1851

Franchise growth is arguably the single most important aspect of running a successful concept. Without growth, a franchise is seen as stagnant and unsuccessful. But, with too much growth, franchisors are at risk of bringing in the wrong people and getting in over their heads.

To get a better grasp on growth and how to approach it the right way, 1851 Franchise sat down with <a href="http://lightbridgeacademyfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=4-best-practices-in-avoiding-growing-pains-while-in-expansion-mode-2704946" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lightbridge Academy*</a> Senior Vice President of Franchise Sales Mark Mele and <a href="https://www.rfg.com.au/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=4-best-practices-in-avoiding-growing-pains-while-in-expansion-mode-2704946" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Retail Food Group</a> USA Director of Franchise Development Laina Sullivan.

1. Choosing the Right Market

When a brand begins franchising, growth is top of mind. But, if the development plan is not laid out strategically and with purpose, it can become a hodgepodge system that is difficult to support.

&ldquo;Grow out an area a little bit at a time,&rdquo; said Mele. &ldquo;Contiguous markets are important &ndash; you don&rsquo;t want to franchise across the country from the start. Your franchisees need to be close to you for you, as the franchisor, to be able to operationally support the franchisees as they get up and running.&rdquo;

Mele elaborates on how Lightbridge Academy has seen expansion success by choosing a county and growing in concentric circles around the county. By building this solid market foundation, new franchisees have a strong brand presence to work off of.

2. Recruiting the Right People

In order for growth to happen properly, the right people need to be behind each location. Franchisee recruitment is one of the most important aspects of growing in the right way.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s possible to select the wrong franchisees if you don&rsquo;t screen and recruit properly,&rdquo; said Sullivan. &ldquo;The wrong franchisees are not invested properly and won&rsquo;t put everything towards making sure the location is run successfully.&rdquo;

In order to avoid these hiccups, Sullivan recommends meeting the franchisee candidates once or twice, and then have the entire team meet them. It&rsquo;s important that everyone feels that they are a good addition to the brand, because once they sign, they become a member of the family.

&ldquo;Figure out why they want to be a part of the brand,&rdquo; said Sullivan. &ldquo;Are they going to manage the location well? Do they believe in good customer service? Ask them about previous experience and what types of benefits they want to offer to get a better idea of how they value the people that work for them.&rdquo;

3. Set the Right Precedent

A large factor of growth is establishing the model for franchisees to follow. While the franchise model provides the guidelines, corporate-owned locations allow franchisors to lead by example.

&ldquo;With company-owned units, you learn to test out new things and learn what is compatible with the existing systems,&rdquo; said Mele. &ldquo;We learn a lot from the parents and students that come into our corporate locations, and are able to share these new insights with our franchisees.&rdquo;

It&rsquo;s important for franchisors to keep the pulse of business and make sure that they are not losing sight on anything. There is no better way to do this than to run corporate-owned locations and witness these advancements first hand, before building them into the model.

4. Providing the Right Support

Once the franchisee is selected and the market is chosen, the franchisor still has work to do in order to ensure success in a new market. This is where operational support comes into play.

&ldquo;It is important to build a solid foundation of operational support for franchisees as they get up and running,&rdquo; said Mele. &ldquo;This is when the location comes into play, as it&rsquo;s easier to support franchisees when they have locations close to the corporate headquarters.&rdquo;

Because the first year is not always smooth sailing for the franchisee, support during this time is extremely important to make sure growth is happening properly.

Growing in the right way, with the best methods in play, can ensure a strong foundation and happy franchisees. While it might take a bit longer and have include more attention on the front end, it will also allow franchisors to keep franchisees in their system longer instead of weeding out those that might not be a fit.

Choosing the proper market, putting a strong recruitment process in place, leading by example and finally maintaining a strong support system will allow for long-lasting growth.

&nbsp;

4 Best Practices in Avoiding Growing Pains While in Expansion Mode

1851 Franchise

Franchise development executives elaborate on what goes into growing properly and what to look out for during the process.

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

4-best-practices-in-avoiding-growing-pains-while-in-expansion-mode

America's Swimming Pool

How America’s Swimming Pool Co. Supports Franchisees With Coaching, Technology, and New Service Lines

how-americas-swimming-pool-co-supports-franchisees-with-coaching-technology-and-new-service-lines

BooXkeeping

BooXkeeping Closes Out a Breakout 2025 With Major Wins and Momentum for 2026

booxkeeping-2025-growth-franchise-expansion-2026-momentum

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Franchise - Eli and Abby Power - 1851 Franchise

Eli and Abby Power Turned a Rural Plumbing Shop Into a Multi-Generational Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Franchise

benjamin-frankling-plumbing-franchise-eli-abby-power-western-colorado

Image Studios

IMAGE Studios Celebrates Record Growth in 2025 With 35 Openings and 50 Units Awarded

image-studios-franchise-growth-2025

Dillas Quesadillas

Design with photo of Michael Mabry and Dillas Primo Quesadillas logo

Franchise Times: New Franchise Exec Says Dillas Is Bringing ‘Excitement’ Back to QSR Category

michael-mabry-franchise-growth

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 Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

California Pizza Kitchen’s Sale Is the Latest in the Era of PE-Backed Turnarounds in Franchising

california-pizza-kitchens-sale-is-the-latest-in-the-era-of-pe-backed-turnarounds-in-franchising

Buying a fitness franchise, people exercising

Boutique vs. Big Box Gym Franchises: Which Offers Best ROI in the $7 Billion Fitness Market?

buy-fitness-franchise-boutique-big-box-comparison

Pieology Pizza Enters Chapter 11 Following Costly Bid To Save Struggling Stores

pieology-pizza-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy

CNBC: McDonald’s Will Assess if Franchisees Are Offering Value for Customers Under New Standards

mcdonalds-franchise-standards-value-metric

How AI Is Transforming Restaurant Operations and Franchises

ai-impact-restaurants-franchises-human-centric-technology

Scenthound Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

scenthound-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Robert Palmer’s Long Game: Turning a Cleveland Lawn Business into the Lawn Squad Franchise

growing-the-lawn-squad-franchise-scaling-authority-brands

Newk's Eatery Franchise - Columbus, Mississippi Expansion - 1851 Franchise

Newk’s Eatery Taps Seasoned Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Multi-Unit Operators for New Columbus, Mississippi Expansion

newks-franchise-columbus-ms-patel

image of 1851 franchise deep dive on lawn squad franchise franchise evaluation, financials

Lawn Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

lawn-squad-franchise-cost-fees-profit-data

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

Photo of group of dogs standing together in day care facility

Top Pet Boarding and Day Care Franchise Opportunities for 2025

top-pet-boarding-daycare-franchises

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

AI-related job cuts, October U.S. job cuts, American job cut record

AI-Fueled Layoffs Reshape the U.S. Job Market — And Highlight Franchising’s Resilience

ai-job-cuts-franchising-path-forward

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Eli Cohen, Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

C5 Restaurants Grows its Texas Footprint with 40 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Locations Planned Statewide

eli-cohen-laynes-chicken-fingers-texas

Paris Baguette Welcomes Zac Sulma as New Chief Operating Officer

new-coo-zac-sulma

4 Best Practices in Avoiding Growing Pains While in Expansion Mode

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS