As I checked into a hotel today, I was thinking about the sign on the wall behind the clerk saying that old term we all have heard, "Independently owned and operated". How can this be independent when it is a Holiday Inn Express and they all have the same logos, cups, priority club, cinnamon roll breakfast, advertising, etc? At what point are they independent and at what point are they a rank and file franchisee?
If you are looking at buying a franchise, this is an important point. You need to find out what is an "in stone" franchise operating system issue and what freedom do you have to change anything. Every franchise is different so you will have to ask before you buy.
I know that with some fast food franchises you get to choose your location to build, have some choices about interior, etc, but it is just a choice between this version of Jack in the Box interiors or that version of Jack in the Box interiors.
Are franchises independently owned or do they just have a license to do business as the franchise? Are they independently operated? Not really. Why would someone like me be coming around making sure that everything is done according to the operating plan for the franchise?
If you already have a franchise, just remember that you do not "own" anything except whatever you would take home if the the franchisor decided to take away your license and close your doors. Independently operated? Just as long as it is by the book.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Franchise Visit Agendas
Greetings,
There was a comment/question on the last blog about agendas. Please read the question and answer.
Having an agenda is a great thing. Sticking to the agenda even loosly is an even better thing. I suggest both sides have a written agenda for a visit. Actually, it shouldn't be called a visit, it should be called a "business consultation". That helps make it more professional and have a great likelyhood for it to accomplish something. You relatives come to "visit".
First, either the representitive should call and ask you about coming for a business consultation and asking for an meeting day, time, agenda, and time period available.
It works the same way if you call as a franchisee and set up the appointment. Then the rep should type out the agenda with your issues and their issues with approximate times alocationed for each topic and send it to you. If you told the rep you have 2 hours to meet, but the agenda is full enough for 6 hours, then you should be able to select the critical issues that you wish to cover or change the time you will have to spend together before it is finalized.
I do this, and then I double check that everything is set before I make plane reservations. Then I send the franchisee a reminder email about the vist, then I call again a couple of days before I show up.
Unfortunately, about 1 in 20 visits, I arrive to find the franchisee gone or too busy to meet and I am redirected to a secretary. I am not happy when this happens. Aside from being rude, it is a tremendous waste of money and the franchisee will be put on my list of people I rarely visit, unless it was unavoidable.
Franchisees, please keep in mind that I am coming to help you and we only have so much time each year together. If I arrive and you want to ignore the agenda and spend your time telling me about your vacation, kids, going to the bank, and taking every call that comes in the office, I will still be sorry when you go out of business.
Fran
There was a comment/question on the last blog about agendas. Please read the question and answer.
Having an agenda is a great thing. Sticking to the agenda even loosly is an even better thing. I suggest both sides have a written agenda for a visit. Actually, it shouldn't be called a visit, it should be called a "business consultation". That helps make it more professional and have a great likelyhood for it to accomplish something. You relatives come to "visit".
First, either the representitive should call and ask you about coming for a business consultation and asking for an meeting day, time, agenda, and time period available.
It works the same way if you call as a franchisee and set up the appointment. Then the rep should type out the agenda with your issues and their issues with approximate times alocationed for each topic and send it to you. If you told the rep you have 2 hours to meet, but the agenda is full enough for 6 hours, then you should be able to select the critical issues that you wish to cover or change the time you will have to spend together before it is finalized.
I do this, and then I double check that everything is set before I make plane reservations. Then I send the franchisee a reminder email about the vist, then I call again a couple of days before I show up.
Unfortunately, about 1 in 20 visits, I arrive to find the franchisee gone or too busy to meet and I am redirected to a secretary. I am not happy when this happens. Aside from being rude, it is a tremendous waste of money and the franchisee will be put on my list of people I rarely visit, unless it was unavoidable.
Franchisees, please keep in mind that I am coming to help you and we only have so much time each year together. If I arrive and you want to ignore the agenda and spend your time telling me about your vacation, kids, going to the bank, and taking every call that comes in the office, I will still be sorry when you go out of business.
Fran
Sunday, March 23, 2008
I'm Coming To Visit
Hello Franchise,
I'm going to be in your area in two weeks and I want to come by for a consultation.....
