As the ink begins to dry on a newly signed franchise agreement, the minds of both franchisor and franchisee will turn to training and onboarding. When and how will the franchisee be trained in order to be able to run their new franchise business successfully?
A comprehensive and well delivered franchisee training programme is one of the cornerstones for success for both parties to the franchise relationship. If trained and supported to a high standard at the very beginning of the franchise business journey, a fledgling franchisee will be armed with the know how, skills and confidence to be able to operate their business. And in providing their franchisees with excellent and rigorous training, a franchisor is ensuring that their franchise network are great ambassadors for their brand and that they are delivering their very best to their customer base.
Speak to most franchisors and they will tell you that their franchisee training programme has developed significantly over time, in light of experience and lessons learned, feedback from the franchise network and of course industry and brand evolution. Like many franchisors I know, within my own brand some of the methods we use to deliver elements of our franchisee training have also changed in recent years since the start of the pandemic, in response to the need to train franchisees during periods of lockdown. Of course, it’s also important to recognise the need to tailor franchisee training to the individual needs and requirements of the franchisee. Some new franchisees may be joining the brand with a host of relevant industry experience already in their skill bank, whereas others may be entirely new to it. The aim of the any franchisee training however must be to ensure that all franchisees exit the initial programme equipped with the knowledge and skills to run their new business to the standards and with the consistency required by the brand.
The methods used to train up a new franchisee will vary from brand to brand and across industries. However most franchisors will use a combination of three key methods of delivery:
Classroom training
Classroom based learning could range from a day of face-to-face training to several days or more, depending on the complexity of the business and the skills that the franchisee will need to acquire and develop. Often the classroom based element of training may take place in person at the franchisor’s headquarters, though in some industries video conference platforms have stepped in. The classroom based element of the training programme is likely to focus on operational issues, from the brand history and company values, to accounting and reporting requirements, recruitment, systems and processes and technology.
At home learning
In many franchise brands, the franchisee training programme will include an element of at home learning where the franchisee completes part of their training in their own time within a specified time frame. Delivering some of the modules of the franchise training programme in this way means that the new franchisee can fit their learning flexibly around other commitments and can also be a cost effective method of delivery for the franchisor.
On site training
This is when the franchisee is able to really get hands-on and be immersed in day-to-day running of the business in one of the franchise’s established locations. In many industries this element of the training programme is the most crucial, giving the franchisee the opportunity to see first hand how the product or service is delivered, observe the brand’s processes and procedures in action and what the customer service expectations are, as well as witnessing how any common problem scenarios may be handled.
Whatever method of franchisee training is adopted by the franchisor, an effective training programme should conclude with an evaluation of the franchisee’s performance, an assessment of their strengths and any identified weaknesses where additional training and support will be required, and an action plan with any steps to be completed. And of course, any good franchisor will recognise that the initial franchisee training is just the very start of the franchisee’s learning journey. Ongoing training and support for the franchise network is vital to ensure long term business success for both parties to the franchise relationship.
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