will offer a range of support throughout the lifespan of the business.
“For some models, it’s more grassroots, with boots-on-the-ground marketing that you have to get out and do in your territory, but the franchisor will support you in other ways, like doing your invoicing for you,” Rapske said. “You might have another kind of business where it’s very heavily driven by digital advertising and social media influencers, [and the franchisor will help with that].”
Other marketing aspects prospective franchisees should consider are the types of campaigns a franchisor will help with, whether pre-made marketing materials will be made available and if the franchisor has a national marketing fund that owners can contribute to.
Because of joint employment laws, franchisors cannot make hiring or firing decisions for local franchisees. This does not mean that the franchisor cannot guide you through the process, though.
“Do they help you with the hiring process? And what does that entail?” Rapske said. “Do they help you identify where and how to recruit? Do they help you write copy for who you’re hiring? Some franchisors have recruiters in-house that offer services at a very reduced price.”
In the early stages of building a business, help with identifying exactly who should be a part of the team can be an invaluable resource to ensure you are set up with a strong foundation and a team that will contribute to success as you scale.
While the franchisor should absolutely provide new owners with adequate training, it might also offer additional training opportunities for key players at the unit level. Rapske says franchisees should ask about this process.Will the franchisor provide training for your general manager or key technicians? Can you bring these people to your initial training? If so, will you have to pay extra?
Another way franchisors provide ongoing support is through peer mentorship relationships, business coaching and annual conventions, which present an opportunity for everyone to unite and realign, network and potentially build additional skills.
It’s important to learn more about what the less tangible aspects of support will look like. While a franchisor can check “run a digital campaign” or “provide 40 hours of virtual learning” off a list, many franchisees will find themselves needing one-off support and guidance. Feeling confident that you’ll be able to access the information and support you need, even if it’s not explicitly listed in detailed training procedures, is a good sign that you’ll truly have the support you need to succeed long-term.
A major perk of being a part of a franchise system is the support that comes from fellow owners. When franchisees have an opportunity to engage with other people who have been in the exact same situations, there is a clear opportunity to share insights, guidance and other information. With larger systems, these benefits are even stronger.
“There are a lot of franchisors that have platform companies. You have Premium Service Brands, HorsePower Brands and Neighborly, which all have different concepts under them,” Rapske said. “With Neighborly, for example, that big, powerful platform can offer assistance to franchisees through these different brands because it’s just such a powerful company with all these assets and experience available.”
“The last thing you want to do is buy yourself another job. You could just go get another job,” Rapske said. “You want to be investing in something that you’re going to truly enjoy. It really needs to be a good fit. Not only does it need to meet your income and lifestyle goals, it needs to be a cultural fit. Everything else can be right on the money, and if it’s not a cultural fit, you need to keep looking.”
While the technical and practical aspects of training and support are crucial to a new franchisee’s success, it’s important to do a gut check of sorts. The support needs to be there in theory and you need to feel like you can engage with other people in the system to make the most of that support. With this combination, you’ll have an even better shot at building a truly fulfilling business.
Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.
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