Secret to Happy Franchisees

by Thomas Scott, Showhomes

Franchising is an elegant business model.

When it works well, the franchisor's interests are aligned with the interests of the franchisee. If the franchisee makes money and is happy running their business, the franchise system thrives and everyone benefits.

When it doesn't work well, the people who operate franchise companies and the people who own franchises lose sight of the core company mission and work at cross purposes.

In a recent webinar with Joe Mathews of the Franchise Performance Group, Shelly Sun, CEO of Brightstar Home Health Care, commented on one of the secrets to happy franchises she's learned the hard way as her popular business has grown and it is a lesson all franchisors should listen to.

She learned that by doing franchisee satisfaction surveys every six months that her staff was often overlooking the top-performers and spending more time and resources helping new franchisees open and ramp up. As a franchisor myself, I know this is easy to do: top-performers have mastered the business model and are competent. Because of this, they are rarely 'squeaky wheels' and don't often voice concerns when they arise. Like any bustling business, a franchisor has many people to answer to and new franchisees have lots of questions and need more help than top performers so it is easy to lose sight of them.

Nobody wakes up in the morning and wants to be below average. We all wake up and want to be a top performer! That's the entrepreneurial nature of franchising - it attracts competitive and driven people.

At Showhomes Home Staging, we strive to pay attention to both new franchisees and our Top Performers. We know that our Top Performers are the real backbone of our business and we know that anyone who wants to open one of our franchises will want to talk to top performers. It is crucial that they are always making money and remain happy. If they are, the franchise system will thrive and if not, it will diminish.

If you are thinking of opening a franchise, talk to both new franchisees and top performers. If you don't know who is who, ask. When you talk to top-performers, ask if their needs are met. Does the company provide performance groups to help raise the bar? Do they get recognition when they succeed and does the franchisor get their feedback on a regular basis? Are they happy?

Find a company with truly happy top performers and you'll find a healthy franchise system.

Thomas Scott
VP Marketing and System Development, Showhomes Home Staging
showhomesfranchise.com

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