Achieving the Next Level

Strategic Planning
Eventually, every successful organization realizes growth, in addition to sales, is a more effective strategy for profitability, than sales alone. To help you formulate your strategic plan, we, at Franchise Insights, believe it is essential to fully understand your business. While our clients operate in a wide variety of industries, they are all in the same business — the franchise business — and that’s a business we understand. The Managing Directors at Franchise Insights have the real world experience dealing with the challenges and opportunities franchising has to offer, as well as the expertise to take full advantage of them. Let us help you channel the individual characteristics of a typically diverse, motivated and aggressive management team into one focused effort.

Growth Strategies
Ask savvy franchisors what they want most for their organization—and growth will likely be their answer. A great product/service alone will not accomplish this goal; nor will a fantastic sales department, on its own. The key to growth is an effective strategy that incorporates realistic views of the marketplace, competition, the product/service offering, demand, and your company’s sales efforts. The growth strategy itself may include franchising of newly developed outlets; conversion of competitive locations; and/or acquisition of other brands. Finally and, perhaps most critically, the overall plan must be embraced by the entire organization. Franchise Insights can show you how to develop and implement an effective, realistic growth strategy — one that makes sense for the entire organization.

Franchise Sales

There are plenty of companies who tell you they can help generate more leads and sales for your business, yet we believe you know more about your marketplace than they do—and truth be told, you know more about it than we do. What Franchise Insights provides you with is the guidance to design a powerful, effective franchise sales “structure”—from territories, brokers, master developers, and incentive plans, to sales compensation plans and sales team integration with other departments in the company. We have seen what works well and what doesn’t work at all. There is no magic bullet; each solution is unique to that organization. At Franchise Insights, we know how to quickly identify the most effective plan and offer recommendations for a more efficient, productive and successful sales effort.

Franchise Relations

Franchisee Support
Satisfying franchisee expectations is the foundation of franchising. Without it, retention becomes nearly impossible and growth is negatively impacted. The support you provide to franchisees conveys your dedication to their success. Setting appropriate franchisee expectations, and developing an internal network that effectively responds to those expectations, are the keys to a successful franchise system. Let Franchise Insights share its unique approach to franchise support whereby current franchisees are not only satisfied with your service, but become your greatest source for new franchise sales.

Franchisee Advisory Boards
Franchisee participation in the franchisor’s decision-making process, particularly for the functions that directly impact the franchisee’s operation, can be one of the most effective means of building a “partnership.” If the relationship between the advisory board (elected by franchisees or appointed by management) and the company is not skillfully nurtured and developed, it also has the potential of becoming the single-most divisive force in a franchise system. Managing this relationship is more art than science. If you are thinking about forming a Franchise Advisory Board or if you already have one in place, Franchise Insights can paint a clear picture of the advantages of maintaining an effective and productive relationship with this important group.

Franchise Services

Training
Just as important as learning to operate one of your facilities, franchisees and company employees need to understand and support the culture of your brand. We are aware that managing an effective training function is one of the greatest challenges of franchising: franchisee resistance to change and employee turnover at the site level are constant issues; however, your company’s commitment to initial and ongoing training determines (or undermines) employee pride and brand consistency, especially as they grow. We have managed a wide variety of proven training programs. Now let us demonstrate for you how to further develop and organize your training efforts to build and reinforce your company’s culture.

Field Support
All franchisees, including those with whom you have the closest personal relationships, will eventually question the value of their franchise, if they don’t perceive an appropriate, tangible return on their investment. Although franchisees often appreciate a business, even social, relationship with the franchisor, the bottom line is profitability. Field Support is one of the most effective means of improving franchise relations and franchisee operating performance. Franchise Insights will share its approach to funding, implementing and enhancing a Field Support program that franchisees will credit with improving their business operations and value of the franchise.

Pre-Opening Support
Following the execution of the franchise agreement, the process of getting a new franchisee open and operating is often delayed by numerous or unanticipated problems and questions. This seemingly negative issue presents the franchisor with an ideal opportunity to impress the franchisee and provide an unexpected level of service. This is a critical time for you to begin building the foundation upon which a long-term relationship will grow. Effective Pre-Opening Support, one of the most often overlooked aspects of Franchise Services, ensures each new franchise opens promptly and smoothly, once all requirements have been satisfied, and expedites the flow of franchise fees. Having managed a pre-opening support team that opened an average of 3 new facilities every business DAY, we fully understand the complexity and sensitivity of this all-too-important area and will share essential tips on how to structure your pre-opening services.

Quality Assurance
System standards are the backbone of every chain. Beyond simply conducting “inspections,” an effective QA process requires franchisees and the franchise company to take brand quality and consistency seriously and make it a top priority. Our team successfully designed and managed a QA system that conducted 25,000 evaluations per year and more importantly, changed the franchisees’ perception of the inspector from adversary to ally. Let us show you how to structure a quality assurance system that provides for consistent, quality franchises – supported by the current franchisees.

