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Baby, it’s cold out there: 5 ways a franchise can warm you up

Sarah Stowe

If you’re comparing the benefits of being in business by yourself, and buying a franchise business, here are some seasonal pointers to help you out.

The temperature doesn’t rise above single digits, there is frost on the ground and it’s dark at 5pm.  But you can get a warm glow from taking steps to invest in your future.

There are many reasons why belonging to a franchise system will fight of the chill. Here are my top five.

1.   You will not be alone!

There is a network of people who understand exactly what you will be going through. Whether it’s managing a rogue employee, juggling a price rise, implementing a legislative change… you have a network of fellow franchisees doing the hard yards with you. You can call on them for a sympathetic ear, someone who understands exactly what it’s like to do what you do. You can vent with your franchisee buddies about the hard slog and then motivate each other to do something. You don’t get access to such a brains trust as an independent operator. So use it. Find your people and tap into the collective genius.

2.   The ‘nudge alongs’

We can become apathetic in any season but a great franchisor is there to nudge you out of a funk and spark your motivation, even in the chilliest depths.

You will be able to chat to your field manager or someone else in the franchisor team and see how they may be able to help. It might be all you need to fire up your mojo.

3.   Plotting and planning

In the southern hemisphere winter spans the end of one financial year and the start of another. Good franchisors have solid review and planning systems in place to ensure you stay on top of your end of year reporting and compliance requirements and lay the foundations for a productive and profitable new year.

Independent operators need to navigate these murky waters solo. In many cases franchisors will filter and summarise information so it is targeted and specific for your business.

4.   The great winter bug massacre

Winter kills off all the nasty biting insects [I’m looking at you mozzies!] that we endure during the summer months. The chill is like a giant can of bug spray mowing down the horrible bits. Your franchisor can do the same – their giant can of Mortein is the operational checks and reviews they have in place. Great franchisors have a suite of powerful tools that will help you critically review your business, highlight the things that are going well and shine a critical light on opportunities.  As a franchisee you can use these tools to identify any areas that need work in your business.

5.   A team of experts

Franchisors provide training, marketing, buying support, they help with negotiating leases, managing fit outs… it’s a long list. Just imagine if you had to do this as an independent operator? Not only is there the required expertise to do these things well, but also the time and energy that would distract you from your core business.

There is no need to stay out in the cold when you could enjoy the warm embrace of a franchise system.