Why Just Between Friends Went From Doing a Free Survey to Buying the Results
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.
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.
Learn how The Learning Experience franchise system measures feedback from customers and how they were able to increase customer satisfaction dramatically during the pandemic despite the formidable challenges facing the education and child services sectors.
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 nearly a third of all franchise employees (29%) 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.
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.
CASE STUDY: Learn how Any Lab Test Now implemented FBR's survey to increase response rates and, in turn, used the data to improve communication and franchisee engagement.
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.
Free, customizable franchising calendar template to plan your content marketing strategy for the year and track key dates and franchising events.
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.
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.
FBR Franchisee Satisfaction Awards are a one-of-a-kind opportunity for exposure to candidates, but the data behind them is where the real value lies. Learn 4 ways franchisee satisfaction data can make your development process easier.
Learn how 360clean was able to reduce the average deal length by two-to-four weeks using FBR’s lead generation and validation programs, and close five deals in five months during the pandemic.
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 [...]
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.
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.
This year’s pandemic has brought a lot of change to the franchise industry - particularly an increase in acquisitions. If you are 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.
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.
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.
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!
Many leaders are trying to adapt to running teams and their businesses remotely. How can you maintain, or create a remote culture while everyone is online instead of in-person? And how do we rebuild culture when remote workers return to the office? Consider these ideas for creating or maintaining company culture while working remotely during COVID-19 and how to rebuild culture after returning to the workplace.
What are the biggest challenges facing franchise operations teams? FBR's president Michelle Rowan joined over 175 operations leaders and had a unique opportunity to facilitate two days of discussion around where their focus is and the best practices they're using to overcome obstacles.
Learn how to get franchisees on board with your social media strategy - and increase satisfaction and support - using these tips from social media guru, Karen Spaeder of Rallio.
One of the biggest challenges of the franchisee lifecycle is keeping tenured franchisees engaged. Join us at the IFA's Franchise Operations Conference this fall to learn how successful franchisors are using franchisee satisfaction data to make continuous improvements to their training and support to break franchisees out of their performance plateaus.
There is no metric that better predicts success or foreshadows issues within a system than the sentiment of its franchise owners. Measuring and managing franchisee satisfaction is the best way to build a system in which everyone wins.
Are you using your franchisee satisfaction data in your public relations efforts? Looking for some inspiration? Get real-life examples and visuals of how creative franchisors are making satisfaction data the focus of PR and marketing strategies to get attention and edge out the competition.
Do your franchisees feel supported during compliance checks? Most franchisors will say “no”. But it doesn't have to be that way! FranchiseBlast has collected 357 franchise audit questions from top franchisors to help you "audit your audit" and elevate the compliance check from an exercise in “catching” franchisees doing something wrong, to “coaching” them to make the business be its best.
Sponsored content can be a highly effective tactic to capture the attention and build awareness of your brand - when crafted effectively. If you’re thinking about adding it to your marketing strategy, follow these do’s and don’ts for writing sponsored content that performs well.
In this Interview with Jeff Huber, President & CEO of Home Instead Senior Care, he talks with FBR about the deeply personal experience that led to the inception of Home Instead and continues to guide their business philosophy.
FBR’s newly released [email protected] study found that franchise salaries for women are lower than men, especially at the mid-level management and C-Suite levels. The question is why? FBR’s president Michelle Rowan explores some theories that may be contributing factors.
FBR’s CEO Eric Stites provides an inside look at employee satisfaction in the franchise sector in the latest issue of Franchising World. Find out which employees are least satisfied, where the biggest pay gaps exist, and the risks posed by Gen Z.
Celebrate International Women's Day with three simple, yet profound ideas gleaned from the legendary Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Franchise Business Review's President and COO, Michelle Rowan, explores lessons learned from the feminist icon, the value of women in her personal life and their role in the industry.
2018 may be in the rearview mirror, but there was a lot happening. We rounded up the hot topics that everyone was talking about and take a look ahead at what's to come in 2019.
Each year, Franchise Update invites franchise brands to compete in the Star Awards, which recognize franchising’s top sales teams at the annual Franchise Leadership and Development Conference. Find out which of the winning brands excelled in franchisee satisfaction and what the research revealed.
It’s clear that content marketing works. You know you need it to be relevant, but executing is another story. No matter the size of the system, franchisors share the same challenges when it comes to implementing and maintaining an effective content marketing strategy. This list of helpful resources and tips can help you get over the content marketing hump.
Everyone's talking about organizational culture these days, but it can be squishy topic - hard to define and even harder to shape. To help understand what makes for a positive culture, we asked 10 franchise leaders at top-performing franchise companies how they would describe their brand’s culture. See what they told us.
While customer service is a mainstay within any business - and especially franchising - so is communications. And like customer service, excelling at communications is often nothing more than getting back to the basics. Learn six basic tips for ensuring effective franchisee communications that lead to stronger franchisee relationships.
Content is an important piece of a successful marketing strategy; by now, most marketers know this. But in the content age, the internet is flooded with information. As a franchisor, you are not only competing with the other franchise brands in your space, you are competing with all the content producers who are fighting for a spot on page one of Google. So, how do you create a successful content marketing strategy that will attract more candidates?
We’ve pulled together this list of the top 5 must-have resources for emerging brands, full of the best practices we’ve collected over a decade from franchisors who are growing their brands strategically while maintaining a system of highly satisfied (and profitable) franchisees.
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.
We see so many brands that grow quickly but don’t have the operations support in place to sustain it. Join us in Tampa on September 12 for the IFA's Operations Seminar, where top ranking brands in franchisee satisfaction will share techniques and insight on how to achieve grow your brand strategically through operational best practices.
