Joel Libava
All of us want it fast. Instant this. Instant that.
We want our food fast. (Fast food)
We want to get rich quickly.
We want our success to be instant.
We want our high-speed internet service to be way faster than it is.
I want to type faster.
Some people want to drive faster so they can get “there” faster.
Etc.
Franchise Support: A Great Reason To Buy A Franchise
There are a ton of reasons-great reasons in fact, to buy a franchise.
Read- 22 Reasons To Buy A Franchise
One of them: Franchise Support
Isn’t that one of your reasons for wanting to buy a franchise?
For example, when you share your reasons for wanting to buy a franchise-as opposed to buying a non-franchise business with your friends, you say things like:
“With a franchise, at least you get support. You don’t get that when you buy an independent business or when you start one on your own.”
And/or
“With a franchise they give you an operating manual that’s been proven to work. All you have to do is follow it.”
Right?
You should be telling people why you like the idea of buying a franchise-as opposed to buying or starting any other type of business. Plus, it helps justify things in your mind.
Right?
And, that’s perfectly okay. All of do it-especially when it comes to pulling the trigger on something big-like becoming the owner of a business.
Plus, both of those things are 100% true.
In a perfect world, your franchisor will give you support-frantastic support. And, you’ll be handed an operating manual that will provide everything you need to run your franchise business.
So far so good.
Instant Franchising Support Is A Pipe Dream
But, getting instant support from franchise headquarters really is a pipe dream. As much as today’s franchisors try to provide great support to their franchisees…they can’t always do it.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
Just call me The King Of Buzzkill.
But, there’s a method to my madness. Really.
I wake up each morning asking myself how I can prevent pain. How I can save someone who’s about to buy the wrong franchise. (For them) How I can help someone by providing them with one more research question to ask either the franchise salesperson or a franchisee…one they haven’t thought of because they’ve never bought a franchise.
I think about these things all the time.
What can I write that will provide a useful tip-or maybe 20 tips, that can help a prospective franchise owner make a great choice in a franchise business?
Is there a franchise video I can produce that would be helpful to prospective franchise owners?
Back to that pipe dream…
Fact: You’re not going to get instant support from your franchisor.
You could get lucky, though.
Maybe you’ll have an issue with your POS system, and on the day and time the issue came up, you were able to get help…you were able to experience support from your franchisor, instantly. That’s terrific! But, the next time it happens, or any other problems arise (problems will arise) you may not get instant support.
Here’s the thing: You’re probably not the only franchisee who has called in with a problem that day. That means you’ll just have to wait your turn. Unless you can figure out a fix yourself.
You Own It!
You’re the franchise owner.
You need to realize that the franchisor cannot, and will not be able to solve every problem you experience. At least not fast…or as fast as you want them to.
Instant isn’t realistic.
You Own It!
You are the owner.
As a small business owner-as the owner of a franchise business-you are now an official problem solver. You’ll have to find some of the solutions for some of the problems you’re experiencing…yourself.
Are you experiencing a glitch in your CRM software? Call one of the franchisees you contacted when you did your franchise research! He or she may have experienced the same thing…and can provide a quick fix…while you’re on the phone.
Having trouble finding a good store manager? Ask another franchisee her how she found hers.
Do you have a legal question? Ask the franchise attorney you paid to look over your franchise agreement for help.
Don’t rely on the franchisor for everything. See if you can fix some of things that go wrong yourself.
Remember, you don’t have a boss anymore. You are the boss.
You are the owner.
You can do it. But great franchise support helps a lot.
Top image from- https://www.flickr.com/photos/manicmixer/5018204828/
Bottom image from- https://www.flickr.com/photos/f_mafra/3313223124
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