Franconnect Blog

The Project Management Challenge in Franchising     One of the most popular – and well-used – capabilities of the FranConnect Platform is our Opener module. It is a workflow-based solution that helps bring order to the chaos of the unit opening process, ultimately speeding up time to revenue. Recently, many of our customers have been asking us to help them tackle complex projects beyond just the Opening stage of the franchise lifecycle. So… we’ve quietly been working on a solution, which we’re excited to introduce now!

So what are current trends telling us about the impact of a recession on franchising in the months ahead? And what are your thoughts? FranConnect's franchise sales data for the third quarter of 2022 as compared to the 2021 timeframe supports that we are entering a similar cycle as we encountered during the great recession with a marked decline in leads and sales. Throughout 2021 we ended up seeing a decline in leads by -22% but saw franchise sales actually increase by +12% YOY. The bottom line - less tire kickers but more qualified buyers. But as you can see in the following data, fear, doubt and uncertainty are momentarily creeping in and deals are being pushed back (though not lost in my opinion). People are waiting on the sidelines to see what shakes out in terms of the potential for a recession comprised of labor shortages, and impacted by war and a seemingly never-ending health-crisis that is likely to raise its ugly head again through the fall and winter months ahead. According to FranConnect's latest franchise sales index data, the current outlook is showing some reason for concern: •Q3 2021 Total Leads: 314,430 •Q3 2022 Total Leads: 195,213 •YOY Change (Q3): -119,217 (-37.92%) •Q3 2021 Closed Deals: 3,265 •Q3 2022 Closed Deals: 2,053 •YOY Change (Q3): -1,212 (-37.12%) On the other hand, Franchisors appear to be more bullish in regards to franchise systemwide sales in the year ahead as you can see here: - 33% of Franchisors anticipate a sales increase by 1-5% in 2023 - 30% of franchisors anticipate sales being up 6-10% in 2023 - 20% anticipate their franchisees revenues will increase by 11% - Only 6% in total believe that they will be negative between 1-5% - And 6% believe that they will be negative between 6-10%

We have seen the pandemic wreak havoc on businesses in every industry worldwide for the past two and a half years. Yet, according to analytics and consulting firm Gallup, 2021 saw the first year in the last decade that employee engagement declined year over year. 

Do you struggle with calculating consistent, error-free royalty collection for non-financial categories? Furthermore, do your franchisees challenge every invoice because they lack transparency?

According to Franchise Direct, there’s 38,000 auto franchise units among over 100 concepts currently operating in the United States. These concepts include aftermarket parts and accessories, maintenance and repair and cosmetic and paint. We took a look at the most important KPIs in this segment of the franchise community.

  Learning Management Systems (LMS) have come a long way since the invention of the first teaching machine by Sydney Pressey. An LMS is no longer a one-size-fits-all prospect. Modern learners now have many options to choose from depending on their needs. Examples of LMS in the market today include. Open-Source SaaS Cloud Proprietary You’ve probably experienced different types of learning management systems without even realizing it. If you’re still unsure what an LMS is, here’s a definition from TechTarget: "An LMS is a software application or web-based technology used to plan, implement, and assess a specific learning process." Essentially, an LMS is software that facilitates online learning and enables you to track an employee’s learning progress. How Does an LMS Facilitate Online Learning?   An LMS allows an instructor to deliver personalized courses to students over the Internet. It enables students to log into the course and study when it’s convenient for them, even when they’re on the move. A good LMS allows for safe communication within the system. Non-participants aren’t privy to any correspondence among participants. Because all course-related materials can be found in one place, the student can go back to refresh their memory and in time become an expert on the subject. The LMS delivers information in small chunks (micro-learning) so that the student retains information easily. A quality LMS incorporates features such as self-marking tests, gaming, and social tools to provide an engaging learning experience.   Comparing Different Types of LMS Enterprise vs. Individual Enterprise Enterprise LMS solutions are usually for larger companies or those that are growing rapidly. As companies expand operations and hiring, an enterprise solution is easy to scale and can accommodate a virtually unlimited number of users and courses. Individual An Individual LMS, on the other hand, is more appropriate for smaller organizations. It is usually sold via a subscription model and may come with fewer features and a lower price point. Free vs. Commercial Free LMS There is a plethora of open-source software with great features that trainers can use for free to create courses and train employees. However, free LMS requires that you have the knowledge to deploy it. If not, you’ll have to bring on a consultant to implement it for you. Also, the free LMS may not have the best customer support, if it has any at all. Commercial A commercial LMS is intended to be used by an organization or institution. In contrast to the free LMS, the commercial version is easier to implement, provides better customer service, and more sophisticated features. The other differentiator, of course, is that it’s not free. Generally speaking, the capabilities and features that you require will determine how much you pay. SaaS vs. Licensed Product Software as a Service (SaaS) The SaaS LMS is one of the most user-friendly models on the market. It lives in the cloud, is easy to deploy and scale, and can accommodate rapid growth. And because it can be accessed 24/7 via mobile device, it is extremely flexible. One of the reasons why the SaaS LMS is so popular in the finance, technology, and insurance industries, to name just a few, is that they don’t have to concern themselves with technical aspects such as loading software, data backup and server maintenance. All of that is handled by the SaaS LMS vendor. Licensed Product A licensed product can offer many benefits, including customization and different options for deployment and having it hosted in the cloud or at your headquarters. The main difference is the license fee. Cloud-based vs On-premise Cloud-based LMS An LMS that is hosted by a vendor on their server is what we call a cloud-based LMS. This is the “no mess” solution for companies that may not have the servers and technical expertise in-house. Rather than get into the weeds of the technology, they’d rather have their LMS hosted off-site. On-premise LMS An on-premise LMS is built to order at your corporate location and usually with multiple servers. It requires a more hands-on approach and the expertise to operate it and maintain data security. One disadvantage is that it tends to be more difficult to scale than a cloud-based LMS and may be more expensive. Discover why these world-famous brands use World Manager for online training. Ask us What is Open-Source LMS? Have you ever heard people describing the software as ‘free’? Because it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can download it at no cost. What it really means is that the copyright holder has provided the rights to modify the software’s source code to developers and users. Since there are no licensing fees, an anonymous entity can modify the software for any purpose and distribute as many copies of it as possible. It’s collaborative, so any member of the tech community may also add new features to the original source code. Some of the most popular open-source software include:   Firefox WordPress Chrome Android Joomla So an open-source LMS is one that makes its source code available to any user. And you can scrutinize and customize the source code according to your business learning needs. Small businesses with few employees to train generally prefer an open-source LMS. This is because it gives you core software features without the overhead of purchasing costly licenses. So what are some examples of an open-source LMS? Moodle Moodle prioritizes social learning – its interface can be customized to resemble popular social tools. For instance, you can add features such as posts and a timeline of learners’ activities as well as comments, votes, and other calls to action. A Moodle user has a profile that looks like this: Screenshot from Moodle Helps Features: Customizable site design and layout Single sign-on module Easy integration with video conferencing software, CMS and CRMs Multilingual capability Supports third-party add-ons and over 500 plugins such as Office 365 and OneNote Open edX Open edX enables you to host and deploy your own branded course instead of creating a new one. Open edX has two components: The studio, is used by the administrator and instructor to design and manage courses The LMS, through which the learner accesses the course Features: Self-paced learning Online discussion groups Wiki-based collaborative learning Right to left language support Course and learner analytics Supports video, HTML, and text This is how the student dashboard looks on Open edX Screenshot from Open edX ATutor ATutor is a unique LMS fashioned for learners with disabilities. It’s renowned for two things: Accessibility ATutor has features that make the LMS suitable for visually impaired learners, such as: Text alternatives for visual elements and a screen reader which enables the user to listen to the LMS interface Keyboard access, which makes it easy for the learner to use ATutor without a mouse Adaptability The themes, tool modules, groups and privilege sections make ATutor adaptable in the following ways: You can customize the layout of the system, adding categories to fit your teaching needs You can assign management roles to certain course members so they can author parts of the course or use some of the LMS tools within the system A learner can set up a profile with personal information and profile picture Learners can collaborate and communicate with other participants through a private mail inbox or chat room. Screenshot from Atutor   What is Proprietary LMS? Proprietary LMSs are built and hosted by a single company or entity. They are based on software development known as closed-source. A proprietary LMS comes with a copyright license that restricts users from changing the source code. In fact, violating these copyright laws can be classified as cybercrime. A copyright license keeps other businesses from modifying the source code to create a competing product. Unlike an open-source LMS, you can’t demand software changes or improve its design – the owner decides what features and upgrades will be made. Fortunately, you have self-help options such as a user manual and a dedicated FAQ in case you encounter any problems. A proprietary LMS also invariably offers customer support. What are some examples of proprietary LMS?   Blackboard Learn Blackboard Learn is a self-host LMS that caters to K-12 users, higher education, businesses, and government institutions. Instructor’s resources look like this on Blackboard Learn. Features: Custom branding Custom layout Exam engine Student portal Skills tracking Grading Discussions Analytics (Restricted to companies and government institutions) Data import and export Easy integration with Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox Schoology Schoology LMS allows for virtual learning for K-12 and higher education students. They can share academic content within the LMS and collaborate on different subjects. The website is hosted by the vendor but instructors can upload content and assignments into the LMS and use the rich text editor and other tools to create lessons. Features: Customized branding Online grade book Homework Dropbox Audio and video recording Data integration with student information systems Color-coded workload thresholds Third-party software integration Performance tracking Analytics This screenshot shows how Schoology uses color-coding to indicate student performance and mastery. Screenshot from Schoology   What is SaaS Cloud LMS? SaaS stands for Software-as-a-Service. It’s also known as hosted software and is delivered to approved end users only. A SaaS Cloud LMS is hosted on the vendor’s servers or on the cloud. The source code is the same for all clients. When upgrades are rolled out, all clients benefit from the new features. Since it’s housed in the cloud, upgrades are done centrally, which makes maintenance easier and more cost-effective. What are some examples of leading SaaS Cloud LMSs? World Manager The World Manager LMS is one of the best cloud-based training, communications, and compliance platforms on the market. Firstly, you get product upgrades and customer support for free. Secondly, its user-friendly platform features three crucial components that keep users engaged: Communication suite: Enables an employee to communicate with participants through chat forums, calendar and image galleries Training suite: Mobile-first so it delivers training on any device in real-time Education suite: Allows companies to deliver accredited courses to their employees through a customized training academy     Features: Custom branding Integrates with third-party SCORM content Varied test options such as multiple-choice, tick boxes and written tests Optimized for mobile use ACTIV presentations Checklist sign-off Policy sign-offs Achievement awards tool Real-time analytics Employee surveys   EthosCE EthosCE LMS delivers continuing education to health professionals. Learners can use the LMS to share their learning experience on their social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Features: Customized branding Single sign-on module Bulk import of learner registration details and transcripts Multimedia tests Learner follow-up assessments Course completion certificates Customized resources for poorly performing learners Course data and performance analytics Course completion certificate offered by EthosCE.   Do I Really Need an LMS? A thriving business needs well-trained staff. An LMS can help you train your employees in a fun and engaging way – from onboarding new employees or training newly promoted staff. LMS analytics identifies communication gaps and weak spots in your team. And these actionable insights can help drive business growth and give you a competitive advantage. Are you ready to change how you do business? Book a customized demo today.  

