What does franchise recruitment look like for 2025? Peter Fiasco at Kwik Kopy and Lauren Dillon at Kumon set the scene for the year ahead.
Peter Fiasco, head of franchising, Kwik Kopy
As we enter 2025, a new world is opening up, making it an exciting year for recruiting new franchisees for our businesses.
Some significant changes on the horizon include the expectation that the Reserve Bank will begin easing interest rates. This shift will likely provide individuals considering business ownership with more liquidity to invest.
Additionally, a Federal election will be held, which may introduce some short-term uncertainty.
Finally, we need to address the new changes to the Franchising Code of Conduct, which are intended to offer prospective franchisees more security and protection.
With all this in mind, one thing remains constant: we must not hesitate to respond to inquiries and handle leads quickly and authentically.
Potential franchisees are not looking for a sales pitch; they want to understand how our business can support their journey to business ownership. It’s also important to remember that we have various communication channels at our disposal. Ask the enquirer what their preferred method of communication with you is to maximise engagement.
Lauren Dillon, group leader of field development, Kumon Australia and New Zealand
Kumon is aiming for 2025 to be a massive year in terms of franchisee recruitment. A key part of our preparation is extensive advertising to raise awareness and generate customer leads. You can expect to see our advertisements on trains, buses, in shopping centres, digital, and much more.
At the same time, we are leveraging our franchise network through our recommendation scheme to source quality candidates amongst those with a strong understanding of Kumon.
There are a number of external trends that we are considering in 2025. One is a desire to ‘be-your-own-boss’ and acquire better work-life balance. While franchises operate a minimum of four days per week, they can plan their professional life around family and other commitments.
Another trend we are considering is the rise of technology. As a legacy brand (we celebrated 40 years in 2024), it is essential to be responsive and adaptive to customers’ changing needs. All our new Kumon franchises will have the opportunity to provide Kumon Connect to our customers. This delivers our world-class Mathematics and English worksheets in a digital format. The benefits to our franchisees and students are immense. Franchisees can provide our tailored programs, make adjustments to student work, and provide student feedback, all based on real-time data.
