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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In order for an FAC to truly represent franchisees’ perspectives, the group itself has to function effectively, which is dependent on practices and a culture within the group that set up both the FAC and the franchisor for success. If you have an FAC in your system, look for these five indicators to determine if it is running successfully.
FBR's president Michelle Rowan shares her three personal takeaways from Brené Brown on vulnerability, as well as how they apply to franchising.
Like other businesses across the country and the world, franchises have had to get creative in how they deliver their products and services - from implementing curbside pick-up to going entirely digital to completely changing priorities - basically overnight. We asked them to share their Smart Ideas for getting it done and here's what they told us.
Franchisors frequently implement new programs with the intention of adding value for all (or most) of their franchisees, but oftentimes, it’s hard to create programs that impact the more experienced, high-achiever franchisees in your system who have already figured out how to be successful. Franchise peer groups, however, can inspire and motivate all franchisees, including those already successful and mature franchisees, and give them the tools to take their businesses to an even higher level.
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.
Here at Franchise Business Review, we talk about ways we can contribute to supporting the franchise industry during COVID-19. With our Smart Ideas Project, we want to collect and share more ideas that are working in this crazy time - I hope you’ll share yours. We plan to share these ideas that might help support or inspire others as we look for ways to protect or pivot our businesses.
Within days of COVID-19 becoming a health and economic crisis, numerous organizations and companies made resources available to provide assistance and forums to connect us and guide us through this. To make them easier to access, we’ve compiled a list of the COVID-19 franchise resources we’ve come across. The list is not exhaustive and we are updating as more resources become available.
If you see any of these four warning signs of franchisee dissatisfaction, your franchise system could be in trouble. Learn what to watch out for and how to fix it.
Social media expert Karen Spaeder of Rallio shares four proactive strategies for recruiting franchise employees using social media to fill open positions more quickly with the best job candidates.
Where are food franchises headed? We take a look at the data and trends affecting the success of the food franchise sector and how it compares to other sectors. Here are the food franchise stats you need to know.
Franchise Update's Leadership and Development Conference is a must-attend event. In case you missed it, FBR president Michelle Rowan shares the four major takeaways from the event on how to create a culture of growth in your organization.
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.
Social media has become an indispensable tool in franchise recruiting, with more and more franchise organizations using social platforms to attract new franchisees. With the ability to hone in on the exact type of operators they want to bring on board, franchise organizations are able to save time looking for the right qualified candidates. Meanwhile, prospective franchisees are using social media to research brands. Learn best practices for using social media not just to build brand awareness, but to attract and qualify franchisees.
As we celebrate this fourth of July, FBR's president Michelle Rowan reflects on the freedoms we enjoy and the value of listening to and carefully considering the opinions of others in our communities, families, even our franchise systems, in order to drive positive change.
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.
FBR sat down with Any Lab Test Now to talk about how they have seized a unique position in the healthcare consumerism sector and their approach to innovation in franchising, particularly when it comes to franchisee support.
Creating an impactful social presence isn’t necessarily at the top of the list of business requirements for franchise organizations. Very often, it’s tucked into the “nice to have” category, when in actuality, it should be a must for any franchise that wants to grow. Learn how to instantly improve your outcomes by implementing these three easy strategies for innovative franchise social media.
Even before franchisees commit to buying into your system, they need to have an exit plan in place. This article explains what franchisees need to consider when transferring a franchise business and the steps they should take when building a succession plan.
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.
Foster high performance within your franchise with these 10 simple steps. Follow this checklist, commit to franchisee satisfaction and results will follow.
Wouldn’t it be nice if your training sessions were available whenever you had the time to listen – maybe when you’re stuck in traffic or working on mundane tasks? Welcome to the age of podcasts. Learn how Office Pride Commercial Cleaning is using podcasts to help franchisees be more successful by providing training and support - when and where it fits their schedule.
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.
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.
It’s the season of giving, and while a partridge in a pear tree would be nice, we thought a list of our 12 favorite books would be a tad more practical. The team at FBR compiled this list of the most inspiring and motivating books they’ve read this year so we could share them with you.
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.
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.
This handy checklist is a free tool to help you compare the services and benefits of survey providers - either internal or third-party - to make sure you’re getting the most for your investment of time and money.
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.
Despite it's critical importance, culture is frequently overlooked by leadership. This eBook examines the three foundational components of a positive franchise culture—and provides practical advice for franchise leadership teams for creating and maintaining a culture that leads to greater productivity and profitability.
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're surveying EVERYONE that works in the franchise industry to find out what they think of their job, team, and company. Share your experience with us and help us identify the best places to work in franchising!
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.
There’s so much to know and learn as a new franchisee – and so much ‘paper work’ coming down from HQ, that franchisees often get lost in a barrage of paper, rather than focusing on the big picture. That can lead to your franchisees unknowingly sabotaging your brand and their customer satisfaction. Nancy Friedman, President of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, outlines five common phrases that can sabotage a business and how to mitigate them.
