Starting a new business is overwhelming! Although franchising provides the model, the training, and the statistically higher probability for success, starting a new business still evokes a range of emotions for franchisees. They put a strong foot forward, but it is understood that there is a lot of information that is needed to effectively operate the business. It is up to the franchisor to help franchisees digest all the business processes, without getting sick to their stomach.

How Do You Eat an Elephant – One Bite at a Time!

Bill Hogan

Years of Experience

As the franchisor, you have had years of experience in building the business. You cultivated clients, established systems, and implemented marketing strategies. You worked through setbacks by redesigning, reengineering, and refocusing your strategies.  You made the mistake the franchisees seek to avoid. You hold the business wisdom franchisees seek.  The delivery process for that wealth of information is key.  

Tiered Training & Delivery – Not a Data Dump

Your team will provide a lot of data & information to franchisees. And most times, the information is all new to the trainee. The franchisee has not operated your business model. It is up to you to establish a tiered training system for the initial training so franchisees are not overwhelmed with information, shut down mentally, and lose sight of the core fundamentals. For example, you could consider initially addressing:

• Core Products Overview
• Department Overview
• Working with Customer – an “x” step process
• Specific, necessary, software functions

The key here is to teach the core fundamentals, and to show them where additional resources are so they can learn at their pace, and have a reference system when in doubt.

Build Confidence – Don’t instill Doubt

Knowing the core necessities to operate the business is key. A granular delivery of every aspect of the business model most often causes more doubt than confidence in the franchisee’s ability to successfully operate the business model. It is important that the franchisee understands, and believes, that over time, your team and their fellow franchisees will help them convert the information to operational knowledge. That there is a support system in place, in addition to the manuals. And that through coaching and operational experience, they too will gain the wisdom originally sought. For one day, they too might be the person a new franchisees timidly reaches out to, to learn from.

Help them eat the elephant, one bite at a time!