Five golden rules

1. EXECUTION

The ability to execute a plan is one of the most important traits any franchisee can embody. Every member of the network is tasked with maintaining a supreme level of service or offering, and it is pivotal that you can deliver on this promise. One poor performing outlet can bring the value of the entire brand down. You don’t want to be the one operator dragging the chain.

“As a franchisee, you are buying into a franchise system because you want to benefit from the collective learning of the group and scale of the network,” Tim says.

“The system, brand and strategies have been developed and refined over time to be repeatable and scalable.”

There is a constant temptation to adjust certain parameters in the model. For example, you might find a supplier with a lower cost, or have a friend who could do your fitout cheaper – but bargain hunter beware. Franchisors have established ties with certain suppliers, builders and service providers for a reason, because they do good work that is consistent in look, taste and quality with the rest of the network.

West believes that while an entrepreneurial spirit can see you constantly striving for business improvement, some things are better left untouched.

“Often, franchisees can be tempted to make changes to the framework and implementation of strategy, but some of the most successful franchisees are the ones that follow the game plan and stick to the recommended best practice.”