How Franchisors Maintain Communications With Franchisees
Once you have developed a business plan and established a franchise, it is important to stay connected with your franchisees. Your success, in the form of license and franchise fees as well as profit sharing, may depend largely on their success. Therefore it is vital that you are able to be their guide. Consultants in the field of franchising have identified various ways to deliver messages to business contacts.
The use of newsletters is one of the more traditional methods of sharing information. For example a franchisor may send franchisees a monthly newsletter to discuss brand ideas as well new marketing insight. In addition, an innovative franchisor will solicit feedback and advice from franchisees about their particular operation. This will provide material for future newsletters. In this manner, each franchisee may benefit from the collective knowledge of the whole group. Another way to disseminate information is through videos. This is especially useful in situations where language barriers are present, such as international restaurant franchises.
Of all the communication methods available, intranets are the most revolutionary because they can relay information in an instant. An intranet is a private computer network that transmits secured information between users. This is different from the Internet, where the public has general accessibility to data. Franchises using intranets benefit from message boards or chat boards where franchisees can post messages or get quick advice from each other. Therefore franchisees save time and money as they are able to get help with problems almost as they arise.
