How to Win at Franchising with Strategic Franchising Systems

Strategic Franchising Systems, the company that provides management and consulting services to its independently owned yet affiliated brands, is looking for qualified owners across the country to help expand the company’s footprint in new territories and serve thousands of customers looking for the in-demand help their service brands provide. In a recent webinar with 1851 Franchise publisher Nick Powills, Strategic Franchising Systems President Chris Seman and TruBlue Total House Care President Sean Fitzgerald outlined what it takes to win as an SFS franchise owner.

“If you look at the common traits of successful franchisees we’ve had in the past, it is all about two things: being able to follow a system and persistence,” said Seman. “You need to have confidence in the business model but also an internal drive to succeed and come up with solutions. Small business and franchising specifically is all about overcoming struggles. We can help you, but you are the one who is implementing the system day in and day out. You can hire for your weaknesses and supplement your strengths, but you still have to have that passion and drive to win every day.”

The Advantages of Franchising with Strategic Franchising Systems

SFS is a consulting entity that currently offers five home-based, low-cost franchise opportunities: nationally recognized painting franchise Fresh Coat, senior home-relocation and estate sales concept Caring Transitions, business and sales coaching concept The Growth Coach, fast-growing natural pet food and pet grooming brand Pet Wants and the only national provider of total house care, inside and out, for seniors and busy families, TruBlue. 

Strategic Franchising Systems has been creating and providing franchise business models to help people make their dreams come true for over 30 years. Each of the five concepts under the Strategic Franchising Systems umbrella offers franchise owners an array of attractive benefits, such as home-based operations, low start-up costs, and in-depth support. All they have to do is follow the blueprint.

“Everybody wants to come into a system and put their own stamp on it, but in the first year, you should be focused on serving your community,” said Seman. “We’ve created this system based on best practices, and you can avoid a lot of the common mistakes if you just follow that. It may not make sense to you right away, but we’ve already connected the dots for you. The longer your business is open, you can make those tweaks, but you will see how critical those fundamentals are for defining the business.”

And with Strategic Franchising Systems, in particular, franchise owners get five proven systems for the price of one, Seman says. “We really bring in an extra level of support and reduce the overhead for our brands by having all of these shared services across concepts — I.T., accounting, legal departments, marketing,” he said. “That opens more resources up to go directly to the franchisee. As an organization, we are also very focused on collaborating. Our leadership teams meet across brands to share best practices.”

TruBlue, for example, is an emerging brand, but because of the SFS infrastructure, Fitzgerald says the team has been able to evolve the concept and processes far faster than normal. “Whether it be our technology, vendors, marketing, operations, support — our franchisees can see how much effort and resources we put into making this business the best it can be,” he said.

How to Do the Right Due Diligence

When deciding on what franchise to invest in, Fitzgerald notes that there will always be some fear, but the key is having the confidence to follow your dream. 

“If you know you want to own your own business, it is not going to be handed to you,” Fitzgerald said. “My advice is to find a brand that you can be passionate about operating, not just about the product or service. It is about matching your skill sets with something you are passionate about. If you have that drive, you are going to be successful with a franchise system because it is a collection of best practices. We are not sitting here and making things up — these are proven systems. We just need the right owners to execute on them.”

The SFS team will walk all prospects through the due diligence process and make sure they have the info to make the right decision. “You can have all the info in the world and still not come up with an answer,” said Seman. “When going through the process and looking at a specific brand, you should picture the future you want and work backward from there. All that matters is the decisions you make based on the data you have. When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. When is the second best time to plant a tree? Today.”

When it comes to what to look out for in the process, Fitzgerald says it is important to talk to other franchisees and hear about their experiences. Prospects should also pay attention to the opportunities for a successful exit when the time comes to sell the business. 

“People immediately think of income replacement, but if you have a business that is doing well, you are building an asset on top of that,” said Fitzgerald. “If you stay in your corporate job, there is no asset. You can always sell the business and build that equity for your future. People often forget about that piece of it.”

Perhaps most importantly, Seman says Strategic Franchising Systems franchise owners need to be passionate about the business they are investing in and should come to the table with strong personal goals in place. 

“When you go through our training program, you leave with a fully baked business plan,” said Seman. “That includes individual goals and objectives. Everyone has a different expectation of what they want out of a franchise, so it is important franchise owners know what that is upfront so we can focus on providing a roadmap that will make that more likely. We give you behavioral targets to hit, and by following those, you will be able to achieve your goals.”

Why Now is the Time to Invest in Strategic Franchising Systems

In today’s post-pandemic landscape, the services industry is set to dominate the economy, with people increasingly moving away from brick-and-mortar retail shopping. As a result, the Strategic Franchising Systems concepts are catching the attention of business-savvy entrepreneurs as recession-proof and well-positioned opportunities for 2022. 

“When building our businesses, we want to create those that are different — those that have an appeal beyond a current trend,” said Seman. “These are services that don’t fluctuate based on the economy. Seniors, pets, business coaching — the demand is there no matter what is going on in the world.” 

Additionally, Seman says all of the SFS concepts are designed to help the average, middle-class American follow their entrepreneurial dreams. With lower startup costs and an easier barrier to entry, Strategic Franchising Systems appeals to aspiring entrepreneurs from all walks of life and backgrounds.

“We specialize in helping people who have never been in business ownership before generate a great income opportunity and build long-term wealth with start-up costs that are reasonably affordable,” Seman said. “That is why we offer business ownership opportunities to more people than anyone else. Our support is designed to help first-time owners achieve their unique goals and objectives.”

All new franchise owners are trained to understand what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, including access to business coaching, recruiting, marketing programs and trade secrets for each of the five franchise systems. Also, Strategic Franchising Systems offers flexible financing options through trusted third-party providers. The company’s innovative Winner's Circle Program, for example, is shared by all Strategic Franchising Systems brands and reimburses franchisees for their entire franchise fee as they achieve certain milestones over time.

Overall, Fitzgerald says Strategic Franchising Systems has been designed to help franchisees win. All they have to do is take the leap and put in the work. “There is always a reason not to take the risk, but if you have a passion for the business, do it,” he said. “Imagine if you had taken that leap of faith 15 years ago — what would your business look like today? It really feels great to get up in the morning and know you are running your own business. At SFS, we give you a lane that you can devote yourself to and follow until you find success.”

For more information, visit https://strategicfranchising.com/.