As Valentine’s Day is upon us again, it’s opportune to reflect on relationships. There are many parallels between finding the right franchise partner and romantic partner; it really is a bit like dating.
With a franchise agreement generally lasting between 5-10 years, this will be a significant relationship in your life and you need to give it the same care and attention as you would in choosing a partner with a view to achieving long term growth and satisfaction.
How do you move through the selection process to identify your match made in heaven?
Availability
Think of franchise listings sites as your dating app! There are a vast range of exciting opportunities available to you and you can use online resources to efficiently explore and narrow down the options. You can even refine your search by sector, price and lifestyle. A trip to a franchise exhibition is the speed dating of franchising where you can talk to a variety of franchisors in one place and see if any appeal to you.
Attraction
You need to feel the attraction and have an instant connection that makes you want to find out more – Swipe Right!
Check them out
Their website and social media all give you an insight into their values and personality. Do their activities and ethos resonate with you? If so, it’s time to put yourself out there and make contact!
Mates before dates
Reach out and show that you are interested by clicking on the ‘enquire now’ button and leaving your details, you never know where it might lead. You should expect a quick and positive response with a chance to find out more and progress it further. Subscribe to a newsletter and follow on social media until you are ready to make a move.
First date
The franchisor should be keen to meet and find out more about you, asking plenty of questions to assess whether you are a good match for them. They will be presenting themselves in the best possible light so you should really feel the chemistry and leave wanting more. Did you get butterflies and that excited feeling from the anticipation of starting something new?
Getting intimate
This is not a one-night stand so you need to know exactly what you’re getting into and whether the investment level is going to be worth the expected returns. You need transparency and openness to feel safe and confident before you get into bed with them.
Meeting the family
Talk to existing franchisees who have already gone through the journey to get a true understanding of the business – do they talk positively about the franchisor and make you welcome?
Draw up your pre-nup
Read the franchise agreement and get independent legal advice so that you understand exactly what your commitments are to each other so that there are no nasty surprises.
Use your head but follow your heart
Check that there are no red flags such as feeling pressurised or having any concerns unacknowledged as these issues are likely to escalate over time. If this opportunity feels completely right for you then make the leap towards your happy ever after.
At Canopy, we define ourselves by the quality of our relationships and work in a truly collaborative way with our franchisees to become their trusted partners in opening the nursery of their dreams. We want them to be attracted to our brand as soon as they see it and fall more in love with it as they get to know what lies beneath.
Most of our franchisees are husband-and-wife couples so they have already cracked the romantic relationship and want the same fulfilment from their franchise relationship – does that make us a threesome?!
Healthy relationships involve honesty, trust, respect and open communication between partners with effort on both sides to make them work. A sense of humour and a little fun are also high on our list!
This article comes courtesy of Canopy Children’s Nurseries, an exciting and aspirational new nursery brand and franchise.
