It probably comes as no surprise that in 2020, 79% of British adults in employment commonly experienced work-related stress1. According to the Health & Safety Executive2, the most common causes of workplace stress, both now and before the pandemic, are an inability to cope with the demands of the daily role, concerns over financial security and a lack of control over the way in which the employee is able to work. For franchisees, these stresses are often the motivation to invest in a franchise in the first place. Here, Justin Nihiser, CEO of kids coding franchise Code Ninjas, talks about the ways in which his franchise model provides a solution for frustrated employees looking for a rewarding way to give back to their communities.
Traditionally, the word ‘stress’ brings with it a whole host of negative connotations. But, when managed and controlled in an encouraging environment, stress is a short-term feeling that can inspire change and motivation. Unfortunately, when left to fester, that awful knot of dread in the pit of your stomach is never going to go away. A good employer will notice tell-tale signs of stress and support employees to stop overwhelmingly negative feelings. As a franchisor, I take on that role – and it’s one I take very seriously – actively looking for signs that my franchisees might need additional support to get the most out of their franchise business and our partnership.
With that being said, it’s not something I have to contend with often. That’s because of the way the Code Ninjas business model has been curated, adapted and updated. As part of our commitment to our network of franchisees, we have a whole team of support staff available, to help franchisees come to a solution, before anything gets too big to handle. And, because we see such value in outsourcing talent in areas we don’t necessarily have experience of, we’ve also built a thorough database of approved, required and recommended UK suppliers who are readily accessible to our franchisees. Essentially, we make our franchisees’ lives easier which, in turn, improves productivity and profitability for all involved.
When speaking with prospects during the initial interview process, I ask what their motivations are for investing in a kids coding franchise in the first place. Essentially, I want to know why they chose Code Ninjas. If their motivations don’t align with our culture, that soon becomes apparent. And, as you would hope from a CEO, I also ask for evidence that they’re able to step up to the challenge. But just as much as we’re interviewing the prospect, the prospect is also interviewing us, to ensure investing in us will make their lives easier and their career more rewarding. I make a concerted effort to run prospects through all of the systems we’ve devised in support of our franchisees, including the detailed operations manual, our online community and the timeline we’ve devised for franchisees to follow throughout the operations of their location. I work hard to establish a culture that means franchisees feel encouraged to share their thoughts with me, right from the outset.
I’m not claiming that the life of a franchisee is one that comes without bumps in the road – starting any business requires some resilience on the part of the business owner. But we support franchisees to deal with the twists and turns as they arise, not after they’ve become an impossible U-turn.
I truly believe in the saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. After all, isn’t that one of the key attributes of a franchise model? Having a network of experts to share with and be led by. I make sure our franchisees are always aware of this. So, if you’re feeling like National Stress Awareness month is targeting you, why not think about joining a franchise and taking control of your future?
1 Perkbox, 2020, The 2020 UK workplace stress survey.
2 Health and Safety Executive, 2020, Causes of stress at work.
