A franchise is a business that is built for someone else. Thinking about your own business in those terms can give you fresh perspective on what will make your business more sellable when you’re ready to go to market. And acting on that insight will make your business more productive and profitable in the here and now.
So with that in mind, and legal matters aside, imagine what it would take to franchise your business. Does it have a proven system of business success that is teachable, trainable, reproducible and repeatable?
Maintaining the quality control and consistency across a franchise network can be a challenge, but it is a necessary one when it comes to the customer experience.
Branding and consistency become key factors in success in franchising. 
Could someone step in and, with training, be successful in your business with you out of the picture? Would that success be sustainable long after you’re gone?
If your business lacks systems and relies on you then it also has less value.
I’ve seen firsthand business owners who fail miserably when they open a second or third location. Often the efforts that made them successful at their original store, restaurant or office aren’t sustainable.
There are many good books on how to systemize your business. You can’t make it happen by wishing it so—it takes a plan and a small step towards implementing the plan each week.
It can seem daunting if you’re just starting out, but think of it like driving in the dark of night with headlights. You might only see some 200 feet ahead, but you’re still able to navigate for the whole trip. You don’t have to see everything at once to move forward. Likewise, test and measure one change at a time. Do a little and get it right.
Start by building the framework:
- Obtain the tools to do the job—documents, templates, checklists that can help you standardize your operations and achieve economies of scale.
- Develop procedures, a set sequence of steps to achieve required results for all key functions such as accounting, administration, marketing and selling.
- Get staff to contribute and make them accountable for following through.
- And don’t let your original values, goals and mission get lost in the growth.
Sunbelt makes Entrepreneur top 500 list for 16th consecutive year
Sunbelt is itself a franchise—we license the use of the Sunbelt name and the Sunbelt system of business brokerage that works.
The network, which includes more than 200 locally owned and operated offices around the world, has once again made the Entrepreneur Top 500 List—for the 16th consecutive year. Each year this list names the top franchises, regardless of size, based on objective and quantifiable measures of a franchise operation including financial strength, growth rate, stability and size of the company.
Sunbelt’s proven system gives new franchisees an incredible advantage over those that choose to "go it alone."
To learn more about Canadian or international opportunities as a Sunbelt franchise, contact me at 613.731.9140 ext. 225 or 1-800-900-3557 or gregkells@sunbeltnetwork.com
