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Those
who want to franchise a business
develop a healthy, but very powerful passion for
the idea. And of course, it is the “dream
of franchising” that is critical to success
because without it there is no drive, no gutsy start-up.
On the other hand, franchising a business
presents some stark realities that must be faced
in order to make a good decision to franchise or
not to franchise a business. You need an expert
franchise consultant to help with decisions,
not a consultant who will simply encourage you to
franchise your business in order
to collect a consulting fee.
Franchisors rise or
fall on a multitude of elements that we consider
part of franchise feasibility,
but there is a deeper, root cause of success
or failure. It is the entrepreneur's acceptance
or rejection of the notion that success in
business automatically translates into success in
franchising. Those who are stubborn about
their skills and refuse to accept the fact that
franchising is an industry unto
itself will usually wither. Those who accept that
they must learn “how to franchise a business”
and chose a franchise expert and
mentor who forms a personal relationship with them
and takes a real interest in their education and
success over the long haul are the ones who succeed.
We never look at a client as a consulting fee, and
we never sell a person on the idea of franchising
a business. If you find a franchise consultant
trying to “sell you”, then run as fast
as you can.
Franchise feasibility
studies are a must, but unfortunately they are often
used to sell business owners on franchising rather
than expose the pitfalls. “Hey, you've got
a great idea. I think you can franchise it and make
a bundle. I'll set you up for success.” Folks,
it doesn't work that way.
Any business CAN be
franchised, and many are fooled by this misleading
fact. The object is to determine if a business SHOULD be franchised. Therefore, as expert franchise
consultants we help our clients analyze
their overall potential for success, and prospective
franchisors appreciate this thoughtful, honest
approach to analysis and discovery.
Contact
Nick , he'll be happy to discuss your questions
and concerns.
“Plan
your work and work your plan.” Having heard
that phrase so often as a child, I rejected its
value for many years, but as I grew older, I found
that my father's advice was exactly right.
When franchising a business,
the franchise strategic plan must
be excellent from the outset or frustration plus
loss of time, money and energy will simply overwhelm
the franchisor and they will quit the business
of franchising. As conscientious franchise
consultants, we hate loss, so we attempt
to plan well. (We are not afraid to advise against
franchising and we’ve done that many times
because we are more interested in your success than
a consulting fee. Ask around, and you'll find that’s a true
statement.)
Most successful business owners insist
that because they beat the odds by creating a successful
venture, they can certainly win at franchising.
Yes, entrepreneurs are successful due to grit, independence
and intelligence, but franchising is very deceiving.
It takes more than grit and advertising to make
it as a franchisor. Based on experience, we assist
in creating a strategy by first getting to know
YOU as a person and also getting to know your business.
In other words, we PLAN for the future. Choose an
expert franchise consultant who is interested
in YOU. (Tricky franchise sirens can hurt
entrepreneurs who are blind to potential troubled
waters ahead. Read
this article.)
It is difficult to find a resource
capable of actually conducting an analysis and putting
the whole picture into perspective with you, but
that’s our job, and we take it seriously.
As skilled experts and consultants,
we assist in the design and oversight of a franchise
strategic plan tailored to YOUR needs.
You will not find a “cookie cutter”
approach anywhere in our program because to do this
correctly, it has to be “all about you!”
Use our eyes for a clearer look into
the murky waters of franchise development.
We’ve seen it all. Also, you will appreciate
client
endorsments on the subject.
Contact Nick
, he'll be happy to discuss your questions and
concerns.
Organization
and paperwork are important to all businesses, but
in franchising a business, the pieces must fit together
seamlessly and each department must work together
if the franchise is to grow. The best
organizations are not only concerned with marketing,
support and administration, they are concerned with
the way that those functions interact. We are expert
consultants who take into consideration the right
organizational design for your franchise launch
so that all the bases are covered.
An important, but rarely addressed
staffing issue in this is mindset. What is considered
quality management talent in the world outside of
franchising does not necessarily equal quality franchise
management. The inability or refusal to see and
respect the unique character of an organization
can spell the difference between success and failure.
As franchise experts, we will help
you select and place management talent to avoid
relationship problems in the future. Most executive
search firms do not have a real understanding of
this matter, but we do. This is another reason why
we maintain “long-term” relationships
with our clients. They become our friends.
Franchise disclosure documents
are necessary for franchising a business, and required
to comply with federal and state laws, but they
are also the backbone of the franchise relationship.
Yet, many franchisors are encouraged to cut legal
corners with “do-it-yourself
kits”, or in fact, are encouraged to
treat their paperwork as a necessary evil.
We will show you not only why your paperwork
is critical to your success and to quality franchising,
but also how to make it the most important tool
in your marketing kit. No high quality franchisor
goes to market without the best legal counsel it
can afford, so we will align ourselves with the
finest of franchise attorneys.
Contact Nick
, he'll be happy to discuss your questions and
concerns.
