After months of planning, training, introductions and ‘on-boarding’, the big day is finally here: It’s the birthday week of a brand new franchise, and everyone is excited.
Grand openings represent major beginnings for entrepreneurial franchisees and the brand as a whole, and like any significant milestone, they’re a benchmark well worth celebrating.
But, once the last balloon has popped and franchisees have settled into the ‘new normal’ of running their business’s day-to-day operations, how does a successful brand continue to motivate and inspire them?
1. Emphasising the key stages of business growth
The grand opening is kind of like the ‘wedding’, but what matters most is how the franchisee approaches the daily grind once the party is over.
It’s helpful for franchisors to remind franchisees that growth comes in stages, not leaps, and that growth is ultimately achieved by plugging away at the basics every day.
2. Breaking tasks down into daily goals
To be successful, every franchisee should have goals that always come first — and should emphasise those goals above all else.
It’s easy to get sucked into the drama of minutiae, but what actually matters is driving membership and meeting minimum goals, so bills can get paid.
Reaching basic goals on a daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly basis gets franchisees into a pattern of organisation and long-term planning that sets them up to successfully reach the next big milestone.
3. Helping identify problems
If franchisees are consistently letting their goals pass them by, it’s time for an earnest chat about what’s really going on with the franchisor.
Franchisees are sometimes distracted by tasks that overshadow the more important sales activities, but the root issue may be something else completely.
Every franchisee has different strengths, so if one of the key sales initiatives doesn’t mesh with his or her natural abilities, discomfort may be the issue.
4. Helping franchisees form good habits
The best way to master a new series of goals is to break them down into daily tasks. When franchisees get into good daily habits, the work becomes more streamlined and easy to get through.
Moreover, any discomfort with certain responsibilities starts to melt away with practice. When milestones are broken down into smaller and smaller actions, people feel more comfortable.
5. Not accepting excuses
If a franchisor’s franchise model works and has been proven at other locations, there’s no excuse for not getting things done at a similar new location.
‘No excuses’ may sound like tough love, but it’s ultimately the philosophy every franchisee has agreed to.