Why We Bought: Support, Brand Vision and Purpose Drive Entrepreneurs to Franchise

No matter the industry in which you franchise, chances are you remember the moment you decided what brand to buy. Though there are many basic factors that go into this decision, like industry, entry price or location, franchisees commonly cite corporate support, brand vision, and purpose as their reasons to buy.

Each of these elements has its benefits. For those that identify corporate support as their selling point, many acknowledge that, as a new business owner, financial, marketing, and other corporate resources are game changers.

Big Blue Swim School franchisees Sam and Mirna Abraham appreciated the infrastructure that the franchise provided to navigate their initial days. “The corporate team told us,” said Sam, “franchising is going into business for yourself, but not by yourself.”

Before joining Big Blue Swim, the Abrahams experienced one of their competitors as members. The pair found that the failures supplied by the other program fueled their interest to franchise with Big Blue Swim. 

“Given the fact that we experienced [a competitor] really helped,” said Mirna. “Every problem they had, Big Blue fixed — from managing membership to scheduling classes, [there were things] Big Blue had the solution for that [competing brands] didn’t.”

Franchisees also recognize the feeling of security their brands offer, particularly in the COVID-19 era. Snapology franchisee Jessica Sasi expressed a sense of relief at having a corporate team that sincerely supported its individual owners. Not only has the brand come through on providing financial support, but it also fosters a sense of community among franchisees.

“Things are out of our control right now in this crazy time that we are in,” said Sasi. “Having a business, specifically a franchise, that allows you [a] sense of community, resources, access to [management] has been invaluable.”

Eggs Up Grill’s brand vision is what sold business partners and brothers, Rob and Scott Johnson on the restaurant concept. What initially got Scott to give his brother Rob a call about the brand was the overall atmosphere. “I liked how comfortable and warm it felt,” he said. “It was so much different than other chains.” 

The brothers soon came to find that the vision of Eggs Up Grill’s brand went beyond just the look and feel of the restaurant. Scott said the brand’s commitment to their employees’ financial well-being and positive work environment truly sold him personally on the brand. “It gives me satisfaction that we pay people as much as we possibly can and that we have given a lot of people a good working environment,” Scott said. “I’m sure they could get jobs elsewhere, but the fact that we get to provide them with a quality place to work brings us a lot of satisfaction.”

Erica Ames, a Burn Boot Camp franchisee, cited the value the brand brings to her community in California. “Oceanside is a big military community with Camp Pendleton being right up the road,” Ames said. “There are many military wives that have husbands overseas. Many of these women are constantly on the move and just want a sense of community and belonging.”

Similarly, Lightbridge Academy* franchisee JoAnne Jagadeesan reflected on not only the business opportunity, but the need for an excellent child care service in the community while they too raised their kids. “We wanted to own a business that gave us flexibility to be available and more involved in our kids after-school activities,” said Jagadeesan, “which was difficult with our demanding careers. We [also] wanted to give families the same opportunity we had for our kids.”

Whether it’s corporate support, brand vision or purpose driving an entrepreneur’s engagement with a brand, one thing remains constant: Franchisees want a brand that provides the whole package. If you’re looking to franchise and don’t know where to start, see where you might fit in with the brand and, most importantly, how it aligns with your values.