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Franchise Sales: Expectations vs. Reality
Published in: Articles
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(Currently Reading) The Shift from Founder to Franchisor
Published in: Articles
The Founder to Franchisor Shift
Most early franchisors run on founder energy — the passion, vision, and personal hustle that launched the brand. The shift to franchisor requires replacing personal effort with scalable systems.
Your Goal:
Move from doing everything yourself to building a structure where others can succeed without you.
Three Foundational Mindset Shifts
- From Operator to Coach:
You’re no longer running one business — you’re teaching others to replicate it. - From Decisions to Frameworks:
Document how you make decisions so your team can repeat them. - From Short-Term Wins to Long-Term Infrastructure:
Each hire, meeting, or SOP must compound value.
In our Building a Franchise Brand Series, Ty McBride, founder of Preservan says: “Things move fast. The only way to keep up is hiring to your weak spots and staying close to your owners.”
Building Your Core Franchise Team
Stage 1 (0–5 Units): The Foundation
- Founder / CEO → Own discovery calls, validation, and brand story.
- Admin or Owner Success Coordinator → Track onboarding tasks, organize documents, handle calls.
- Fractional Legal / Finance Partners → Outsource what you can’t staff yet.
Stage 2 (6–15 Units): The System
- Integrator / COO: Turn vision into processes, KPIs, and accountability.
- Technical or Operations Coach: Guide franchisees in daily execution.
- Marketing Support: Help owners activate local leads, manage digital assets.
Stage 3 (16–30 Units): The Scale
- Compliance Coordinator: Manages FDD updates, registrations, renewals.
- Brand Ambassador or Content Lead: Protects voice and message as brand expands.
- Sales Support or Broker Relations Manager: Builds pipeline systems while keeping founder visible.
Action Step: Create a simple org chart that shows who owns sales, support, and compliance. Revisit it quarterly.
Building Your Franchise IQ
“Franchise IQ” is your team’s collective understanding of how the business works — operationally, financially, and legally.
How to Build It
- Train Continuously:
Develop short video modules or LMS lessons for each core topic (lead conversion, pricing, customer care). - Create Dashboards:
Track weekly revenue, margins, and conversion rates for each owner. - Document Playbooks:
Turn your best emails, calls, and processes into templates. - Benchmark:
Join founder groups like FranCamp or peer networks to compare metrics and learn what great looks like.
Ty: “I was the dumbest person in the room for a while — and that was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Quick Checklist
- Do we have KPIs for each franchisee?
- Does everyone on the team know what those numbers mean?
- Is there a cadence for reviewing them weekly?
Culture and Communication That Scale
Culture isn’t a poster — it’s the rhythm of your brand.
Preservan’s Cadence Model
- Weekly Owner Cohorts (60–75 min): Share KPIs and remove bottlenecks.
- Technical Tuesday: Live Q&A for training and quality.
- Monthly State of the Brand: Celebrate wins and communicate direction.
- 1:1 Coaching: Biweekly calls for pricing, lead flow, and profitability.
Start Simple
If you have fewer than five franchisees, start with one weekly call and one monthly newsletter. As you grow, layer in cohorts and peer groups.
Tools to Use
- Slack or Teams for real-time updates.
- Notion or ClickUp for SOP libraries.
- Google Data Studio for franchise dashboards.
Franchisee Relationships & Trust
Strong systems don’t replace relationships — they amplify them.
How to Build Trust
- Transparency:
Share KPIs and benchmarks openly. - Responsiveness:
Aim for same-day follow-ups on support tickets. - Recognition:
Highlight top performers in every meeting. - Feedback Loops:
Survey franchisees quarterly for ideas and pain points.
Charles Internicola: “Franchisees aren’t just licensees — they’re your customers and partners. The royalties they pay must feel like a premium service they can count on.”
The Deeper Journey: Leading Through Others
Founders and franchisees are often on parallel paths — both seeking freedom, impact, and purpose.
Reflection Questions
- Why did you start this brand — and does your current day reflect that purpose?
- Are your franchisees living the life your brand promised?
- What decisions this quarter will improve their quality of life and profitability?
Ty McBride: “You are asking people to leave their life and follow your business. You should take that very seriously.”
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Every emerging franchisor hits growing pains — but most challenges stem from the same few mistakes. Here’s how to avoid them:
- Hiring too soon or in the wrong order: Many founders bring on full-time staff before the workload justifies it. Start with contractors or fractional roles until franchise support and royalty revenue can sustain the hire.
- Outsourcing everything to consultants: Advisors can help you launch, but your team must own the system. Build your internal “Franchise IQ” early — understand the why behind your legal, sales, and operations processes before delegating.
- Losing the founder voice too early: Stay visible in your franchise sales, videos, and owner communications longer than you think. Founder involvement builds authenticity and credibility with both franchisees and candidates.
- Ignoring financial KPIs: Unit-level economics drive franchise success. Track revenue, cost of goods, and lead-to-sale conversion rates weekly. What gets measured gets improved.
- Neglecting culture and cadence: Growth doesn’t replace connection. Maintain consistent communication — weekly calls, monthly updates, and ongoing recognition — to keep your franchisees engaged and aligned with the brand mission.
Key takeaway: Sustainable franchise growth isn’t about avoiding mistakes altogether — it’s about recognizing patterns early and creating systems to prevent them from repeating.
Action Plan Summary
Next 30 Days
- Map team roles and fill critical gaps.
- Create your first Franchise IQ dashboard.
- Establish a weekly franchisee meeting.
Next 90 Days
- Document onboarding and training processes.
- Launch a monthly “state of the brand” update.
- Survey franchisees for support feedback.
Next 6 Months
- Develop KPIs for each department (sales, operations, support).
- Host a peer roundtable to share best practices.
- Refine org chart and reassign responsibilities as you scale.
The Takeaway
Scaling as a franchisor is less about adding locations and more about building the machine that makes those locations successful. Hire for gaps, stay founder-led longer than you think, and build cadence around revenue and relationships.
When you do, you move from running a brand to leading a community.
