Is everyone in your franchise doing as well as they should?

Recently, I worked with a client to draw up a list of their top 10% of franchisees, and their bottom 10%. The differences between them shocked us both. It’s an exercise that can be well worth doing so you get a really good idea of how big a problem you might be facing… and just how far a small percentage of your network is dragging your averages down.

Every franchise has franchisees in their network who are not performing as well as they should. Sometimes, they might just be people who need to do better in terms of sales. Sometimes, it can be a lot more serious – bad attitudes, combative natures, and non-compliance with your franchise agreement.

There can be several reasons for this:

• That person is simply not right for the role
• They want to move on but don’t know how
• They’re simply not up to the standard you require
• They’re struggling to access the support they need – no matter how hard you try

Avoid the temptation to sweep it under the carpet – it could be more damaging than you think!

All of these are very common problems every franchisor faces, and it can be hard to devote the time and resources to address them. After all, you’ve got a whole network to lead! However, even small issues can really come back to bite you later if you’re not careful.

For example, are problem franchisees setting a dangerous precedent for others? Could the drag factor they have on your sales figures be putting off prospective franchisees?

Sure, you want to better use your energy elsewhere, and may even dread dealing with these people, but there are very clear benefits to solving these problems:

• Better sales and profits, both locally and across the network
• Making your franchise more appealing to prospects
• Clearer standards for all your franchisees
• Opening up territories for re-investment
• Fewer headaches to deal with!

So, how can you solve these problems?

The first step is to identify what is going wrong, and often the best way to do that is with a fresh, objective view. Our Franchise Operations Support Service can help with a complete franchise audit, or just a discrete chat with a select group of franchisees, or anything in between. We always find people are willing to speak more openly with an independent expert!

From there, we can identify some action points to help you, or act as an intermediary with any problem franchisees to help get them back on track. If possible, of course – sometimes we need to help them with an exit strategy, or work with you to terminate their contract, and using an outsider for that can help solve all manner of problems down the line, too!

We have a range of services available, so you would never need to commit to anything more than you need.

We can be there in as big or as small a capacity as you need. So, why don’t we talk about it some more? The first step is free. Just a quick, no obligation chat to see if this could be something useful for you.

Click this link to schedule a call.