Franchise FAQ

how do owners influence franchise companies

by Tyrell Donnelly Jr. Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Generally speaking though, a franchise owner does many of the same things as any other small business owner, such as:

  • Customer Service: This could include anything from assisting customers in making purchases to providing training or support for new or existing customers. ...
  • Marketing: While some franchisors take care of marketing efforts, especially on the national level, successful franchisees often take a proactive approach to marketing. ...

Full Answer

What does the owner do in a franchise?

As a franchisee, a business owner is responsible for the following: Paying the franchise fee and paying royalties to the franchise to help run the larger business. Finding, leasing and building out a location for the franchise. (As mentioned previously, most franchises will help extensively with this.)

Why are franchises attractive to business owners?

Franchises offer easier access to financing and more predictable growth models than most sole proprietorships. To obtain financing for a sole proprietorship, you might have to convince your family and friends, a private lender, or the Small Business Association that you have a sound business plan and growth model.

What is the relationship between the franchise owner and the franchisee?

The franchisor owns the trademark(s) and the operating system for the franchise. The franchisee is licensed to use both the trademark and the operating system according to the terms and conditions set forth in the franchise agreement. Both the franchisor and franchisee must fulfill their obligations under the contract.

Do franchises make their own decisions?

Franchise owners enjoy the freedom to make a lot of independent decisions, enjoying constant support from the franchise. Owners can make their own choices, with a touch of guidance from experts who are familiar with the success mantra.

Why might someone want to become a franchise owner?

Franchising allows bigger businesses to branch out and grow while giving people the opportunity to run their own business with the help and support of a larger company that has a proven formula for success.

What is the most important consideration in franchising business?

Important considerations for your franchise model include fee and royalty percentage, terms of agreement, size of territory awarded to each franchisee, geographic areas in which you are willing to offer franchises, the specifics of your training program, and more.

Who is the owner of a franchise?

the franchisorA franchisee is a small-business owner who operates a franchise. The franchisee pays a fee to the franchisor for the right to use the business's already-established success, trademarks, and proprietary knowledge.

Why is a strong relationship between franchisor and franchisee important?

A Mutually Beneficial Relationship The relationship between franchisor and franchisee is unique because it is symbiotic, or mutually beneficial. Both parties have something to gain from the partnership. It is important to franchisors that their franchisees prosper because their success reflects upon the brand.

Why a brand is so significant to a franchisor and a franchisee?

It attracts franchisees. A strong brand has a reciprocal benefit. The loyal customer base it creates generates more business for all its franchise locations, which helps to reduce the start-up risk and to encourage more entrepreneurs in opening a franchise business.

What are the important things to remember in franchising?

Here are some tips to consider before you commit to a franchise.Learn everything you can about franchising. ... Understand the franchise agreement. ... Read the disclosure statement carefully. ... Identify your financial risks. ... Understand your territory. ... Consider restraint of trade. ... Find out if there are ongoing fees.More items...

Does a franchisor control a franchisee?

One of the basic legal principles of the franchisor-franchisee relationship is that franchisees are generally not the agents of the franchisors, and so the franchisor should not be responsible for the acts of the franchisee or its employees/agents.

What are the pros and cons of owning a franchise?

Benefits and Cons of Franchising: A SummaryAdvantages of buying a franchiseDISADVANTAGES OF BUYING A FRANCHISEBrand awareness already exists for the business, making it easier to draw in an audience and generate profits.Initial investments can be high, and some companies require payment with non-borrowed money.5 more rows•Aug 30, 2021

What is attractive to you about owning a franchise?

Lower Startup Costs Most entrepreneurs, especially when they're starting out, don't have access to that kind of money. When you buy a business franchise, you'll have fewer costs up front in many cases. Not all franchises are inexpensive, but in general, they are cost-effective investments.

Do you think franchising is a good choice for entrepreneurs wishing to start a business particularly in a highly competitive market?

All around, opening a franchise is a great way to go if you are interested in running your own business while minimizing the risk of starting one on your own. Franchises will give you a federally trademarked brand, a well-tuned systems and operations and all of the resources that you need for getting started.

How does a franchise help a startup?

Franchising offers an alternative that allows entrepreneurs to expand their business without the cost of equity. The franchisee provides the capital needed to open and operate a unit, allowing the franchisor to grow without incurring debt or giving up equity.