Technology is constantly evolving, and businesses need to be prepared to adapt in order to stay competitive. Franchisors who don't update their systems and technology may find themselves struggling in the years to come. One way to help ensure that your franchise system is keeping up with the latest trends is by implementing a technology fee in your FDD. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of doing so and how it can help your brand in the long run.

We have all heard that Unit Level Economics is important in franchising but going from understanding it in theory to transforming it into action is a big step.  According to QSR Magazine, “the success or failure of a franchise concept can pivot off of how well unit economics are tracked, managed, and improved.” After working with over 900 brands a common practice among them is working together with their franchisees to improve their unit-level economics: not only their top-level sales but also their bottom line. If you’re not doing this today, you will have trouble selling franchises in the future.

ADDIE Training Model: What Is It & How To Use It  

Summer is approaching and gyms everywhere are packed with those trying to prepare to show off their hard work. If you are in the health and fitness industry, according to research, you have two important things on your mind: the success of your clients and the contribution you are making to your community. But you cannot help your members OR your community if you are not properly tracking the health of your business. 

We recently launched Franchise Scorecards and are excited to share the news! The franchise scorecards, part of FranConnect’s Operations platform, equip brands with a complete view of the health of a unit at your fingertips helping franchisees drive unit-level economics. Anyone involved with franchise field visits likely agrees that the prep work for a visit can be daunting. It seems to take hours, pulling information from different systems to end up with questionable economic insights. Additionally, comparing one unit against the average of their peers is nearly impossible without having key performance metrics identified.

When it comes to site audits, franchisors have a unique opportunity to be able to actively coach their franchisees on what they need to do in order to improve their unit's success. Today, we are focusing on turning the traditional site audit into a coaching moment, franchisors can help their franchisees understand where they need to make changes and how they can improve their unit's performance.

  It is no secret that high-impact franchisee engagement is essential to a franchisor’s success. Franchisors who take the time to set clear expectations and goals for their franchisees are likely to see better results than those who do not. In part two of this series, we will cover some tips for creating an effective engagement program using effective expectation and goal setting.

Franchising is a proven way to scale your business by distributing the risk and the reward across a community of franchisees. Yet, most franchisors struggle with engaging their franchisees, who are often the lifeblood of their growth and success. No matter how big or small you are as a company–you can’t afford to have franchisees struggle because they don’t have enough engagement with their parent brand.

    SaaS LMS is an acronym for Software-as-a-Service Learning Management System. Quite the mouthful! At the most basic level, a SaaS LMS is a cloud-based learning management system that is hosted online instead of being installed on your device. So you can access content on your browser from any device, at any time. Think of it as using a reference book in the library. You’re not allowed to check it out of the library but you can read it as much as you like.   Here’s the best part of using a SaaS LMS:   You leave the complex and often intimidating process of installation and maintenance to the experts. If you encounter a glitch, the LMS vendor will avail IT staff to fix the system at no additional cost to you. And they show you how to use the LMS effectively, reducing your learning curve. You probably know what a learning management system is. Learning and development enthusiasts like yourself are already using an LMS to create and deliver courses to enrolled employees. An LMS not only facilitates learning, but it also enables you to track learners’ progress to find areas of improvement. LMS deployment can be in-house or web-based (SaaS) and understanding how this is done is crucial. Accurate information will guide you when you go shopping for the perfect LMS. Simplified chart for the three main layers of cloud computing by Venture Beat What is SaaS? TechTarget defines SaaS as: A software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the internet. SaaS software can only be delivered to approved end-users, who gain access through a login and password. It would be fitting to label Facebook, Instagram, and Google as SaaS products. SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS – What’s the Difference? SaaS, PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) are the three layers of cloud computing. IaaS is the most basic layer; PaaS is in the middle, and SaaS sits on top. Software as a Service: A vendor has already built the software, and you pay a monthly or annual fee to use it. The vendor handles maintenance, upgrades, and any other software-related issues. Think of it as using a passenger train. All you have to do is enjoy the service; schedules, routes, maintenance, and fees are determined by the vendor. Common example: Google Apps Platform as a Service: The vendor develops and deploys virtual servers, OS, applications, storage, and security, which saves you time and resources. To use the vehicle analogy, this would be like hailing a cab. The cab driver keeps the car running and takes you wherever you want to go. You must inform him of your destination and the best route to take. Common example: Google App Engine Infrastructure as a Service: Instead of buying servers and expensive hardware, you can rent them from a vendor. Storage, networking, and offsite servers can then be accessed over the internet whenever you want. Think of it as leasing a car. All you have to do is fuel the car (install an OS and apps, in this case); maintenance is the vendor’s responsibility. Common example: Google Compute Engine   History of SaaS Here’s a brief history of how SaaS came to be: The 1960s: Computers are huge and too expensive for educational institutions or small- to medium-sized businesses. Instead of owning a computer, people rent power and space from a vendor through time sharing. Every user has a specific time-share in which they can access the computer system. This is the IBM Model 360/67 at the University of Michigan in 1969, which allowed for timesharing.   1987: Pat Sullivan and Mike Muhney released ACT!, the first customer relationship management (CRM) software. It allows businesses to gather and store customer contacts. Early to mid-90s: Computers become cheaper and employees can now have computers at their desks. Applications are now stored on in-house machines. Data is stored on a central server. IT departments are staffed to manage and ensure the smooth running of this Local Area Network. Hard drive space fills up pretty fast and getting a new one like the one shown in the ad below proves too costly. 15-Megabyte Hard Disk Drive holds less than four MP3 songs today. Late 90s: Businesses start to explore cost-effective data storage solutions as the internet becomes widely accessible. Businesses store data offsite and access it over the internet through an Application Service Provider (ASP). The client must wait for the vendor to manually input his login credentials from his end. It’s not long before ASPs are replaced by a self-service solution. 1999: Salesforce introduces multiple products and services that are delivered over the internet. They include CRM software, sales cloud, and service cloud. Businesses are attracted to this model, as they no longer have to deal with long-term contracts and licensing. A $50 monthly subscription fee is enough to enjoy the perks.       The 2000s: Concur, which previously sold packaged software in computer stores, becomes a fully SaaS company. Writing software in disks, packaging, and shipping had become too costly. Concur sells software licenses to businesses directly until 2001, when they go SaaS. As a result, Concur’s gross margins grow to 72%. Soon, Oracle and Sage start to deliver a SaaS version of their products. There’s no turning back. History of the SaaS LMS The history of the SaaS LMS can be traced back to 2008 when Eucalyptus software was introduced. Eucalyptus was open-source, meaning that developers could modify the code. It was compatible with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) application program interface (API), meaning it would operate with other AWS-based services. This enabled users to deploy private and hybrid clouds. As an IaaS, Eucalyptus allowed learning and development professionals to deploy their LMS entirely online. No installation was required. Today, you’ll come across leading SaaS LMSs such as: World Manager Open edX ScholarLMS Why is SaaS LMS so Popular? Businesses are fast adopting SaaS LMS because of these obvious reasons: It’s fast and easy to deploy It’s cost-effective Let’s look at other not-so-obvious reasons that have contributed to the rise of SaaS LMS: Automatic Upgrades A SaaS LMS is upgraded centrally, ensuring everyone is using the latest version. Upgrades happen fast, without interrupting ongoing processes. If you get an advanced LMS such as World Manager, you’ll enjoy free upgrades for the life of your agreement. Security Your data is safe because it’s stored in a central location. All your content is organized so you can find materials easily when creating courses. That’s a huge time saver. A credible SaaS LMS comes with user authentication, data encryption, and other safety protocols. Your employees won’t worry about privacy infringement when they’re logged in. Scalability With a SaaS LMS, you can install add-ons or enroll more users as you see fit. A SaaS LMS evolves according to your business needs. You can start small and add to the breadth of your LMS as you onboard more staff. If you don’t want to pay for extra features, you can downgrade to a cheaper plan at any time.   How Can I Get a SaaS LMS for My Business? SaaS is fast replacing on-premise software in modern businesses. Train your staff with an LMS that allows for self-authored eLearning, policy sign-offs, and real-time reporting. The World Manager LMS is exactly what a growing business like yours needs to gain a competitive edge. Reap the benefits of a leading SaaS LMS by booking a customized demo today.

Today’s LMS is not your grandparents’ LMS. With an array of rich, robust features and benefits, LMS has evolved into a must-have training delivery system for universities, government institutions, and companies of all sizes.

Sales and Development Executives in franchising are always looking for ways to increase qualified lead flow to sell more franchise units. Many marketers are finding that purchased leads do not convert at the same rate as leads gained through organic search. Often it is thought that the more leads the better, but we have learned that it’s about the quality of the lead in the first place that can make all the difference. Quality over quantity is the way to go in this instance. The world of franchise development is changing every day. With so much information available about almost every business model, it’s difficult to get prospects interested in your brand over others. We've put together 6 ways that you can elevate your marketing efforts in order to return more qualified leads.

