What makes a good franchisor? Certain qualities rise above others when people review the personal traits of a good franchisor.
1. Good communications
Getting across your message to not just your franchise team but your franchisees is crucial so excellent communication skills help.
2. Listening skills
Ensure your communication is not one-sided. Listening to franchisees can lead to strategic or practical changes to better the business for all.
3. Consistency
Franchisees like to see consistent behaviour whether it’s controlling uniformity across the network or consistency in the message delivered.
4. Passion
You want your franchisees to bring their passion to the business but are you sharing the love? Belief in your brand and your franchisees is essential; franchisees don’t want to hear you are just in business for the money.
5. Honesty
Franchisees are increasingly referred to as franchise partners and in any partnership transparency, honesty and loyalty are highly valued.
6. A supportive attitude
What’s your style of management? An encouraging approach can go a long way. Do you show your personal support for what franchisees and your team members achieve? Can you provide the support your franchisees want? Creating a structure that gives franchisees key back-up is essential so they can do their job and help build the network.
7. Flexibility
Franchisors have to match flexibility with consistency and leadership, but anyone not responding to market changes and customer trends will be left floundering as competitors roar past.
8. Leadership
What’s your vision? Have you shared it with the franchise network? Everyone likes to know where they are heading, and prefers to follow someone who has clarity, determination and passion about what they aim to achieve.