What Is a Franchisee? What Does It Mean to be a Franchisee?

Becoming a franchisee is rapidly becoming the go-to solution for people who want to open their own business in the UK.

Because in times when a novel coronavirus like COVID-19, or another completely unheard of disruption, can suddenly make owning a business risky, it’s good to know you have support in place.

Being a franchisee means you are your own boss. But it also means that you have experts who you can call on at any time. You also have the security of trading under a major brand name.

Let’s see what else being a franchisee would mean for you:

What Is the Difference Between a Franchisor and a Franchisee?

• A franchisor – is a successful company looking to expand. They give franchisees the right to trade under their brand name and use their proven processes and systems in exchange for a fee.
• A franchisee – buys the right to use a franchisor’s name, processes and systems. In return, they get training, support, on-call expertise and a great deal more which helps them create their own successful business.

What Does It Mean to Be a Franchisee?

Being a franchisee means being part of a network of small business owners operating under the brand name of a successful company.

In a strong network, the communications between each franchisee and the franchisor are strong and regular.

• The franchisor works hard to support and market the services of the franchisees.
• The franchisees work hard to deliver services of a quality which people want to come back and use.

What Are the Advantages of Franchising to the Franchisee?

Why become a franchisee? For most new business owners, it’s all about:

1) Support

As a franchisee, you always you have someone you can call when you are facing a problem:

• Not sure how to make a customer pay on time?
• Not sure what to do with a supplier situation?
• Struggling with growing your business?
• Not sure when to hire new team members?

For these and a million other questions too, as a franchisee, you can simply call your franchisor and rely on getting expert advice from someone who has done it all before.

This is especially useful in crisis situations. Normally, as a small business entrepreneur, you would have to take your best guess and hope for the best. As a franchisee, you’ve got a whole team of experienced specialists to call on.

2) Branding

As a franchisee, you operate under your franchisor’s well-known brand. First of all, this means no need to develop your own branding, matching it to the ethos of your company.

But mainly, this means that all the work usually required to promote and market your new business has already been done for you. Your franchisor has already been trading under this name for years. They have developed a reputation for quality, price and/or general excellence.

You ride on that reputation as you start your own business in their network. You will also be benefiting from the marketing and advertising they do for the network as a whole.

3) Marketing

Marketing your new business will usually take up a whole lot of your time and energy – not to mention your money.

As a franchisee, your franchisor should be taking care of this for you. For example, Fantastic Services handles all of the marketing on behalf of our franchisees.

For our service delivery franchisees, this means all they need to worry about during their working day is providing the very highest quality of service they can. We do all of the marketing needed to add customers to their schedule every day.

4) Processes

A company that might be global and successful today did not start out that way. They made a million tiny mistakes as they worked towards their success. They ended up taking steps backs when they made errors. Then they had to work hard to take that ground back.

As a franchisee, you benefit from all of those hard-learned mistakes without needing to make them yourself. Take a basic example of delivering a domestic cleaning service as a new solo business owner:

You open your business and start delivering your services. Only after a few bad appointments do you realise the importance of training your cleaners, of making sure they have access to the best equipment, and of having good Quality Assurance processes in place.

As a franchisee, your franchisor has already worked this all out for you. You can start delivering services which are successful right from the start. These are the kinds of services which your customers will want to book over and over.

What Is a Franchisee Responsible for?

A franchisee is responsible for their side of the franchise agreement. This usually involves delivering their services to the highest possible standard in line with all of the franchisors recommendations and requirements.

While they do so, they’re able to access their franchisor’s expertise, use all of their trademarks, and take advantage of the processes their franchisor has perfected over years of operation.

How to Become a Franchisee

Becoming a franchisee can be a quick and easy process. The main things you need are dedication and a willingness to work hard.

Experience in the industry you’re looking to enter is usually an advantage. But it’s not always a requirement.

Looking for a franchise opportunity which is resistant to recessions and lockdowns?

Discover more about Fantastic franchises today. As a Fantastic franchisee, you’d have customers found for you every day and access to the latest innovations in your chosen field.

Let’s talk about what becoming a franchisee would mean for you.

Posted in Industry Insights