Creating franchise buyer personas can be an extremely valuable exercise for Franchise Development Teams tasked with aggressive growth goals. Defining these personas allows you to better understand the motivations and needs of your ideal customer, and ultimately create sales and marketing content that resonates with them. 2022 is calling for franchisors to think smarter when it comes to how they engage prospective franchisees. In addition to creating or refining your persona definitions, selecting tech tools that support growth and make processes simpler are essential for business owners this year. Our Executive’s Guide to Franchising Tech in 2022 – CDO Edition is a great place to start if you are looking for inspiration on what you should be focused on in terms of tech options. But for the sake of this blog post, let’s hone in on why franchise buyer personas are so important and review some of the best things you can do to get them right.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged: Well-trained employees are more satisfied and more productive than those who are not. Given how important training can be for an employee’s day-to-day success, managers must take care when designing training courses and modules. There are many exciting training options for learners to explore – it’s hard not to get caught up in the latest trends and technologies. Different training methods have different strengths and drawbacks, of course. By understanding the options available to your and your team, you can begin considering the best fit for your needs. Here are five of the most popular employee training methods – and why you should consider implementing each one. 1. Classroom Learning There’s a reason why traditional instructor-led training is such a classic: the method allows for constant back and forth between trainers and trainees. Questions are addressed that might go unanswered in other types of employee training, and participants can bounce ideas and concepts off of one another. So long as energy remains high, learners stay engaged throughout the entire process. While other forms of training might be more technologically advanced, there’s something to be said for the magic of in-person, collaborative learning opportunities. Of course, classroom learning isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Some learners may find traditional sit-and-get style training boring. There’s also the matter of venues, travel, and catering. Classroom learning can become expensive, and fast. Still, this classic form of staff training is unlikely to lose popularity any time soon – the benefits simply outweigh most of the drawbacks. 2. eLearning Virtual learning has become more prevalent in recent years, for obvious reasons. We’re all constantly on our devices anyway, so this employee training method is a natural extension of our daily habits. This kind of learning style is ideal for self-paced training; without an in-person facilitator guiding learners through each session, employees can take their time with the material. The real benefit to eLearning is its scalability, though. Any number of people can take online workplace training at once, making it easy to roll out content for an entire company’s workforce. eLearning doesn’t come without its share of challenges. The graphics and visuals that make up computer-based training can age quickly, so keeping things updated is critical. And since most eLearning training is completed without supervision, it can be hard to know how engaged with the content employees really are. You may want to supplement eLearning with surveys, quizzes, or additional evaluation tools to gauge its impact and drive completion. 3. Hands-On Training Some people learn best by doing. Hands-on training allows learners to jump straight into the practical skills necessary for a given role. It’s an ideal way to train someone for a new position or to prepare them for new responsibilities. By participating in theoretical activities and applying them to their current role, learners can develop the muscle memory necessary for all kinds of duties and responsibilities. Hands-on staff training can be overwhelming for some individuals, so it’s important to keep an eye on the progress of your learners. It may be worthwhile to pair more experienced employees with newer folks, allowing newbies to gain important context before diving into an activity on their own. Shadowing can be beneficial for the more experienced partner, too – there’s no better way to reinforce ideas and procedures than by showing others how it’s done. 4. Mentorship Structured forms of the curriculum will always have their place in the world of employee training, but alternative methods are gaining in popularity. Mentorship programs can do wonders in supporting and training new employees. By pairing them with a more senior staff member, you’ll help foster relationships while also making them feel supported and welcomed. It’s ideal for employees who may not feel comfortable speaking up and asking questions in traditional classroom settings. The one drawback of mentorship programs? They take a lot of time to implement the right way. Mentoring can be incredibly costly in terms of employee hours, and if your more senior staff are reluctant to take on more responsibility, the relationship may feel forced. So long as there’s buy-in from both mentor and mentee, though, this form of workplace training can prove successful. 5. Role-playing Acting out potential work scenarios is another effective training method for employees. Role-playing provides a controlled setting for new and experienced staff members alike to practice handling difficult situations. Especially useful for those in customer-facing roles, role-playing activities give people the opportunity to think on their feet while examining different perspectives. Not everyone enjoys being the center of attention, even in role-playing scenarios. While the practice may seem low-key to some, the idea of acting out a scene with colleagues is enough to send some learners cowering in the back of the classroom. Play to the strengths of your team and never force someone’s participation. Doing so could backfire and cause negative associations with that particular aspect of training. Choosing The Right Training for Your Team At FranConnect, we know no single employee training method will work for all learners. For organizations to truly thrive, management must constantly work to develop the talents and skills of their employees. This often depends on finding the right training method – or a blend of several. If you’re eager to explore your options and want a learning management system to help you manage your training methods in one place, World Manager is the answer. Reach out today for a demo!

In a perfect world, franchisors and their franchisees would have the best of relationships; but as we all know, the real world is far from perfect. In fact, there are often times when franchisors and franchisees find themselves butting heads. In franchising, the relationship between the franchiser and franchisee is paramount to the success of both. So buzzwords like: communication, collaboration, integrity, and inclusivity all need to be backed up with actions in order for there to be any meaning for franchisees. In this blog post, we will discuss how franchisors can handle conflict when it arises, create opportunities to foster trust with franchisees, and set the stage for productive relationships as you scale your franchise brand.

At a recent franchising conference, we were lucky enough to sit down for interviews with a variety of senior executives from the FranConnect customer base. This included franchise brands of different sizes and from different industries.  We asked them what business challenges are most important for them to solve using technology. It was great to know how they are getting so much value from FranConnect, but it was also enlightening to hear some of the common themes that surfaced. Here are four of them, with actual soundbites from those customer interviews. For the full catalog of interviews, check out our Testimonials Resource Center.

The world’s first LMS, called FirstClass, was introduced by Soft Arc in 1990. The LMS is now part of the FirstClass software suite developed by OpenText. The FirstClass LMS couldn’t have emerged at a better time; the beginning of the Information Age. It was the perfect moment for the new LMS to experience rapid improvements in its underlying technology and functionality. Before the First LMS Before the FirstClass LMS appeared on the screens of learners and instructors in the late 20th century, the concept of an LMS – or Learning Management System – was a little more nebulous. Learning by instruction from a teacher – or training – had of course been undertaken for countless millennia, and instructors had been able to administer training and assess students’ progress by correspondence for more than 250 years before FirstClass came along with the first LMS platform. But What Is an LMS? An LMS, or learning management system, is a software application that streamlines, automates, and transforms how your organization delivers employee training. LMS platforms give companies the tools and technology to efficiently deploy and manage online training courses. Within the LMS, they can create an assortment of training courses and materials that are customized to the specific needs of each employee. They can administer, track, report on, and assess company-wide training using one simple web-based interface. Trainers can create, upload, and manage course content, use quizzes and exams to measure subject matter comprehension, develop waiting lists, rosters, and course registration, and communicate with employees using instant messaging, email, and forums. Companies must grow. It’s what they do. While expansion creates new opportunities, it also presents challenges. Companies must onboard and train new employees who may be dispersed across different buildings, cities, and countries. It also presents potential communication, collaboration, employee engagement, and branding challenges. These challenges can easily be intensified as more companies adopt flex-work policies and allow employees to work from home. Development of FirstClass LMS The FirstClass LMS came into being when a worker at the Scarborough Board of Education asked Soft Arc to find a credible email system. This email system needed to be Macintosh-based, with the following features: LAN support Modem support GUI interface Private email Discussion forums How an Alternative to AppleLink Helped Define the First LMS Soft Arc considered using AppleLink, a user-facing online service. Unlike other systems that used a command-line interface, AppleLink used a Mac-style GUI (Graphical User Interface) – an ideal user-friendly interface for what would become the first learning management system or LMS. Its purpose was to provide online support to Apple dealers and distributors to lower the cost of paper documents, phone calls, and other customer care services, but like anything truly useful, it was adopted by others, including Apple employees who used it as an email system. Apple eventually joined forces with a small computing services firm, Quantum (which went on to become America Online or AOL) to develop the ill-fated AppleLink Personal Edition in 1988. In 1991, astronauts sent the first email from space from a Macintosh Portable using specially configured AppleLink software. Unfortunately for Soft Arc, AppleLink was expensive and only worked on Apple computers, such as the Macintosh Portable. They had to find a viable alternative with the same user-friendly features a future LMS would require to succeed, so they developed Hypercard. LMS Precursor – HyperCard System The HyperCard prototype was rolled out in 1987 and is now regarded as the inspiration behind the World Wide Web. HyperCard allowed users to build interactive software even if they didn’t have programming experience. Each program on HyperCard was made up of a stack of interconnecting cards. A card would contain images, text, menus, checkboxes, buttons, and other GUI elements (all elements that developers of an early LMS would have been looking for). Think of the virtual cards as different webpages and the stack as a website in today’s terms. HyperCard is an   application and a programming tool  for Apple Macintosh and Apple IIGS computers. A GUI for LMS Students and Teachers With HyperCard, you could easily make training software (part of a learning management system) – all you needed to do was place educational content in the cards to form a stack. HyperCard Bird The Scarborough Board liked HyperCard because it ran on personal computers, so both mainframe and home desktop users could implement it. It supported discussion forums and private emails, which allowed students to ask clarifying questions on topics presented in the cards. The First eLearning Platform They bought the first FirstClass system and named it ScriBE after the Scarborough Board of Education. They made ScriBE accessible to teachers, students, and parents and in 1997, it was successfully connected to the Internet. LMS Communications – FirstClass Protocol FirstClass LMS used the FCP (FirstClass Protocol) in its communications. This transport networking protocol ensured flawless communication and file transfers between LMS users. Users had the freedom to access the same server, whether they were at home or at the office. FCP used the sliding window protocol, which allowed a user to send multiple packets at a time. Each packet would be assigned a number identifier that generated a virtual link for every task requested by a user. Thus a user could upload and download files while simultaneously writing or reading an email. World Manager proudly supports some of the biggest communications companies in the world with online learning management.  Pre-Internet LMS – The BBS Era A Bulletin Board System (BBS) is software that allows users to connect to the computer system through a terminal program. Users can perform tasks such as: Uploading and downloading files Reading news bulletins Sending messages on chat or public message boards Playing text-based games Before the World Wide Web, BBSs were the primary form of an online community. Any user with a computer and modem could access the system and communicate with other users within the same area code. The computer was always turned on. When the phone rang, it would answer and allow the calling computer to perform different tasks, such as reading a message left by another user. Unfortunately, a BBS could only support one connection at a time and ran on non-multitasking operating systems, such as DOS and Apple Pro DOS. It wasn’t long before BBSs were replaced by low-cost dial-up internet services, which provided users with better access. The First LMS Network In the early 1990s, a worker at Apple Canada created the first BBS for FirstClass called MAGIC (Macintosh Awareness Group In Canada). MAGIC became one of the largest BBSs serving Toronto, closely followed by the Boston Computer Society (BCS), and the Great Lakes Free-Net. FirstClass software allowed users to share conference content and private emails through dial-up connections. It only transitioned to internet connectivity when OneNet was formed. By 1994, FirstClass had become an internal email system, already competing in the groupware market. As a result, the United Kingdom’s Open University started using FirstClass to administer online learning all over Europe. The Journey Towards an Open-Source LMS Shortly after FirstClass emerged, the concept of the LMS really took hold. In 1991, the Norwegian Knowledge Institute released the EKKO LMS. Several LMSs followed as the 1990s drew to a close, including Training Partner LMS, BlackBoard LMS, and Asaph LMS. In 2002, the first open-source LMS, Moodle, was released. Users could start learning on Moodle LMS as soon as they downloaded the software to their home PC. The Evolution to a Cloud-Based LMS Eucalyptus, the first cloud-based LMS, was produced in 2008; it allowed users to log in from their home computers. Cloud-based LMSs had enhanced data security and were cheaper to deploy than in-house LMSs. Over time, the early BBS-based, in-house LMS has evolved into a versatile tool, allowing for social and collaborative learning. The Modern LMS – Today’s Learning Management Systems As LMS history has shown us, LMSs have adapted to modern needs quite a bit! In order to consider today’s learning management systems, we must determine what a learning content management system (LCMS) is – and in order to even consider that, we must first determine what a content management system is! A content management system is a platform for creating and organizing content – WordPress and Drupal are examples. A learning content management system (LCMS) is the best of both worlds. It includes everything you need conveniently integrated into one system, from author/content creation capabilities to tools for disseminating and delivering training in real-time, to reporting and analytics, and much more. With everything you need “under one roof,” an LCMS makes it easy for employees to collaborate and communicate even if they are working remotely, and it helps ensure that training is delivered consistently at all levels of the company. The modern LMS is focused on the learner and comes with remarkable features such as: Groups: You can segment your trainees according to modules and job roles so that they can collaborate with the right people at each stage of learning. Employees will enjoy learning from each other and even passive learners will feel comfortable enough to participate in discussions. Rewards and recognition: The modern LMS incentivizes learning by acknowledging the trainee’s progress. World Manager LMS has an exciting Achievements Award Tool that automatically rewards your employees for the milestones they’ve accomplished throughout their employment. For instance, one employee may be rewarded for being the employee of the month and another celebrated for having the most forum posts during the course. Surveys: Modern LMSs allow you to receive feedback from your trainees. Surveys help you to assess the impact of your training efforts by giving you valuable insights. You can use learner feedback to fine-tune your LMS training program for future success. Live Chat: Employees can elicit feedback from their enrolled peers in real time. They don’t have to wait for someone to see their message or post before getting a response. How LCMS Became Synonymous with LMS As outlined above, the first LMS could organize and structure content but didn’t include content creation tools built into the software. Content had to be created outside of the LMS, then integrated into the system. Today, that’s considered old school. Fueled by advances in technology, LMS platforms evolved into a powerhouse system that incorporates LCMS. Modern LMSs now have content creation capabilities. Trainers can author content and instructional designers can enhance it – all within the LMS. For all intents and purposes, the LCMS/LMS distinction has disappeared and the two terms are synonymous. What is clear is that today’s LMS platforms are not your grandparents’ LMS. With a rich array of robust features and benefits, an LMS is a must-have training delivery system for companies and organizations of all sizes. The Mobile-First LMS Are you wondering how you can leverage the benefits of the modern LMS to drive engagement and knowledge retention in your training program? You need a mobile-first LMS so that your employees can access courses at their convenience and learn at their own pace. The Anytime, Anywhere, Any Device Learning Management System You need an LMS that will make it easy for your administrators to create engaging courses and interactive tests. That’s not all – you need to track your employees’ progress in real time so you can have the insight you need to develop your team and grow your business. The good news is that, as an LMS provider, World Manager has created an elegant and easy-to-use software-based solution that supercharges your company’s training and collaboration capabilities. With World Manager’s suite of user-friendly tools and technologies, your company can build a foundation of highly trained employees who are able to get more done in less time. You can automate and standardize training so it is executed consistently across the enterprise, like clockwork. World Manager’s clients see an increase in productivity and profit margins. When your company is firing on all cylinders, there’s nothing it can’t achieve. Find out how easy it is to create a training program with a truly modern LMS.

