Looking for a way to give back this holiday season AND help inspire others to take the leap to realizing their potential as successful business owners? Consider donating to one of these entrepreneurial nonprofits.
With high-profile franchise systems making headlines for exploiting franchises with unfair and deceptive practices, how can brands that foster strong, supportive franchisor-franchisee relationships differentiate themselves? Here are five things you can do to set your brand apart.
Despite the seemingly endless meetings and ensuing headaches that accompany budget planning, there’s no escaping it. To make this year’s planning a little easier for you, we’ve put together the four most common budgeting mistakes that franchise marketing and development teams tend to make, along with ways to fix them.
With employee recruitment and retention currently the number one challenge, solving the Gen Z workforce dilemma should be a top priority for franchises.
DC regulators weighed in on the biggest threats to franchising in the current labor market at IFA's Franchise Action Network meeting. These are the three biggest takeaways.
If you're a private equity investor (or a franchisor in acquisition mode), make sure you're asking these five questions before making an investment in a franchise.
The Great Resignation, quiet quitting, a looming recession...what does it all mean for franchising? Research reveals the top employment trends in the franchise sector.
Emily George reviews The Wealthy Franchisee by Scott Greenberg. See the takeaways that will help you take your business or career to the next level.
What were the big takeaways from the Faegre Summit? Emily George breaks down the hot topics that franchisors were buzzing about.
An FBR award is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for recognition, but the data behind it is where the real value lies. Learn four ways franchisee satisfaction data can accelerate your development process.
Learn the pros and cons of implementing peer groups in your franchise system and how you can use them to increase franchisee engagement.
Rob Flanagan of Hounds Town USA explains how surveying franchisees early leads to smarter growth and a clear roadmap for the future of your system.
One of the most difficult - but also most crucial - roles on your support team is the franchise business coach (FBC). Find out what makes a great FBC and how to get the most out of the three-way relationship between the franchisor, franchisee, and FBC.
Does Net Promoter Score work for franchises? Here's what you need to know about using NPS to ask for feedback from customers, employees and franchisees.
Everything you need to know about using employee engagement pulse surveys to drive hiring and employee retention in your franchise system.
Franchise expos are the perfect place to promote your award to show candidates how satisfied your franchisees are—and why your brand should be on the top of their list.
Find out how Massage Heights, Hot Dish Advertising and Wild Birds Unlimited are using their FBR employee engagement survey data to positively impact retention and organizational culture.
Celebrating International Women's Day with some of the amazing resources to help women in franchising connect and succeed.
It’s no secret that a happy and engaged team has a ripple effect. They are your brand ambassadors—while they are with your team, and just as importantly, after they move on. Here are five ways to show them you care on Employee Appreciation Day and all year round.
Pulse surveys are a fast, easy, relatively inexpensive tool to measure system performance. Learn what makes a successful pulse survey and how to implement them in your system.
With more organizations focused on creating a positive culture, there is a place for kindness in business. With that in mind, we created a checklist of 30 “Random Acts of Kindness in Franchising” and we invite everyone to participate and celebrate others who spread kindness.
With more organizations focused on creating a positive culture, there is a place for kindness in business, and we’re here to promote and celebrate those that spread kindness. With that in mind, we created our “Random Acts of Kindness in Franchising” checklist to recognize those little things that make a big difference.
The International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Convention is THE franchising event of the year. FBR's President, Michelle Rowan, share a few tips she's picked up over the years for making the most of your time there - no matter if you're a seasoned veteran or first time attendee.
Learn how the [email protected] Employee Engagement and Compensation Awards work, eligibility, how the winners are calculated and how you can make the list of the best franchises to work for.
Unemployment rates have dipped to some of the lowest we’ve seen in nearly two decades, which means the stream of franchise candidate leads is slowing to a trickle at the same time many brands are hoping to accelerate development to keep up with customer demand. With franchisors all competing for a limited number of candidates, development teams need to get creative to find new leads. Try some of these out-of-the-box ideas.
For many of us, New Year’s resolutions revolve around getting — or staying — healthy. But regardless of personal resolutions, for franchisors it also means building a healthier brand in 2022.
What does the future hold for franchising in 2022? Thought leaders share their franchise predictions and reflect on 2021.
The ultimate goal of surveying your franchisees is to gain objective insights into how to improve operational performance to get better results. In order to do that you need to pull out the gold hidden inside! These 10 ideas for digging into your data will help you understand what drives your franchisees’ behaviors and beliefs, and apply metrics to improving franchisee relations.
Newly released data shows record high satisfaction for franchise business owners — an increase of 3% since pre-pandemic levels — with nearly 9 in 10 rating their franchise opportunity above average.