What are you thinking at that point? Let me guess.
I'm too busy. I don't need anything. I don't want to be inspected. I don't want her to see what I am doing. I don't want to hear the latest propaganda from the corporate office. She is just a spy for the corporate office. She is just looking for something to write me up for. I haven't done anything she asked me to do last time she came. She is going to hit me up for the paperwork I havne't turned in.
What am I thinking? You might be surprised.
I want to be kept in the loop of what you are doing so I can help you stay on the right path. I need to be able to tell the corporate office how you are doing. I want to make sure you know about all the new programs we are launching. I want to know if you need any special training so I can get it arranged. I want to find out what you are doing that is working well so I can pass it on to the other franchisees.
I want to make sure that the customer is getting a consistant experience so the brand is protected and everyone's business stays valuable.
I am comming to visit you in a couple of weeks and I hope you have your agenda of things to talk about ready so that we talk about what you want to talk about, not the list of things that just went through your mind when I said I was coming.
Fran
I'm going to be in your area in two weeks and I want to come by for a consultation.....
What are you thinking at that point? Let me guess.
I'm too busy. I don't need anything. I don't want to be inspected. I don't want her to see what I am doing. I don't want to hear the latest propaganda from the corporate office. She is just a spy for the corporate office. She is just looking for something to write me up for. I haven't done anything she asked me to do last time she came. She is going to hit me up for the paperwork I havne't turned in.
What am I thinking? You might be surprised.
I want to be kept in the loop of what you are doing so I can help you stay on the right path. I need to be able to tell the corporate office how you are doing. I want to make sure you know about all the new programs we are launching. I want to know if you need any special training so I can get it arranged. I want to find out what you are doing that is working well so I can pass it on to the other franchisees.
I want to make sure that the customer is getting a consistant experience so the brand is protected and everyone's business stays valuable.
I am comming to visit you in a couple of weeks and I hope you have your agenda of things to talk about ready so that we talk about what you want to talk about, not the list of things that just went through your mind when I said I was coming.
Fran
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Franchise Consistancy Part 2
Hi from the road,
Last time we looked at the question of whether or not it would be OK to start selling diet ice cream if our franchise didn't offer diet ice cream.
It might not seem like a problem, but what happens to the customer who buys diet ice cream and likes it, but gets mad when she stops at another store in the same franchise just to get that diet ice cream and then finds out that they don't carry her favorite ice cream that she made a special stop for. The customer's expectations have been confused and let down.
What if the customer doesn't like the diet ice cream and it even makes her sick. She complains to the main corporate office. Then what? Not only does that make you look bad, it reflects on all the same franchisees.
What if you are out there doing things your own way not following the operation plan and then you decide to sell the business. What kind of value do you think it has? If it needs you to run it, and you have been making all your own decisions, and it isn't like the other franchises, then why would they buy it? The further away you are from what are you supposed to be, the less the value for both you and other franchisees associated with the brand.
Remember it isn't about you. It isn't about the franchisor. It is all about the customer and the organization as a whole. Think back to why you bought a franchise. You wanted to be part of a team and part of a whole.
Come on back to herd....or at least come back to the ranch.
Fran
Last time we looked at the question of whether or not it would be OK to start selling diet ice cream if our franchise didn't offer diet ice cream.
It might not seem like a problem, but what happens to the customer who buys diet ice cream and likes it, but gets mad when she stops at another store in the same franchise just to get that diet ice cream and then finds out that they don't carry her favorite ice cream that she made a special stop for. The customer's expectations have been confused and let down.
What if the customer doesn't like the diet ice cream and it even makes her sick. She complains to the main corporate office. Then what? Not only does that make you look bad, it reflects on all the same franchisees.
What if you are out there doing things your own way not following the operation plan and then you decide to sell the business. What kind of value do you think it has? If it needs you to run it, and you have been making all your own decisions, and it isn't like the other franchises, then why would they buy it? The further away you are from what are you supposed to be, the less the value for both you and other franchisees associated with the brand.
Remember it isn't about you. It isn't about the franchisor. It is all about the customer and the organization as a whole. Think back to why you bought a franchise. You wanted to be part of a team and part of a whole.
Come on back to herd....or at least come back to the ranch.
Fran
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)