Great Support

By Pamela Gold

What makes a franchise a winning opportunity for prospective entrepreneurs? There are many elements that ultimately play a part in the success of a franchise and the happiness of its franchisees, but strong franchisor support is key. Without franchisor support, franchisees may feel like they are "on their own", when ultimately many prospective franchisees choose a franchise over an original business because of the support, encouragement and guidance that franchisors can offer to their franchisees. Exceptional support is, without a doubt, a highly valuable part of a franchise package.

What is Franchisor Support?

The following features are key to solid franchisor support:

• Training: A complete program for the franchisee and the franchisee's support staff. The training should provide hands-on experience with every aspect of running the business. Sometimes franchisors will also offer ongoing training as new techniques and products are developed and when franchisees desire a refresher course. 
• A well-developed network of independently owned and operated franchises that gain support from each other. Intranets, chat groups, and meetings and get-togethers are all perfect examples. 
• A reliable and affordable product. 
• An easy-to-follow operations manual which guides a franchisee from pre-opening right along to a well established, successful franchise operation. 
• Support on every detail of owning a franchise, from store decor and lease negotiations to how to hire employees and where to buy products. 
• Purchasing benefits and products in bulk and passing the savings on to franchisees. 
• Monthly correspondence. From regular newsletters and emails to phone calls, franchisors should stay in touch with and communicate often and well with their franchisees. 
• Marketing and advertising support. 
• The option to expand, and help with growth.

What's So Important About Strong Franchisor Support?

"I'm definitely a success because of the Comfort Keepers franchise system - they offer such a strong support system to their franchisees. If all franchisees follow the system, there will definitely be success across the system. Franchisors make the mistakes for their franchisees, so that we do not have to. The success of a franchisee has to be attributed, at least in part, to the franchise system," said Wally Kincaid, a Comfort Keepers franchisee from Ohio.

It's a given that most franchises will offer new franchisees training and on-site help when they first open their business. Keep in mind that each franchise will vary and support and training will also vary depending on the industry. From that point on, support varies greatly. Most franchisors have field representatives who will, at a minimum, visit the franchised branches at scheduled times and answer any questions the franchisee may have. Other franchisors go a step further: From giving personal phone numbers out so zees can reach them at any time of the day to offering extra training courses, holding meetings and conventions, and writing up a regularly-produced newsletter. Exceptional franchisors will offer their franchisees advice, training, communication, help during hard times, and help with expansion and growth.

For those that receive exceptionally crafted support, the rewards are priceless: "Linda (Linda Burzynski, President and CEO of Computer Moms) and Georgia (Georgia Jones, Founder of Computer Moms) are so motivational and so supportive of us. They truly want their current franchisees to be successful. They don't just sell franchises to sell them, they want people to be happy and successful and they're there for us whenever we need them," stated Computer Moms' franchisee Steve Sterling (Steve and his wife, Diane own a Leadership Model Computer Moms' franchise in Dallas, Texas).

Support which is given without "suffocating" a franchisee can often amount to a more successful, confident, dedicated franchise owner. The most supportive and generally successful franchisors are those that look at their franchisees as partners. Partnerships do not work unless everyone is happy, prosperous, and supporting each other.

An Innovative Idea:

Barbara Moran-Ploger, President of Moran Industries which provides automotive repair services of transmissions, engines, and under car care through its 5 franchise brands (including Milex Tune Up & Brake and Alta Mere Window Tinting and Alarms), realized that part of a great support system is acknowledging when franchisees do a great job. The company implemented their Award of Excellence program to encourage franchisees to be successful and follow the company's business system.

Franchisees are eligible for the award after owning a franchise for at least a year and complying fully with the franchise agreement and the mission statement. The Award of Excellence is in its third year and has had an enormous effect based on the number of franchisees that were eligible in the first year compared to the third year.

"The bottom line is that we want to create pride in our system. We have found that the best reward for high performing franchisees is recognition and acknowledgement. This motivates the franchisee to be the best in their field. It's what makes a franchise system excel as a whole so that, in the end, everyone comes out a a winner," stated Moran-Ploger.

Questions, Questions, Questions...

When a prospective franchisee is searching for the perfect franchise, support may play a big role in which franchise is chosen. If running the business on one's own is preferable, support will play a smaller role in the decision process. If support, motivation, and guidance are important factors, some very basic questions should be asked of the franchisor when exploring business opportunities:

• Will training be ongoing or a one-time experience? 
• Will I receive help with location, lease negotiation, and interior and exterior design? 
• Are any financing programs available to me directly from the company? 
• Will I have to pay into an advertising fund and what will the results be? 
• Will I have access to a company-wide buying program? 
• Are promotional programs developed and offered company-wide? 
• Will I have access to someone whenever I need help?

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More and more, franchisors are realizing the advantages of offering their franchisees strong support services. For some franchisors, the ability to not only offer advice when a franchisee is having problems with their business but also get to know them as people, leads to a much stronger partnership. For others, helping franchisees become and stay successful brings additional success to the company and the brand. Ultimately, exceptional support breeds happiness and success for everyone involved.