I believe that out of crisis comes opportunity. We cannot always change or control the things that happen to us or around us, but we can choose how we react to them and this year has tested us all personally and professionally. Those who have learnt to pivot, adapt and rethink on their feet have readjusted their business model to the now, ‘new normal’ and will rebound with a stronger, more powerful offering!
Franchising offers a flexible and quickly scalable business model for new entrants. Lockdown has allowed many people to take stock of their lives and reshape the way they choose to live in the future. This offers an opportunity for the franchising community to grow, but whether you own a new or existing franchise business everyone will have to think carefully about how they present themselves as the emerging pandemic trends take hold.
Well-Being is a focus here to stay as we move away from the fear of catching Covid19 or any other future pandemic to actioning preventative measures. Franchisors need to consider not only the well- being of their staff, but also of their franchisees and how their brand helps the health of the end consumer too. Franchisees that exist in the health and wellness space should already be taking advantage of this trend. Extending the offering outside bricks and mortar is self-evident, but not just into homes, but workplace spaces and community areas.
However, having a Business Heath Check means more than the financials, peoples’ mental and physical health need to be accounted for and will make a real positive difference to the bottom line if actively promoted. Interventions such as Coaching and Counselling must be considered alongside that of training and the development of skills capability.
Family counts and there is nothing like having this precious rite taken away from you to make you realise how special time together with your tribe both nourishes and restores the soul. The impact of this has far reaching consequences on how we use our leisure time in the future and where work fits into the daily lifecycle. Fitting work in around time with your family and friends will be uppermost in many peoples’ minds now, business leaders who understand creating a culture that working this way does not reduce productivity but increases quality and depth of engagement alongside brand loyalty will be hunted down by consumers and discerning workforces.
This includes shifting recruitment emphasis from IQ (Intelligence Quota) to EQ (Emotional Intelligence) and to start to take note of SQ (Social/Spiritual Intelligence).
Communication has always taken many forms, but the traditional face to face preference has had to be replaced by different audio and visual technological approaches this year. Humans are primarily social animals and will always need the ability to communicate in a physical sense, but now the ‘zoom boom’ bubble is burst, there will be no going back, a flexible approach to your future communications plan is needed. Franchise businesses that have adopted this variable approach have noted the efficiencies in time, travel costs and venue costs that can be achieved by having online meetings, virtual conferences (even the BFA Annual Conference) can be held successfully, alongside training sessions and weekly updates.
The key here is not to stop using the new tools we have discovered during this time, but to find a blended approach that works for you and your franchise community, embrace the technology but don’t forget human touch is still required.
Variable working is the future, now we have all experienced the freedom, flexibility and increased productivity that working at home can bring, it will be a requirement of many traditional office- based business workers from now onwards. Again, some people did not enjoy the isolation that working from home brought to them, so a blended approach will be required, at home, in the office and on the road.
Community is key, standing on your doorstep clapping for the NHS brought the sense of community back to Britain, some making friends with neighbours they had never met, businesses dropping off shopping for the elderly and meals for those who are shielding. This aspect of lockdown has heightened our sense of service, the need to support local communities. The impact of this requires Franchises to interrogate their social conscience, ask what are you doing to give back, what are you doing to help support the local communities you trade in?
Consumers will increasingly start making purchase decisions based on the part Social Responsibility Plans play in a brand offering with an emphasis on local vs national.
Green and ethical considerations grow front and centre, these are agendas that humankind can no longer avoid, depress or deflect responsibility or accountability for. As global citizens of mankind we owe it to the next generations to put things right for them now. Less time flying in the air, reduction of carbon footprints, recycle, upcycle, conserving energy, vegetarianism, veganism all aspects that are no longer trends but essential values in many peoples’ lives. These factors cannot be ignored and are shouting louder than ever, make sure you have a strategy within your franchise to accommodate them.
Humanity, the final word must go to the way we have discovered the importance of human kindness and compassion for others and ourselves during this year of crisis. Somehow the focus on chasing the bottom line, spreadsheets and equity building had become more important than the people around us. Working together in harmony and genuinely caring about the franchise community networks we all support ultimately leads to a more productive healthy relationship with the long-term result leading to healthy thriving franchises.
