How To Franchise Your Business
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. The Decision to Franchise
Franchise
Decisions
Financial
Development Questions and Discussion 2 Wearegoingtotrytocoveragreatdealofinformation,soweare askingthatyouholdyourquestionsuntiltheendofthesession unlesstheyareonaparticularslide.
◦ How Franchising Works ◦ Alternatives ◦ Quality Control ◦ Legal Aspects of Franchising Marketing Your Franchise
Selling Your Franchise
Creating a Successful
Strategy ◦ Structural
◦
◦ Organizational
More hands-on experience than any other firm
◦ Consultants with over 800 years of franchise experience
◦ 98 out of the top 200 franchise companies
◦ Offices in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Boca Raton, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Toronto, Dubai, UAE & Riyadh
More “senior level” experience
◦ Hands-on experience at start-up and established franchisors
◦ Former CEOs, CFOs, EVPs of more than 50 different franchise companies
Adia (now Adecco), Armstrong Tile, Auntie Anne’s, Dunkin Donuts, LINE-X, Pearle Vision, McDonald’s, PIP Printing, Schlotzsky’s, Snap-on Tools, Snelling & Snelling, and other national brands
The ability to bring more resources
◦ Faster completion
◦ Ability to provide assistance in several areas simultaneously
Breadth across four functional areas
◦ Strategic planning
◦ Quality control
◦ Marketing
◦ Organizational development
Franchise experience in 50+ countries
Four years in a row voted the #1 Franchise Consulting Firm in North America in an independent survey of over 900 franchisors
Numerous awards and publications
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
3
A Premier fully-integrated public relations and digital media agency specializing in franchised businesses
◦ Public Relations
◦ Digital Lead Generation
◦ Search Engine Marketing
◦ Content Marketing
◦ Social Media Publishing
◦ Pay-Per-Click Advertising
◦ Website Design & Development
Both franchise development and consumer branding
Team with Hands-On Franchise Experience
◦ Real world experience with nearly two dozen brands
◦ Efforts have resulted in tens of thousands of franchise leads
◦ And many hundreds of franchise sales
Recent honors and awards:
◦ Top supplier from Entrepreneur five years in a row
◦ Best New Agency (Ragan & PR Daily Ace Awards)
◦ PR Agency Elite – Mission: Fit to Own (PR News)
◦ Best Website Finalist (PR News)
◦ Best Media Relations Campaign Finalist (PR News)
◦ Best SEO Finalist (PR News)
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
4
Considering franchising your business?
Franchising less than one year?
Franchising more than one year?
Wearehappytosendyouacopyofthis presentation,soyoucanlimityournotetakingif yousodesire. Also,happytosendacopyofa videoandabookifinterestedinexploring further.
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
5
FTC rule 436 cites three elements that legally define a franchise:
◦ The use of a common trademark
◦ The exercise of control or provision of assistance
◦ The collection of fees, royalties, mark-ups or other monies from the franchisees
If you have all three elements, you are a franchise, regardless of what you call it Some state definitions vary, but are similar
Do not have to use the “f-word”
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
6
Franchisee typically pays
◦ Franchise fee average about $35,000 to $45,000
◦ Royalty range between 4% and10%
◦ Advertising range between 1% and 2%
◦ Franchisor will often sell product to the franchisee
Franchisor typically provides
◦ Initial training
◦ Operations manual and systems
◦ Ongoing supervision and support
◦ Other support services
© 2023
Group. All Rights Reserved.
iFranchise
7
Leverage Capital
Speed of Growth
Motivated management
Reduced risk
Few operational concerns
Higher quality
Organizational leverage
Must “share profits”
◦ Franchise unit will usually generate less profit than a profitable unit
◦ But far more profit than an unprofitable company-owned operation
Less Control
Good relations with franchisees take work
MYTH: Litigation
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 9
Survey by independent industry source indicated that only 27% of franchisors had any litigation
◦ This includes large companies like McDonald’s and others who are targeted for frivolous lawsuits and lawsuits unrelated to franchising
◦ McDonald’s, with 30,000+ contracts had (2008) only six pending lawsuits. Big Target. Litigation rate of 0.02%
◦ Recent example:
A group claiming that the way they make chicken is unhealthy
Group suing them for making their children obese
Group suing them for beef tallow in cooking oil
A Group suing them for collection of tax on bottled water
One suit by a JV partner
One pending franchisee lawsuit from a franchisee who owes $3 million in unpaid royalties
© 2023
Group. All Rights Reserved.
iFranchise
10
* Not responsible for acts of an independent contractor (franchisee) relative to third parties. Exceptions are when a) you create an agency, and/or b) if you are negligent.
© 2023
Group. All Rights Reserved. Liability Type Well-Executed Franchising Company-Owned Growth Franchise Contract Liability X Employment Liability X Property Lease Liability X Equipment Lease Liability X Workers Comp Liability X Slip and Fall Liability X Vicarious Liability Usually not* You always have liability for your agents
require third party to insure you against liability Yes – franchisee No
insure against internally Yes Yes 11
iFranchise
Can
Can
What are your goals? BE SPECIFIC!
