When buying a franchise, regardless of which franchise concept you acquire, at some point you will want to hire additional help and delegate to others. A good franchisor has a solid staffing model in place to help you plan how to do this and will provide assistance in your implementation. When it comes to staffing and buying a franchise, here are some key questions you should ask:
Key Questions to Ask About Staffing and Buying a Franchise
- Staffing Model –
Is the staffing model consistent with what is actually happening in the field with franchisees? In other words, if the staffing model calls for specific positions, is that what franchisees are really doing after buying a franchise? Does the staffing model adequately allow you to step away from daily operations so that you can work on the business? Does the model create too much overhead, making it impossible for franchisees to realize an acceptable profit? - Hiring Plan – Do detailed job descriptions exist for each position in the staffing model? Is there a profile of the ideal candidate for each position? How was this profile derived? Are there resources to help you find these people? Are there interview questions to help you uncover the ideal candidate?
- Training – What training resources are available for each position? What help do you receive from the franchisor?
- Execution – The premise behind most franchise concepts is to take complicated functions and turn them into systems that a wide variety of people can perform without specialized skills. A good franchise system has all job functions broken down into step-by-step systems to insure success. What systems exist? Do they cover all aspects of each position? Taken on the whole, do all of the positions and systems within them cover the operation of the business? Where are the holes?
Mature franchise systems should have systems in place for all functions of the business. Newer franchise systems will inevitably have more holes as they are still figuring it all out. Those holes may not necessarily be all bad. It depends on you and your willingness to create your own systems on the fly. Regardless, you need to get the answers to these questions before buying a franchise to further understand what you are paying for and to determine if the system is worth the cost.
