9 Tips Franchisors Share for Succeeding in the Industry

Building a successful business from the ground up is no easy feat. But brands that decide to grow through franchising are faced with another set of tasks: adhering to the business model’s best practices. 1851 Franchise spoke with the leadership and executive teams behind emerging brands that have successfully converted their concept into a franchise in order to find their top tips and pieces of advice for business owners and entrepreneurs who are thinking about following that same path.

Here are franchisors’ top tips for succeeding in the industry: 

1. Amelia Courtney, Co-Founder of Pretty in Paint Parties: “Drown yourself with the right people and educate yourself on what you’re getting into. Surrounding yourself with the right people is the most important thing that you can do.”

2. Sean Young, Director of Operations for The Glass Guru: “Don’t panic and have a plan. What I’ve found in my years in franchising is that when you’re a small brand, it’s like being in a small fish tank. The chemistry in that tank is volatile—if there’s one shift, a fish is dying. But the bigger you get, the more flexibility you have in making decisions, analyzing results and making a clear plan on who you want to be and where you want to go. The earlier you figure that out, the easier it will be to grow your organization and have the consistency and branded customer experience that you’ve envisioned from the get-go. If you don’t have an idea of those things, the customer experience is going to keep morphing, and it won’t be as consistent.”

3. Michelle Hobbs, Founder of Pet Wants: “Follow the process. I once told a group of folks that "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. But if that horse does not drink, he will die."  If a business has a proven track record and has had great success, and that business is found to be scalable on a national level and the investment to offer that successful business as a franchise is made, why in the world would someone not follow the branding and business model that made all that happen? It is not easy or cheap to bring a brand to a franchise offering. You are wasting your money if you buy into a franchise and do not follow the model.”

4. Patrick Cain, Co-Founder of Mr. Mac’s: “You’ve got to have an unyielding passion for the business. And always remember, regardless of what your product is, we’re in the people business.”

5. Kevin Martin, CEO of Lennys Grill & Subs: “I really think that success in this industry comes down to picking the right franchisees. That’s really the key. At the end of the day, there’s going to be the temptation to want to grow, and there are lots of folks every day who are looking for the opportunity to get into business. It’s important to make sure that they’re the right fit. Be transparent and open throughout the process so that all questions are answered before the franchise agreement is signed. It’s also important to allow yourself adequate time to find the right real estate. It’s really competitive today, but having the right demographics for your concept is key.”

6. Robert Flanagan, President of Wag N’ Wash Natural Food & Bakery: “To me, it’s about managing expectations from the franchise development stage on through the entire tenure of the agreement. The franchisee can be so excited about the dream of running their own business, but there is a reality to that, you’re the entrepreneur, you’re the operations guy, you’re the one picking up the broom and opening and closing the store. It’s a whole other skill set and if that’s surprising to a franchisee, then they can become overwhelmed. We’re managing those expectations all the way through.”

7. Robin Gupta, Founder of Orange Cryo Wellness: “Franchising is complicated. Have more money than you think you need, because that will count in the end. And stay passionate about your business. One thing that I’ve noticed from a franchising perspective is that there are a lot of things in this business that you don’t really see, so there’s a lot to learn and figure out. But if you’re funded better than you think and you love what you do, you can be successful.”

8. Scott Hoots, President of Pet Wants: “My best tip for succeeding in the franchise industry is understanding that franchising is a strategic partnership between the franchisor and franchisee.  Both need to be successful in order for that partnership to work.  The franchisees need to be happy and meeting their financial and personal goals, and that contributes to the overall success of the franchisor as well.  As a franchisor, you cannot have long-term successful growth without happy and profitable franchisees.”

9. Vinnie Tracey, President of Realty ONE Group: “Have a passion for what you do.”