Positive Franchisee-Franchisor Relationships Yield Success

by Pamela Gold

"For us at Handyman Matters, we keep things simple. We pick up the phone and call our franchisees. We keep in touch with them very regularly, we get to know our franchisees, they get to know us, and we share not only in the trials and tribulations of owning one of our franchisees: We get to celebrate each other's wins! That is so exciting for us," stated Andy Bell, Founder of Handyman Matters.

In franchising, the relationship between franchisor and franchisee is key. Like the effort a husband and wife must give to their relationship, the franchisee and franchisor's relationship is one that is complicated and intense. Communication is essential. When a franchisee has good communication skills, they will not only have a strong relationship with their franchisor, but they will also be able to have sound relationships with their customers and possess effective management skills as well. When a solid relationship is formed, a company and all of its franchisees are able to achieve more because they have the ability to work as a team:

"We're developing a network, so that all of our franchisees not only know the faces in corporate, but after our convention this summer, they will also know each other and they will be able to call upon each other to discuss problems and issues," said Bell.

Getting Personal

Most franchisors find that getting to know their franchisees and vice versa leads to a much more open flow of communication. Litigation is rarely an issue when a franchisor and franchisee know each other well. From personal issues that one might be facing to problems with running the business, openness is key.

"One of the first things we do at training with our new franchisees is share our goals in life. We all participate- corporate and franchisees. We all share our reasons for being there and what we want out of life. This is a really nice way for us to get to know each other and bond," stated Al Shuh, Director of Operations for Maui Wowi.

Franchisors realize that their franchisees may not feel perfectly comfortable with everyone in corporate. "We've found that different people open up to different personalities. By providing sub-layers on the corporate level, our franchisees will be able to find someone they can share their successes and their problems with. Ultimately, we create a nucleus at the corporate level and this is where the synergy is created," commented Bell.

Motivation

Who else can motivate a franchisee, like a wonderful franchisor? "It's easy for franchisees to sometimes get down. Linda (Linda Burzynski, President and CEO of Computer Moms) doesn't let us get down! She's such a great motivator and she really keeps us positive," stated Computer Moms' franchisee Steve Sterling (Steve and his wife, Diane own a Leadership Model Computer Moms' franchise in Dallas, Texas.)

Support

One of the main elements that franchisees desire when choosing a franchise opportunity, is strong support. Support ranges from solid training to real help and advice, 24/7. In terms of the franchisee-franchisor relationship, the willingness of the franchisor to listen and advise whenever a franchisee needs help and the encouragement to share  highs and lows, as small or as large as each event might be, can strengthen the relationship, bond the zor and zee, and even lead to a more successful franchise and ultimately franchise company.

"We give our franchisees every phone number they could possibly want! They receive office, cell, and home numbers for all the key players in corporate and we encourage them to call as much as they want. Whether they have questions when they first start-up, or just want to share a success with us, we encourage communication. We keep in touch with our franchisees on a weekly basis, by calling, emailing, and sending them tips and e-newsletters," said Shuh.

A Strong Relationship Leads to Success

"We definitely have a really neat relationship with Linda. Just last week, Linda came up just to spend the day with us. She had no other purpose to the visit other than to spend time with us. Linda and Georgia (Georgia Jones, Founder of Computer Moms) are so motivational and so supportive of us. They truly want their current franchisees to be successful. They don't just sell franchises to sell them and they want people to be happy and successful and they're there for us whenever we need them," said Steve.

The above example shows that when a franchisor truly cares about its franchisees, that feeling of caring is magnified in the business itself. Without support, motivation, and backing, franchise owners often feel like they're in business by themselves. With that feeling in mind, the franchisee has to motivate themselves and succeed on their own- often a much more difficult task. Brand is definitely key in some businesses success but without a strong relationship between franchise owners and corporate, even a great brand can flop.

What Can Go Wrong?

If either lack of communication or understanding takes place by either the franchisor or the franchisee, the relationship will suffer. If either party cannot put themselves in each other's position, with regards to anything from small details to how the business is run, problems will come up. If there is also a lack of communication, major issues can arise and litigation may occur.

It Takes Two...

Even if one side is trying to right the wrongs and communicate, it takes two to solve problems and strengthen the relationship. This fact is key. Both sides must communicate and care. When both sides participate, a strong system and business is available for both franchisee and franchisor to enjoy.

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"We don't make decisions for our franchisees. Instead, we feel it is our place to teach people how to run their business, get them as hyped up on the opportunity as we at corporate are, and then we continue to remind the franchisees of their original goals. If someone seems to be off-track, we'll remind them. We're their support system," Shuh notes. When a harmonious and strong franchisor-franchisee relationship is in place and both parties participate in that relationship, success and happiness are much easier to achieve.