◦ Certain levels of profits
◦ Sell company for a specific amount
What is your risk tolerance?
◦ How much are you willing to invest and re-invest?
◦ What other resources do you have to bring to bear?
Conduct Cash Flow Analysis to See if You Can Reach Your Goals
◦ Example:
Goal = Sell company for $10 million at the end of five years
Two units in operation
Total Equity Investment in New Operation = $150,000
Total available capital = $200,000
Existing Free Cash Flow for Reinvestment = $100,000/year
Units Break Even in First Year
After that, Free Cash Flow from New Units = $50,000/year/each
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
1212
$450,000 in free cash flow by Year Six = $3,150,000 valuation ONLY IF NO INCREMENTAL OVERHEAD IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 13 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Starting Capital $250,000 $200,000 $200,000 $250,000 $300,000 # Opened 1 1 1 1 2 Capital invested ($150,000) ($150,000) ($150,000) ($150,000) ($300,000) New Cash Flow 0 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 Existing Cash Flow $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 Units – EOY 3 4 5 6 8 Cash Flow $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 $350,000 Value @ 7x CF $700,000 $1,050,000 $1,400,000 $1,750,000 $2,450,000 Terminal Value
This Example
◦ Would need to open 27 company units
◦ That would take about 12 years of reinvesting everything
◦ Total Investment = $4 million over that time frame
Cannot get there from here
Alternatives:
◦ Change Goal
◦ Change Time Frame
◦ Change Assumptions (structure, capital devoted, leverage, etc.)
◦ Raise equity to grow faster
If you are raising equity, factor in dilution
◦ If you will give up 50% of the company, you need to grow twice as big
◦ Run the numbers again
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
14 14
AGAIN, ONLY IF NO INCREMENTAL OVERHEAD IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 15 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Starting Capital $3,250,000 $1,100,000 $850,000 $1,250,000 $1,500,000 # Opened 15 7 5 8 10 Capital invested ($2,250,000) ($1,050,000) ($750,000) ($1,200,000) ($1,500,000) New Cash Flow 0 $750,000 $1,100,000 $1,350,000 $1,750,000 Existing Cash Flow $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 Units – EOY 17 24 29 37 47 Cash Flow $100,000 $850,000 $1,200,000 $1,450,000 $1,850,000 Terminal Value $2,750,000 in free cash flow by Year Six = $19,250,000 valuation. Divide by
to account for
ownership
price.
two
50%
= $9.6 million selling
With an influx of a little over $3 million
◦ Can jump-start growth and leverage off of that growth
◦ Will need to get to about 50 – 54 units
◦ Total investment $7.5 - $8 million
◦ But you are using investor money
Problem: Realistic valuations
◦ Valuing the existing business – (4X – 7X EBITDA)
◦ Year One Business Value = $700,000
◦ Business Value after Equity = $3.7 million
◦ Sophisticated investor would want 81% ($3M/$3.7M)
◦ Would need to find an investor who would invest $3M for 50%
◦ Might try numbers again at $5 million and a 20% stake???
◦ At some point, just not realistic
Capital availability even with realistic valuations
◦ Limited in today’s marketplace
◦ Control an issue
© 2023
Group. All Rights Reserved.
iFranchise
16 16
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. Name System Fee Franchise = Name Fee Trademark License = System Fee Business Opportunity orLicense = Name System = Dealership Distributor Agency JointVenture SalesRep System Name Fee 17
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. Name System Fee Franchise Name Trademark License Product System Distributor/ Dealer JointVenture + Equity + 18
Name Fee Trademark License =
Advantages
• Less Regulation - Still a Franchise in NY
Disadvantages
•Lower fees
•Do you have strong name?
•No control over brand
Often, this alternative is eliminated because the company does not have adequate brand strength, and, even if they did, they would risk losing their trademark if they did not exercise control. Moreover, it is important to note that the “control” element of the franchise definition is very easy to trigger.
© 2023
All Rights Reserved.
iFranchise Group.
19
System
Fee Business Opportunity orLicense =
Advantages
•Less Regulation?
- More at the state level
Disadvantages
•Lower fees
•Do you have strong name?
•No control
•Create competition
•Poor image
This can be a viable option for some, but the loss of the branding element is an issue that should be carefully considered. For example, what would happen to your licensed channel if a branded channel were to be introduced by your competitors? Will you have national accounts? Or a desire to create consumer brand loyalty?
©
All Rights Reserved.
2023 iFranchise Group.
20
Dealership or Distributorship = Name System
Advantages Disadvantages
•Less Regulation
•Easier to sell
•ABSOLUTELY NO FEES
•Support provided for “free”
•Must have product to sell
•No revenues from service
•Products can be “stepchild”
•Dealer defections to: - better products - cheaper alternatives
Dedicated dealerships can have many of the same advantages as franchising. The biggest disadvantages are the need to pay for services out of the wholesale margins. CAUTION: Can create an inadvertent franchise after the fact, as happened with Mitsubishi v. To- Am.
