If you have a small business that provides valuable products and services to your market, you may want to think about opening it up for franchising. This gives others the opportunity to run their own business under your name, following the formula you developed. The key to success in franchising is making sure that your business model can be cloned or replicated.
So, how do you franchise your business? The core of every franchise is the strength of the franchisor. Before franchising a business, the business model must first be proven. Although there is no law that requires a franchisor to prove his competency, a successful operating prototype will increase your credibility to prospective franchisees. The business model must be consistently growing in performance and profit and there should be measurable consumer acceptance.
Marketing
What people are searching for when it comes to franchises is a business that has been embraced by the market. Prospective franchisees look into business models that they believe will be profitable. If you want to franchise your business in the future, you should invest heavily in marketing and promotions. Building brand awareness is a key factor in cultivating credibility and competency. You can do so in many ways, including posting relevant information on your website and social media platforms, creating contests and promotions, and participating in community activities to reach out to your target market.
Engagement
These days, a business would be hard-pressed to succeed in any industry without engaging with its customers. Constant engagement is a necessary tool to remind customers that your business exists. It is through engaging your potential clients that you will gain the opportunity to build brand awareness, promote products and services, and market a franchise business.
Salability
There are many factors to determine the salability of a business model, but originality is the cornerstone of every franchise business. Is your business attractive to potential franchisees? Is there something unique in your business model that will be hard to replicate? How does your brand differentiate from the rest of the competition? One way to determine the salability of your business model as a franchise is the number of inquiries you received about franchising opportunities. This means that they see something in the business model that is a viable investment opportunity.
Clonability
Can the business be replicated? If the business model is only profitable because of the location, this does not mean that it will work for others. A business model has to work in all markets and the location needs to be a supplementary factor. It should also be simple and easy to operate. While there are many franchisees who can bring their own special skills into a franchise business, that is not a requirement and it cannot be counted on. The reason people decide to franchise a business is based on the simplicity of operating it.
Franchising your business reflects strong confidence on your side that your business model is profitable and easy to operate. Growing your business into a brand that the target market recognizes is the surest fire way to start offering it up for franchising.