What are the best leadership lessons from Ted Lasso? These are gems to live by for franchisors and anyone who wants to be a better leader.
Image One's Tim Conn talks about why they continue to survey their franchisees year after year, which question means the most to him, and how Image One summarizes the data highlights to help candidates understand the strengths of their system through FBR’s independent lens.
Get your free, customizable franchising calendar template to plan your content marketing strategy for the year and track key dates and franchising events.
QSR Magazine featured an article from FBR's CEO Eric Stites highlighting how restaurant franchises are focusing on culture and soliciting employee feedback to differentiate themselves.
Hiring and keeping businesses staffed is clearly a top challenge for most business owners, and franchisees are no exception. Here are seven tips for helping franchisees overcome staffing challenges by creating a “culture” mindset to differentiate themselves as an employer of choice.
Kristin Kidd, Director of Operations at The Lash Lounge, explains how her team identified ways to strengthen their corporate culture, and got their franchisees to focus on culture in their own organizations as well, to mitigate post-Covid hiring woes.
Learn 10 ways to position your franchise as an Employer of Choice and strengthen your employee recruitment and retention efforts.
FBR Client Consultant Courtney Stillings recaps takeaways from franchise leaders about the future of franchising from the 2021 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas.
Learn how Fibrenew uses their recognition as an FBR award-winner to grab the attention of candidates and, in turn, how they use that third-party validation as a powerful tool to educate candidates about what to expect.
FBR's new study of employee engagement in the franchise sector reveals key insights about corporate franchise roles, including compensation, satisfaction and productivity.
The pandemic has been a game-changer for restaurants, but what we’ve learned is that one of the biggest factors why some food franchises succeeded and why others failed during COVID has been largely ignored.
Franchise suppliers weigh in on the 20 biggest mistakes franchisors make when it comes to franchise operations, from training & support to franchisee relations, to field visits.
After more than a year of remote work, operations teams found alternative ways to support their franchisees. Now, as we return to in-person visits, franchise ops teams are tasked with deciding what support changes are worth keeping and how they can continue to find new ways to increase value to their franchisee network.
In this conversation with Kitchen Solvers' Zach Nolte he explains how they use FBR’s survey to put quantifiable metrics around franchisee satisfaction, and use the survey data to show their franchisees that they are listening and making changes based on their feedback.
What are the lowest rated areas by franchisees and what can franchise operations teams do to improve them? Find out how field support teams can help improve performance by focusing on these key areas of risk.
Franchise operations leaders are facing new and different challenges as we emerge from the pandemic. It's no surprise that labor issues top the list for many, but that's not the only one. FBR held a recent roundtable event where operations execs shared some of the things that keep them up at night - and what they're doing about them.
Many franchise brands are experiencing full pipelines that led to faster growth in 2020 and 2021, but others are struggling to find candidates to continue growing the brand. Here are the strategies to generate growth that franchise development leaders shared at FBR's recent roundtable event.
Tim Courtney, VP of franchise development for PuroClean sat down with FBR to talk about the opportunity he saw when he first joined the team to capture the enthusiasm of PuroClean’s owners and turn that into an advantage on both the development and operations sides.
Randy Shacka, president of Two Men and a Truck talked with FBR about how they deliver on satisfaction, trust, and values by being intentional and building strong relationships.
How - and where - can you make the biggest impact on overall franchise performance? Our latest research identified the 5 key areas that have the most significant impact.
The travel sector took a major hit during the pandemic, but that’s not stopping Cruise Planners. Founder & CEO Michelle Fee shares how pent-up demand for travel combined with innovative support strategies are creating opportunity.
Visiting Angels Vice President David Ritterling talks with FBR about why building a system of people who love people translates into a winning business model.
With some franchise sectors struggling to hire, how can franchisors create a culture that attracts employees to their brand? These 6 tips help franchise leaders create a culture where employees want to work.
It’s surprising how many companies participate in franchisee surveys then stick the report in a drawer. Why let this treasure-trove of business intel languish? These 7 easy steps will help you turn your data into action.
What are the pros and cons of a Franchise Advisory Council? Learn the risks and benefits when considering implementing an FAC in your franchise system.
Co-founder and president Shannon Wilburn recalls the “a-ha” moment when she realized she was missing out on the goldmine of data in her FBR survey.
As part of our ongoing series highlighting our Top Franchises, FBR asked Pet Supplies Plus Franchise Development Specialist Christine Schultz some questions to uncover what it is that makes Pet Supplies Plus a best-in-category brand.
Franchisors often ask us how they can encourage their franchisees to participate and boost survey participation rates. We recently unearthed this 2019 video of Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, inviting his franchisees to take our survey, and we couldn’t help but share!