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
21
Agency or SalesRep = Name System
Advantages
•Less Regulation
•Easier to sell
Disadvantages
•ABSOLUTELY NO FEES
•Support provided for “free”
•Must have product /service
•Turnover is high
•Increased training costs
A “top-down” flow of revenues will avoid franchise laws. Again, be aware of the creation of an inadvertent franchise.
© 2023 iFranchise Group.
All Rights Reserved.
22
Technology-based shared services
◦ Use an app to drive business
◦ Avoid franchising by top-down fee structure
◦ Uber, Lyft, Airbnb
Certification programs
◦ Certification Mark, not a Trademark
TM/SM = Source of Product or Service
CM = Characteristics of a Product or Service
◦ Cannot be used as a TM by the owner of the mark
◦ Must be willing to offer to all who qualify
◦ Cannot have exclusive territories
◦ Can easily stray into a franchise relationship
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
2323
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 24 Franchise Laws Business Opp. Laws Relationship Laws Fair Dealership Laws Sales Rep. Laws Securities Laws NY Franchise Law Franchise Federal & 26 States TM License New York Only Business Opportunity 26 States Dealer / Distributor State / Industry Specific Sales Rep / Agent 35 States Joint Venture State and Federal
The decision should be goal driven
◦ Distance
◦ Speed
◦ Obstacles
◦ Risk tolerance
A Volvo or a Rocket Ship?
Don’t have to choose only one vehicle
Don’t decide to franchise (or whatever)
◦ Instead, decide:
Do I want to build a third-party distribution channel?
Do I want that channel to be branded?
If it is branded, do I want to control quality?
How do I want to be paid?
The law (or your lawyer) should never dictate your good business decisions
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
25
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 27 Successful prototype Credibility Differentiation “Sizzle” Buyer appeal Value Proposition Affordability Profitability TheKeyisCreatinga “Win-Win-Win” Scenario Sell? Clone? Succeed? R.O.I.? Market trends Capital Management Teachability Adaptability Systemization
The franchisee should make a return on the time they invest
◦ No different than if they were to go out and get a job
◦ Salary should be “market rate”
The franchisee should make a return on their investment
◦ No different than if they invested in a stock
◦ Return should be commensurate with what they would make if they were to make an investment of similar risk
◦ Ability to sell back their investment at the end of the term
Franchisees expect that they will need to build their business
◦ Will expect these returns in three years or less
Annual Cash-on-Cash R.O.I. at the unit level – our criteria
◦ 15% for Owner Operators
◦ 20% for Area Developers (who will support additional overhead)
Occasional exceptions
© 2023
All Rights Reserved.
iFranchise Group.
28
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 29 CosttoOpenaNewUnit $ 150,000 Add a Franchise Fee $ 25,000 AddWorkingCapital $ 25,000 Franchisee Estimated Investment $ 200,000 Estimated Franchisee Revenue Year Three $ 500,000 Current Profit afterOwner’sCompensation $ 70,000 AdjustOwner’sCompensation +$ 15,000 One-TimeOnly/CapitalInvestment +$ 5,000 Tax Minimization Strategies +$ 5,000 Shared Overhead +$ 5,000 Interest and Debt Service +$ 5,000 DepreciationandAmortization +$ 5,000 EstimatedFranchiseeProfit(adjusted) $ 80,000 DividedEstimatedProfitbyEstimatedInvestment $80,000/$200,000 Estimated Franchisee Return 40% SubtractRoyalties,Fees,&PriceAdjustments ($ 30,000)
Perfecting the business
◦ If you have perfected your business, SELL IT!
◦ If you are standing still, someone is gaining
◦ McDonald’s in 1955
Quick vs. Slick
◦ If you are going head to head with more established competition and your business model is not highly differentiated – be sure to refine first
◦ More unique, the sooner you should franchise
Risk: Someone with a camera and a notepad
First mover advantage
Who was the first . . . ?
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
31
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 32 Risk of Failure Speed To Market Competitive threat Business Model Risk
37
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 39 Founded 1953 1955 Franchised 1955 1961 1932 1990 Units 30,000+ 12,200+ 420+
Business plan/strategic direction
Legal documents and registrations
Operations manuals
Training program
Quality control mechanisms and systems
Effective marketing plan
Franchise collateral materials
Website and web-based marketing
Advertise Design and implement a sales strategy
Staff an organization to implement the plan
Capital
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
41
If you don’t know where you are going, then any road will take you there.
The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
You are entering a new business.
Goals drive your business. Start with support and cost structure.
What do you need to do to help your franchisees succeed?
Don’t rely on guesswork: The futureofyourbusinessisat stake.
Financial analysis is essential.
Reverse engineer your success.