What is a franchise compare it to the other business?

A franchise is a chance to own your own business, hire a staff, and generate income for yourself–just like a startup. The difference is that in franchising, someone else owns the brand; whereas in a company like Facebook, for example, the brand is property of the entrepreneur, Mark Zuckerberg.

What is the relationship between a franchisee and a franchisor?

The relationship between franchisee and franchisor is, at its most essential, a business partnership. In order to maintain that partnership and the rights to the franchise model, franchise owners are responsible for paying initial startup costs and ongoing franchise fees.

Who is responsible for setting up a franchise?

If the franchise requires a physical location like a storefront, warehouse, office building, then the franchise owner may be responsible for finding, leasing, and setting it up. This is a heavy lift but once everything is set up, the job transitions towards maintaining the property like any other business would.

How do franchise owners get paid?

Franchise owners experience business ownership, but without the upfront work it takes to develop a brand, reputation, and a product with a good track record. This is why franchising is a popular option for individuals looking to own a business.

What is the percentage fee for franchises?

Percent fees are based on total gross sales, and are usually between 5 - 9%. If a franchise’s total monthly gross sales income was $10,000 and the contract states a 6% fee, then the fees for that month would equal $600.

When was Franchise.com founded?

A Trusted Industry Leader Since 1995. Founded in 1995, Franchise.com was one of the first franchise recruitment websites in the world. Today, we continue to be the 'go to' place for people beginning their business opportunity search and the journey of franchise ownership as well as for those already involved in the world of franchising.

Is overhead considered profit?

These overhead costs and franchise fees are generally baked into the final total selling prices for products and services rendered. Any left over is considered profit. That profit is often what franchise owners will take home, or use to invest further into the business.

Does franchising come down to the owner?

In the end, the success of a franchise comes down to the owner. At times, that may mean wearing several different occupational hats at any point. The responsibility not only impacts your relationship with your franchisor, but also with your personal needs and wants. You're not just working for a paycheck anymore, but doing your best to make the business work for your lifestyle. The more you put in, the more potential you have to get back.

What is a Franchise Owner?

A franchise owner is a business owner who has bought a franchise — an already established business model that is part of a chain (think McDonalds, Subway, or Kentucky Fried Chicken). Each franchise uses the same name, trademark, product, and services.

Why do you buy a franchise?

Buying a franchise establishes a relationship with the successful business (the franchisor), provides on-going brand awareness, and gives the franchise owner a proven system to work with.

How long does a franchise contract last?

After the fee is paid, a contract will be signed for a specific length of time (usually five, ten, or twenty years). The contract will lay out responsibilities, the rights to use the system, the rights to the name of the business, and the training needed to start the business. It does not include the inventory, furniture, fixtures or real estate. Once the contract expires, it will need to be renewed.

How much does a franchise owner make?

Franchise owner salary. The average salary for franchise owners in the United States is around $57,971 per year . Salaries typically start from $40,305 and go up to $163,298. Read about Franchise owner salary.

What industries have franchises?

Industries that have franchises include: automotive, beauty, art, travel, recreation, business, education, pet, entertainment, financial services, food, health, fitness, technology, retail, senior care, vending, moving and storage, child care and services, cleaning and maintenance, and medical.

Why are franchises failing?

This is where franchises shine, as they get up and running faster , and become profitable more quickly because of the management that is already set up .

What is the advantage of franchise?

A big plus for the franchise owner is that the business is already 'known' and recognized by the public. Customers much prefer dealing with a brand they have heard of and can trust. They also know the quality of the product or service, as one location is comparable to that of another location.

How to start a franchise business?

Here are some things to keep in mind when researching franchise opportunities: 1 Talk with as many franchisees as you can and confirm that your business projections and income expectations are realistic. 2 Understand that most business owners can’t take any money out of the business for the first few years during the startup phase, and it may take you even longer to start paying yourself a salary from your new business. 3 Plan accordingly and try to have alternative sources of income (i.e. a spouse’s salary) to live off of while your new business is getting off the ground.

How much do food franchise owners make?

