Everything you wanted to know about Great Clips in a 4 minute video presentation.
What business are you in? I asked the gentleman. His reply was “I’m in the food business.” Really? I said, then you’re not a franchisor? “Oh yes we are, we have over 100 units in the US”.
I replied, “Well then you’re actually in the business of franchising, food is just the vehicle.”
You see, while every franchisor distributes their unique brand of products or services, they are essentially in the business of creating businesses (franchise locations). Franshising is a business about building businesses, get it?
Why is this important you ask? Before you invest your time, effort money and future in a franchise business, you should do a reality check with the franchisor to see if they understand that they are in the business of “franchising” and they need to be outstanding at that, not so much selling their brand. Most candidates spend their time investigating the franshisors effectiveness at positioning their products or services and distribution or sales while not verifying that the franchisor is skilled at being a franchisor- see the difference?
Ok, let me say it this way. Mary Smith sells wonderful widgets. Everyone in America wants them, needs them and can afford them. So Mary decides to franchise her widget selling business. Only one problem, Mary has no knowledge or experience in building a sales team, developing training, providing communications to a network, providing support services and so on. She’s only good at selling her wonderful widgets, not building franchise businesses.
Young brands often suffer from this lack of experience in franchising. Take the time to research the franchising skills of the brands that you investigate. More to come…
Candidate Profile: Larry was laid off from a management role in supply chain and after conducting a token job search, decided that he wanted to fulfill his dream of being a business owner. His strong community ties and relationship skills make him a natural for Budget Blinds, and he hopes to build a business his boys can get involved in down the road. He didn’t have a lot of liquid capital but by using a cocktail of Budget Blinds’ financing and a 401K rollover he was able to piece it together. With Larry’s enthusiasm, professionalism and family support, we expect big things from Larry, as does he.
Summary:
A friend and I recently decided to go out to dinner together, and while we were able to decide on the establishment in short order, the process he uses in deciding what to eat is enough to make you want to go on a hunger strike. He routinely questions the wait staff on the specific ingredients, their country of origin, and the exact style in which each will be prepared…on half the items on the menu.It’s all I can do to keep from screaming, “Get the cheeseburger, already!” but experience tells me that once we get beyond this grinding moment, the rest of the meal will be very enjoyable. This deal reminds me of that experience because Larry decided on Budget Blinds pretty early in the process but it took 5 months of looking at every resale and financing option on the menu until he finally made the decision to get things done. Larry’s MatchPoint Consultant did a masterful job diligently coaching him throughout the entire process; and while I’m sure he wanted to tell him to, “Buy the franchise, already!” he understood that forcing a different style on Larry wouldn’t lead to the desired outcome. Larry’s consultant was patiently persistent, and though the 5 month research and education about the franchise business, insured this candidate was “well done”.
How MatchPoint did it: The magic on this deal was a ton of three-way communication and patience. Larry and his MatchPoint Consultant talked constantly, which allowed both of them to stay on top of Larry’s progress, without smothering him along the way. The concept was a great match from the beginning, and Discovery Day solidified it for Larry and his family. The discussions surrounding New vs. Resale, as well as the financing options, always seemed like details instead of obstacles because Larry’s consultant kept everyone on the same page. Larry and his family are on their way to reaching their dream of owning a successful franchise business.
Candidate Profile: Linda was well qualified and had lots of sales and customer service experience to bring to the table. Her last position was with a nationally known company as a Realtor. She saw Senior Helpers as a very necessary service needed in her community. Linda did her due diligence in learning about Senior Helpers and was very happy of her decision to become a franchisee in the southwestern US market.
Summary: Linda’s MatchPoint Consultant saw that a recognized brand name and a unique business concept were most important to Linda when researching a business. She also knew that a strong support system from a franchise company was a key to Linda feeling good about a company. Linda’s Consultant presented Senior Helpers and Linda found it to be a perfect match.
How MatchPoint did it: Linda’s MatchPoint Consultant kept in constant contact with her and worked through any concerns that Linda may have had throughout the process. MatchPoint’s systematic approach, coaching and education provided the necessary support throughout the decision making. Senior Helpers was very happy because Linda truly was a great candidate for their system. Everyone wins with MatchPoint Network of Franchise Consultants.