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
44
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 45
$10M/6.7
franchise Average Net Royalties $10,000
franchise Need to sell $1.3M/$10,000 =
Goal Sell for $10M in 5 Years Average Selling 6.7 times EBIT Year Five Earnings
or about $1.3M Average Royalties $30,000 per
per
130 Franchises
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 46 10 15 25 30 50 Year 1 2 3 4 5 Sales
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 47 10 15 25 30 50 Year 1 2 3 4 5 Sales Hire Franchise Salespeople
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 48 10 15 25
Year 1 2 3 4 5 Sales Hire
30 50
Field Reps
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 49 10 15 25 30 50 Year 1 2 3 4 5 Sales Hire Support
Staff
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 50 10 15 25 30 50 Personnel Marketing Office Space Year 1 2 3 4 5 Sales Brochures Cost to get into franchising can range from $50,000 to $200,000+
◦ Often rely on guesswork
◦ Or analysis of what comparable franchisors are offering to make major decisions
“Me-Too” is not a strategy – it is a recipe for disaster!
◦ Uniqueness is important to success, whether achieved through the business model, marketing, support, structure, fees, or marketing.
◦ Me-Too assumes that business economics are the same, support is the same, and that a new franchisor will simply differentiate themselves based on great franchise marketing
◦ But established franchisors often have many advantages not shared by newer franchisors
◦ So the Me-Too strategy that is taken by many new franchisors can actually be responsible for their failure
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
There are certainly a large number of neophyte franchisors who take a “Ready-Fire-Aim” approach
51
The impact of a 1% royalty mistake
◦ If a single franchisee generates $500,000 in revenue
◦ 1% = $5,000 off the bottom line
◦ But franchisees will never tell you that they are paying too little and often inertia will keep the royalty where it is at for years
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
52 Lost revenue from a single franchise $5,000 Times 100 franchises opened $500,000 Times 20 years $10,000,000 Lost enterprise value at 10x earnings $5,000,000 Total Loss $15,000,000
Structure
◦ Structure dictates support requirements and responsibilities
◦ Will (should) impact fees, royalties, targeted franchisee
Targeted franchisee
◦ Will dictate support requirements as well
Territory – 10% mistake is huge
Franchisor whose franchisees generate $500,000 sells 10 territories
At a 6% royalty, that franchisor is losing $300,000 a year …forever
Plus enterprise value of $3 million lost
Total Loss from 10 territories with a 10% error: $9 million+
Other fees and margins on product sales
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
53
54
Many people think franchises have lower level of quality – just the opposite is true The Quality Trade-Off
◦ More difficult to control
◦ Higher Caliber
◦ More highly motivated
◦ Longer term
Studies show franchisees outperform
Anecdotal evidence
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
55
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. Franchisee Selection Documentation & Training – the Tools Support Legal Documents and Compliance QualityControlComesataCost 56
Intelligence
Capitalization
◦ Biggest reason for failure
◦ Can cause franchisees to cut corners
Work Ethic Personality
◦ Experience in leading a team
◦ Tendency toward being an entrepreneur
◦ Honesty and ethics
◦ Philosophy and cultural fit
◦ Nature (Confrontational or adaptive)
◦ Compatibility (you are “married” for the next 20 years)
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
57
“Job Specific” requirements
Role as a sales tool
Role as a training tool
Role as a reference tool
Role as in reducing liability
Extension of the legal documents
TheTableofContentsisaRequiredDisclosureItem
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
58
A good Operations Manual can help you avoid litigation
A bad Operations Manual can be a franchisor’s worst nightmare
Operations Manuals must provide you with adequate brand control but should not be too prescriptive – a fine line
Must avoid creating an inadvertent “agency” relationship
Must avoid potential areas of negligence or take great care when prescribing actions
Should cross-reference regulations and not cite them
Should be updated annually and reviewed by professionals and attorney
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 5959
I told you not to panic! Everything will be just fine.
"Some people seem to think there's no trouble just because it hasn’t happened yet. If you jump out the window at the 42nd floor and you’re still doing fine as you pass the 27th floor, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a serious problem."
