With over 790,000 franchised business units in the U.S., and more than 75,000 in Canada, North America dominates the world in the overall number of franchises….

Trust is essential in building any collaborative business relationship, even more so in a franchised environment. When potential franchisees decide to enter into an agreement with a franchisor, they trust their investment will be well protected and supported.

A staggering number of employees, over 70%, have suggested that they lack the skills and have not had adequate training to execute their job duties. Perhaps even more shocking is a study conducted by West Monroe Partners……

I’ve worked alongside hundreds of franchisees during my career, and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that the most successful franchisees have always been the ones who prioritize spending time working on their operations while trying to build a robust and collaborative relationship with their franchisor.

Effective communication between key stakeholders is a cornerstone of successful collaboration. People need to be able to talk with one another frequently to share information, knowledge, and ideas, which helps everyone move toward common goals. It’s no less important in a franchised business environment…

“We take a deep dive into the operational results from a franchisor’s perspective,” says host Laura Darrell of Laura Darrell Leadership Coaching….

In this session, Laura shares her knowledge and experience working with both franchisors and franchisees to strengthen their ties into both their local community and their online community. ..

Becoming a multi-unit franchisee is a goal many single-unit operators set out to achieve when joining a franchised organization. According to FRANdata, it has become the preferred strategy for more than half (54%) of those currently in a franchised system. It’s not difficult to understand why.

Over the years, I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly related to franchisees’ local marketing efforts. Local marketing can have a huge impact on your business results when done right and does not conflict with national promotions designed by the franchisor with your marketing dollars.

The past 2 years have seen the highest number of employee resignations since people started tracking this data in 2000, and franchised business units were not immune. Employees are tired of working at companies that make them feel undervalued, underdeveloped, and ultimately uncared for by their managers.

It’s no secret that hiring for entry-level positions in the retail and hospitality markets across North America has become incredibly difficult with historically low unemployment in many areas. Add the complexities of trying to woo workers back to these jobs in a post-Covid world, and the situation only worsens.

The one area of the franchised business model I consistently see as an opportunity amongst the franchise community, regardless of the brand, is a need for more focus on deepening ties into the community the franchisee operates in.