🕒: Three minutes
What support do franchisors offer?
How can a franchisor provide support?
This is one of the most common questions asked by prospective franchisees, yet answers are often scarce. Every franchisor is different in terms of the support they offer to new franchisees, so it is important to get clear answers before signing up to your chosen business.
With this in mind, here are some of the ways a franchisor might offer assistance to you as the owner of a franchise.
An operations manual
It is common to be provided with a franchise operations manual when starting out. This is like a written ‘how-to’ guide to the way the business should be operated on a day-to-day basis.
It is also a good way for the franchisor to ensure the same brand values and quality standards are adhered to throughout all of their franchises. The manual will tell you about:
- Business KPIs (key performance indicators).
- How the quality of the franchise will be measured.
- The process for complaints, should this become necessary.
- Details of any audits that will take place throughout the year.
Sometimes a manual will be lent to you for a set period of time, and sometimes you will be given your own copy, depending on the franchise.
Training
Seminars, workshops and face to face visits are all possible types of training you might receive as a franchisee. In the run-up to opening your franchise, you might also be asked to spend a set period of time doing ‘hands-on’ work experience at an existing franchise.
This may be for a few days or even months, depending on the business. Expect to need less training as time goes by and you learn the ropes of running a successful franchise.
Advertising and Marketing
A few franchises will offer you a marketing plan for the initial start-up of the franchise. The marketing plan will often include advice as to which advertising platforms are suited to the franchise, for example, whether an online directory listing might be more effective than a print advertisement in a local paper.
They might also give you some resources you can use for marketing including:
- Posters
- Logos
- Images
- Branded items
Regular Contact
Finally and perhaps most importantly, a good franchisor will keep in regular contact with you, keeping you up to speed on brand developments and industry changes or regulations. Ideally, they will provide you with a regular point of contact who can be contacted with any issues as they arise.
Above all, remember to check with a franchisor exactly what support they’ll provide you with before you sign the franchise agreement. Often a good indicator of this is your on-going franchise fee – if it seems unexpectedly low, it could be because there is less on-going support for you once you are up and running.
This may not be a negative of course – each type of franchise will need a different level of training depending on how complex the business model is or how familiar you are with the products and services already. It is important that you know the full extent of the support offered before you start a franchise so you can start your business with an easy mind.
To find your perfect franchise, take a look at the wide range of opportunities in our A-Z Directory.