– Charles Munger, Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway –
60
Discussions with Key Stakeholders
Review existing material, forms, & documentation
Develop preliminary outline
Determine gaps in current documentation
Assign responsibility for content creation
Identify Subject Matter Experts for gaps
Interview Subject Matter Experts
Onsite observation of units & documentation
Resolve Best Practices Conflicts
Draft material to cover all identified gaps
Edit all material into common style & “voice”
Revise first draft of Operations Manual based on client input
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
61
Faster growth requires formal training programs
◦ For your staff
◦ For franchisees
Focus on training the trainer (your franchisee)
◦ Franchisee will train their staff
◦ Should have tools to do so
Video pushes QC to lowest level of organization
On-line training decreases costs, increases quality, and can decrease liability
◦ Customized by employee
◦ Document what is reviewed and test scores
◦ Lowers on-site training time and costs for both the franchisor and the franchisee
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
62
63
The FTC rule
◦ Disclosure document with 23 items
◦ Disclosure fourteen days prior to sale
◦ Final Franchise Agreement seven days prior
◦ Financial Performance Representations
◦ Consistency with Franchise Disclosure Document
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
64
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. State regulations ◦ 14 registration states ◦ Regulate advertising ◦ Business opportunity states ◦ Determining applicability (even definitions vary – NY) 65
◦ Franchisor’s state of incorporation
◦ Franchisor’s domicile
◦ Franchisee’s residence
◦ Territory covered
◦ Where discussions take place
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
from
to state
Laws vary
state
variables closely Check with your attorney when in doubt 66
Track these
States having franchise registration or business opportunity laws
Must be registered prior to soliciting franchise leads
Submission of advertising materials
◦ CA, MD, MN, NY, ND, RI, SD, WA
Submit all advertising to your attorney in any event
Relationship and state specific laws
◦ Termination
◦ Non-compete
◦ Escrow
◦ Other
© 2023 iFranchise
All Rights Reserved.
Group.
67
Franchise Legislation Within the US 2023
Legend:
States having no franchise or business opportunity laws
States having franchise registration laws only
States having business opportunity laws
States having both franchise registration and business opportunity laws
Notes:
• Within Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, registration is effective immediately upon the application being filed. Oregon regulates franchises but no filing is required there.
• Florida, Nebraska, Kentucky, Utah and Texas require a simple exemption filing. Once that is filed, a franchisor can begin to offer franchises.
• Georgia and South Carolina provide an exemption if the franchisor has filed a State trademark registration.
• Connecticut, Maine, South Carolina and North Carolina provide an exemption if the franchisor has obtained a Federal registration of its trademark
• Six States require registration of advertising prior to use. (CA, MD, MN, NY, ND, WA)
• New York, Oklahoma and Rhode Island require the FDD be provided to a prospective franchisee at the earlier of (i) the 1st personal meeting held to discuss the franchise or (ii) 10 business days before any agreements are signed or any monies paid (including fully refundable deposits).
• Michigan and Oregon require the FDD be provided to a prospective franchisee 10 business days before any agreements are signed or any monies paid (including fully refundable deposits).
• Many states also have State Relationship Laws that impact issues such as franchise termination or non-renewal. Your franchise legal counsel can advise you on relevant issues involving these states.
• Check with your franchise legal counsel for additional details and updates which are available.
CA WA SD ND MN WI IL IN MI NY VA MD RI UT NE TX FL GA SC NC CT ME KY IA LA OH OK NH Hawaii Alaska 68
Cannot provide Earnings Claims unless in Item 19
◦ No information on sales
◦ No information on earnings
◦ Limited information on expenses (costs as a percentage of total costs are ok)
◦ Start-up costs are included in Item 7 and must be disclosed
Advantages and disadvantages
◦ Must be appropriate
◦ Sell faster?
◦ More or less litigation?
50% choose not to do Earnings Claims
◦ For good reasons, bad reasons, or bad information
◦ Selling franchises in the face of no FPR
© 2023
All Rights Reserved.
iFranchise Group.
69
Rescission
◦ Return fees paid
◦ Make good on franchisee’s investment
Fines – both civil and criminal
◦ Up to $11,000 per violation for the FTC Rule
◦ State fines of up to $100,000
Attorney’s Fees
Damages
Litigation costs and distraction
Barred from selling franchises
Disclose violations for 10 years
Private rights of action at the state level
Government enforcement
Personal liability
In some states, constitutes Class 4 felony (jail time!)
© 2023
All Rights Reserved.
iFranchise Group.
70
71
Start locally, then regionally
◦ Cluster support
◦ More effective franchise advertising
◦ Consumer advertising economies
◦ Brand building
◦ Buying economies
Don’t expand faster than your support capability
◦ Quality control is key
◦ Nothing sells franchises as well as happy and successful franchisees
◦ Three hour drive time
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
72
Identify your prospect as narrowly as possible
◦ Survey Competitors
Background
Hot Buttons
Media
◦ Survey Top Franchisees
Characteristics of top performers
Are we selecting the right lead generation strategies?
Is the advertising message appropriate for our targeted franchisee profile?
Are we targeting the right prospects and using the right media based on our development strategy?
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
Different franchises require us to target different types of franchisees –affecting the media and message used for effective marketing.