As a franchisor, it can feel awkward to refer to your franchisees as customers, right? But by and large – they really are. As the franchisor, you can control the things that are defined in your franchise agreement, but at the end of the day these franchisees are not your employees. Thus, influencing what they do daily and dictating how they run their business is entirely up to them.

The majority of restaurants are franchised. The 2012 US Economic Census numbers say: “the estimated 122,042 limited-service franchise restaurants (NAICS 722513) make up approximately 54 percent of all fast-food restaurants in the United States, nearly 70 percent of the sales of fast-food restaurants ($185.4 billion), and about 73 percent of the employment of fast-food restaurants (3.6 million).”

If you’re part of an emerging franchise business, chances are, you’re familiar with software and other tech solutions that promise to make life easier for franchising. But aren’t those products built for large enterprises…  would they work for a ‘startup’?  And does it even make sense to invest in technology at an early stage before you’ve mastered your processes and built a winning team?

A visit from a Franchise Business Consultant (FBC) can stir up a lot for franchisees. Some can see the FBC as a checklist-wielding intruder, while others may see it as a major disruption - like the Kool-Aid man bursting into the side of their operations when they are trying to get stuff done. While using your checklist is needed, why not provide them with some surprise value during the franchisee visit? Check out the tips below to learn more.

Our annual FranConnect Franchise Sales Index Report features real-world data culled from our brands spanning across the franchise platform. After an eventful yet encouraging first half of 2021, for the first time ever we are looking at the data mid-year for an in-the-moment view on the state of franchise development.   This data offers significant insights for franchisors looking to grow and develop their franchise brands and make the right sales and marketing investments. Peering into the data of how franchisors handled the first half of the year reveals some promising signs. It may be too soon to say, but it seems that most verticals are showing improvements on key metrics. In this post, we will share some of the high-level findings, and give you access to a webinar where the report’s author, Keith Gerson, will break down everything you need to know.

Continuous Learning: Benefits in the Workplace   Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.   – William Pollard Why Continuous Learning is the Foundation of Organizational Growth           Perhaps you’ve noticed a buzz around continual, constant, or continuous learning. But what is it, exactly? A good place to start is with a continuous learning definition.

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop

Freddy's Frozen Custard

HOA Brands

QDOBA

Taco John's

Little Caesars Pizza

Payroll Vault

Tijuana Flats

ProSource Wholesale

While some spa and salon franchises recognize the need to measure key performance indicators (KPIs), many rely more on intuition than analyzing the numbers. And while it takes soft skills to create an inviting atmosphere, satisfied clients, and happy employees, understanding the numbers that drive your business will help your spa or salon find — and keep — its place in the market.

The franchise development website is an essential sales tool, helping brands accomplish several objectives at once: generate leads, prescreen prospects, share the brand story, and facilitate growth in target markets.

Franchise business consultants have always been critical drivers of brand success, but their role has shifted considerably over the years and continues to evolve today.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are tightly integrated with franchise business planning because business plans contain key results (KRs). KPIs are a subset of these key KRs, which the franchise uses to measure its performance.

The majority of restaurants are franchised. According to the U.S. Economic Census, an estimated 122,042 limited-service franchise restaurants make up approximately 54% of all fast-food restaurants in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present new challenges for franchisors. Yet day by day, we are seeing an uptick in field audits despite many months of uncertainty and dependence on virtual visits. Now is a good time to dust off that old field audit questionnaire and get it ready for use. You can start by making sure your audit is the best it can be – in other words, doing an audit of your franchise audit.

The most successful brands recognize that new franchisees require dedicated support to ensure a successful launch and help them thrive during the first year of business. No matter how strong an onboarding program is, plenty of factors can lead to a rocky first year: undercapitalization, general inexperience, and a lack of well-rounded skills.

Learning and development specialists and trainers devote their professional lives to helping employees develop relevant workplace skills. But here’s the rub: they’re so busy training and advocating for their co-workers that they may neglect their own development.

As with many business challenges, the pandemic continues to provide valuable insights that can help franchisors strengthen and improve operations — not only to drive more revenue today, but to protect themselves against future disruptions.

In education, tutoring, and children’s services, you want to teach your students good habits. But it’s also worthwhile to take a look at your own habits as a business. What habits will predict success?

“A company — and a region or territory — has a lifecycle that ages,” says Jim Sullivan in Multi-Unit Management. “Infant, youth, adult, middle age, maturity. Each stage of this growth curve brings with it different leadership, knowledge and resource needs based on a company’s maturity and growth stage.”

The role of the Franchise Business Consultant (FBC) is ever evolving and growing. However, up until recently, there has been no strategic analysis for how the franchise industry tracks and evaluates the activities of FBC’s.

Franchise Operations are emerging from a tumultuous storm. The phrase “sink or swim” has never been more relevant, with many businesses having to adapt and ride the wave of complex challenges brought on by COVID-19.

This Exit Interview Template sets a good foundation for your company's best practices on employee feedback. It should be adapted to your company’s specific needs and circumstances. The Principle It is natural that employees who are leaving the company may be more comfortable giving feedback about the company than when they were employees. As a company, we would like to take advantage of this and tap into our former employees’ insights to better our management. An exit interview is a method of gathering such information from employees who are resigning from the company. We specifically seek to know: Why the employee chose to leave the company. What is their next place of employment is? In what way is their next position superior to their current one? What the employee liked or disliked most in the company. Whether the official job description matched their actual work. What advice the employee would give to their successor. What, in their opinion, the company can do to improve the working conditions for the remaining staff? The employee exit interview policy applies to all employees who leave the company voluntarily. Best Practices Highlights Definitions An exit interview can be described as a discussion with an employee who has resigned to get there. The exit interview is to receive an honest opinion about their work experience with the company, their reasons for leaving, and ideas for improvement. In-person interviews are usually preferred but we may use questionnaires or phone interviews depending on the employee’s preference. Exit interviews are coordinated by HR, who may assign the interviews to the manager of the employee’s immediate supervisor. But immediate supervisors of the departing employees are not allowed to participate in the interviews. The company may also occasionally hire external consultants to conduct the interviews. Exit Interviews are Voluntary Exit interviews are voluntary and failure to participate does not draw any repercussions. HR should always make it clear to the employees that the exercise is optional but the company values their feedback immensely. We will also offer tokens such as [gift cards] as a mark of appreciation to employees who agree to participate in the interview. Conducting Exit Interviews As a rule, the discussions in an exit interview should focus on collecting information from employees and understanding the company from their point of view. Those conducting the interview should not: Attempt to persuade the employee to rescind the resignation. Become sensitive and defensive to negative feedback. Focus only on gathering negative feedback. Exaggerate the employee’s feedback or quote them out of context to advance a different agenda. Standard Format The length of the interview may vary from person to person and whether it is in-person, over the phone, or in a video call. However, standard time should be about [60 minutes]. In concluding the interview, HR should close with a positive and conciliatory tone, thanking the employee on behalf of the company for their service during their employment and honest feedback. Sample questions Exit interview questions may be determined by the employee’s seniority, role, and length of service. Some standard questions for all roles would include: Briefly summarize your general experience working for us. And if you don’t mind, may I know what exactly prompted your resignation? What is the best thing about working here? Given the chance, what would you change about our workplace? How would you rate guidance and training opportunities here? Did the company recognize you for your work? What were the main constraints to your efficiency or productivity? HR should use these as baseline exit interview questions in all interviews. These should then open up a discussion that will guide the employee into opening up and giving honest feedback on other issues. In Case of an Important Disclosure An exit interview may uncover an important issue that would be in the company’s interest to immediately follow up. This could be incidents such as harassment, discrimination, or embezzlement. HR should record these issues for immediate follow-up within the company policy. They should also let the exiting employee know that some of their feedback warrants disclosure owing to its importance. Confidentiality Exit interview contents must remain confidential and exiting employees must be made aware of this. HR should assure the employees that the results of the interview are presented to the management without direct attribution to an individual source. Procedure Once HR receives a notice of resignation, it may reach out to the employee and request for an exit interview, this request should be in writing. The format of the interview should be at the discretion of the employee who may also decline participation. The preferred timing should be before the employee’s final week of service in the company. HR should avoid scheduling on the last day unless it is completely unavoidable. Another alternative would be giving the interview within [a month] after the employee’s final day in the company. HR should always compile and analyze data from exit interviews and share insights and recommendations with senior management. These reports can be submitted annually or quarterly or even more frequently depending on the issues involved. Follow up Survey A follow-up interview may be necessary for some employees [six months] after the initial interview. This would help us to reaffirm the employee’s initial sentiments when departing and perhaps extract further feedback that the employee may have been reluctant to give the first time. HR should inform such employees via email that they intend to send an email survey and must seek their consent beforehand.    

