On the 15th May it is International Day of Families.
In franchising, families are so very important and it isn’t surprising when you think about both things are driven by supportive values.
With a family there is often a matriarch or patriarch – someone who is the head of the family. This is often the oldest and wisest. They have been through so much in their lives and can pass on their knowledge and wisdom to the younger generation.
If you relate this to franchising the head of the family is the Franchisor. They have learnt through their years of successful trading what works and what hasn’t in the past and can guide franchisees accordingly. The franchisor shares this wisdom at every touch they have with the franchisee from initial enquiry to training and ongoing support. I have known many a franchisor that is family run, so they too understand the importance of each member of their family or in this case the network.
There will inevitably be the very rare black sheep of the family – someone that is unusual and wants to go their own way. In some respects, this is fine, as they can test any new initiative that the franchisor wants to try, as it will keep them interested. However, they must not be disruptive or bring the family/business into disrepute, so the head of the family needs to be able to control these family members.
Trust amongst the family is essential. Neither party in the franchise relationship should do anything to lose that trust. For the franchisor you must always be open and honest. For example, if you receive discounts on bulk purchases, pass them on the franchisees or at least be honest as to the amount and how it is used. Similarly, the franchisee must follow the rules, best practice and guidance given by the franchisor. Of course, feedback to head office is imperative too, so that processes, etc. can be improved based on experiences.
A franchise family has shared views and values such as a common vision to be the best at what they do or the most admired or something else. There are built in support systems in a family, as there are within a franchise network. In a family there might be an expert in a particular area, such as arranging family gatherings and the same is true of the team that organises regional meetings or conferences.
The backbone of a family and a franchise is support. Inside your family other members will always support you when it’s tough or you just need someone to talk about an idea or a problem. This is the same in a franchise. Many franchisors are changing what they call their Head Office to Support Office. I think the first to do this many years ago was TaxAssist Accountants under the stewardship of Karl Sandall at the time but it has clearly resonated with other brands who have since followed suit. No franchise network can succeed without mutual support. The franchisor supports franchisees through their training and ongoing guidance. Franchisees support them in turn by achieving their goals and paying the fees and so the cycle continues. Therefore, if one side fails so will the other and ultimately the franchise brand.
Families are also resilient. Any issues can be shared and worked on together and the same is true within a franchise. Covid was a particularly challenging time for most families and many networks but very few franchisors have failed because of this resilience and of course the support I mentioned earlier.
If you are starting out on your journey as a franchisor do remember you are now part of a growing family, so keep these aspects in mind as you progress but particularly that you will all succeed if you work together.
Of course, even as a franchisor you are not alone. There is a family support network around you, such as the British Franchise Association and the events that they run, your advisors, consultant, lawyer and accountant and other franchisors that you can reach out to for guidance and support.
Similarly, if you are thinking of becoming a franchisee you are becoming part of a bigger family. One thing you must do though before you make any commitment is to have the support of your own family, because if you do not they will always be questioning why you bought the business. They must be 100% behind you and will often be the crux of success.
A strong family is the heat of everything, as is that of the franchise network to which you belong
Have a fantastic International Day of Family on the 15th and don’t forget to put family first at all times.
