Franchisees just starting out in the business will be initially overwhelmed with the responsibilities of getting the franchise off the ground. The franchisor will play an important role in this process, thereby establishing a basis for the franchisor support that the franchisee relies on.
Over time, the franchisor will likely back away from your day-to-day business operations but you should not interpret this behavior as a sign of negligence. Here are five suggestions to develop a strong and lasting relationship with your franchisor to avoid feeling left out to fend for yourself.
Report Your Activities
Your franchisor may demand that you submit a weekly report to monitor your progress. If this has not been introduced, take it upon yourself to report all your activities each week by email and keep copies of your correspondence. Establishing this paper trail is critical to your learning curve and will help the franchisor determine areas of improvement or assistance.
Be Interactive
If the franchise system maintains a LISTSERV of franchisees, get involved by sending comments or feedback. The franchisor may not reply to all comments received in the listserv but your involvement can help others overcome their challenges. In return, you will benefit from the feedback of other franchisees.
Voice Your Opinions
If you discover a method to improve franchise operations or have an idea that can help the franchisor enhance the system, let it be heard. Most franchisees rely on the franchisor to introduce initiatives or innovations. You can be pro-active and garner much respect for voicing an opinion that leads the franchisor to strengthen the company brand, and in turn, your franchise business.
Act Professionally
Many franchisee-franchisor conflicts arise from the franchisee not receiving immediate attention from the franchisor. If you feel that the franchisor is not addressing your challenge within a reasonable time frame, you should make every effort to remain calm and act professionally in order to resolve the matter. A reasonable response time is about two days, unless the matter is an emergency which should require franchisor attention no longer than a few hours.
Start a Franchisee Advisory Group
Creating a franchisee advisory group is a great way to cut down on repetitive enquiries made to the franchisor involving operational issues. By designating a key person in a prescribed geographical area, this person is responsible for representing multiple franchises on matters that require franchisor attention. The group can develop a mass email system to relay all information acquired to its members.
