Before, during, and after the opening of the franchise, franchisees continue to have expectations of the franchisor. Whether in terms of support or 360° management, it is essential that information flows smoothly and that the franchisor provides the tools necessary for the franchisee’s success.
The franchisor's role towards the franchisee
The franchisor–franchisee relationship
The relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee is not that of an employer and employee — it’s important to keep this in mind, as franchising is a unique entrepreneurial model. Indeed, even if the franchisor sets the general guidelines and retains the main decision-making power, the franchisee still manages their own business. A relationship of trust must be established between both parties in order to move toward a common entrepreneurial goal: developing the business. This relationship of trust begins with the signing of the DIP, although it should be noted that this is not a binding agreement.
When the franchisee decides to join the franchisor, a contractual relationship is established between the two parties. The franchisee benefits from a turnkey concept ready to be developed, backed by years of experience and including services such as training, brand reputation, legal structure, products or services, and exclusive know-how specific to the franchise. The franchisor, in turn, benefits from an additional resource to grow their business and the opportunity to expand through new outlets partially financed by the franchisee.
A good relationship between both parties is essential to ensure the long-term success of the network.
The obligations and duties of the franchisor
The franchisor has obligations towards the franchisee, but also duties. The distinction is important, as obligations are contractual, whereas duties are not.
Thus, upon signing the contract and once the entry fees have been paid, a relationship is established based on the reuse of a concept whose success has already bee
In addition to providing know-how, the franchisor must also supply strong brand identity elements: logo, brand image, visual and architectural identity. They must also provide legal support, an operating manual (called the Manop), and recruitment guides to ensure the business runs smoothly. Finally, the franchisor is required to continuously evolve the concept to make it increasingly innovative, as they must remain competitive and ensure the proper development of their business.
Beyond all the contractual obligations, the franchisor also has duties — including the duty to provide training, support, and the moral duty, from one entrepreneur to another, to give franchisees all the keys to succeed. There must be transparency regarding the franchise’s financial health, and any call for help should never be ignored by the franchisor, who always has a duty of assistance. Nevertheless, the franchisor must also allow the franchisee a degree of autonomy.
In return, the franchisee agrees to respect the concept and maintain the network’s consistency, while also compensating the franchisor for their contributions, generally in the form of entry fees and royalties.
How does the franchisor support franchisees?
The different types of support available
The head office, or franchisor, is the main source of support in the eyes of franchisees. Responsible for strategy, they steer the ship and must be able to provide franchisees with the necessary resources. Whether financial, event-related, moral, or technical, the franchisor must demonstrate versatility in their support. More concretely, the franchisor provides the franchisee with the required training and guidance, which may take place through <span style="
The benefits of good support
Support creates synergy within the network, allowing the franchisee to benefit from years of experience and guidance while just starting out. This ensures a secure launch and quick results. From the very beginning, the franchisor helps find a good location, assists with project management, and supports the process all the way to opening. Depending on the growth phases, good support has a positive impact on the network, especially when it comes to expansion opportunities or management advice.
However, providing good support does not mean assisting the franchise without allowing any freedom.
How do you support your franchisees?
The challenges of franchisor support
Now that we understand all the franchisees’ support needs, it quickly becomes clear how difficult it is to build a solid structure alone. The first challenges as a franchisor can quickly complicate day-to-day operations. How can you manage applications from potential franchisees? How can you achieve better results? How can you ensure that the concept is respected and that what happens in the field aligns with the established guidelines? How can you guarantee smooth network management? The structure of a fra
Supporting franchisors
Franchisors are entrepreneurs — they like to do everything themselves and keep an eye on every detail. But as the business grows, it becomes harder to keep track of every aspect of the activity. Franchisees and franchisors alike are independent, yet never alone thanks to the right support tools. A solution like Cerca allows you to structure all franchise processes in detail. From legal to marketing aspects, Cerca enables continuous performance improvement <span s
Cerca is a collaborative platform that facilitates communication within the franchise network. It allows the franchisor to meet all their obligations in a structured way. This way, the franchisor can focus on the most important network management tasks while seeing the overall performance of the network improve.
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