Our consultancy is rooted in
helping you reach your franchise development
potential through the right mix of strategy, operations,
marketing, training, support, relationships, legal
structure, and overall “franchise leadership”.
Only when these elements are properly understood,
blended, nurtured and put into practice will the
franchise network grow and be strong. Our focus
on the best practices possible from management to
franchisee selection will assist you in creating
the right mindset and the right environment to grow
and move forward without the struggles encountered
by most franchisors when franchising a business.
We strive to help you build a powerful franchise
growth strategy from the beginning and to constantly
groom that strategy over time. Again, we seek a
long-term growth relationship with you because you
are entering a long-term franchise relationship
with your franchisees.
Contact Nick
, he'll be happy to discuss your questions and
concerns.
Once an offering is launched,
feasibility and strategic planning take a second
seat to daily management and the reality of the
marketplace. Franchise management
must react to real life problems that can threaten
the company's direction, policies and even its survival.
When franchisors spend time wrestling with basic
franchise issues that should have been foreseen,
rather than concentrating on developing the franchise
network, they loose momentum. Therefore, just as
we concern ourselves with the proper structure of
your franchise company before you launch, we provide
expert franchise consulting and mentorship
designed to keep you and your franchise on a straight,
well planned road after your launch.
Your new franchisees require training and support
to be successful, right? Well, so do you. You as
a franchisor require a support system to remain
steady and focused while you are growing your “franchise
legs”. We provide outstanding franchise
mentorship for the franchisor and its management
team to smooth out the bumps that every new franchisor
will encounter. There is no sense in getting off
to a great franchise launch only to find the team
slumping because new franchise problems arise and
there is no franchise sounding board
available. And, franchise problems WILL arise.
We provide the solution to keeping a professional
franchise executive on your staff without
you having to pay outrageous fees that you cannot
justify in the early stages of your development.
This is solid franchise
mentoring that deals with all franchise
matters and is another example of our commitment
to excellence when helping you in franchising a
business.
Contact Nick
, he'll be happy to discuss your questions and
concerns.
When
franchising a business,
concepts can stall for any number of reasons. Age,
market, inadequate planning, organization, poor
relations and litigation are just a few examples.
When a tired franchise concept is
in trouble, management has its hands full fighting
fires, and they are rarely able to effectively focus
on strategically moving into the future. Once stalled,
the franchisor has only three choices: jump ship,
ride it down, or correctly assess the problem and
implement a new plan to re-launch a stalled
franchise. If you choose the last option,
we will help.
We are expert in assessing
the situation and creating new
franchise strategies to breathe in fresh
air for a re-launch of the brand. We will do triage
and stop the bleeding. We will analyze franchise
problems, create solutions through a new
franchising strategy, help build a quality franchising
team, help resolve strained franchise relationships,
and mentor you and your organization through the
renewal process.
This work demands absolute focus,
creativity and commitment, and a job well done means
that a worthy concept does not exit prematurely.
Our expertise as franchise consultants
will provide analysis and creative solutions.
Re-launch applies to new franchises
that never got off to a good start, and mature franchises
that got caught in damaging crossfire and now need
a fresh start.
Contact Nick
, he'll be happy to discuss your questions and
concerns.
Nick Bibby, MBA and MA Counseling,
is formally trained to listen to people, hear what
is being said, analyze the presenting problem, and
offer options that (hopefully) get the parties back
into the same hemisphere. Our franchise
relationship services are geared to calm
down existing conflict, expose common ground for
resolving franchisor franchisee problems, and create
an environment for a better future. Nick has provided
relationship counseling in many settings. For an
in-depth discussion, go to Franchise
Relationships, and read articles that Nick has
written.
If there is a nagging problem between a franchisee
(or franchisees) and a franchisor, we will help
analyze the problem and develop a strategy for approaching
all parties with the objective of achieving resolution
and avoiding legal remedies. Often times if an objective
third-party can get between those at odds, both
sides can more easily address the situation and
reach satisfactory terms. In other words, our
message is about cooperation not
litigation, and as experts in franchise analysis,
we are a good first alternative to litigation.
Contact Nick
, he'll be happy to discuss your questions and
concerns.
Franchising
is an ever-changing business; there is nothing static
about it. Therefore, we provide counseling and strategic
planning services that encompass more than franchising
a business but to franchisor owners, families, and
partners when it is time to buy, sell, exit, or
restructure a franchise company.
This is focused, confidential, personal
counseling for franchisors designed
to create an environment suitable for deciding upon
a strategy to accommodate a sale, a merger, acquisition,
restructuring or exit plan. Change is not easy for
anyone and it is especially hard for franchisors
that have birthed and nurtured a franchised “brand”
to maturity. Franchisor change
is emotional and stressful work that requires a
clear head and a commitment by all parties to accomplish
the mission. We provide outstanding consulting and
counseling services dedicated to helping people
make good decisions under stressful conditions.
Contact Nick
, he'll be happy to discuss your questions and
concerns.
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