10 Tips for Making Your Franchise Brand Relevant & Successful

It takes more than signing a franchisee to make a brand successful. Find out how to take your franchise to the next level with these 10 tips for turning your franchise brand hot.

Have a great concept. One of the most important things you can do to make your franchise successful is having a great concept. If you’re entering the field right now, make sure your brand can distinguish itself from the rest of the pack. That’s one way to build a competitive advantage and make people interested in what you’re selling.

Be engaged. To have a successful franchise, franchisors have to be engaged with the business. As a franchisor you have to be heavily involved in events and news in your industry. Successful franchisors see what’s hot and what’s working. They are always networking and learning about the industry.

“You need to be a sponge, you need to want to learn,” said Steve Beagelman, President and CEO of SMB Franchise Advisors*. “The ones that don’t do that wonder why they haven’t sold anything. “

Do the hustle. Successful franchises are the ones where the leadership really hustles. They work their business and they are at all the events.

“You can’t expect people to want to buy in right away,” said Beagelman. “You need to be aggressive and be out there. If you’re not like that don’t franchise your business.”

Choose franchisees carefully. “You don’t want to choose a franchisee to keep the lights on,” said Kay Ainsley, CFE and managing director of MSA Worldwide. “By choosing the right franchisee that will make your business better you reinforce the brand to the general public.”

When it comes to making a franchise successful, franchisors need to make sure the first franchisees are thriving. If the franchisees are successful, the brand will be successful. Spend extra time with the first few franchisees to ensure their success. When potential franchisees reach out, they will hear about how great the business is for them.

Maintain strong communication. You have to be a great communicator to be a great leader, and that means listening as much as talking. Ainsley believes that it’s important to incite meaningful dialog and open communication with franchisees.

“Most systems will have to introduce change, if you have good communications with the franchisees it will help you identify what changes are necessary,” said Ainsley. “You can also get them involved in the system. There is a big difference when they can see why changes are happening and then they are more accepting of the changes.”

Enforce the standards from day one. It may sound simple; but if you’re running a franchise, make sure everyone is always rowing in the same direction and is following the procedures. It’s one way to make sure your brand’s image will never be tarnished.

Make the tough decisions. As a franchisor, you have to be willing to make the hard decisions. It’s your brand that people are buying into, and you need to protect it. If someone is a nice person but a bad franchisee, you may have to reevaluate the relationship.

Pick the right team. Just like finding the right franchisees is important, it’s also paramount to recruit the best team and to treat them with respect. Having people with the right know-how and abilities will make your job as a franchisor easier, and it will help make your franchise become a success.

Stick to your concept. You know you believe in your concept—you were confident enough to franchise it! Make sure to defend your ideas.

While some change and evolution is necessary, make smart adjustments and enforce them system-wide. You can’t change your concept for just one franchisee, as you may risk ruining your brands reputation. Evaluate what franchisees and consumers are asking for and evaluate your model to see if the change can be made.

Remember to have fun. There was a reason you decided to launch your business; don’t let the franchise system make you forget why you started. According to the International Franchise Association (IFA), the success of any business is linked to the level of enthusiasm brought to the job. Have fun, reward your team and make something great together.