franchising feature
EXPERT ADVICE: Brian Keen | Founder | Franchise Simply
Franchising business
focused on kids subjects. Sports organisations covering everything from gymnastics and swimming to footy, karate and athletics. Music lessons of every kind. Drama and theatre. Party franchises. Toys, clothes, equipment for hire and sale – both educational and not so educational. Photography for kids and there’s even a franchise offering 3D and 4D Prenatal Imaging. The list goes on. Mostly the product being delivered is being delivered to kids. And so, there is no doubt someone in the organisation needs to get on with kids – in most cases they must be happy. Mostly also, the product being delivered is specialised and there is no doubt someone in the organisation needs to be trained, probably qualified in some way, and know what they’re talking about. But most of all, usually the person buying the product and assessing the outcome is an adult - a parent or grandparent.
Which takes me to the question of who will make the best franchisee? On the surface there’s not much difference. A business focused on kids is run much like any other after all. But there are two things that differentiate… The question on who’s the client? And the associated question on who should be the franchisee? Both revolve around the central tenant we preach here at Franchise Simply – franchising is all about people and you need to structure and manage your franchise group around your people – both customers and franchise partners.
So, who is your client? I researched franchised businesses focused on kids and the options are many and varied. Childcare outfits. Tutoring businesses covering pre-schoolers being given an enhanced environment within which to learn all the way to Year 12’s advanced STEM 40 business franchise MAGAZINE
If you are just thinking of product and service delivery, then there’s no question. Someone with the skills and personality to make the kids happy. Most people attracted to working with kids and who are good at the job tend towards a supportive personality. They have lots of empathy and are good at building relationships with the kids. They are drawn to working with kids because they love what they do and the outcome they can achieve through their work. Here’s the rub though. A person buying into a franchise group as a franchise partner is buying a business. So, they need to make the sale to adults (parents and grandparents) not looking so much for fun, empathy and understanding. They want to buy a great product. We find a rapidly growing number of franchisors in this digital time bringing in the leads for everyone in the group. Most then send the lead to the appropriate franchisee and it is the franchisee’s task to convert the
sale. Over time it is also the franchisee’s job to build a reputation and a network in their local area. They must be out and about showing off the brand and getting to know other kids’ organisations along with their primary contacts – teachers, other kids’ business owners. As franchise owners, they also must be good at business. Making sure the money is working, getting the sales, managing staff, keeping an eye on how everything is going. The rub is that most supportive personalities are great at delivering the product in an environment such as kids’ franchises are terrible at looking after business – they just don’t like the hard bits and avoid them. Networking meetings, cold calling for sales, doing the bookkeeping are all too difficult. This problem exists with any group where the person delivering the product generally needs to be a supportive personality – nursing, teaching, massage therapists, social media… Even Jim in the early days found this with his lawn mowing franchises. He wanted his franchisees to be pushing the mowers, bringing in the money and not distracted with business responsibilities. So, he took every call, made every booking, took all the money, and allocated it as required, did all the invoices, and generally made sure business worked all round.
So, what are the options? It’s tricky. Especially in the early days when a franchise group is just getting going. Most would be franchisors who have come to us insisting they need to have their franchise
