For those that don’t know, the Franchise Operations Manual is your bible! It’s a guide to operating your franchise business that contains the winning formula that has made the franchised business so successful. Even though the Operations Manual has all of the answers, there are times when franchisees choose not to follow it.
To draw a comparison, not following a franchise Operations Manual is like buying a recipe book for a meal you’ve never cooked before, glancing at the pages and then winging it! In this scenario 99 times out of 100 it’s going to end badly. In the example of the recipe, the food is going to taste bad and in the franchising example, both the franchise and franchisor are going to be left with a bad taste in their mouths too!
In my last article, I shared my views on how a franchise can be a match made in heaven. In its best form, it’s a perfect partnership where both parties work together for the common good. But when the winning formula is not followed, everyone loses out. The franchisee won’t develop their business like they should, the franchise brand won’t be represented as well as it should and in turn, the rest of the franchise network suffer too.
Whilst many wonderful franchisees operate their franchise business to the letter of the Ops Manual, in any franchise network there will be varying levels of adherence to the brand standards and tried and tested methods.
One common challenge in franchising is the franchisee or franchisor who presents a challenge surrounding their business performance. Perhaps there is not enough cash in the bank or enough customers? Maybe they are not experiencing the growth that they anticipated.
In all of these circumstances, the answer is the same! Revert to the Operations Manual! Following the proven methods outlined in the manual, consistently over time, is always the answer!
All of the above begs the question, how do franchisors influence their franchise network to use the Operations Manual to build and grow their business? After all, if they do everybody wins! For me, it’s all about education at the start of the journey. The Discovery Phase, onboarding and initial training of franchisees must get across the importance of the manual. Franchisees should come into a franchise with their eyes wide open that they are investing in proven methodologies that work.
Whilst this article presents the challenge of the odd franchisee who does not follow the Operations Manual, many do! In turn, these people will open up the opportunity of a lifetime. Through their business they will live life on their terms, running a business to be truly proud of. Franchising done well should be a win-win and I love nothing more than seeing our franchisees win at the Football Fun Factory.