Our research shows that 37 percent of food franchise owners earn less than $50,000 per year, and just 16 percent – the “top performers” – earn more than $200,000 per year. The average annual income reported by all food and beverage operators that we surveyed is $120,000 for businesses open at least two years. Not bad, until you factor in the long hours and high initial investment that come with many food businesses. The good news is that our top food franchises report average earnings 15 to 20 percent higher than their competitors.

How much does a franchisee make?

In the case of our food and beverage franchisee data, the median annual income is around $70,000, and if we include startup franchisees (those in business for less than two years) the median falls to around $50,000. Only 34 percent of all food franchise owners earned more than $100,000 last year – and many earned much less.

What is the item 19 in a franchise?

Many franchisors have started including an Item 19—the “financial performance representation ”—as part of their F.D.D. The latest trend in Item 19s is providing both gross and net numbers in order to really give candidates and franchisees a better idea of potential profitability, not just top-line revenue. Franchisors told us they have become much more frank in their discussions with franchisees about what exactly they’ll need for capital in order to be successful.

Do people in franchising do well?

It’s true that some people in franchising – we’ll call them the top performers – have done very well for themselves. These are most often the people that end up owning multiple franchise locations and have built a successful team of people around them. This group represents only about 20 percent of the franchisee universe, yet it is their success stories that attract thousands of people to invest in a franchise every year.

Is it important to have a well capitalized franchise?

The importance of a new franchisee being well-capitalized cannot be overstated. Prospective franchisees should carefully review a brand’s Franchise Disclosure Document (F.D.D.) and ask current franchisees how much they recommend a new franchisee have in the bank before opening.

Why are scalable businesses important?

But why all this focus on scalability and local management? In a nutshell, scalable businesses typically yield faster growth and higher profitability and therefore command greater valuations when the companies are sold. This is why technology companies (with their scalable platforms) and pharmaceutical businesses (with their amazing royalty / licensing revenue streams) often garner such high valuations (think Groupon S-1 filing and the recent IPO of professional social networking website LinkedIn ). In franchise mergers and acquisitions, a similar force is at work, as franchise systems are typically valued at 8-10 times EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization)which, when compared to a company in the 3-5 times range, puts a significant premium on their scaled systems. The reasoning behind this is that new revenue and the ability to grow quickly is much larger through an independently owned distribution model, where the power of the franchise systems and the franchisee network can be combined to drive efficient, lean operations and bully suppliers into offering lower raw material costs, while local owners (franchisees) can tend to the particular needs of their own business. Local operators who have their own capital invested manage locations more profitably (e.g., McDonald's franchisees average 20% higher profitability than company-owned locations). Franchisees also provide investment capital needed to open new locations while keeping the debt structure of the franchisor leaner and more manageable.

Is contact rate important when selling a baseball franchise?

Whether you’re playing baseball or selling franchises, don’t be overly focused on contact rate. It’s important, but contact to appointment rate takes precedence.

Is franchising a good idea?

Franchising is perhaps the most powerful recipe for scalability in all the business world. For most entrepreneurs, however, when they first launch a new company, the prospect of franchising their business may seem like a far-off and largely irrelevant concept. After all, as a new business owner, it can be difficult enough just keeping up with the day-to-day administrative and operational grind of the business, let alone thinking about how to develop, refine and replicate a model on a national (or even international) scale. Indeed, as the popular book The E-Myth describes: Business leaders get so caught up in mastering their daily operations that they become unable to dedicate adequate time to growing their business to its true potential.

Is franchising a duplication of an existing business model?

Franchising is a duplication of an existing business model; it doesn't fix broken businesses or solve flaws in operating systems. For any business owner wondering how to franchise their business, it's important to be realistic about your operations and recognize that franchising will replicate both the positive aspects and the problems of any particular business model. However, if you have the right model in place and the market makes sense, franchising can be one of the most powerful expansion models on the planet.

Is franchise a business?

In short, to franchise a business is the ultimate form of scaling a company. It's the most leveraged and most powerful form of scaling an operation ever developed. Of course, developing a successful franchise system isn't as simple as training sales people or employees to succeed within a single organizations: the skill and mindset needed to train a franchisee to operate an entire organization on his or her own requires another level of skill and patience.

Is franchising scalable?

