Tech Talk: Implementing the Right Technology at the Right Time for Your Franchisees

By |2020-11-11T19:23:50+00:00July 6th, 2018|Resources, Webinars|

If every franchise brand had a fully integrated, customized, easy to use, modular, cost-effective technology platform for their franchisees, operations would run very smoothly. Unfortunately, the perfect tech options seem too expensive for the brands that need them most and the questions involved with moving from one platform to another can quickly halt a much-needed upgrade. In this webinar, we speak with panelists who can clarify how to make the choice in platforms, when to make the investment, and the most seamless ways to roll out a new system.

  • binoculars representing transparency in franchising practices

Creating Franchisee Vision Plans (and Aligning Them with the CEO’s Vision)

By |2020-11-11T19:24:04+00:00July 6th, 2018|Resources, Webinars|

Franchisees are motivated by the potential to realize their dreams. Unfortunately, it can become very easy to lose sight of the long-term goals while dealing with the short-term challenges within the business. Working with franchisees to put their vision in writing can help them to stick to it and track their own progress, and helps YOU to make sure their vision stays aligned with the brand's so that both parties are working toward common goals.

What Story Is Your Item 19 Telling?

By |2020-11-11T19:27:56+00:00May 10th, 2018|Resources, Videos|

More than ever, savvy franchise buyers are honing in on your FDD’s Item 19. After all, it’s the closest they can get to answering the burning question, “How much money can I expect to make?” FBR's President & COO Michelle Rowan shares three need-to-know tips to make your Item 19 accurate and engaging.

  • Top Quartile Performance 2018

The Link Between Franchisee Satisfaction and Performance

By |2020-11-11T19:28:30+00:00April 2nd, 2018|Research, Resources|

Franchise Business Review's data shows that brands with high franchisee satisfaction drastically outperform brands with low satisfaction on every key performance metric. This graphic illustrates the gap between brands in the top quartile of satisfaction and brands in the bottom quartile in annual unit growth, royalty revenue, franchisee turnover, and franchisee income.

  • 5-Minute Friday Tips

4 Warning Signs of Franchisee Dissatisfaction

By |2020-11-11T19:29:02+00:00March 26th, 2018|Resources, Videos|

Using the data Franchise Business Review has collected from over 1,100 franchise brands, we've identified four warning signs that indicate that your franchisees are unhappy or disengaged - which means your system is at risk. FBR's Michael Kupfer talks about what you need to watch out for.

  • Item 19

3 Ways You’re Wasting Money

By |2020-11-11T19:31:23+00:00March 9th, 2018|Resources, Videos|

Nobody likes to waste money, but time and again, we see franchisors making simple mistakes that are costing them. In under three minutes, FBR's President & COO Michelle Rowan shares three ways you could be losing money - without even knowing it. Watch now to find out if your system is at risk and learn how to fix it.

How Yogi Bear’s Laser-Focus on Brand Differentiation Made It a Top Franchise

By |2021-05-26T13:58:18+00:00January 30th, 2018|Blog|

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.

  • franchisee satisfaction data as business intelligence

Franchisee Satisfaction Data as Business Intelligence

By |2017-09-11T09:42:23+00:00September 11th, 2017|Uncategorized|

Business intelligence is all about using data to make informed decisions for your organization. It applies data analysis to glean actionable insights, identify risks and opportunities, and guide strategic plans. If you’re not collecting franchisee satisfaction data, you’re missing a critical piece of business intelligence. And that means you’re putting your entire system at risk.

  • Re-engage senior franchisees

4 Ways to Re-Engage Senior Franchisees

By |2023-03-16T21:02:15+00:00August 22nd, 2017|Blog|

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.

  • grow your franchise brand

Growing Your Franchise Brand Without Losing Sight of What Matters

By |2021-05-27T14:29:43+00:00July 20th, 2017|Blog|

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.