One only needs to drive in their communities and notice all the “Now Hiring” signs to get a sense of how pervasive the problem of finding employees is regardless of the industry. Today, there is a serious shortage of workers, and this has resulted in Restaurants and Personal Services businesses modifying their hours (and even their days of operation) to ensure they have enough staff to meet the demand. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably experiencing a shortage of workers in your own business and are hoping for a silver bullet to help you quickly hire quality employees. Surveys and research illustrate just how pervasive the labor shortage issue is:

Many franchisors conduct franchise satisfaction surveys, but they are often repeats of previous surveys (perhaps with a few extra questions peppered in there for good measure) and lack unique and specific goals. As a result, the franchise satisfaction initiative can be a lot of busy work with few results. While some franchisors opt to use a professional service such as Franchise Business Review to stay current, others want to know how to improve their franchise survey process. The first step to changing how you survey is to have a goal.

Community marketing is the one thing you want to get right for your franchisees. While you may have a marketing team, branding agency, or even a vendor that updates your social media, you can never outsource it completely. There is no shortage of vendors that try to sell the magic bullet of marketing. Just like a sales professional trying to sell an “easy” weight loss program or a “fast” way to make money, they position it as a cake-walk once you make a hefty investment. The truth is, marketing is exactly like getting to a healthier weight or making a more satisfying income; it is a step-by-step journey, where you learn along the way with true rewards at the end. But it is certainly not a cake-walk — no matter how many people try to sell it that way. For a more realistic look at how you can build community marketing into your franchisees’ day-to-day processes, consider the tips below.

FranConnect works with 700 franchisors, and many are facing the same dilemma:

  Solving for 5 Challenges of Online Learning There are indications we may, finally, be entering a post-COVID-19 world. While no one can predict what that world will look like from an employee training perspective, one thing is clear: there will be no return to a pre-COVID normal. Now that employees have tasted the convenience of flex-time and work-from-home policies, it’s too late to recork that bottle. And while online training has been around for some time, it truly evolved and came of age out of necessity during the pandemic. Now it’s here to stay – with demand continuing to grow, fueled not only by the ongoing necessity for social distancing but by younger generations for whom convenient training is non-negotiable. There are benefits and challenges of online learning, and it’s prudent to be aware of both. If your company hasn’t yet embraced online learning or is in the process of doing so, this post will help you think through and prepare for this exciting transition. Let’s walk through five common challenges of online learning your company is bound to encounter, and tips for overcoming them. Boring or Unengaging Content Even in the age of interactivity and personalization, trainers may rely too much on one-size-fits-all content. Some companies, in their eagerness to move to online training, simply digitize their paper-based training content without first adapting it for a new learning medium and audience. That’s a recipe for training that is uninspiring and boring. One way to avoid the boredom trap is to break your learning courses into small, bite-sized modules that can be quickly and easily consumed by your employees. To create and sustain interest in online training, your L&D specialists must ensure their content and capabilities are visual, interactive, responsive, and relevant. Granted, that’s a lot to ask, given how much they’re already doing. The good news is that today’s easy-to-deploy LMS is powered by artificial intelligence, designed for a mobile-first experience, and comes equipped with immersive, engaging features like gamification and social learning. Today’s LMS can keep even the most tech-savvy employees on their feet. Technical Difficulties Technology can help facilitate online training, communication, and collaboration; in fact, transitioning to online learning cannot be achieved without an investment in technology. But it must be the right technology. The last thing you want is to have different employees operating from different operating systems and browsers. As soon as employees encounter “technical difficulties,” their frustration levels could grow and they may end up blowing off the training altogether. This is why it’s critical to ensure you have IT staff available to serve your employees and help ease their transition to online training. Also, you can avoid the compatibility trap and other technical issues by selecting an online learning platform that is easy to deploy and use. Consider investing in an LMS with a simple mobile-first interface that all employees can access anytime, regardless of their physical location. Lack of Motivation One of the biggest challenges of learning in an online environment is maintaining motivation. Many employees count on external motivation to complete this necessary training, such as co-worker encouragement or a top-down deadline. Adding intrinsic motivation is the icing on the cake, building enthusiasm and engagement as well. Without either, managers could very well see a decline in participation among staff and, in turn, productivity. One to maintain motivational momentum is to create a schedule, develop small, achievable goals, and track goals against progress. Here, technology offers another solution. Right now one of the most promising areas in learning development is the gamification of employee training. By introducing friendly competition and incentives, trainers can keep their employees motivated and increase training completion rates. Sense of Disconnect or Loneliness One “side effect” of online learning to be on the lookout for is a sense of isolation that comes with completing training solo, rather than in a group setting. Should this feeling grow, it could cause employees to become withdrawn and unhappy. It also can affect their sense of belonging, self-esteem, and over time, their attitude and productivity. Learning and development specialists and managers can help prevent this scenario. Always listen openly and empathetically to your employees’ needs, and use technology to facilitate connection opportunities between staff members. For example, a learning management system (LMS), which many companies use to automate and administer their online training programs, has social media and social learning mechanisms built into it. This can help build a community around learning, rather than silos. Time Constraints The 2019 LinkedIn Learning Report found that the most significant obstacle to employee training is a scarcity of time. That’s why it’s so important that the message comes from the top – unless employees are told explicitly to invest time in training, they will be reluctant to do so. In order to accelerate training completion rates, HR and L&D specialists may find that they are constantly sending email reminders to staff, which can take a good amount of time and may or may not be effective. One of the time-saving features of an LMS is that it can automate the enrollment process, send out reminder emails, and even provide real-time course completion rates. Another way to encourage time-strapped employees to make time for training is to make it irresistibly convenient and flexible. One reason why the mobile-first LMS is so popular is that it gives employees greater control over their training journey; they can log on to the user-friendly interface and access training anywhere, any place, and on any device. But remember, while online training can empower employees and significantly reduce HR and trainer expenditures, there are challenges that accompany the shift to online learning. Almost all companies, sooner or later, must navigate the five challenges of online learning that we just walked through. As they transition to online training, companies that invest in technology will be ahead of the curve and in a position to take advantage of its tremendous benefits. The cost savings alone of cloud-based training is potentially huge, depending on how much your company traditionally spends on the instructor, course, venue, travel, and printing costs. In addition to cutting costs, online training can help accelerate the onboarding process and lead to new efficiencies. Because of these advantages, online learning is clearly here to stay. While online learning solutions are not without their initial challenges, once you’re up and running it’s much smoother to maintain and improve. Book a demo today to learn how the World Manager LMS makes it easy to incorporate online training into your learning and development mix. 

Education franchises employ hundreds of thousands of people across the US and around the world. According to IBISWorld, there are almost 173,000 businesses operating as tutoring or driving schools in the U.S., employing 343,451 people. As the world shifts, some of this revenue will be coming from online sources.

Franchise coaches bridge a lot of gaps, including:

Forward-thinking franchisors are now embracing Objectives and Key Results or OKR. The framework was originally developed by Andy Grove at Intel and has been used by organizations such as Google, Twitter, and LinkedIn. While the framework has documentation in the form of videos, bestselling books, and worksheets, the following three concepts will help you through their use:

Every year, we cull real-world data from hundreds of FranConnect customers to see what’s really going on in franchise development. Our annual Franchise Sales Index Report, now in its seventh year, offers unparalleled insight into everything from where leads come from, to which industry segments are thriving, to which marketing efforts are proving most effective. Last year was full of challenges and changes — but the franchising industry also saw opportunity as more people stayed home. Some segments struggled; others saw opportunity. One clear trend last year was that the overall number of deals fell, and the time to close deals lengthened. Both were to be expected amid so much uncertainty.

One of the biggest trends coming out of the end of 2021 is stay-at-home customers. People are spending more time at home than ever, affecting some industries where franchises operate powerfully.

This Employee Training and Development Policy is a good foundation for your company’s employment policies. It should be adapted to your company’s specific needs and circumstances. The Employee Training and Development Policy is otherwise known as Staff Training and Development Policy or Employee Development Policy

Whether you are a growing franchise or managing a multi- brand, large corporation, you need to spend your time on what matters. You know technology can help you be more efficient and effective, but there are also old-school principles which are important to master.

As franchise owners, you know that franchisee engagement can have a material impact on the bottom line. A study of 300 brands from Franchise Business Review and InGage Consulting found that engaged franchisees are 3.7 times more profitable than non-engaged franchisees.

Salon and spa franchises represent well over a million businesses across the U.S. According to IBISWorld, there are approximately 880,000 firms operating in the hair and nail salon industry within the U.S., providing direct employment opportunities for almost 1.2 million people. The health and wellness spa industry has over 22,000 businesses employing over 365,000 people. As the economy changes, salons and spas still employ many people.

Our latest Pulse of the Franchise Industry survey finds cautious optimism is the outlook of the hour for franchisors ready to get back to better days of doing business in the months ahead.

A dirty database is a like a dirty home. When a home is messy and unorganized, it's hard to find anything. It seems to happen in an instant, too – once one item is put in the wrong place, the mess piles up. Particularly if you have kids or live with roommates, it can be difficult to keep all the dirt from coming in.

One of the biggest franchising trends for 2021 people are seeing across the franchising community is multiunit ownership. This trend is driven by a few key factors, including:

Good online education quotes can inspire and enlighten; they can brighten your day and show you the way.

In 2018, the worldwide fitness industry saw membership grow to a record-high 183 million users, revenue totaling an estimated $94 billion, and club count exceeding 210,000 facilities, according to the IHRSA Global Report. As the global landscape shifts, we will continue to see gyms making a meaningful contribution to the economy.

In this “Meet the Mentor” series, we share key insights from leading franchise professionals to help you learn from their experiences and get inspired by their successes. Whether you want to own a franchise, operate your system more efficiently, or improve your work-life balance as a franchisor, these high performers will provide the advice you need. Interviews were conducted pre-COVID-19.

As the chief operating officer of franchise brands for Neighborly, Mary Thompson is a pro at the art of fine-tuned franchising. Thompson, a franchise veteran who oversees ongoing operations within the world’s largest home services franchisor, was looking for more insight out in the field when she turned to FranConnect’s robust cloud platform to “systemize the delivery of our system.”

Quick. In three words, define your franchise opportunity.   

According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), there are more than 1 million restaurant locations in the U.S. with 12.5 million employees. Even in these changing times, the industry is still a major employer. See some sample Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) for restaurant franchises below.

As record numbers of people look to the proven systems of franchising for their next opportunity, it's time to be bold and authentic with your franchise sales. Don't let the buzz over chatbots, paid search, and social media algorithms distract you from striking up high-conversion conversations through good old fashion email. 

Automotive franchises make a significant impact on the economy. According to IBISWorld, there are 263,000 auto mechanic businesses running in the U.S., with industry employment counting over 500,000. Although the changing landscape is affecting these businesses, they are still making a meaningful contribution to the economy.