Franchise Marketing

The “Real ” Target Audience
“Everyone thinks he/she is a marketing expert.” If you ever doubt this statement, simply ask a franchisee for an opinion of your marketing plan. Good or bad, they will have an opinion, and that opinion must be considered. Franchise companies often fail to take into account franchisee “buy-in” of their marketing plans. The “real“ target audience of your brand advertising is the FRANCHISEES. Only with their support, can you expect enthusiastic participation at the field level and consistent delivery to consumers. Having been involved in numerous introductions of national and local marketing plans to franchise advisory boards and the general franchisee population of many brands, Franchise Insights will share its experiences and techniques for successfully securing franchisee support.

Ad Fund Management
Achieving maximum market penetration is the common goal of both franchisees and the franchisor. Managing the funds associated with your marketing assessments can be very complex, however, and may become the subject of ongoing scrutiny by franchisees and the advisory board. While it is certainly reasonable for the Ad Fund to bear its fair share of related expenses, great care must be exercised to ensure that all charges are appropriate. Let Franchise Insights share its experiences in properly accounting for Ad Fund expenditures, while managing very delicate franchise relations.

Franchise Operations

Operations Manuals
An operations manual is obviously one of the basic tenets of any franchise system and should be considered a valuable reference tool by franchisees for managing their businesses. The manual also serves the franchisor as the most effective means of maintaining current system standards and the integrity of its trademarks. The Franchise Insights team has not only authored operations manuals for a number of popular national chains, but more importantly, we have been responsible for converting many ineffective, rarely used “shelf-sitters” into practical, solutions-oriented management tools for franchisees. Our manuals have also proven to be very effective resources in maintaining brand integrity, even when held to the highest level of scrutiny. Let Franchise Insights be that “fresh set of eyes” to review and suggest any changes necessary to improve the effectiveness of your operations manuals.

Franchise Administration
How you manage your Franchise Administration function—including compliance and re-licensing, i.e. negotiation and execution of new license agreements at the time of renewal or sale of a franchise—conveys the value your organization places on the franchise relationship and the quality of your franchise system as a whole. Franchise Insights created the model for franchise administration that became the benchmark by which many franchise companies have been judged. Our unique customer service style revolutionized an industry, and its approach to managing this sensitive franchisor responsibility.

Purchasing Programs
Franchisors typically view purchasing services in one of three ways: a valuable resource for franchisees that differentiates them from competitors; a necessary evil; or something to be avoided at all costs. There is another view, however. Franchise Insights’ approach to purchasing benefits both the franchisee and franchisor. Franchisees receive quality products/services at volume discounts and improved system-wide consistency, and franchisors enjoy a variety of opportunities to enhance profitability and franchise service. Let us demonstrate how this unique approach can positively affect the value of your franchise and your company’s revenue stream.

Collections Strategies and Procedures
Simply stated, collections is just not the fun part of any business. The most common approach is a costly one, with teams of people making calls to the same slow or short-paying customers month after month. Franchise Insights takes a different view. In the franchising business, we believe that the most successful collections strategies focus on efficient billing, clear, concise and consistent reporting and effective audit procedures. Let Franchise Insights share how its "ounce of prevention" approach will produce stronger, less costly cash receipts.

Conference Support

National and regional conferences are either dreaded or anxiously anticipated — sometimes both. However, they do provide a rare opportunity to convey your message to your franchisees and to boost your company to the next level. It also sets the tone for the following year and allows you to hear, firsthand, the concerns and issues of your customer — the franchisee. Franchise Insights can provide you with everything from keynote addresses to seminars and breakout sessions on virtually every topic related to franchising. Our unique and dynamic speaking style, combined with real-world experiences, results in meaningful and useful sessions that reinforce your goals.

Litigation Support / Expert Witness Services

Litigation is certainly one area that most franchise companies would like to avoid. Even the mention of the topic conjures up unpleasant images with most franchisors. Unfortunately, in today’s climate, it is a reality that most businesses must be prepared to address. Obviously, the best outcome is to resolve a dispute before it escalates to an even larger, and more expensive problem. As a last recourse, litigation may become necessary. Franchise Insights has extensive experience in all areas of dispute negotiations, mediation and litigation. While we do not offer legal advice, we do provide the most discerning analysis of operating procedures and franchise agreements necessary to minimize a franchisor’s exposure when such circumstances arise. In the event outside expert testimony is necessary, Franchise Insights’ Managing Directors have extensive experience in providing testimony on virtually all franchise related topics, including vicarious liability, franchise termination, fraud, and breach of contract.