  • Women in Franchising

Women in Franchising

By |2020-11-11T19:38:32+00:00April 11th, 2017|Research, Resources|

Franchise Business Review asked the franchise industry to nominate the women leading the way in franchising through exceptional leadership, knowledge, and creativity. This special report highlights some of the nominations we received, along with franchisee satisfaction data around women franchisees, resources, and advice from franchisors on building a more profitable system.

  • communication audit

Communication Audit: Think of It as Benchmarking

By |2023-03-16T19:59:09+00:00April 10th, 2017|Blog|

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.

5 Tips for Overcoming Analysis Paralysis

By |2020-11-11T19:38:56+00:00March 16th, 2017|Resources, Webinars|

Whether the thought of analyzing data fills you with dread, or you just don’t know where to start, this 30-minute webinar will help even the most data-phobic franchisor understand how to use your data to drive your strategic efforts and start outperforming your competitors.

  • franchisee happiness

eBook: The [Franchise] Happiness Project

By |2021-10-29T14:11:17+00:00February 1st, 2017|eBooks and Whitepapers, Resources|

If you can commit to focusing on one area to work on each month and embedding it into your corporate culture, you may find that a step-by-step approach to change can end up making a big difference. This eBook lay out 12 best practices you can implement over the course of a year to increase satisfaction and improve productivity.

  • The Franchise Happiness Project

eBook: The [Franchise] Happiness Project

By |2017-02-01T10:46:46+00:00February 1st, 2017|Uncategorized|

If you can commit to focusing on one area to work on each month and embedding it into your corporate culture, you may find that a step-by-step approach to change can end up making a big difference. This eBook lay out 12 best practices you can implement over the course of a year to increase satisfaction and improve productivity.

The Missing Piece of Your Corporate Culture

By |2021-05-27T14:29:43+00:00May 13th, 2016|Blog|

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.

FBR Staff Picks: Recommended Reading

By |2016-01-27T08:42:42+00:00January 27th, 2016|Uncategorized|

How does Franchise Business Reviews’ staff stays inspired and motivated? Check out our latest list of great reads. CEO Eric Stites recommends Making Idea Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality. According to productivity expert Scott Belsky, no one is born with the ability to drive creative projects to completion. Execution is a skill that must be developed by building your organizational habits and harnessing the support of your colleagues. Read on for more inspiring titles.

Young Franchise Brands: Your Franchisees Want Better Tech

By |2015-11-24T09:00:01+00:00November 24th, 2015|Uncategorized|

Newer, smaller franchise brands typically don’t have a ton of capital, so investment in powerful software platforms can be extremely difficult to finance. At the same time, steady, sustainable growth of the brand depends on franchisees being successful and validating well for interested candidates. So do you invest beyond your means to streamline unit-level and brand growth, or do you stick with inefficient systems until there’s enough capital to spend on better technology?

How to Drive Franchise Profits Via Customer Satisfaction

By |2015-11-06T10:26:20+00:00November 6th, 2015|Uncategorized|

As local business owners, your franchisees are often buried in the day-to-day details of running their businesses—hiring, payroll, sales, customer service—meaning they typically have time to pay attention to customer satisfaction. Make it easy for them by providing them with customer satisfaction data that relates specifically to their location.

The Most Important Franchise Operations Tool You May Not Be Using

By |2015-07-07T11:01:41+00:00July 7th, 2015|Uncategorized|

In June 2015, over 100 franchisors learned how to run their brand more successfully via Franchise Business Review’s 2015 Ops Webinar Series. They benefitted from the insight of 15 respected franchise industry leaders who shared their experiences, expertise, and favorite resources during five online sessions. Throughout the series, one idea kept that regardless of the session topic was...

  • binoculars representing transparency in franchising practices

GAINING TRACTION: 5 Steps to Drive Franchise Performance and Profitability

By |2021-02-12T16:59:51+00:00February 20th, 2015|Blog|

Having a strong culture of transparency is critical for the long-term success of your franchisees and your system as a whole. Franchisees can easily get distracted as their business grows, which will ultimately stall their growth. Being 100 percent transparent as an organization will keep you and your franchisees laser-focused on things that really matter.