With constant change the only certainty, harnessing the power of data for growth amid shrinking resources and shifting consumer behavior is critical for franchise brands of all sizes. Advanced point-of-sale and customer relationship systems offer franchisors the digital footprints to engage, garner feedback, track trends, try new products, and create unmatched customer experiences. Analytic data, swiftly served up, can also be a powerful ally to predict the success of local marketing and franchise development tactics and drive growth-focused operations and franchise relations decisions.

Today is a big day for both FranConnect and FranchiseBlast, and an even bigger day for our customers. Today, we are announcing that we have acquired FranchiseBlast, the leading provider of franchise operations software used by over 100 brands.

Unit-level profitability stems from a range of factors — but one of them is your budgeting planning and preparedness. We think it's so important we made an interactive franchise budgeting self-assessment. Are you a Reality Avoider? Or maybe you've reached the budget planning pinnacle of Titan of Business? Or, somewhere in between. We challenge you to download it, take the quiz, and see where you land.

Forecasting the Year Ahead  With 2020 now officially behind us, we decided to pull out our trusty crystal ball and look ahead to the biggest changes that will happen in Franchising in the year ahead. This post outlines our favorite predictions for 2021. We are confident in all of them, but it’s safe to say that we would not have predicted them 1 year ago. It should be interesting to look back at them a year from now to see which ones played out. 

The Most In-Demand Franchising Resources of the year In 2020, FranConnect produced more content than ever before, and it was watched, read, downloaded and shared more than ever before. As we start off 2021, we looked back over the last 12 months to see what drew the most interest from our audience.

In this “Meet the Mentor” series, we share key insights from leading franchise professionals to help you learn from their experiences and get inspired by their successes. Whether you want to own a franchise, operate your system more efficiently, or improve your work-life balance as a franchisor, these high performers will provide the advice you need.

In the first two installments of this series, we shared how to engage your franchisees in planning for the upcoming year and how to evaluate your current franchise technology. In this final post of the series, we’ll explore how to boost and track franchise sales leads.

In the first installment of this series, we shared how to engage your franchisees in planning and budgeting for the upcoming year. Today, we’ll explore why and how to evaluate your current franchise technology and plan for the future.

Unless you’ve spent the past year under a rock, you know that every business sector has experienced uncertainty this year — and that includes franchising. As we approach 2021, no one really knows what to expect from the upcoming year. What will revenues look like? Will franchise units return to full operations, or will they continue to operate at a reduced capacity? How will consumer buying habits evolve along with the pandemic and the economy?

2020 has brought many unexpected challenges for franchise brands. How have those challenges impacted franchise sales? While franchise leads are down year to date, deals have increased — indicating that while there are fewer leads, they are higher quality leads. In the infographic below, we break down how franchise sales have changed over the course of the year, and what franchise brands can do to take advantage of the leads that come their way. And for complete details check out our 2020 Franchise Sales Index.

While coronavirus-related uncertainties remain, it’s clear that many businesses will be forever changed. For example, according to Gartner research, an estimated 82 percent of company leaders plan to let employees work remotely post-pandemic — at least some of the time — potentially reducing the demand for downtown franchise locations near central business districts. At the same time, real estate may be increasingly available and more affordable in the months to come, giving franchise brands additional opportunities for new locations. Together, these factors may prompt franchise brands to rethink their real estate strategies.

On the journey to convert prospects into franchisees, the franchise disclosure document (FDD) sign-off process is a critical milestone. A candidate must see and sign off on your FDD before moving forward in the process — so the easier you make that FDD process, the quicker you can move prospective franchisees forward and get them started on a path toward success.

If you’re like many franchise leaders, you’re currently in the midst of planning for the upcoming year. Given the challenges of 2020, it’s more important than ever to take several key steps before the year ends to set up your brand and individual franchisees for success.

In this “Meet the Mentor” series, we share key insights from leading franchise professionals to help you learn from their experiences and get inspired by their successes. Whether you want to own a franchise, operate your system more efficiently, or improve your work-life balance as a franchisor, these high performers will provide the advice you need. Interviews were conducted pre-COVID-19 and in some cases titles and positions have changed since then. 

Your current franchise fees enabled your brand to get to where it is today — but will they get you to the next level?

For franchisors, operating a successful business requires more than maintaining the status quo; to thrive and grow, you must look for ways to continually improve. This requires taking a close look at your current processes, evaluating if and how they drive your business goals, and identifying areas for improvement. Altogether, this is known as process transformation.

In the franchise world, discovery days are critical to evaluating potential franchisee candidates. These events give you the opportunity to qualify each prospect, help him or her learn more about the business, and make a good impression — ultimately driving a final sales decision: Will you both agree to seal the deal?

Today we announced our partnership with Lumin.ai to integrate conversational artificial intelligence (AI) into the FranConnect platform. Whether this makes perfect sense to you, or you're not even sure what AI means, let's take a few minutes to talk about what it is, why we are doing this, show you a preview of how it works, and explain why it's different than other AI solutions in the franchising world. 

Many franchises look dramatically different today than six months ago. Gyms and retail stores are operating with limited hours or reduced capacity. Restaurants have likely altered their business models around reduced occupancy, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery. Due to these shifts and their financial and legal impacts on your business, it’s critical that you update your franchise disclosure document (FDD) to accurately reflect these changes, even if you believe changes won’t be permanent.  

Earlier this month we completed a survey of 200+ franchisors to gauge the current state of the franchise industry relative to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants provided insight into a wide variety of critical topics, from franchise development to unit operations to core financials such as cash flow and royalty management. The results of the survey can help franchisors understand how they stand in the face of the pandemic relative to peers across the spectrum and within their industries.

The pandemic has robbed us of so many things we value in our personal and professional lives. One of the things I’ve missed most these past 5 months is attending live events of all kinds, including in-person conferences. Whether it’s the professional development, making new connections via networking, or just getting re-charged in my career, in-person events play a unique role in our society. 

So, What Can You Do Now? COVID-19 has disrupted franchising like no other event in modern history. Nearly every size company in every sector is dealing with new operational issues spanning safety, compliance, customer acquisition and other drivers of performance. But with so much attention focused on day-to-day changes and survival, many businesses aren’t able to address serious operational pre-existing conditions. It’s necessary to examine the state of Franchise Operations 6 months ago to pinpoint cracks in the foundation, many of which must be addressed to help survive the recovery period.

By Keith Gerson, CFE Even as the health-related stories about the pandemic continue to evolve, the business world faces a common challenge: moving forward. Most organizations have already realized that they can’t sit back and wait. They have to put plans into action and adapt quickly as necessary. The world of franchise sales faces its own set of challenges, but also some great opportunities. As we have reached the midway point of 2020, now is a good time to zoom out and consider what you must do as franchise leaders to ensure your development efforts continue to drive growth.  Here are my Top Five Must Do’s for Franchise Sales Leaders now that we are halfway through this unforgettable year.

For their 3rd annual Workplace Learning Report, LinkedIn surveyed over 1,200 talent developers (L&D and HR professionals) and more than 2,100 workplace learners worldwide to gauge industry trends. The findings show that Learning and Development are at the forefront. So funds are continuously channeled towards online training solutions like World Manager. While online training will never phase out in-person training, it is now more important than ever to empower employees to use this tool anywhere, anytime. Here are some common business challenges and how to solve them using online training. Attracting and Retaining Top Talent Emerging trends such as digital migration and the dynamic nature of workplace skills are challenging organizations to keep up with as they work to hire and develop their employees.   So how can organizations remain relevant in a world that won’t stop changing?   Adapt the Training to Millennials. 29% The percentage of Millennials engaged at work. Millennials are emotionally and behaviorally connected to their job and company. This is according to a report published by Gallup that cautions employers about the domino effect of these shocking statistics: “If they are not engaged in those jobs, companies’ profitability, productivity and innovation will suffer. And if they are not thriving in their well-being, they will struggle in life, affecting how they perform as citizens, consumers, and employees.” Gallup recommends organizations update their cultures to suit their younger workforce by focusing on these functional changes: Think purpose, not a paycheck. Of course, adequate compensation is important, but it is not the driving force of millennial workers. What they really want to know and internalize is your “why” as an organization. Use the Golden Circle to effectively convey this to your employees in an “Introduction” module in your online training program. Development over mere job satisfaction. The stereotype that Millennials are lured by incentives such as pool tables and free food won’t cut it! Provide clear pathways to development for each role so that they’re constantly motivated. More coaches, fewer bosses. Millennials care about being seen as both people and employees. They would like coaches who partner with them in their professional growth rather than bellow orders. Ongoing conversations instead of annual reviews. Millennials communicate in real-time and on the go. This makes them more inclined towards consistent communication and feedback. So direct specific feedback to them using the contact management software found in our communications suite. Don’t broadcast their weaknesses, develop their strengths. Gallup has discovered that “weaknesses never develop into strengths, while strengths develop infinitely”. Don’t disregard weaknesses, simply focus more on encouraging their strengths. It’s not just their job but an integral part of their life. So they actually want to enjoy what they do. And are curious about how much you value their contributions. Make this very clear to them by setting up team leaders who help you monitor individual employees’ progress. Reward individual milestones accordingly. The heart of sports retail training and development worldwide, for over 15 years. Trusted by 100s of brands. Ask us why Provide Opportunities for Development Meet your employees’ expectations by providing: Visual career paths. Help employees envision themselves rising through the ranks at your organization. Success profiles that highlight the requirements for each role your employees may aspire towards. Career development plans that are customized for each individual employee’s career goals. They should review them every so often with their respective supervisors. Develop a Reward System What’s the easiest way to capture Millennials’ attention? Gamification! Not only that but also an elaborate reward system will drive their performance through the roof! Josh Bersin, founder of Bersin by Deloitte, insists that a new set of rewards will enhance the physical, mental and emotional well-being of employees by offering benefits that cater to their financial wellness, fitness, stress relief, mindfulness, and work-life flexibility. All this is especially important to Millennials today and can be achieved using our Achievement Awards tool.   Establish a Workplace Learning Culture L&D managers have never been a more vital component in the workplace now that there is a shift from instructor-led training to online training. They can quickly identify the most crucial skill gaps within your team and the appropriate programs to help close them. Wondering whether these talent developers “walk the talk”? The statistics will shock you! And what better way to meet these same goals in your organization than by designing a suitable online training program using our efficient Learning Management System (LMS)? The right online program will help you: Clarify your objectives from the onset to encourage completion rates. Have you ever thought about marketing your online training program? Be proactive! Spell out all of its amazing benefits for your employees. Be strategic. Use various channels such as email and videos to highlight how specific modules enhance the skills of different departments in your organization. Scenario-based training will specifically help new employees deepen their understanding of the department they’ll be part of. Bing Lee has experienced this first hand:   “We have used video training and find it very useful and informative for our staff. Pictures do tell a thousand words, just as videos do as well, and I feel that staff are more inclined to remember if they watch a video.” Don’t forget your CTAs! Include a link that directs your employees to the program. They are more likely to work through the entire training when they have a strong “why”. Track results and do post-assessment. Movement For Life shares its experience:   “Once we have employed an individual, we give them access to all the required paperwork and pre-employment reading. By having these documents within learning modules, we are able to track their progress through the documents and ensure they understand the key points. When the module is complete, we know that they have completed all of the required pre-employment paperwork and reading, saving considerable time when they arrive on-site.” Introduce and manage collaborative learning. Being one of the most cost-effective team-building strategies for remote teams, collaborative learning can build much-needed team spirit in the workplace. Today’s online training doesn’t stop at chat features and audio-video conferencing. It surpasses it! It provides your team with collaborative tools like message boards, forums, resource-sharing hubs, etc. Global Workforce: Cultural Differences and Generational Gaps A learning style that is particularly effective in one country may not be as successful in another. Add on the age disparity between the employees in your workplace and choosing appropriate education methods can get chaotic! Simply consider your potential learning audience, and develop resources that are both multilingual and multicultural. Identify learners' preferences and styles Find out the various needs of your learners, particularly how comfortable they are with different types of technology. Use this knowledge to design your online training program. A user-friendly interface is exactly what all learners need to easily navigate your software. Even with basic computing skills, they shouldn’t struggle to play a video or upload an assignment. Microlearning has never been more convenient! Provide downloadable reading materials in the form of PDFs, Videos, and Presentations that really help cement the training. Create and Manage Discussion Forums Wondering how to create a stronger sense of community within your team? Bras N’ Things know a thing or two: “In regards to Raving Fans and celebrating the wins, we don’t have to wait for the weekly newsletter, it’s all instant and generates excitement. The teams are also empowered by being able to give direct feedback and receive a response, definitely culture building.” Here’s an idea! How about setting up an online photo storage gallery that creates excitement for staff events? Watch employee engagement increase as employees share memorable photos from various work events.   As you can see, there are so many learning solutions to choose from! Save yourself the hassle. Book a demo today!

