As well as a comprehensive induction course, designed to help prepare new franchisees for the launch of their business, franchisees should also receive regular opportunities for ongoing training courses that will ensure they are kept up to date with the latest developments in their chosen industry.
Training is taken very seriously at Belvoir, and we have a dedicated team member who works purely on developing our training programme. 2019 is proving to be a record year in terms of training, and the number of delegates who have attended courses, and this is undoubtedly because we aim to keep costs as low as possible, whilst retaining very high standards.
Belvoir always uses top quality industry experts who can really help people to get the most from the courses we provide. Some of our best trainers charge us, as the franchisor, between £1500 and £2000 per day which, when shared amongst a group of attendees, becomes very cost effective and can cost as little as £75 per day per delegate. On the subject of cost, we don’t make any profit on the training provided to franchisees, as we feel it’s better to engender staff and franchisees with keys skills rather than try and make training into a ‘profit centre’ from a business perspective. Quality training gives franchisees the edge over their competitors, and is something that independent traders can struggle to access and afford.
Our training also includes a wide variety of training courses for staff members, giving new starters, with no previous experience of our industry, the very best start in their business life. It also demonstrates that they have found a true career, wherein their employer (a franchisee) is willing to invest in training and personal development to benefit the staff member long term. All good franchisors should offer training for franchisees’ staff members, as well as training for the franchisee.
To sum up, training is vital, and should be motivational, inspirational and of course, affordable. Here are my top six questions to ask when considering which franchise to invest in:
- What does the induction course include?
- Are the trainers industry experts with a proven success rate?
- Can you review feedback on the quality of training?
- What ongoing training is provided for franchisees and team members?
- What is the cost of training?
- Is training accessible, i.e. based at Central Office, or through webinars etc?
