People buy into franchises for several reasons. They want to have more control over their work. They want to feel ownership. They want to buy into the potential financial return instead of just getting a salary that increases a little each year. Maybe it will afford them more time flexibility.
But many also buy in because they want to enjoy their work. They want to be in an industry that is appealing to them. One that they like waking up to each morning and that allows them to grow and provide meaning to the world.
How can you, the franchisor, help your franchisees enjoy their work?
Here are a few thoughts.
1. Trust Them
Not many people like to be micromanaged. It’s a tricky thing with the franchise industry. On one hand, you do provide a set of guidelines for franchisees to follow. You give them the processes for success and make sure they follow them. For their benefit and for yours.
But trust comes in at various levels. You have to trust that they will follow the guidelines. You have to trust that they might change a few things that aren’t critical to the success of the franchise. You have to trust that they will reach out when they have questions or need help.
In general, it’s usually best to have some red alerts setup. This way you can know as early as possible if there are issues. Pay attention to these. Be upfront about them. But then trust your franchisee to do a good job once they get through the training. Don’t hound them or expect them to fail.
2. Listen To Them
Most people want someone that will listen to them. Listen and support. Listen and understand. Listen and validate. And occasionally to listen and to help. But watch out for that last one. It can be easy to offer unsolicited advice. Especially in the franchisor/franchisee relationship. Seek out conversations with your team. But go in with a listening ear most often instead of the intention to share your pearls of wisdom.
3. Bring Positive Energy
People don’t like being around others that are negative. They don’t like being around others that complain often. They want to be around positive people. They want to feel inspired to work now for a better future. They want to feel like that is possible. They want others that focus on the good things going on in the world.
It’s your job as the leader to focus on the positive. The good things the team is doing. The good outlook for the future. The things you and others can do that will lead to improvement.
Yes, there are always negative things to fix. But you don’t want to focus on those at the expense of the positive.
4. Brag About Them
Let’s say you have the opportunity to be interviewed. About your career. About your successful franchise. Take these opportunities to brag about the team you have. Share a story about a really successful franchisee that works hard and does well and is a great example for others. People want to work for people that are proud of their accomplishments.
5. Follow Through On Promises
Your franchisees want you to be reliable. They want to know that they can count on you when you make a promise. It’s why they likely went the franchise route. They want support. The more you disappoint the more they are likely to look for alternatives. Or the more they will simply not enjoy coming to work each day. And that can spread through your entire franchise.
Conclusion
Coming to work doesn’t need to be as excited as a bowl of ice cream on a summer day. But most people want to feel some sense of enjoyment when they wake up each day. They want to smile a bit when they think about what they’re going to work on today. Not all the time. But a good amount of the time.
Hopefully the items here can help you to work on making your franchise one that many want to work for today and into the future.