In late March, as most States were entering their 2nd week of shutdowns, we surveyed 233 franchise leaders to quantify and assess the impact to their businesses. The resulting data showed exactly how quickly and directly the impacts were rippling through the entire franchising world, spanning everything from business closures, to the impact on franchise sales efforts. Participants represented 8 industries: Quick Service Restaurants, Business Services, Personal Services Residential/Commercial Services, Real Estate, Full-Service Restaurants, Hotel/Lodging, and Retail Food Products & Services.

There’s no doubt that we are facing unprecedented times. While quarantine seems like “the new normal”, the fact is that we will be back to business much sooner than we realize, and we need to be ready. Now’s the time to prepare to rebuild after the storm.

The CARES Act passed into law March 27th includes $350 Billion allocated to low-interest and in some cases, forgivable, loans for small businesses. The loans are intended to cover payroll, benefits, leases, mortgage interest, rent and utilities. For many franchise businesses, this is a critical lifeline intended to help them navigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.   There is a lot to understand about the package - it’s 880 pages long -- and it's easy to get overwhelmed by the depth of it. But some of the best minds in the world of Franchising are working hard to make it easy to digest. So, we decided to round up some of the best resources to help get up to speed.  

At FranConnect we are committed to the safety and well-being of our employees, customers, and the franchise community. As a company we have implemented remote work policies across our offices. This was a smooth transition because we already use cloud and remote-work technologies for key processes, operations, development and support. Our team is energized and adapting well to this environment. Communications between FranConnect team members and our customers will not be interrupted or affected.

Emerging-growth franchise brands with less-than-100 locations need affordable, scalable tools to focus on expansion, unit level economics, and improve efficiency. Most emerging franchise brands face similar business challenges. Their teams may be short staffed, with lean budgets, and little time to stop everything to troubleshoot issues or learn about new technology. Time is money; their needs extend to labor-saving technology and more efficient ways to manage their growing locations.

March 13, 2019 - Reston, VA - FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management solutions, announces the hiring of Chris Sotudeh as Senior Vice President of Customer Operations. He will be in the forefront of leading FranConnect’s customer solutions, education, and advocacy programs, as well as India-based customer support operations.

Lead conversions must be tracked at each stage of your sales cycle. If you’re attracting the right prospects to your brand, then conversions should increase, building more predictability and reliability into your pipeline.

The President and CEO talks about herself, leadership, and the #1 franchise management software solution.

FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management solutions, announces the launch of Velocity Packs for emerging franchise brands with up to 100 locations. Now, the enterprise power and support of FranConnect Sky is available to emerging franchises in cost-effective bundles that can be quickly scaled and implemented across the organization.

The franchise-focused company is the only Franchise Software Supplier to make CIO Applications’  prestigious list, as voted by a distinctive editorial panel of analysts and CIOs.

(WASHINGTON, DC) – September 27, 2018 – FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management solutions, announced the promotion of Gabby Wong to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to continue its path of market leadership and to accelerate innovation and growth of its products and services in the franchise industry. The transition of Wong to CEO will take place in mid-2019. In the interim, Wong will assume the role of President of FranConnect, where in addition to her Customer Operations responsibilities, she will lead Product Management, Strategy and Development. The Sales, Marketing, and Finance functions will transition shortly thereafter in 2019.

Newest release of  FranConnect Sky, franchising’s #1 software, also includes enhanced customization and scalability for multi-brand franchise operations

 Executives from Liberty Tax Service and Franworth explain their decisions to return to FranConnect after relationships with Salesforce failed to deliver on expectations

Franchising-focused company beats out multi-industry software gorillas and low-end entrants to rank first in the Online Technology Services Category

The nation’s largest barbecue chain taps into the process and organizational power of the FranConnect platform to drive revenue and profitability for their global franchise operation.

A Florida University Now Offers Business Degree with Concentration in Franchising

The Company Once Again Realizes Record Growth in Customer Adoption and Usage WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 11, 2018 – FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management software, announced today that new market research confirms their customers grew 44% faster than the broader franchising market. These results follow on FranConnect’s strategic decision years ago to be hyper-focused on helping its customers grow their businesses. Strong unit growth and superior unit economics are core tenants of the Company’s value proposition.

We're packing our bags for IFA 2018! We can't wait to visit with our awesome customers and to connect with new franchisors. If you are headed to Phoenix, we'd love to meet with you! Swing by Booth #513 to check out FranConnect Where You Work™. We've extended the power of our platform to your favorite business applications like Gmail and Outlook to make it even easier to manage your business — in fact, you can even autopopulate records in FranConnect Sky without ever logging in! 

Recently, Sharon Powills at 1851 sat down for an in-depth interview with our CEO, Christopher Fountain. They discussed everything from how FranConnect is able to scale (600 brands and counting!), what we focus on (hint: it's the people first) as well as why we feel FranConnect Sky drives value for franchisors.

The information in this post was initially reported in the webinar “PPC Demystified: Get the Most from Your Campaigns.” Click here to watch now.

Franchise sales is hard. It’s a very competitive business, and the sales cycle from lead generation to qualification to closing is complex. Wayback Burgers, a burger franchise that operates 138 restaurants nationwide in 27 states and 35 restaurants internationally, has figured out the key tactics that has quickly grown the concept. The number one key to their success is a well-defined and strategic sales process. They know exactly what happens when, who sends what to whom, when and how to follow up…you get the idea. Let’s take a look at the 10 critical steps for franchise sales that Wayback Burgers' Executive Vice President Bill Chemero, CFE, and Vice President of Franchise Development Scott Milas, CFE, follow to ensure ongoing growth and success.

While researching for this blog post, I came across the same basic description for franchise discovery days over and over again – an opportunity for candidates and franchisors to learn more about each other. According to this article in Entrepreneur, discovery days have four main purposes:

Here are 10 franchise sales tips from leaders in franchise development at The Dwyer Group, 7-Eleven, Wild Birds Unlimited, and more.

If you’re already franchising your business, you probably – hopefully – know what a chart of accounts is. “Chart of Accounts (COA) – a financial organizational tool that provides a complete listing of every account in an accounting system. An account is a unique record for each type of asset, liability, equity, revenue, and expense.” Each account is then broken down into subcategories.

Franchisee engagement is a hot topic. We’re seeing a progression away from the rule enforcer/disciplinarian franchisor-franchisee relationship toward one that places the franchisor as a mentor, teacher, or business advisor. After all, your success is dependent on that of your franchisees.

FranConnect has been a long-time partner of the International Franchise Association and Franchise Update Media to score franchise recruitment websites based on a set of best practices. Here you will find our most recent findings for franchise development performance using a franchise recruitment website as the main tool for driving leads.

It’s a tumultuous political climate in the U.S. right now. Our two major political parties are deeply divided, and it seems even within parties our representatives are finding it difficult to find common ground. Americans are uneasy, particularly with so many unknowns, and it doesn’t help that we are inundated with left- and right-leaning news from the media at every turn. After looking at the American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America: Coping with Change” survey, NPR reported that “57 percent of people polled in January said they were stressed about the current political climate; 66 percent were stressed about the future of our nation; and 49 percent were stressed about the outcome of the presidential election.”

The success of your franchise depends on the success of your franchisees. Key to this success is partnering with the right people and focusing on franchisee engagement, but equally important is the support your field operations team provides to your franchisees from day one. As defined in an article in Franchising World, “Franchise support is the mechanism by which the intellectual property of the franchisor is transferred to the franchisee for the purpose of replicating the success of the business model.”  

This is a big year for Nothing Bundt Cakes. It marks their 10-year anniversary of franchising, and they recently opened their 200th location in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a proud partner, FranConnect is featuring Nothing Bundt Cakes to congratulate them on their successes.

A franchise development software system is crucial to the success of your franchise recruitment efforts. It will help you and your team grow your brand in an organized way, managing every aspect of engagement with franchisee candidates, and it should integrate seamlessly with the rest of your operations. When choosing a development system – or evaluating your current one – for your franchise, ensure it has these seven features.

There is a lot to keep up-to-speed on in the franchise community, so we have put together a list of resources for franchisors that includes news sources, events, trade associations, social groups, and more. We will continue to update this list as we learn about more resources for franchisors. Happy learning!

Getting franchisee leads is important, but more important is getting qualified leads – these are the leads who are most likely to convert to a sale. Otherwise, a lot of time, effort, and money is wasted on the wrong candidates. Here are five franchise sales and marketing efforts that increase qualified leads.

FranConnect Introduces Business Intelligence Suite and Automated P&L Reporting in Latest Release of Cloud-Based Franchise Management Software FranConnect Sky: Polaris edition includes Intuit QuickBooks Online and Google Gmail Integrations, SMS marketing campaigns, and more Reston, VA (April 18, 2017) – FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management software, has released FranConnect Sky: Polaris edition – the latest version of the company's cloud-based software platform. The release comes with over 100 new capabilities, including a business intelligence suite, enhanced integrations with Intuit's QuickBooks Online and Google Gmail, and improvements to the FranConnect Sky Training module. Video Overview for Corporate Users  "Our customers consistently tell us one of their biggest challenges is system-wide performance visibility and accurate financial reporting," said Mike Morper, Senior Vice President of Product Management. "Now that FranConnect Sky is integrated with QuickBooks Online, franchise owners can easily deliver required P&L information to the brand, and brand CEOs benefit by having normalized system-wide financial data that can then be correlated with other key business metrics stored within the FranConnect Sky platform."