73
Name Recognition
◦ 40% say joining a “known brand” is not vital
◦ 40% would prefer a known brand, but are open to newer concepts
70% or more will visit the corporate office…100% should visit yours Only 10% are looking because of job loss in a normal economy
◦ In today’s world, however, that number may be 30% to 40% depending on the nature of your franchisee 80% will talk to your franchisees…100% should talk to your franchisees
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
74
Franchisor Planned Marketing Dollars by Media
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. Source: Franchise Update 75
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Internet/ Digital Franchise Website Social Media Print Direct Marketing Trade Show Public Relations In Market Meetings TV/Radio Brokers Other or Don't Know (not including brokers) 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Percentage of Total Expenditures: 2011-2023
Source of Franchise Leads by Media
Percentage of Total Leads Received: 2011-2022
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. Source: Franchise Update
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Internet/ Digital Your Franchise Opportunity Website Print Referrals Trade Shows P.R. Email Mktg. Direct Mail TV/Radio Brokers Unknown Other 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. Source: Franchise Update
Expenditures on the Internet/Digital 2016-2023 77 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Franchise Opportunity Sites Other Business Media PPC SEO Email Marketing Social Networking Remarketing/ Target Trailing Social Media Advertising Digital Asset Creative Sponsored Content/ Native Advertising Text Messages Other 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Breakdown of
2022)
The Franchise Sales Pipeline
Send
Time to close can range from 30-90 days or more following the initial face-to-face meeting
Total time to close: often 12-20 weeks
Marketing Cost = $10,086 Average per sale*
Overall Expected Close Rate = 3.4%**
Close Rate for Qualified Leads = 15% (those that meet certain pre-qualifiers)
* Average cost per sale ranged from about $9,000 to over $12,000 in recent years. While not measured separately in the Franchise Update report, Cost Per Sale numbers can vary for emerging brands, in particular.
** Historically, close rates have hovered between 1.8% and 2%, but higher (3%+) in the last three years; average Cost per Lead (CPL) was $197 in the prior year, with a spike to over $300 in 2020 due to the pandemic. The numbers above are based on the most recent Franchise Update survey.
Average CPL: $155** Copyright, iFranchise Group, Inc.,
All rights reserved. Public Relations Example CPL = $250 Print Advertising Example CPL = $150 Trade Shows Example CPL = $100 Direct Marketing Example CPL = $75 Internet/ Digital Leads Example CPL =$50 - $150 Referrals/ Unsolicited CPL = $0 Brokers Cost Per Sale = $20K - $35K
Meetings with Candidates Further Qualify
-up meetings, assist with business plan & secure financing Award Franchise Meet With 3 – 10% of Leads
of Discovery Days
Completed CIRFs
2015-2023
Initial
Follow
Close 65% - 75%
(Franchise Update reported an average of 74% in 2022) Convert 15% - 20% of
to Sales (Franchise Update reported 31% in
Marketing Materials,
Lead Generation Time Varies by Media
Franchise
Average
–
Lead to Meeting
Prequalify, Schedule Meetings
Source:
Update.
45
90 Days
Average Closing Costs
(Media Dollars Per Sale Excluding Broker Fees)
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. Source: Franchise Update
$0 $2,000 $4,000 $6,000 $8,000 $10,000 $12,000 $14,000 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 $7,000 $8,200 $13,000 $8,565 $9,451 $9,142 $6,301 $7,558 $8,571 $8,984 $10,500 $12,138 $9,270 $10,086
Most franchise companies do not have an unlimited marketing budget
Circumstances will be very different
◦ Goals
◦ Budgetary restrictions
◦ Geographic focus
◦ Profile of your franchisee and your customer
◦ Quality of existing websites and materials
◦ In-house resources and their capabilities
◦ Competitors
Need to allocate resources based on an integrated lead generation strategy
A canned approach will not work
© 2023 TopFire Media All Rights Reserved.
80
Your message is no longer centered on print media. Instead, integrate all media around your website.
© 2023 TopFire Media All Rights Reserved.
81
◦ Website Performance
◦ SEO Keyword Rankings
◦ Social Media Presence
◦ LinkedIn Profile
◦ PPC Advertising Campaign
◦ Online Reputation
© 2023 TopFire Media All Rights Reserved.
It never hurts to get a second set of expert eyes on your online marketing presence!
based on results and budget 82
Prioritize your efforts
Franchise marketing is very different from consumer marketing
Franchise marketing is highly regulated
The Five Sales
◦ Go into business for yourself
◦ Buy a franchise
◦ Invest in your industry
◦ Invest in your specific franchise
◦ The timing is right
Be sure to have your attorney and registration states review all materials
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
83
Unique process unlike any sale
◦ Quit your job
◦ No more benefits, paid vacations, 401ks
◦ Put your trust in someone you have never before met
◦ To invest your life’s savings
◦ In a business in which you have no experience
◦ And to which they are making a “lifetime” commitment
And, oh, by the way, I can’t tell you how much you may make
© 2023
All Rights Reserved.
iFranchise Group.
85
A good concept
+The Right Message
+Marketing Plan
+Adequate marketing budget
+Good sales technique
= leads
= meetings
= franchise sales
Some studies have indicated the average new franchisor will sell:
An average of 9, 11, and 13 franchises in their first three years
Median sales of 4, 5, and 6 sales in their first three years
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 86
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. Concept&Value Proposition Opening Assistance Offer/Structure MarketingPlan Message& Materials Advertising Expenditures SalesProcess Selectivity Training Support Communication Validation
Cycle Pre-Sale Post-Sale 87
The Franchise Success
First lesson of franchise sales: Nobody ever “sold” a franchise
Psychology of “the award”
◦ Two way street, you must qualify
◦ If you do qualify, you are special
◦ You must follow our rules
This psychology must permeate your thinking and your technique -- we are not salesmen, we are facilitating an award “Buy” vs. “Invest” in a franchise
“Franchise Support Center” vs. Headquarters or “Director of Franchise Development” vs. “Franchise Salesman”
iFranchise Group.
