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Supporting franchisees is essential for the success of your franchise network. Franchisees are the backbone of your franchise system, and their work represents your brand. It is paramount to provide a good level of support to your franchisees. By offering comprehensive training and ongoing assistance, you can help to ensure customer satisfaction and the long-term success of your network. This article will explain how you, as a franchisor, can support your franchisees.
A Franchisor’s Obligations
The franchise agreement establishes your contractual obligation to provide initial training and ongoing support to your franchisees. Within this crucial legal document, you will state the forms of training and support on offer. You commit to providing certain services and resources through this agreement to help franchisees operate their businesses effectively.
Providing training and support is an industry best practice as well as a contractual obligation for franchisors. The British Franchise Association’s (BFA) Code of Ethics stipulates that franchisors must provide each of their franchisees with initial training and support. Support provisions will take the form of continuing commercial and technical assistance for the duration of the franchise agreement.
Ways You Can Support Your Franchisees
1. Comprehensive Initial Training
Offering an initial training program will initiate new franchisees. A core objective of this program is to familiarise franchisees with your brand and how they will operate their businesses. The format of your franchisee training program can vary depending on your:
- brand;
- industry; and
- the type of information you want to convey.
You might also provide training beyond the initial training package. For example, when introducing new products and services into your brand or making substantial operational changes. You can also provide additional training if you recognise that a franchisee needs help to meet their performance targets.
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2. Robust Training Resources
Providing resources such as manuals and digital learning materials can form a solid basis for your training and support provisions for several reasons, such as:
- they provide easy access to information;
- they can help you to set standardised procedures and guidelines for franchisees to follow;
- they serve as valuable training materials for new franchisees; and
- they can help franchisees troubleshoot or find the answer to particular questions if they need guidance on a specific task.
One essential resource is the franchise operations manual. This manual is a comprehensive guide that outlines operating procedures, best practices and guidelines for various aspects of a franchisee’s business.
Through these resources, you can share relevant industry know-how the franchisee will need to operate effectively. You could also share this knowledge through the initial training program. Suppose the know-how you share is private knowledge that gives your franchise concept a competitive advantage. In this case, it is a good idea to ask franchisees to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). An NDA would protect such confidential information by obliging franchisees not to disclose it.
3. Operational Assistance
You will need to offer franchisees guidance and assistance in their daily operations. You might provide this support yourself. However, for an extensive franchise network, you may need a team or alternative mechanism to support all franchisees effectively.
4. Marketing Assistance
To coordinate marketing campaigns and deliver compelling local marketing, you must provide marketing support to your franchisees. This support will include assisting franchisees in generating marketing materials and planning promotions. By helping each of your franchisees attract customers through marketing campaigns, you can build brand recognition.
5. Facilitating Open Communication
Open communication ensures your franchisees understand your vision, goals, and expectations. Maintaining open lines of communication and providing feedback to franchisees is also a great way to foster a collaborative relationship. You can check in with your franchisees, monitor their progress, and address their concerns throughout the duration of the franchise agreement.
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Key Takeaways
As a franchisor, you need to support franchisees as a matter of good practice and to fulfil your legal obligations. Within the franchise agreement, you will outline the training and support package your franchisees will receive. You will establish your contractual obligation to provide this support.
How well you uphold your responsibility can significantly impact the success and sustainability of your overall franchise network. By creating effective mechanisms to support your franchisees, you ensure that you meet your legal obligations and foster a relationship of trust, guidance and collaboration. These are essential qualities of strong franchise relationships geared towards mutual success.
There are various ways that you can provide support to your franchisees. These include the following:
- creating and delivering a comprehensive training program;
- providing robust training resources;
- operational assistance;
- marketing assistance; and
- by facilitating open communication.
If you need legal advice about your training and support obligations as a franchisor, our experienced franchise lawyers can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on 0808 196 8584 or visit our membership page.
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