FranConnect Blog

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.

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.