Want to Franchise Your Business? Ask Yourself These Four Important Questions

17/11/2014
Ever had a customer say, “You really ought to franchise this idea?” That’s often how a business owner turns to franchising, according to Paul R. Segreto, President and CEO of FranchisEssentials, a consulting firm that specializes in marketing and development strategies for franchisors. Franchising allows companies to extend their brand and concept through the investment of franchisees.

But Segreto is quick to point out that not everyone is suited to starting a franchise. Here are some questions to help determine the franchisability of you and your business.
Do we have the capital?
Segreto says 90 percent of independent business owners drastically underestimate how much they’re going to spend on the front end. Between registration fees, operations manuals, attorneys, and other costs, franchisors should plan to spend upwards of $100,000 to prepare a business for franchising. Thirteen states require registration under franchise disclosure laws in order for you to even offer a franchise option in that state, and the process can be expensive and time-consuming, so some new franchisors test the waters in no-registration-required states first.
Do we have replicable systems in place already?
In order for your franchisees to offer similar experiences to customers in other parts of the country, you need to have clear systems in place when it comes to décor, customer interactions, marketing, and more. Inconsistencies erode the integrity of your brand and confuse customers. That’s why some third-party companies specialize in creating detailed operations manuals for franchisors.
Do I want to run my business or a franchise business?
Just because you love being in the restaurant or retail business doesn’t mean you’ll love running a franchise business. “Being involved in the day-to-day operations of your own location and thinking you can operate a franchise company is a sad mistake,” says Segreto, who warns that franchisors need to be willing to delegate and understand that franchising will shift the nature of their business dramatically.
Am I willing to focus on relationships rather than innovation?
True-blue entrepreneurs love innovating and risk-taking, but Segreto says these qualities are often ill-suited for franchising, which requires a clear structure and a focus on relationships. The ideal franchisor personality is someone who enjoys “building an enterprise and seeing it grow,” he adds. Successful franchisors also understand the interdependence of relationships between franchisors and franchisees, and they’re interested in nurturing those relationships rather than pushing the envelope.

Fonte:http://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/starting-a-business/want-to-franchise-your-business-ask-yourself-these-four-important-questions/

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