Don’t be a Dummy

By |2014-07-03T00:00:00+00:00July 3rd, 2014|Uncategorized|

No matter how “good” your system is, there’s a little bit of dummy in every organization. If any of these sound like someone you know, now is the time to address it – they could be holding you back from being truly GREAT.

Improve Franchisee Relations One Note At A Time

By |2014-06-19T04:00:00+00:00June 19th, 2014|Uncategorized|

A common complaint from franchisees is that their franchisor doesn’t listen, the corporate office is out of touch, and they don’t feel part of the larger brand. There are a lot of big picture things you can do to change this, but there’s also one seemingly small thing that can make all the difference: A handwritten note.

Complainers Among Us

By |2021-07-23T15:17:49+00:00June 5th, 2014|Blog|

There’s no doubt we’ve all worked with a complainer or two—that person who spends all his time griping about a situation rather than doing something to improve it. Complainers may hurt your brand in more ways than you know.

Let Your Franchisees Teach Your Franchisees

By |2014-05-07T00:00:00+00:00May 7th, 2014|Uncategorized|

We hear it time and time again: Franchisees learn better from each other. So, when a franchisor has a best practice to share, an improvement to make, or a new process to implement, they get better results when the news is delivered by franchisees.

Long Run Leadership

By |2014-05-03T04:00:00+00:00May 3rd, 2014|Uncategorized|

Being a runner from Boston, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I’d have done if I’d been crossing the finish line at 2:50 p.m. on 4/15/13.

Jimmy John’s Greatest Mistake

By |2014-04-07T00:00:00+00:00April 7th, 2014|Uncategorized|

The passion of Jimmy Liautuad is palpable. He’s got a big personality, and as he shared at Franchise Time’s Finance and Growth Conference in March, he’s had a great ride as CEO of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Subs—a brand he started back in 1983. But it hasn’t all been roses.

The Five Most Important Things We Learned at IFA

By |2023-03-22T19:56:50+00:00March 5th, 2014|Blog|

Our team spent most of last week in New Orleans at the IFA Convention, so I asked them to dig out from their beads and give me the best tip they took away from being there. Just like the conference itself, there’s something for everyone in their responses.

Compete Locally to Succeed Nationally

By |2013-10-07T04:00:00+00:00October 7th, 2013|Uncategorized|

Local efforts can have a big impact on a franchise system as a whole, including its unit profitability, storewide sales, and overall brand growth. If you’re not already, you may want to consider what (or who) is actually driving your local efforts.

Item 19: Uncluttering the Debate

By |2013-06-27T04:00:00+00:00June 27th, 2013|Uncategorized|

It’s no secret that the Item 19 is a hot-button issue in franchising. While the majority of experts vote in favor of it, there are still many who argue that an Item 19 is not absolutely necessary. Who's right?

The Best Conference Tip I’ve Ever Gotten

By |2013-05-22T04:00:00+00:00May 22nd, 2013|Uncategorized|

The best conference tip I’ve ever gotten was from Susan Black-Beth at the IFA Leadership Luncheon in February. I always walk away from conferences with a few (soon-to-be-forgotten) great ideas, but Susan’s hit home and I’ve been thinking about it—and working on it—ever since.

Would You Trust You?

By |2023-03-22T19:59:48+00:00March 5th, 2013|Blog|

If by some unlikely twist of fate, you were instantly transplanted from the home office to ownership of your own franchise unit, how would you feel about the direction of the company? What thoughts would be crossing your mind as you read the latest memo from the executives? Would you trust you?

The Silent Killer

By |2012-10-31T04:00:00+00:00October 31st, 2012|Uncategorized|

A few months ago, I wrote about complainers and their negative effect on a franchise brand. Since then, I’ve been [...]