Growing a Franchise
Jenny Young, the founder and CEO of Brooklyn Robot Foundry, explains how defining culture, building buy-in and following a values-based process help a brand stand out.
When it comes to selling a franchise, a strong value proposition can make the difference between a lead and a long-term partner. Jenny Young, founder and CEO of Brooklyn Robot Foundry, believes the foundation of any value proposition starts with knowing who you are — and ensuring your entire team does, too.
Young didn’t start Brooklyn Robot Foundry just to teach STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). She started it to build a business that empowered everyone involved, from students to franchisees, and made sure their voices were heard.
“Our brand is really about empowerment — empowering kids, empowering our teachers, empowering our franchise owners,” said Young. “I want it to be that when a person goes to a class in Rochester, New York, it feels the same from a community and empowerment basis to if they go to a class in, say, Fairfield, Connecticut.”
Young says this clarity around values is especially important when you’re expanding through franchising. “We did a big exercise solidifying what our company culture is so that when we franchised it, we could then talk about those core company values with our franchise candidates to see if it's a good fit,” she said. “It's a 10-year contract, and you really need to make sure that the people that you're bringing into your brand are going to align with what your mission and your values are.”
To identify what made Brooklyn Robot Foundry different, Young turned to the people who knew the brand best — her team.
“I had all of my teachers put a digital post-it note onto this big digital whiteboard and just say, what is it that makes this business feel good to you and makes you feel happy to come to work,” she said. “If you can get your entire team to come up with what those values are together, then it's actually more likely that's truly the values of your company/”
Not only does that collaborative approach make the values more authentic, it also creates internal buy-in — something many franchisors overlook.
According to Young, one of the biggest mistakes franchisors make when trying to differentiate is failing to talk about culture at all.
“I think they are trying to sell their product or their services versus the culture of the company,” said Young. “So I think it's more of like a meta mistake, where people are like, ‘Oh, you know, could this person operate this business?’ But for us, what’s really important is could they operate this business, and do they align with the culture that we have as a brand?”
According to Young, a clear cultural identity is vital. “If you don't totally know who you are, it's hard to ensure that the brand will grow consistently from a culture standpoint,” she said.
To ensure potential franchisees understand the brand’s mission and expectations, Brooklyn Robot Foundry follows a clearly defined recruitment process.
“We have an eight-step process that we walk candidates through where we're really learning about those candidates,” said Young. “What are their goals in life? Who are they as people? What are their backgrounds? What are the skills they're bringing? What are the skills that they don't have?”
One key moment in the process is the brand review call. “That's really where we're diving in deep to what is our company's mission, what is the perfect candidate, what are we looking for,” said Young. “For instance, our brand — business development is huge, so we talk about what that role looks like.”
By walking candidates through this discovery process, Young ensures that both sides feel confident before signing on the dotted line.
Franchisors looking to stand out in today’s market should start by defining and living out their brand’s core values. When your culture is clear and consistently communicated, it becomes a powerful part of your franchise’s value proposition — one that attracts the right candidates and sets the foundation for lasting growth.
Growing and selling franchises is difficult. No great franchise did it alone. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and see what we can do for you.
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