We tend to think of franchisors and franchisees as adversaries. Still, the truth is that both have to contribute equally to the development of a successful franchise business by practicing successful leadership qualities. Both parties must exercise good leadership and make mutual investments in one another. This symbiotic relationship between a franchisor and a franchisee aids in the expansion of a firm by attracting additional responsibility from other parties involved in the operation. The following are the top four fundamental franchise leadership qualities that should be had by everyone participating in the franchise ecosystem.
Aligning with a Sense of Purpose
An individual’s ability to attain success in developing their team, the growth opportunities for their employees, or the satisfaction of their customers define their alignment with a sense of purpose. Businesses such as Taco John’s have a clearly defined purpose; assisting young people in entering the industry by providing a fantastic sense of accomplishment is an important way of enabling young people to realize their career potential. Whether it is for the franchisors or the franchisees, all parties must share an equal or an exceeding sense of purpose that keeps them focused on their end objective and positively impacts their respective businesses.
The Courage to Accept Shortcomings to Notch Up Performance
Whether you build or buy a franchise, the guiding star is the brand. The franchisor or the franchisee should never compromise their brand. A brand’s reputation is in the open air, with buyers interacting either digitally or in person. A recipe, a trademark, or standards of operation uphold a brand, and hence franchisees must comply with the initial brand narrative. Brand integrity is of paramount importance. In this regard, to not follow brand integrity because the franchisee claims to know it all despite underperformance, they are not respecting the system. There’s no loss in accepting ways to learn more for the better growth of one’s business.
How Ego Hinders Communication & Fails a Business
There can never be enough emphasis on communication in the franchise market when there can be anywhere from one to hundreds of stakeholders in a brand. By talking, emailing, texting, and conferencing, the other side can feel heard and know that their issues and concerns are being taken into consideration and addressed as appropriate. It is not uncommon for the ego to give up on communicating a message after several failed attempts to communicate it. Reinforcements and reassurances, on the other hand, are essential. This is crucial if a franchise store’s demographic and psychographic makeup differs from the franchise’s average demographic and psychographic makeup.
Culturing Active Listening; Stakeholders & Market
It is essential in business to be mindful of one’s surroundings. Allowing any level of pride or prejudice to exist can deter the potential of a successful franchise business. While one party must be consistent in communicating the message, both the franchisor and the franchisee must engage in active listening techniques. A lot is lost in translation, especially when the franchisee business is located in a new geography. Despite the lucrative returns, if McDonald’s can successfully sell beef burgers in Paris, they cannot sell beef burgers in India. In this hypothetical situation, the franchisor must pay attention to the franchisee who is more familiar with the rules and regulations of the particular region. A franchisee must engage in active listening to ensure that they comply with local food laws or whatever laws apply to their particular industry in this situation.
How Comfort Deters a Successful Franchise Business
No one can forecast success in a franchise business without going through a series of trial and error tests since there is no final goal. It is impossible to achieve success and then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You must keep going. If you display a commitment to growth, your business partners, staff, and peers will regard you with greater respect. You must constantly strive to outperform your previous performance if you are to be successful in a franchise business environment. When someone in a franchise business becomes overly comfortable, their capacity to grow the business is affected with serious setbacks.
Summing up your Strategy to Build a Successful Franchise Business
The relationship between a franchisor and a franchisee may be straightforward on paper, but it is almost always a completely different story in practice. Summarily, formulate your vision for your own business. Make certain that it is accurate, and spend as much time as you can discussing the vision and exchanging ideas about how you intend to achieve it with one another. Also, setting expectations from the beginning and having very clear expectations about what each person, franchisee and franchisor, is responsible for—no matter what type of franchising concept you’re in—helps build a successful foundation, regardless of the type of franchising concept you’re in. Last but not least, the mantra is “the team.” Nothing is more important than the success of a team project. Maintaining a strong team in which everyone works together to achieve success in a franchise business is unquestionably the key to success in the franchise industry.