Franchise culture NEEDS to be an operational priority - starting with leadership, but really for everyone in your organization. The challenge is knowing where to start. Join FBR at the IFA Operations Seminar in Tampa this fall to learn the secrets of creating a winning culture from leading franchisors.
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.
Franchise brokers can be an important part of your franchise recruitment strategy, but most franchise brokers are working with a hundred or more brands. So how do you make sure your broker is recommending your brand over others when talking with potential leads? Find out how your franchisee satisfaction data can be the silver bullet to get your broker sending more candidates your way.
Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Campground started in 1969 and is most known for its family-friendly, outdoor entertainment - and of course, the iconic Yogi Bear character - but they are anything but old-school. Find out how they use innovation to drive sales and profitability.
FBR’s CEO, Eric Stites, recently talked with Crunch’s CEO and Founding Partner, Ben Midgeley, about fanchisee-franchisor relationships, being “unamazonable”, and creating a culture of listening.
Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resorts was named one of Franchise Business Review’s top 200 franchises of 2018. We recently sat down to chat with Jim Westover, VP of Operations, to talk about the franchise’s growth over the past 50 years and how their focus on brand differentiation and franchisee education has been a critical factor in becoming a top choice for franchise buyers.
Dave Mattson, CEO of Sandler Training, explains why Sandler surveys with Franchise Business Review, and shares his thoughts on why franchisees find it valuable as well as how Sandler uses their feedback to make continuous improvements and grow the brand.
We all know the adage that “content is king,” but not everyone takes it to heart. Learn three ways you can use franchisee satisfaction data as part of a solid content marketing strategy to bring in more candidates and close deals more quickly.
It’s no big secret that business owners of all types get bored after a few years of being in business. When it comes to franchising, it’s even more crucial to keep them engaged - especially the more senior franchisees. These four tips will help you re-engage senior franchisees and break out of their performance plateau.
Successful franchisors make growing their franchise brand look easy, but it rarely is. How do they do it? For a little inspiration, read advice shared by franchisors at leading brands.
The energy behind small, but growing franchise brands is often fueled by the passion, culture, and core values of its founders, staff, and franchisees. As a brand grows, those things tend to get diluted or take a back seat to other priorities. Pulse surveys can help you keep your franchise on track and keep franchisees and corporate staff from disengaging.
Franchise Business Review interviewed Chris Willems, who recently invested in a 2 Men And A Truck franchise. Chris shares how Franchise Business Review’s research played a major role in his due diligence process and ultimately led him to select Two Men And A Truck from the 10 brands he was considering.
Franchise Business Review recently spoke with franchise executives from three leading brands to learn how they have successfully incorporated video into their communications with franchisees to boost participation in their annual franchisee satisfaction surveys. See what they shared.
When was the last time you did a communications audit? Probably too long ago. Strategic communication is a critical component in your organization's ability to reach and exceed business objectives. And just as you would with other key areas of your organization like operations, marketing, and finance, communication must be reviewed, directed, adjusted, and monitored to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Do your Field Consultants understand that every request they make of a franchisee should be aligned to how this protects the brand, improves profitability, or creates happier customers? Learn why alignment is more powerful than compliance and more effective in achieving franchise best practices.
Vic CiuffetelliCEO, ActionCOACHWhy did you decide to survey your franchisees with FBR? FBR is reputable and has recognition. Did you [...]
Zach NoltePresident, Kitchen SolversDid you use any type of survey before FBR’s? If so, was it internal or with another [...]
Seventy-four percent of franchise executives report that they do not verify assets, yet failing to verify assets before awarding a franchise can put franchisors in an unenviable position. Boefly's David Bassin shares why asset verifications play a critical role in vetting franchise candidates.
Integrating digital marketing overall development and marketing strategy is a no-brainer. But, did you know your franchisee satisfaction can be a secret weapon for converting prospective franchise buyers?
Paul PickettChief Development Officer, Wild Birds UnlimitedStrategically Leveraging Franchisee Satisfaction Data Helps Wild Birds Unlimited Soar Wild Birds Unlimited has [...]
Chuck LennonPresident, TeamLogic ITDid you use any type of survey before this? If so, was it internal or another vendor? [...]
Leann ReynoldsPresident, Homewatch CaregiversDid you use any type of survey before this? If so, was it internal or another vendor? [...]
Stephen SchoepkeIT Director, IAPPLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, ea assum efficiendi sea, an vis iudico utinam, in vim nusquam adolescens. [...]
Learn five key strategies to effectively use your survey results to strengthen personal connections with your franchisees, build a culture of transparency, and get franchisees excited about their future with the brand.
Franchise brands with strong cultures have extremely high satisfaction and engagement among their franchisees. But cognitive culture is only half the story. Research cited by Harvard Business Review article points out that emotions are central to building the right culture.
There are some brands that go above and beyond the typical ways we suggest the award be promoted. Here are some of our favorite examples.
The new Google Review Extensions option gives you an opportunity to highlight third-party reviews and awards in your ads as well. What better differentiator to highlight than your status as a top-rated franchise opportunity by FBR?
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.
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.
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.
Try these five easy, low-cost tips to start increasing franchisee satisfaction, and maximize your franchise system's growth and revenue.
The segment, part of the Nightly Business Report program, aired on November 11, 2015 and featured interviews with veteran franchisees of both Housemaster and Pinot's Palette, two of the highest rated brands in our 2015 Top Franchises for Veterans guide.
This month I celebrate my 10th anniversary at Franchise Business Review (FBR). I also turned 40 this summer, which seems an ideal time to reflect on what I’ve figured out makes work a place I enjoy going to each morning.