The Franchise Lifecycle: What Stage of Growth are You In?
If your planning strategy mirrors many franchise organizations, you probably completed the majority of your annual planning before the year even began - hopefully with enough detail and accountability to ensure it’s implemented effectively. And while much of the planning I’m involved in through my Board work is at the franchisor level, it’s just as important for smaller franchisees to plan, too. In fact, the yearly planning process can provide a unique opportunity for franchisees and franchisors to collaborate and create a planning process together. When I was with Cost Cutters and City Looks, for example, we included a support team from the corporate office that would sit down with the owners and review their business information. Together, they’d review each unit to find out the following:
For many franchisees, the definition of success isn’t simply to grow a thriving single unit business: it’s to grow and expand into additional units, as well. And while it may seem like a natural progression for many franchise owners, it does require a mindset shift in order to execute successfully. It’s a topic I’m excited to share with the Painting With a Twist team at their annual conference later this month. This will be my second time attending the event, and I’m once again looking forward to sharing in their enthusiasm and growth.