Global Franchise 9.1

for owners that do a good job in the businesses that they’re responsible for, so they can replicate that operational mindset to others,” said Steve. “The other, intangible quality they’re looking for is leadership ability. You have to convince these people, you can’t coerce these people into doing things a certain way.” If it’s down to a franchisee’s commitment to perfecting operations, motivating staff and increasing profitability at every turn, franchisors will seek to understand what is driving this success in attempt to replicate it across the network. Enthusiasm It’s entirely possible to have franchisees with no emotional bond to the brand who still achieve strong profits, but the best franchisees are deeply tied into the system by virtue of their love for it. They believe strongly in the brand’s mission, what they do on a daily basis, and it is clearly visible to others. “It’s about looking for that particular person who has a passion for service, and who really wants to help the franchisees grow and develop their business,” said Brian Tietz, vice president of franchise support at Lift Brands. “Owners have a great perspective on how to do that right, especially some of our franchise business coaches, who are some of our top owners that have been in the system.” These are the types of franchisees that franchisors aim to take with them to conferences and record marketing material with. They need to be amiable and be able to convince others of their ideas. “They want folks who are upbeat, friendly, who are carrying themselves in a way that’s going to represent the brand well,” said Andrea. “You don’t want someone with an incredibly strong ego who is not going to draw others towards them.” Lift Brands makes use of business coaches, but they’re not all franchisees. Having coaches from different backgrounds allows for a wider breadth of practice to be covered. “What’s interesting with our coaches is that we’ve got a little bit of a combination effect. That means that we’ve got some coaches who are owners and we have some coaches who are actually managers in the system as well.” said Tietz. The best franchisees foster a healthy system- wide culture People choose to go into the world of franchising for a variety of reasons; but working for yourself but not by yourself is often cited as one of the biggest advantages of franchising, especially for those who have left behind a conventional salaried role. “We all know that we all succeed when we all do well. Particularly in Colorado, Steve and I got involved right away with the other owners,” said Andrea. “If we teach people to do it the right way, and to support each other in the right way, that’s a win-win for everyone.” Franchisee-franchisor relationships are essential to maintain and keep healthy, but forming bonds amongst franchisees can create a wider and stronger support network. During the recruitment process, candidates are likely to meet and shadow existing franchisees to get an understanding of the brand and business. Continuing those relationships after the candidate has signed can drive future success and revenue. The best brands utilize the top- performing franchisees and put them forward for awards and honors. The annual IFA Convention in Phoenix, Arizona in February proved this, with numerous franchisees being presented with awards during the course of the convention. This invariably serves as inspiration to owners across the franchise network, many of whom will desire the same level of recognition. Best practice Every franchise thrives on best practice. Operations are reduced to their most efficient size and process, and the operations manual is often the guide by which many franchisees run their locations. That said, there are often small improvements that individual franchisees can make which help them stand over their peers. Granular improvements in customer experience and service can drive “I think they look at performance, they don't want underperformers in these roles. They're looking for owners that do a good job in the businesses that they're responsible for, so they can replicate that operational mindset to others” GLOBAL-FRANCHISE.COM 61