1851

In the more than 20 years since <a href="https://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=lightbridge-academys-gigi-schweikert-on-franchise-operations-2707234" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Lightbridge Academy*</a> was founded, including seven as a franchise, the supplemental education brand has not closed a single unit. That 0-percent failure rate can be attributed to a number of factors. A consistent and growing need for tutoring services in markets across the world, a selective development strategy and a number of franchisee incentives designed to promote growth have helped <a href="https://1851franchise.com/lightbridgeacademy" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Lightbridge</a> owners mitigate or altogether avoid many of the more common risks associated with business ownership.

One other reason for Lightbridge Academy&rsquo;s success is the Circle of Care, a sort of core philosophy for the brand. Where most businesses&rsquo; mission statements exist as a vaguely guiding light, Lightbridge&rsquo;s Circle of Care &ldquo;informs every detail of the franchise&rsquo;s operations model.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s according to Gigi Schweikert, Lightbridge&rsquo;s president and COO.

Schweikert says instilling that philosophy across Lightbridge&rsquo;s entire franchise system is a key element of the brand&rsquo;s operations strategy. We talked with Schweikert about that strategy and her experience in franchise operations. Here&rsquo;s what she had to say.

What are some of the key operational concerns for any franchise brand?

Schweikert: The first concern is laying the foundation for a good relationship between the franchisor and franchisee. In operations, we always have concerns and issues, and unexpected things are always gonna happen. So it&rsquo;s important to develop positive relationships and good structures for communicating with franchisees.

The other thing is consistency. Consistency is key to franchising. We want to create a consistency not just with the exterior of the building or the product or service, but also with the culture, which may be the most important and difficult thing to establish.

One of the things we do at Lightbridge to create cultural consistency is emphasizing our core values and making decisions so that our franchisee can use those core values as the test to make every decision.

What are some operational concerns that are unique to Lightbridge Academy?

Schweikert: I think that with any service-industry franchise, there are going to be unique concerns. Especially when you are dealing with children and parents, there is a lot of emotion involved. We really serve two customers: parents and children. Because the child customer cannot always be an advocate for him or herself, we have to have really strong communications with the other customer, the parent.

That means making sure we are actively listening to the customer, helping them problem-solve according to their needs, and again, for us at Lightbridge, always going back to what we call our Circle of Care, which means meeting the needs of everyone in our family, which includes both our customers and team members.

What does Lightbridge Academy&rsquo;s operations team look like?

Schweikert: We have a COO &mdash; myself &mdash; and quite a few company centers. There&rsquo;s a VP of operations for our company centers, a VP of operations for our franchise centers, and business coaches under the VPs for each center.

What should a COO look for when putting together an&nbsp;operations team?

Schweikert: Any franchisor should expect that operations are always going to be challenging. Because they&#39;re challenging, people who work in operations need to be the type of people who like to solve problems, who like to help people, who have a great deal of patience and are adept at helping people follow a model. 

Are you focused more on the individual unit operations or on the operations of the system at large?

Schweikert: As an emerging franchisor, it&rsquo;s essential that we focus on both the system and the individual units. We want to make sure that the entire system is healthy, but the health of the system is based on each unit. We have business coaches who are advocates for each store, and it&rsquo;s really important that they are making sure each store gets everything it needs. So we stay focused on the individual needs of each unit to support the entire system.

If a franchise brand is struggling, where should it look first to improve its operations?

Schweikert: One way is to go back to basics. You need to look at what your core business is and make sure your operations are staying true to that core business.

You can also look to the quick fixes to deal with inconsistencies. Brands usually struggle because of inconsistency on some level. So look for those inconsistencies, and those may guide you to larger solutions.

Once you&rsquo;ve defined some of the reasons the brand is struggling, you need to retrain and reset expectations for everyone in the system. It&rsquo;s costly and a huge time investment, but the short-term challenge certainly pays off in the long run.

What do you wish you knew about franchise operations before you got into the industry?

Schweikert: A lot of things. What stands out the most is the importance of helping people understand the &ldquo;why&rdquo; behind every decision. In franchising, we are very focused on consistency. We want people to follow the model, and they are much more likely to follow the model if they know the reasons the model is designed the way it is and why it will make them more profitable.

Lightbridge Academy’s Gigi Schweikert on Franchise Operations

1851 Franchise

The supplemental education franchise’s president and COO on cultural consistency and the importance of finding “the why.”