Dennis Maple, president and CEO of Goddard Systems, Inc., explains how they use their annual FBR franchisee satisfaction survey to baseline against competitors as well as their own goals for success.
One of the most efficient ways to predict future franchise brand performance is to examine franchisee survey results. Despite the valuable information surveys provide, some brands still avoid conducting franchisee surveys. Time for a reality check.
Christian Brothers Automotive president Donnie Carr shares how their FBR survey results inform strategic planning throughout the organization from operations to development to franchisee support and franchise culture.
If you cut your franchise development marketing budget last year, it’s time to pump it back up to pre-pandemic levels. If you have franchise candidates stuck in the pipeline, here are five proven tactics to nurture those leads.
Most franchise companies have a crystal clear vision of where they want to go. But the mistake many franchisors make is not requiring their franchisees to have their own vision. Implementing a franchisee vision plan program is the most effective way to set expectations and align franchisees’ goals with the goals of the organization. Learn how to start putting vision plans to work in your organization with these free resources.
Whether this is your first time reaching out to formally measure franchisee satisfaction and feedback, or you’re planning for your next annual survey, there are a few simple things you should know first.
We talk with Maddi Park of MaidPro as part of our ongoing series highlighting the 2021 Franchisee Satisfaction Award winners. Maddi discusses how they make franchisee satisfaction data an integral part of their franchise marketing strategy.
What can franchise leaders do to keep employees engaged while the workplace and workspace continue to evolve through the pandemic? Learn the four things franchise franchise organizations should be doing for their employees to increase engagement in the COVID-19 world.
Justin Bredeman, CEO of Soccer Shots, talks with FBR about why they were committed to surveying franchisees amidst the challenges of the pandemic, how they used the survey data to identify areas for improvement and measure performance, and the post-pandemic outlook.
Your employees may be satisfied with their day-to-day roles, but they might not be engaged. Understand the difference between employee satisfaction and engagement - and why it matters.
As part of FBR’s ongoing series spotlighting 2021 Franchisee Satisfaction Award Winners, FBR talked with Team Logic IT’s president Dan Shapero about strengthening franchisee relationships, adapting franchisee support during the pandemic, and how they have continued to generate demand for the brand in terms of new store sales, new store awards, and territory expansion.
In our continuing series spotlighting our 2021 Best-in-Category Franchisee Satisfaction Award Winners, Payroll Vault president & CEO Sean Manning talks with Nicole Dudley, Director of Client Relations at Franchise Business Review, about the “hypertransformation” in business over the past year, as well as how they use their survey data to drive goal-setting and measure success.
The pandemic disrupted many businesses - some struggled to survive while others were able to drive innovation. So where does that leave franchise CEOs who are committed to the health of their system? Implementing these three strategies with a critical focus on people is crucial for success.
FASTSIGNS' Mark Jameson talks with FBR about why franchisee satisfaction is one of the four key pillars of FASTSIGNS mission, how they use FBR’s data to bring in high quality candidates who are aligned with their culture, and how the pandemic drove rapid innovation in their business.
Getting franchisees to their "point of clarity" can turn around underperforming franchisees and drive greater system performance overall. Scott Greenberg, author of The Wealthy Franchisee, shares how to get franchisees into the right mindset to boost performance, increase satisfaction and grow your brand.
FBR's employee engagement research has shown that a quarter of all franchise employees (25%) don’t feel that they receive the recognition they deserve. Here are seven simple ideas can help you show your employees you care to build engagement and retain your top employees.
In most companies, employees have an annual performance review. When done properly, it creates a powerful feedback loop and an opportunity for positive change. In franchising, an annual satisfaction survey offers similar benefits. If you're using on of these common excuses not to survey your franchisees on a regular basis, find out why you could be putting your system at risk.
Peloton’s “Together we go far” slogan encapsulates a culture and strategic growth that most franchise systems (and all businesses) strive for. Community isn’t something you can force to happen, but Peloton seems to have fostered something special, and a lot of that could be applied to our own organizations.
Employee engagement is important to the success (or survival) of an organization, and while it’s become increasingly hard to foster engagement when some (or all) of your team is remote, it’s also more important than ever in helping to retain your top talent.
James Dwiggins, CEO of NextHome, talks with FBR about how their focus on caring and support enables them to maintain franchisee satisfaction amidst explosive growth, how their company culture guides strategic decisions, and the outlook for the real estate industry during COVID.
What does the future hold for franchising? We asked some of the thought leaders in franchising to look into their crystal balls and reveal their predictions for 2021.
Learn how Streamline Brands uses FBR’s survey to build trust, drive strategic planning, and attract investors in this Q&A with co-founder and COO Paul Gerrard.
