Strategic Planning and Coaching for Franchise Success

The #1 factor that franchisees credit for successful multi-unit ownership and expansion is franchisor mentorship and coaching. Before a franchisee ever opens her door for business, she needs to understand what success looks like, weekly and monthly KPI’s to track, and the patchway to successful multi-unit ownership.

Every successful leader and business requires traction style strategic planning, backcasting, and coaching. Coaching is the great equalizer and can transform an inexperienced and young franchisee into one of your best operators and multi-unit franchisees. As we approach a generational shift from Baby Boomers, to Gen X and Millennials, the opportunity is in coaching and developing a deeper franchisee bench.

Growth Tips

1. Younger franchisees without the bad habits may be the most overlooked franchise growth opportunity.
2. Build a culture and team that delivers on a promise to coach franchisees from day 1.
3. Build a dashboard of KPI’s and metrics that franchisees should be tracking on day 1 and each and every month after opening.

Winning franchisors are great coaches!

Bottom Thoughts

I was recently talking with a friend who said, “I am worried about getting fired”. 

I know, as their friend, I should have said something like, “I am so sorry” or “you are so much better than that place”, but that’s not my style.

So, I simply said, “maybe that’s a good thing” <insert the sound of tires screeching>.

Now, before you judge me for being a crappy friend, understand my viewpoint (then, you can comment that I am a jerk or whatever alternative word you want to use). I said that because if you are worried about getting fired there must be a reason. And that reason could very well be you.

Now, if my friend said, “look, the company that I am at is going through a super rough patch, so, I am worried about them downsizing me,” I may have said they are better than that. But, that wasn’t the case for this company that was thriving. 

I said, “look, if you feel that way, why do you feel that way? What are you not doing? How are you not supporting your boss? Why are you not doing your best? Could this feeling be your fault?”

The conversation could have gone a thousand different directions after that (are there a thousand different directions – or just four, asking for a friend), but, ultimately, it turned into a back-and-forth tennis match focused on: Are you doing your best? And when all was said and done, the ultimate answer was no, they weren’t.

In my opinion, what a weight off the shoulders to be able to admit that they may be taking too many naps and Nintendo breaks during the work-from-home day. What a weight off to accept this amazing thing called responsibility.

Now that we nailed the truth, it was time to brainstorm ways to get back on the bus.

Sometimes it’s a hard reset. Sometimes it is taking a new job. Sometimes expectations don’t meet capabilities. And sometimes, it isn’t the fault of the company you are at – it’s yours. 

So, the next time you feel like you are going to be fired, I would encourage you to take a good look in the mirror, problem solve, and start the solution tomorrow. I would encourage you to stop complaining and start changing – especially if you can find like in your boss, potential upward mobility, and increase in pay within the company you are at.