© 2023
All Rights Reserved.
88
Value Proposition: Proven systems
Established brand
Advertising economies
Operating economies
Shared knowledge
Support services provided
This assumes that most people looking to buy a franchise are logical in their approach….. ….which is often not the case.
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
89
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 90 0 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
More Money
Be Their Own Boss General Independence Do Something
Love
Earn
Other
They
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved. 91 Lead Received and Qualified Electronic Brochure and CIRF Sent to Candidate Completed CIRF Received Review CIRF –Financial Qualification Reference Checks FDD Review Cal held with PPT to Explain Details of offer FDD Sent to Client for Review and Review Call Scheduled Decision is Made on Candidate’ s Approval PRELIMINARY Approval is Granted Franchise or Site Selection Agreement is Signed Personal Interview Scheduled –Concept Review Call Follow-up Discussion with Candidate Discovery Day
Important concept to understand when measuring hiring decisions, advertising and marketing related expenditures –Present Value of a Franchise (PVOF)
Should use this principle in decision-making
PVOF = Net Present Value of franchise fees, royalties, product/equipment sales, advertising fees, and other revenue, less any direct expenses, discounted to today’s dollars
The sale of a single franchisee paying 6% royalties on AUVs of $500,000 can result in $600,000 in revenues, plus advertising, product purchases, increased buying power, etc.
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
92
Be selective
Hire the best you can afford
Maintain personal involvement
Let brand maintenance and the potential for franchisee success be your guideposts
Train your sales staff
Measure everything And, most of all, be sure a standard process is in place for handling each prospect
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
93
If the concept does not work, do not franchise
Use franchisee success as your capacitor of growth
With those caveats, franchise sales are a natural result of a well executed sales and marketing strategy
The number of franchises you sell will not be a result of “averages” but instead a result of marketing expenditures.
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
94
What If It Is Not Working -- Diagnosing
Sales Problems
Could Indicate Concept Problems
High lead costs could indicate media selection problems
Low conversions could indicate Poor marketing materials
Could indicate Sales problems
-Urgency
Low conversions could indicate poor sales skills or poor validation
Few leads could indicate lack of broker confidence
-Setting Agenda
-Closing Skills
In short, close analysis of various media-specific, marketing, and sales statistics, can be indicative of where problems may exist, allowing for appropriate corrective action.
12 weeks
Publicity Print Trade Shows Direct Mail Internet Referral
Day
Face-to-Face/Discovery
Close Lead
Brokers
Marketing and Sales Audit Process
Sales Factor Potential Problems Symptoms
• High unit investment
• Financial performance
Franchise Concept Itself
Franchise Lead Generation
• Look and feel
• Franchise structure
• Value proposition
• Franchisee validation
• Bad/No P.R.
• Low unsolicited inquiries
• Losing sales to competitors
• Repeat objections not overcome
• Prospects go dark after validation
Diagnosis
• Evaluate design/construction model
• Comparative financial analysis
• Evaluate unit economics/ops
• Contract comparison
• Marketing comparison
• Phone interviews of franchisees
• Franchisee satisfaction surveys (web)
• Evaluate real estate portfolio
• Survey “lost” sales
Franchise Marketing Materials
• Media Selection
• Media Mix
• Message
• Ad Spend
• Target Audience
• Timing
• High lead costs
• Low close rates
• Message confusion
• Few qualified prospects
• Low quality lead sources predominate
• Historical vs. norms
• Media specific analysis
• Performance vs. competitors
• Message vs. competitors
• Franchisee or competitor surveys
Sales Process & Technique
• Target Audience
• Materials Used
• Message
• Inadequate differentiation
• Design Quality
• Production Quality
• Bad/No P.R.
• Low unsolicited inquiries
• Losing sales to competitors
• Repeat objections not overcome
• Lose sales to market leader
• Low application rate
• Review for best practices
• Message based on surveys
• Application rate vs. norms
• Lead handling
• Follow up
• Effective Process
• Sales Skills
• Salesperson Motivation
• Sales Tools
• Staffing v. Goals
• Low application rate
• Low discovery day rate
• Low close rate
• Long “time to close”
• Variances in salesperson close rates
• Un- or under-worked leads
• Few broker leads
• Historical vs. norms (close, speed, etc.)