The shopping season has officially commenced, and whether you’re a Black Friday warrior or more of a last-minute, better-under-pressure shopper, the buying experience can fuel your holiday excitement or suck all the joy out of the process. The same goes for franchise candidates in the validation process. Get the intel you need to make the franchise buying experience something to celebrate.
Franchisees typically tend to disengage somewhere around five years into the business. Follow these 10 tips to keep your franchisees satisfied and engaged long term, and drive growth for your system.
All franchise buyers do varying degrees of due diligence before investing in a brand. The difference is that today more and more prospective franchisees are looking at franchisee satisfaction data in addition to financial benefits, lifestyle, and the training and support they’ll receive. See what current franchisees have to say about franchisee satisfaction as a key factor in choosing a franchise.
New franchisees discuss their franchise research process, what they looked for in a franchise and how Franchise Business Review’s satisfaction reports led them to Wild Birds Unlimited.
Why Emerging Brands Need to Make Building a Positive Culture a Top Priority We have spent the last 15 years [...]
Best practices from franchisors that are growing their brands strategically while maintaining a system of highly satisfied (and profitable) franchisees [...]
Social Joey's Jack Monson offers 5 tips to help franchise marketers maximize their social media strategy to grow their brands as we close out 2020.
Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review, is part of this year’s planning task force and the emcee for the Operations program at the IFA's Marketing, Operations & Development (MOD) Virtual Conference. She talked recently about the highlights of the event and what franchisors will take away.
Paul Pickett, Chief Development Officer at Wild Birds Unlimited shares how they use Franchise Business Review's survey data and tools to attract qualified franchise candidates, speed up their validation process. and assist with multiple store development.
While some franchise brands were able to continue to thrive through the events of 2020, many have had to lay off or furlough employees and/or had franchisees whose businesses didn’t survive - all of which can also take a toll on franchise culture. It’s more important now than ever before to assess your company culture and take steps to fix the parts that are broken. These 12 steps can help you get started
Listen to inspiring stories from two of franchising's most inspiring female leaders in the Her Success podcast series from the Women's Franchise Committee.
More private equity firms have turned their focus to potential investments in franchising, and with the impact of Covid-19 it’s likely we will see even more consolidations and purchases in the next year. Here are six things private equity investors need to know before acquiring a franchise brand.
What’s always been common practice in food franchising—requiring franchisees to commit to opening multiple units as part of their franchise agreement—is now becoming common outside of food. But attracting multi-unit franchisees and keeping them happy isn’t as easy as just changing your franchise agreement. Here are six tips for attracting multi-unit franchisees and ensuring your system is set up for success.
With protests continuing across the country, it’s clear we need systemic change to end racism. Franchising is positioned to lead the way by supporting franchisees and employees. Here are five ideas we’re sharing from what we’re reading and hearing from people in our industry.
Peer groups are a recognized and respected tactic used by franchise brands to facilitate internal knowledge sharing and invigorate their system. They are a proactive mechanism for franchise systems that want to truly leverage the collective knowledge and experience to improve unit results and brand performance. But even in the best systems, peer groups can eventually start to lose their effectiveness. If your peer groups are no longer functioning as effectively as they should, these five tips can help reinvigorate them.
When you survey your franchisees, it's critical to share it with your entire executive team if you want to truly cultivate a data-driven mindset in your organization. The insights we collect on our surveys can help every team in your organization identify priorities, track their progress and meet their goals. Find out how each of your teams can benefit from having FBR walk them through your data together.
Over the past 15 years we've worked with more than 1,100 franchisors who understand the value of franchisee surveys, but we’ve also encountered many who buy into myths and misconceptions that simply don’t hold water. Here, we separate fact from fiction.
Most of us are aware that communicating - and communicating quickly and often - is critical in times of crisis. But while most of us are focused on outbound communication to employees, franchisees and customers, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that communication is a two-way street. Learn how to ensure you have a plan for franchisees and employees to communicate their needs and concerns to you.
Franchisee satisfaction is a primary indicator of long-term system growth and success in measuring the health of any franchise system, but if you're wondering what the ROI of franchisee satisfaction surveys is, read on for 8 ways you'll get a return on your investment of time and money - and drive franchise system growth.
Franchise Business Review offers a free franchisee survey. Find out how and why we do it and how to get your free survey with no catch!
Franchisee associations, which are typically meant to represent the interests of the franchisee to the franchisor, are usually organized independently of the franchisor, and can play a key role in whether the franchisee/franchisor relationship is positive and productive, or negative and combative. Learn how to work with your franchisee association and positively impact the growth and profitability of your system.
