There is tremendous value in having your franchise operations team attend industry events – and yes, we meant teams. Here are the top four reasons your whole franchise operations team should attend the FBR Summit.
The roundtables are a unique opportunity for Human Resources and internal franchise operations leaders to work on franchise employment challenges together
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.
Each year, Franchise Business Review surveys thousands of franchise owners to benchmark satisfaction in the areas most critical to franchise performance. This year’s data revealed seven surprising “danger zones” that negatively impact system success.
A look at the economic factors affecting food franchise profitability—labor and food costs, inflation—and what franchisors can do about it.
Raise the performance of your franchise system with these 5 tips.
Foster high performance within your franchise with these 10 simple steps. Follow this checklist, commit to franchisee satisfaction and results will follow.
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.
Consistency is the key to success in various aspects of life and business, and the onboarding process for new franchisees is no exception. Learn how to integrate new franchisees into your brand while maintaining a consistent onboarding process.
Download this free resource for insights drawn from AC Inc's work with franchise systems worldwide to learn what the most progressive franchise brands are doing to modernize franchisee support.
By creating a culture of professionalism, collaboration and accountability, peer groups can help franchisees achieve measurable results and take their [...]
Ongoing training for franchisees is the cornerstone of a successful franchise system. Learn the five most effective types of franchisee training and what they should include.
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.
Ah, franchise operations. A topic so saturated with generic advice, it's like telling a fish to just keep swimming. But [...]
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.
Download this free eBook to uncover the hidden roadblocks to franchise growth and learn how to increase franchise performance by building a system of satisfied, growth-minded franchise owners.
A sneak peek at what you can expect from the Executive Summit at the FBR Summit in Austin this October.
Learn how coaches can build credibility with franchisees and create a strong working relationship with legacy owners and top performers.
You'd be surprised at how many franchise businesses still rely on outdated practices like paper checklists, binders, endless phone calls, and physically driving from one location to another. Here's how you can bring your franchise operations into the 21st century.
4 ways AI can make franchise operations smoother and more efficient for franchisors, including helpful resources.
As a franchisor, your ultimate goal is to build a strong brand, provide consistent experiences across locations, and support your franchise owners in their efforts to make money. But with so many moving parts, it can be challenging to know where to start.
FBR's latest research shows owner satisfaction remains high in the franchise sector. Franchisees report 10 percent jump in income.
2022 may be in the rearview mirror, but there were several posts that offered some great insights that are worth another look as we dive head first into 2023.
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 2023.
This three-step guide is a must-read for any franchisor that wants to increase franchisee satisfaction and improve performance across your system.
Try these five easy, low-cost tips to start increasing franchisee satisfaction, and maximize your franchise system's growth and revenue.
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.
How can you ensure your franchisees are getting top-notch support? Start with a 360° skills assessment of your FBCs using these free templates.
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.
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.
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!
Kathy Gosser, Director of YUM! Center for Global Franchise Excellence, Management & Entrepreneurship, talks to FBR's Michelle Rowan in an episode of FranchiseU! about why feedback from franchisees is a gift and the power of transparency in validation.
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.
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.
This industry primer was created to introduce newcomers to the world of franchising, with tips and pointers to help get up to speed quickly on everything franchising.
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.
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.
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.
Franchise Business Review surveyed nearly 30,000 franchise owners to find out if their businesses are meeting their financial expectations and which franchises present the most profitable opportunities for would-be franchisees. Download the free report.
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.
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.
New data from Franchise Business Review shows satisfaction among franchisees is at an all-time high, increasing 3% from pre-pandemic levels, with nearly 9 in 10 rating their franchise opportunity above average.
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.
The pandemic has been a game-changer for restaurants, forcing everyone, including quick-service operators, to rethink everything they do. Research highlighted in this QSR Magazine article showed that brands that kept their franchisees engaged, informed, and satisfied had the best chance to succeed.
In this webinar, hosted by FranConnect, a standout panel of Franchise Operations experts share data-driven insights and best practices gleaned from a lifetime of coaching franchisors on driving franchisee performance and satisfaction, ensuring franchisee compliance and creating engagement and alignment.
See the key findings and takeaways from FBR's 2021 franchisee satisfaction research into the food franchise sector based on surveys of over 10,220 franchise owners.
This workbook is for franchisors who want to use peer groups as an effective tool to begin, enhance, regain, improve, or maintain franchisee engagement in order to achieve measurable results in their franchise system.
Franchise Advisory Councils are a critical business and relationship-building tool: They build franchisee loyalty and trust, increase support and buy-in to corporate initiatives, create better programs, and minimize resistance to change. This workbook is for franchisors who are considering creating an (FAC) but aren’t sure where or how to start.
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.
Learn six 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.
Creating an impactful social presence is very often 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, innovative social media strategies.
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.
Franchisee satisfaction is a primary leading indicator of current system health and a predictor of future performance and long-term system growth. If the brand you’re investing in doesn’t provide you with recent, detailed, third-party research on their franchisees’ satisfaction, it could be a red flag.
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.
These are the five key areas that separate the very best brands from the competition and lead to high franchisee satisfaction and performance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Download key takeaways from the session, Enforcing Compliance with System Standards While Maintaining Franchise Relations, at the IFA's Emerging Franchisors Virtual Conference.
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.
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.
As the franchising environment changes, now, more than ever, it's important to help franchisees create effective franchise business plans. This eBook equips you with everything you need to get started and provide proactive support.
Virtual onboarding and training may be here to stay post-COVID. Here's a look at the 4 major challenges that poses for franchisors and recommendations for overcoming them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Learn three steps you can take to build in transparency to keep existing franchisees satisfied and engaged, and attract new franchisees to your brand.
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.
Franchisee validation is a clear and measurable indicator of operational soundness; however, the typical franchisee lifecycle shows that a new franchisee’s satisfaction usually declines after a few years – which can negatively affect validation and franchise sales. Learn unique approaches franchisors are taking to mitigate or break the franchisee lifecycle and turn those programs (and their franchisees) into a development tool.
Operations and development don’t always go hand in hand. In practice, however, these two functions need to be closely aligned to create a positive and profitable culture. This session brings together brand leaders from both sides of the house to share strategies and best practices for aligning their teams.
Leaders from five of the most experienced operations companies in franchising share the biggest operations pitfalls franchisors encounter - and what you can do about it to accelerate franchise growth.
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.
CASE STUDY: Learn how Two Men and a Truck uses a data-driven approach to providing top-notch franchisee support and, in turn, attracting high quality leads.
Want to learn how some of the most successful companies in franchising achieving top performance? Watch these free franchise crash courses for practical tips and real-life examples you can easily implement in your own system.
Franchise companies only achieve sustainable success and growth when their franchisees are satisfied with their performance. And the most satisfied franchisees feel that their franchisor is invested in their personal success. If you want to build a system where everyone wins, you need an action plan. That means understanding what you’re doing well and where you can improve. Start by downloading this free franchise report card to rate your system.
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.
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.
Are you looking for inspiration on your field audit questions? Download FranchiseBlast's "357 franchise field audit questions" now including Customer Service, Marketing, Food Safety and Quality, Cleanliness and Management.
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.
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.
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.
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.