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

lightbridge-academys-gigi-schweikert-on-franchise-operations

Mainland

Mainland Secures Nearly $10 Million in Media Value for Franchise Clients in Early 2025

mainland-secures-nearly-10-million-in-media-value-for-franchise-clients-in-early-2025

Mathnasium

How These Arizona Mathnasium Learning Centers Franchisees Expanded to 10 Locations 

how-these-arizona-mathnasium-learning-centers-franchisees-expanded-to-10-locations

BoConcept

BoConcept - Home Furnishing Franchise Agg - Santiago Sideboard - 1851 Franchise

Home Furnishings Business: BoConcept Introduces Santiago Sideboard by Morten Georgsen

home-furnishings-business-boconcept-introduces-santiago-sideboard-by-morten-georgsen

BooXkeeping

BooXkeeping Franchise Expands to Seminole County, Florida, with New Franchisee Ross Duhaime

booxkeeping-franchise-expands-to-seminole-county-florida-with-new-franchisee-ross-duhaime

Sylvan Learning

How Sylvan Learning Positions Franchisees for Institutional Partnership Success

how-sylvan-learning-positions-franchisees-for-institutional-partnership-success

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

Login

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Hooters - Bankruptcy Chapter 11 - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Prepares for Bankruptcy Amid Financial Struggles

hooters-prepares-for-bankruptcy-amid-financial-struggles

Burger King’s Parent Company Restructures Operations in China and the U.S. To Drive Growth

burger-kings-parent-company-restructures-operations-in-china-and-the-us-to-drive-growth

Papa Johns Faces Potential Takeover as Turnaround Efforts Continue

papa-johns-faces-potential-takeover-as-turnaround-efforts-continue

1851 Agg - McDonald's Sales Decline Expansion Continues - 1851 Franchise

McDonald’s Franchisees Feel the Pressure as Sales Decline and Expansion Continues

mcdonalds-franchisees-feel-the-pressure-as-sales-decline-and-expansion-continues

Restaurant Industry Set to Hit $1.5 Trillion in Sales in 2025 Despite Economic Pressures

restaurant-industry-set-to-hit-15-trillion-in-sales-in-2025-despite-economic-pressures

Lindora’s New President Discusses Franchise Growth and the Future of Health and Wellness

lindoras-new-president-discusses-franchise-growth-and-the-future-of-health-and-wellness

Lucas Kovalcik Shares How The Gravity Vault Is Making Climbing Gyms Accessible Across the U.S.

lucas-kovalcik-shares-how-the-gravity-vault-is-making-climbing-gyms-accessible-across-the-us

The Ace Up Their Sleeve: How Ace Handyman Services Matters Found the Perfect Partner in Ace Hardware

the-ace-up-their-sleeve-how-ace-handyman-services-matters-found-the-perfect-partner-in-ace-hardware

Trua Senior Living Locators CEO Discusses Franchising Success and a Clinical Approach to Senior Placement

trua-senior-living-locators-ceo-discusses-franchising-success-and-a-clinical-approach-to-senior-placement

Franchisee spotlight featuring Ian and Dick Rydholm with gradient blue background and Sylvan logo

Ian and Dick Rydholm Celebrate 30 Years of Transforming Lives Through Sylvan Learning in El Paso, Texas

ian-and-dick-rydholm-celebrate-30-years-of-transforming-lives-through-sylvan

Paris Baguette Ranks Among Top Franchises on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Paris Baguette Ranks Among Top Franchises on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500® for 2025

paris-baguette-ranks-among-top-franchises-on-entrepreneurs-franchise-500-for-2025

Florida Franchisee Reflects on Success and Growth with Sylvan Learning

florida-franchisee-reflects-on-success-and-growth-with-sylvan-learning

Domonique Downing - Big Frog Franchise - Fayetteville, GA - 1851 Franchise

Coca-Cola Scientist Finds Path to Autonomy with Big Frog Franchise in Fayetteville, Georgia

big-frog-franchise-fayetteville-georgia

DOJ FTC Antitrust Guidelines - Franchise News - 1851 Franchise

DOJ and FTC Issue New Antitrust Guidelines with Implications for Franchising

doj-and-ftc-issue-new-antitrust-guidelines-with-implications-for-franchising

Lightbridge Academy’s Gigi Schweikert on Franchise Operations

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS