What Kind of Support Do Franchisors Provide? A Guide for Prospective Franchisees

When assessing potential franchise ownership opportunities, there’s an important question: what kind of support do franchisors provide? Understanding the unique operational, training and strategic support systems available (which can vary by franchisor) can help prospective franchise owners consider whether a brand is properly aligned with their resources and ultimate goals in terms of both profits and growth.

Expert Insight: Real-Time Access, Operational Guidance

What kind of support do franchisors provide? An accessible franchisor can take the prospective franchise owner far. And sometimes there’s a benefit to working with a smaller franchisor who can prioritize the delivery of personalized support. Taking advantage of the opportunity to access franchisor leadership – an important part of the franchise Discovery Day experience – can also pay dividends down the line.

“Right now, I literally have franchisees texting me, and we're on the phone most of the time the same day or I answer via text. So, take advantage of getting into founders’ brains and getting to see C-level people as much as possible while you can,” said BooXkeeping CEO Max Emma. “I always tell my franchises, ‘Take advantage of that. Because once we become bigger, as much as I want to spend time with you, I may not be able to get to you right away.’”

Types of Support to Expect

1. Operational Support – The franchisor often provides daily guidance, from troubleshooting problems to giving advice on workflow improvements. Direct access to leadership can accelerate problem-solving.
    
2. Training Programs – Most franchisors offer structured onboarding as well as initial and ongoing training to ensure franchise owners stay up to speed on best practices and industry trends.
    
3. Communication Channels – Weekly town halls, online messaging platforms and focused support staff can provide franchisees multiple ways to ask questions and receive feedback in a timely manner.
    
4. Mentorship Opportunities – Smaller systems sometimes enable franchise owners to correspond directly with company founders or other executives who can deliver personalized insight from their franchising experience.
    
5. Strategic Guidance – Beyond operations, franchisors can provide advice on growth strategies, marketing campaigns and business development, assisting franchisees with the challenging process of franchise scalability.

Making the Most of Franchisor Support

So, what kind of support do franchisors provide? Understanding the support structure can be a critical element of success in franchise ownership. Potential zees should assess leadership accessibility, existing training programs and the quality level of the ongoing operational guidance provided. By utilizing franchisor support in a proactive manner, new franchise owners can better navigate challenges, positioning themselves for more sustained success.

The bottom line is, from launch through long-term growth, franchisor support can make a big impact on a franchise owner’s journey. 

“Operational support. We are available for our franchises whenever they need us,” Emma said. “In a lot of cases, it's as simple as sending us a text.”

Want to learn more about franchise opportunities on 1851 Franchise? Be sure to visit our Power Rankings to read more on brands making moves.