McDonald’s franchise “more than a dream”

Buying a Maccas franchise was more than a dream, it was a goal that I realised after working for the corporation for almost 17 years. Seeing the business grow during this time and the lifestyle opportunities that licensees could manage in conjunction with running a great restaurant was the motivation behind buying one myself. The added motivation that can’t be measured in dollars is the additional and varied time I could spend with my family. If you’re considering becoming a franchisee, my advice is you have to be passionate about the business you purchase.

Quality and execution are the two minimums for any business. However, if you are dealing with customers then you need to have experience in that area. You need to think like a customer. McDonalds has an unbelievable network behind the scenes that is available when needed. My staff members have targeted objectives and course completion dates. This in turn helps develop them into better managers, enabling my restaurant to continually improve. It also allows me to expand or purchase additional restaurants and transfer some of my current team without affecting how the restaurant runs. The managers also have access to head office to fast track issues.

Our biggest and greatest reward over the last few years was the refocus and launch of the menu –a range of products that extended our already popular menu. Our customers can choose from an expanded menu which has resulted in more customer visits and healthier profits.

With more than 700 restaurants across Australia, we are still given the opportunity to have our say. Many concepts and items are tested at store level and all input from owners or managers is used in developing products to the next level, or not proceeding with it at all.

As a franchisee, I also enjoy giving something back to the community. I currently help with the RMHC Charity Ball (Ronald McDonald House Charities) which benefits by the funds raised to help the houses operate on a daily basis. At a local level, we rarely say no. Just over the past few months, the group of McDonalds restaurants in my area have helped with junior football, netball and the RPA newborn department with new equipment. We have also helped with soccer, tennis, schools and many other organisations.

Even with my experience within the corporate team at McDonalds, I still made mistakes as most people in business inevitably do. You need to be honest with yourself and continually move forward. You can’t blame anyone else for your mistakes. After all, its you that owes the money to the bank – you’re the boss.

I get asked at times "would you do it all again?" and my reply is, "yes, I wish I had done it earlier”. My tips for anyone considering buying a franchise is:

1. Make sure you set up systems to receive critical information when needed

2. Learn to complete all the bookkeeping before you open/purchase your franchise so you can focus on the operations

3. Prepare a sales plan before you purchase and diarise time quarterly to review and reset targets

4. Spend quality time with your staff in training them to understand your expectations

5. Make sure you are buying more than a job

Read about buying a franchise and running a franchise.