Small Business Majors

What people seem to forget about franchising is that it is SMALL business. Even though the big giants of franchising like McDonalds and Burger King give the impression of corporate players, they are essentially a network depending on small and medium sized business owners. Yes, the franchisor’s office (i.e. the ‘head office’) is impressive and large in itself, but the model depends on the system working. The system involves just four simple criteria being met:

• Well planned, thought-through and documented Franchise Model
• The Right Franchisee Recruitment
• Perfect Franchisees Training and Ongoing support
• Seamless Franchisor Compliance Procedures

Keep all of these things tight and up-to-date, and you will share just some of the success of the perceived ‘big boys’.

The best thing about a franchise model that works is a franchisor that harnesses all of the resources that will provide the franchisee with an answer to most of the stresses of becoming a business owner for the first time. One of the reasons for a prospective franchisee to choose one franchise offering over another is in what support tools and umbrellas are included in the business model.

Small business owners are typically resilient, motivated and driven for business survival. They have a certain element of creativity that lends more strength to the franchise network. The real challenge for a franchisor is selecting just the right franchisee with all of these characteristics, but also an inherent understanding that all business success has the backdrop of hard work and commitment!

The decision to choose to buy a franchise, or to set-up shop on your own is something everyone goes through when they get to the point of wanting to be in business for themselves. Franchising is the perfect solution for the small business owner who wants the comfort of a proven formula, and umbrella of support and the reputation of a brand.

It takes an engaged and co-operatively vision-driven franchisor to keep a network of small business owners aligned with a common purpose. Get that right and you have hit the big time of Small Business Majors!

Copyright © 2008 Shelley Pearson.
Reprints are welcome, as long as the by-line and article are published in tact and all links made live.

About the Author

Shelley Pearson, formerly an independent franchise consultant, created the Expert Franchise Guide business after identifying a serious lack of a provision of franchise business guidance products to small and medium sized business owners. She has developed her products in order to solve one of these business owners’ biggest operational obstacles: access to decisive, experienced and cost effective franchise business guidance. She is now an information marketer and has managed to attract both professional affiliations and clients who recognise and value her business acumen matched with a practical and empathetic approach.