Advice

Like it or not, every one of us in the business world needs a little guidance along the way. Australia is arguably the most franchised country in the world. As such it is also one of the most tightly regulated franchise environments within which to be working. In working with our clients our goal is to give you the best "down to earth" guidance that we possibly can. We draw from our years of experience to help you as best we can. Where necessary we also draw from our own support network of Solicitors, Accountants, existing franchisors, business brokers and a range of business associates.

Before you decide to franchise your business

Establishing a new Franchise network is a daunting task, and takes a large amount of planning, a lot of hard work, plenty of time and much help as can. It has been said that the best way to build a successful Franchise business is to surround yourself with as much advice as you can find. The cost of your time and the various components along the way can be quite significant and do vary greatly dependant on the type of business you are franchising. Franchising is about hard work and building a business, not about a quick buck. As the Franchisor your returns will come in due course as your business matures.

Franchising does have its advantages

While setting up and running a franchise is a challenging task, in the long run it can have significant advantages.

• It is the franchisee that provides much of the manpower and resources needed to build the business.
• The broader network of outlets allows a franchisor to service a wider range of clients around the country.
• The franchise has the ability to grow far quicker than if you were doing it alone.
• Staff issues are minimised
• It enables the franchisor to service national customers using their network of outlets.
• The day to day concern of running each outlet is no longer the concern of the Franchisor but rather that of the franchisee.
• Your business operators will be far more motivated as the "owner" rather than just an employee.
• The risk taken by the Franchisor is far less than that which would have been required had he provided all the capital himself.
• The franchisor is provided with a higher level of security in his overall business, since many other people have also invested in the concept.

Do it properly or not at all

Although franchising has been used very successfully around the world as a way to launch and expand business systems, it must be done very thoroughly and carefully to ensure success. A few tips to consider... Build your franchise model well by getting lots of input from both inside and outside your business. Only consider franchising tried and proven business systems - franchising a "concept or idea" rarely works. Define the unique point of difference in your business and emphasise these qualities. Put lots of effort into piloting the Franchise business in just the format that you would have the future franchisees operating it. Take your time and don't rush anything Be happy making mistakes and learn from them all. Put an enormous amount of effort into the initial training of your franchisees. Consider and treat your franchisees as "partners" in the business, because without them you will have no future. Focus on making your franchisees successful and it will follow that you will also succeed. Set your standards high and ensure that franchisees have similar expectations. Make realistic forecasts and do not oversell your business. Be willing to learn from your franchisees and use them to help refine your business. Above all take the time to develop your business slowly. Surround yourself with a team of professionals for constant support and mentoring a team of people who are honest enough to tell you the truth.