What is a Buyer Persona? A buyer persona is a representation of your ideal customer based on research and data from your existing customers. Creating robust, detailed buyer personas is a key component to any franchise marketing and sales strategy. It forces you to conduct comprehensive research about the types of franchisees that are successful for your organization, instead of going with gut feelings or what you simply believe to be true. Through your research, you’ll uncover a targeted approach to exactly how, where, and when you should be reaching out to your prospects. The more focused your efforts, the more qualified your leads will be, which means you’ll spend your dollars more wisely. Along with marketing efforts, your buyer personas will drive your sales approach, product development, franchisee engagement, training, and more.

The latest version of FranConnect’s SaaS franchise management software, FranConnect Sky: Polaris, will be released April 17. With over 100 new features, let’s take a look at five of the most exciting additions:

Marco’s Pizza is recognized as the fastest-growing pizza company in North America, and we couldn’t be prouder to be their partner. Marco’s Pizza has been working with FranConnect since 2008, and we’ve enjoyed witnessing their tremendous growth over the years.

FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management software, is excited to announce a new partnership with Intuit, a leader in software for small business, personal finance, and tax. The partnership brings together two powerful franchise accounting software tools to create a comprehensive financial management platform for franchise leaders.

FranConnect selected as 2017 Vendor of the Year based on tangible value Nestlé Toll House Café by Chip has derived from using FranConnect’s products and superior level of customer engagement they have experienced

FranConnect is proud to sponsor the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit taking place March 28-30, 2017, in Dallas. Keith Gerson, CFE, president and chief customer advocate of FranConnect, will moderate a panel discussion entitled Franchise Development Marketing 101.

Millennials. It feels like whether or not you’re a part of this generation (loosely defined as born in 1980-1999), the word leaves a sour taste in your mouth. It comes with an air of entitlement, laziness, and narcissism. It paints a picture of a generation plagued with debt. But it also illustrates a generation of innovative, culturally diverse, well-educated, and tech-savvy individuals who are calculated-risk takers. And they’re on the hunt for the next best thing.

Running a franchise isn’t easy. It’s a complex, multi-layered business model. And while it’s possible to implement point solutions or build a home-grown system to support the many aspects of building and managing a franchise, the team at FranConnect saw a need to create something specifically for franchise businesses.

New executive team members will play key roles as the company continues to focus on operational excellence and delivering superior products and services

Before launching FranConnect Sky in early 2016, we spent time with our customers listening to their challenges, uncovering their wish list for franchise software solutions, and how we could elevate FranConnect to be a valued partner and trusted resource as they grow their brands.

In our ever-so-connected world of 24/7, the franchisor-franchisee relationship is in the midst of powerful change. More than ever, franchisors are focusing on the collaborative mindset that must be present for both parties to experience mutual success. And many are turning to powerful analytics and business intelligence tools. Just imagine how franchise leaders can impact franchisee engagement in our data-driven, digital world.

Over the past few months, the franchising industry has come under attack, creating headlines around the nation. There are many threats to be concerned with – from discriminatory minimum wage increases to changes in joint-employer status – that could alter the franchise business model as we know it. The International Franchise Association (IFA) is working to neutralize these types of attacks and educate policymakers that locally-owned franchise businesses are America’s hidden small businesses that not only create jobs, but also provide incredible value to local communities around the country.

Historically, franchisors and franchisees have had a, shall we say, unique relationship. While formally contractual and involving some level of operational performance “enforcement,” the relationship has also been guided by a collective desire aimed at a mutually beneficial outcome: to gather data and turn it into the information needed to improve unit economics and make better business decisions that benefit the franchisor AND franchisees.  

FranConnect customers, prepare yourselves for an easier way to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to learn about your FranConnect system. We’re proud to announce the launch of FranConnect Success Passports! With this program, FranConnect users will have access to all open-enrollment training sessions, as well as consulting hours and business reviews. Here’s how it works:

One of the biggest pain points for franchisors and their field operations teams is preparing for effective interactions with franchise owners and their employees. Yet 57% of franchisors lack a system to monitor and control field execution and performance.

Since 2010, I have attended IFA’s annual conference, and for me, IFA 2017 really stood out as the convention had a whole new look. The focus on integrating the physical event with digital was impressive as well, with the active Twitter feed and the use of live polling tools during keynote presentations.

I have spent many years in franchising, and it had always been a given that male leaders dominated this sector as they do so many others. However, it's becoming abundantly clear that a record number of women are not only leading franchise brands but are instilling in their companies a fabric of values-based decision making that is driving collective success for franchising overall. The evidence was on display and openly discussed at the Women’s Leadership Conference during IFA 2017.

At the beginning of each year, when the bustle of the holidays has come to an end, I like to take a moment to reflect on the year prior and think about our year ahead. FranConnect had a great year in 2016 – we increased customer engagement, learned from our customers and partners, grew our team, attended events and tradeshows around the nation, and even streamlined our branding. This has me exceptionally excited for 2017, as we prepare for an even greater year ahead. Join me in a reflection of 2016 and a peek into what’s in store for FranConnect in 2017.

Recently, I attended IFA 2017 in Las Vegas, the biggest franchise event of the year. This annual conference brings together franchise leaders of all sizes, from single to multi-unit franchisees, to franchisors, to supplier partners. Each year at IFA, we gather together to share insights on best practices as we renew friendships and build new relationships.

This was clearly not your father’s IFA If you were at IFA, you know what I mean. The IFA staff knocked it out of the park, from a sophisticated, fresh design for the event experience to the well-organized and efficient movement of 4000 people from place to place. The energy was well choreographed, especially when Robert Cresanti, IFA President and CEO, led the audience through a virtual political action activity. It left us with the undeniable observation that there is a focused effort to recruit the franchising community behind a common cause – the preservation of the business model that is the largest job creator in the U.S.

By Joe Mathews and Keith Gerson A total of 487 franchisors use FranConnect’s Franchise Sales Management Module as their CRM to track their franchise sales results, far more than any other franchise sales database or CRM utilized in franchising. Inside that centralized database is a jackpot of information which, when aggregated, provides a robust look at what is really occurring in franchise sales.

Can your field consultants describe how their day-to-day tasks impact your organization’s growth?

When business grows fast, technology can keep you ahead of the game. by Julie Bennett Ajay Arora, A Great Clips franchisee in Kansas City, Kan., has got a lot of satisfaction from operating and expanding his hair-salon business since 1993, but as it grew he began to experience problems on days when his salons were really busy. Then, he says, customers would crowd the units’ lobbies or line up outside, stressing his stylists and sometimes discouraging other clients who also wanted a haircut that day.

The latest version of FranConnect’s SaaS franchise management software, FranConnect Sky: Orion, was released late December 2016 with over 130 new features. The new features include business critical application updates like batch data imports, mobile capabilities, SMS ability, and important integrations like for Quickbooks Online from Intuit.

Few franchise brands have put the necessary best practices in place to account for the solutions that allow timely reinforcement of expectations and standards. In our latest ebook, 5 Field Operations Secrets from 600 Franchise Brands, we reveal the guidelines you need to apply to rejuvenate your field operations team and tactics. Here's a sneak peek of those five areas.

Collecting and analyzing data can be a powerful business function, and the world’s most progressive companies have been investing in it for years. But the franchise world has been relatively slow to realize the power of big data -- ironic, as data has the potential to aid franchises more than other types of companies, since franchisees can benefit from unit-level metrics that let them harness the ideas and strategies that are working for fellow franchisees, while corporate can customize systems for various regions or cities.

Christopher Fountain is CEO of Reston, Virginia-based FranConnect, a provider of franchise management systems, helping franchises manage all aspects of their operations including sales, marketing, financial data collection and analysis, and more. fountain joined the company this March, after previously serving as COO of a healthcare software provider.

RESTON, VA – (May 10, 2016) – FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management software, today announced it would host the company’s bi-annual 2016 customer conference, FranConnection’16, May 18 – 20 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor in Washington D.C. The event will bring together franchise, finance and marketing leaders who will discuss:

RESTON, VA – (May 5, 2016) – FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management software, today announced the appointments of Tom van Gorder as Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Tracey Moon as Vice President, Marketing. By ushering in new executives to its leadership team, FranConnect is investing in the company’s future. These investments will drive growth allowing the company to better serve the long term needs of its customers.

This article was previously published by Smart Business Online on March 28, 2016. During my recent experience on the CBS Emmy Award winning show “Undercover Boss,” I learned more than just how to hand roll dough and deliver late-night pizzas. The eye-opening experience provided business lessons that not only didn’t I anticipate, but in many ways changed the course of how I run Marco’s Pizza and how the brand’s 700 stores will operate.

Recently, I attended IFA 2016 Convention, in San Antonio. The conference is a leading trade event for franchisors, franchisees and suppliers who support the franchise industry. This was my first year attending IFA and my overall assessment is “What a wonderful event!” The highlight was gaining access to industry thought leaders as they congregated to share their insights on a wide range of topics, including best practices, strengthening the franchisee ecosystem, and the future of the franchise industry as it continues to be an attractive business model for emerging brands. However, my favorite part was having the opportunity to forge new relationships and reconnect with existing friends.

Traditionally, franchisors relied on word documents, spread sheets, and email to track and report important business information. But the reality is that in today’s competitive market, these antiquated ways of doing business do not work. Why? Simply put, franchisors are working in silos of inefficiencies where cross company visibility does not exist. Instead, marketing, sales, and operations all have their own ways of communicating, reporting, and sharing.

As the industry’s leading provider of franchise management solutions built exclusively for franchisors, with the exciting launch of FranConnect Sky, we are enabling franchisors to successfully grow more units and make all units successful. With this new franchise management software, franchisors – and their franchisees – can now more effectively manage, track and run their franchise systems. Only FranConnect Sky comes with Franchising Built-InTM, offering best practices for the entire franchise lifecycle.

Welcome to all as we kick off IFA 2016. As I started to think about the next few days in San Antonio and the announcements we will be making, it triggered some reminiscing on my part about the past 12 months.

RESTON, VA – (February 19, 2016) – FranConnect, the leading provider of franchise management software, today released FranConnect Sky, a cloud-based franchise management software product that enables franchisors and their franchisees to more effectively manage, track and run their business. A software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering, FranConnect Sky enables customers to receive continuous product updates, ensuring they are always on the most up-to-date version and benefit from franchise best practices. FranConnect Sky is certified to very high cybersecurity standards, and only FranConnect Sky comes with Franchising Built-InTM – exclusive functionality and best practices for the entire franchise lifecycle.