• Salesperson vs. salesperson
• Historical vs. past performance
• Develop sales process map
• Mystery shop sales force
• Leads per salesman
• Sales per salesman
• Broker validation calls
Sales Factor
Franchise Concept Itself
Problem Resolution – Phase Two
Confirmed Problem Potential Solutions
• Unit investment
• Financial performance
• Look and feel
• Franchise structure
• Value proposition
• Franchisee validation
• Real estate model
Franchise Lead Generation
• Media Selection
• Media Mix
• Message
• Ad Spend
• Target Audience
• Timing
Franchise Marketing Materials
• Target Audience
• Materials Used
• Message
• Inadequate differentiation
• Design Quality
• Production Quality
• Value engineer design and construction process
• Suspend sales and work on business model, support, franchisee training
• Retain design firm, consumer marketing firm, or PR firm as appropriate
• Revise franchise business structure
• Provide incremental value or reposition concept
• Communications plan, FAC, address survey-specific concerns
• Improve real estate process
• Develop third-party financing programs
Sales Process & Technique
• Lead handling
• Follow up
• Effective Process
• Sales Skills
• Salesperson motivation
• Sales Tools
• Staffing v. Goals
• Develop formal marketing plan based on survey results
• Alter marketing mix to focus on higher-quality lead sources
• Alter message based on survey results
• Increase advertising expenditure based on goals
• Optimize website and PPC campaigns
• Develop and measure benchmarks; rotate bottom 10% quarterly
• Rewrite, redesign, and reprint materials as appropriate
• Develop or revise standard sales correspondence
• Rewrite and redesign web pages as appropriate
• Add technology improvements (auto-responders, sales software, etc.)
• Develop additional promotional tools (video, etc.)
• Develop and map effective sales process
• Train sales staff and provide guidelines to non-sales staff
• Replace poor sales personnel
• Benchmark and measure performance
• Alter compensation
• Evaluate external resource opportunities (FSO, LQS, software solutions)
• Add sales professionals, support staff, or both
• Proactive broker programs
99
Franchise Program for Aggressive Growth Approximate Development Activity Schedule
Discovery & Benchmarking
Initial Planning Session
Strategic Planning
Financial Sensitivity Analysis
Franchise Agreement
Disclosure Document
State Registration Process
Operations Manual
Training Programs
Training Videos & LMS Content
Primary Research/Profiling
Franchise Marketing Plan
Develop/Print Brochure
Mini-Brochure
Franchise Sales Video
Website Optimization
Franchise Sales Training & Manual
Franchise Implementation Strategy
Implementation Consulting
Legal Coordination
Strategy
Legal Documents
Quality Control
Franchise Marketing
Organizational Development
The iFranchise Group does not provide legal services but instead works through outside legal counsel
MO 1 MO 2 MO 3 MO 4 MO 5 MO 6 MO 7 MO 8 MO 9 MO 10 MO 11 MO 12
Discovery & Benchmarking
Initial Planning Session
Strategic Planning
Financial Sensitivity Analysis
Franchise Agreement
Disclosure Document
State Registration Process
Operations Manual
Primary Research/Profiling
Franchise Marketing Plan
Develop/Print Brochure
Mini-Brochure
Website Optimization
Franchise Sales Training & Manual
Franchise Implementation Strategy
Implementation Consulting
Franchise
Program for Moderate Growth Approximate Development Activity Schedule
Legal Coordination
Strategy
Legal Documents
Quality Control
Franchise Marketing
Organizational Development
MO 1 MO 2 MO 3 MO 4 MO 5 MO 6 MO 7 MO 8 MO 9 MO 10 MO 11 MO 12
Discovery & Benchmarking
Initial Planning Session
Strategic Planning
Financial Sensitivity Analysis
Franchise Agreement
Disclosure Document
State Registration Process
Operations Manual
Franchise Program for Conservative Growth Approximate Development Activity Schedule
Legal Coordination
Strategy
Legal Documents
Quality Control
We can modify our programs to meet the needs of any company getting into franchising. Our fees can range from $20,000 to $200,000+.
MO 1 MO 2 MO 3 MO 4 MO 5 MO 6 MO 7 MO 8 MO 9 MO 10 MO 11 MO 12
103
104
Consulting and legal costs vary based on franchise company’s situation:
◦ Desired speed of growth influences services needed
◦ Ability to do work internally
Do not go into franchising undercapitalized
◦ Legal fees: $15,000 to $35,000+
◦ Consulting and Development: $20,000 to $200,000
◦ Organizational expenses: $10,000 to $20,000
◦ Franchise Marketing: $8k - $12k per sale (six months)
◦ Personnel: varies widely
Can bootstrap growth
Can spend hundreds of thousands
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
105
Franchising is a means of duplicating success, not creating success
Thrives by creating win-win situations
You must be selective
Franchising is a new and different business
Is not the right solution for every business
Provides one of the most powerful business expansion models ever developed
© 2023 iFranchise Group. All Rights Reserved.
106
www.ifranchisegroup.com 708-957-2300 Additional information from iFranchise Group: • Speak to our consultants about specifics • Copy of these slides • “How to Franchise” Video • “How to Franchise” Book • Digital Franchise Marketing Assessment