The beauty of franchising is that it allows businesses that are typically not scalable to become scalable. The restaurant industry is a great example. With the operational and financial commitments that come with each new location, restaurant owners tend to get sucked in deeper and deeper into the operating requirements of running each new unit. Restaurant franchises have overcome this challenge, however, by leveraging standardized business systems and putting owner operators in place to manage the day-to-day operations of each unit, thereby converting the restaurant model into a nationally (and even internationally) scalable business.

What is the responsibility of a franchise company?

The franchise company’s first responsibility is to the protection of the brand on behalf of the franchisee. The company name, the company reputation, is the brand, the pure essence of what the franchisee is selling in his local market. While a cliché, it’s true: we only have one chance to make a first impression. A company brand generates the first impression of prospects, clients and the community at large.

How to provide support to franchisees?

Holding meetings, providing continual communication and getting feedback from franchisees are some of the best and most effective ways to provide support. Successful franchise companies plan weekly, monthly or quarterly meetings with franchisees to ensure all relevant information is communicated. Above all, encouraging franchisees to use the support and counsel of the franchise firm’s staff can prove to be the most beneficial support.

What is franchise company?

Franchise companies provide systems, a way for franchisees to do business. Franchise companies provide the training, the “how-to” and “how not to” of running the business. It’s the system that gives the franchisee the time to spend a working day selling and supporting instead of recreating business models.

What is franchise system?

A franchise system provides three simple yet sophisticated and complete products: a brand, a system and support of that system. Commitment to these three products is paramount to the success of the franchise company and the franchisee alike. The franchise company’s first responsibility is to the protection of the brand on behalf of the franchisee.

What must remain in a franchise?

What must remain is the culture the franchise company has created for franchisees. Culture and commitment are what make any relationship between two parties good. And in the franchisor-franchisee relationship, culture and commitment are the basic ingredients for success.

Can a franchisee reinvent the wheel?

There is no reason for the franchisee to reinvent the wheel, but instead just follow the system. The second part of the commitment then must be to protecting and following the system the franchise has purchased. Franchisees sell and service the product, based on the guidelines from the franchise system.

Do franchisees have to be committed to each other?

In addition to their commitment to themselves and the franchise system, franchisees have to be committed to each other. If a brand is to be protected, all franchisees must be in agreement that they will protect each other, a true commitment to the culture. Tweak as Needed. Times change; systems change.

Who bought PIP?

In 1996, PIP was acquired by Sir Speedy and Franchise Services, Inc. was formed.

What brands does Dessange own?

Other brands owned by Dessange include Coiff’idis and Phytodess.

Who owns CKE Restaurants?

Owned by private equity firm Roark Capital Group, CKE Restaurants was founded in 1966 with the opening of Carl’s Jr.

Is Focus Brands a part of Roark Capital?

FOCUS Brands is also an affiliate of Roark Capital Group.

Is ServiceMaster a franchise?

ServiceMaster was originally founded as a moth-proofing company. The company also operates Terminix, but that brand isn’t currently franchising.

Is franchising owned by a parent company?

It’s not uncommon for different businesses to be owned by a parent company. However, in franchising there has been a tidal wave of mergers and acquisitions in the past few years. With all of the shuffling, it can be hard to remember which franchises are owned by which parent company, as well as which franchises are technically sibling companies.

How to maximize the value of a franchise?

It is important for the business owner to maximize the entire value of the franchise system by abiding by the established methods and honoring the brand you bought into. Any solid franchisor has your back and will support you. At the end of the day, however, helping yourself and managing your business effectively is a huge key to continued franchise success as well.

Why do franchisees delegate to employees?

That is why we hire employees. Delegation relieves some of the load from the franchisee and provides the employee a sense of importance and ownership in the operations of the business.

Why is it important to have a solid franchise system?

A solid franchise system works to help hardworking people build something for themselves and their families without having to reinvent the wheel. Of course, you also will need to be committed to the tried and proven business model and the franchise system that has worked for others who came before you. Learning how to best manage your franchise business and applying those lessons is crucial to owning and operating a successful franchise.

How to become a franchisee?

1. Follow the proven system. For those franchisees that came before you, it’s very likely to work for you too, if you follow the systems already set up. 2. Hire the best people and treat them right. Your most important resource is the staff.

Why is franchising an appealing option?

Whether you relate to these cases or have your own valid reasons for wanting to start your own business, franchising becomes an appealing option because you can be your own boss but also have the support and training from a company that will have your back.

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