FranDev Players: Natalie Weaver, Director of Franchise Development at The Franchise Connection

Natalie Weaver is a veteran in the franchise development space. 

After starting her career in legal and compliance with Outdoor Living Brands, Weaver worked her way into franchise recruitment and development for the brand. And after becoming an Outdoor Living franchise owner herself, she realized her passion for connecting people with the right business opportunity. Now, as the director of franchise development for a firm called The Franchise Connection, Weaver is helping to guide even more entrepreneurs toward the opportunities of their dreams. She also works closely with The Franchise Connection’s sister brand, The Retail Strategy, an innovative commercial real estate firm committed to a fresh new approach to retail expansion, helping retailers find optimal positioning through location intelligence and franchise guidance.

1851 Franchise caught up with Weaver to discuss what the most important elements of growing a franchise are and how The Franchise Connection is helping franchisees find the right brands that fit their goals.

1851 Franchise: Tell me about The Franchise Connection.

Natalie Weaver: The Franchise Connection takes on clients that want help through different stages of development. We help coach prospective franchisees through the discovery process, educating them about their brand, helping them with vendors and what they need to accomplish to get funding. 

1851: How did you get into franchising?

Weaver: I started in Richmond, Virginia with Outdoor Living Brands, where I was working in legal — not even close to being a salesperson. I worked closely with our attorneys in compliance with the firm. Then, moved into what they called a franchise recruitment coordinator. Because I knew the background of the legal parts, I could construct the franchise agreement, check in and arrange travel and do the behind the scenes work. Eventually I moved up into development. 

I’ve gotten the chance to see a little bit of everything. I even owned a franchise with Outdoor Living as well. After Outdoor Living, I worked with a crime scene cleanup franchise in Florida. My favorite part of the industry is the drive behind the entrepreneurs. Now I get to help people’s dreams come true and get them excited about a new opportunity.

1851: Are there any keys to consistent franchise growth?

Weaver: The one thing that’s important to always remember is these are people. They’re spending their life savings or their 401K. You have to have empathy and understanding. This is a really big milestone in their life and you get to know them on a personal level. 

It’s important to not just be a salesperson, but an educator. They have to understand the model and know that the first year is going to be one of the hardest years of their lives. If you build that relationship and bond with those candidates, you’re going to go a long way. 

1851: What are the biggest hurdles to successful franchise growth right now?

Weaver: A lot of franchises are holding off because of COVID, so it’s been a lot about making people feel comfortable again and like there's light at the end of the tunnel. The elimination of mom and pop stores and are creating opportunities in real estate especially. This time has been all about helping the client understand the benefits of opening a business right now. Things are opening back up and people are getting services done that they weren’t able to do before. The demand from customers is certainly there.

1851: How did the COVID crisis affect franchise growth opportunities?

Weaver: COVID may have helped some people realize they don’t like the spot they're in and they're reinvesting in things they do want to do. 

But, people have been cautious because they just don’t know what’s next. They want to be certain when making business decisions that we’re not going to have to shut down again. I have a good feeling that once this year starts and the vaccines are widely available, things are going to open back up all across the country and people will reevaluate their life plans.

1851: Are there any common mistakes you see franchisors making when trying to grow?

Weaver: Outgrowing your support staff is by far one of the most common mistakes I see people make. It should be about scaling your staff and constantly making sure the best knowledge is available to the franchisees. If there’s no one to support your growth, things are going to start falling between the cracks. People buy into a proven business model to be successful, and without a direct contact on a support team that can be hard to achieve.

1851: What are your biggest goals/plans for 2021?

Weaver: Growth; but we want to make sure we’re doing it the right way. We want to make sure we’re finding the right franchisees for our brands. I love helping to coach someone along to get to be where they need to be to sign the dotted line. 

The first 50 franchisees of any brand are going to be the brand ambassadors. They’re the face and the voice of the brand, that’s important to us as a part of the development process. Their success and happiness is the key to having a successful franchise. We're hungry to get people back to being successful. 2021 is going to be a booming year.