There are many schools of thought when it comes to multi-unit franchising. Some people take the approach of starting small with one unit and growing slowly over time. Others “go big or go home,” opening several units at once. Regardless of the approach, it can often be challenging for multi-unit owners to maintain quality as quantity increases.
For Primrose, quality is always a top priority. As demand for premier early education and care continues to increase, we have more Franchise Owners opening multiple schools while maintaining the high standards that set Primrose apart. We spoke with a handful of our successful multi-unit Franchise Owners to hear how they achieve both quality and quantity – here is their advice:
1. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate: No one can be in several places at once. Our successful multi-unit Franchise Owners build strong infrastructures and efficient operations, which can only be accomplished by hiring competent, trustworthy staff and learning to delegate. In fact, research shows that delegation saves time, enhances employees’ self-esteem and can help motivate employees to accomplish their own career goals.
Think of a professional baseball team – the owner isn’t calling every shot. Instead, he hires a front office that brings in the best talent and a manager to set the batting lineup. Multi-unit owners should follow suit by recruiting strong leadership to manage the day-to-day operations and maintain quality at their franchise locations.
2. Trust Your Team: Efforts to delegate will fall flat if an owner doesn’t trust their team. It can be scary for owners to hand off aspects of their day-to-day business, but remember that earning trust goes both ways. In a 2016 national survey, 93 percent of employees said trust in their direct manager was important to being satisfied at work.
Owners and employees can gain confidence in each other if the owner starts by giving new team members small tasks to manage and makes sure they receive the proper amount of training before handing off larger responsibilities. At the same time, Franchise Owners should be consistent in their actions and expectations and keep the lines of communication open.
3. Maintain a Strong Culture: Several Primrose multi-unit Franchise Owners attribute a strong workplace culture to their success. There isn’t a quick fix to establish a healthy culture, but it’s an important intangible benefit that helps ensure all franchise locations operate at the same high level of quality.
One way our Franchise Owners establish a great culture is by maintaining high standards across all layers of their schools, and by ensuring those standards are consistent and visible. Everyone is expected to carry themselves with professionalism and warmth with the goal of providing the best and most trusted early education and care to the children and families in their community. Of course, with any workplace, a healthy culture also comes with employee engagement and satisfaction, so multi-unit owners should consider starting employee recognition programs to celebrate good work and reward employees who go above and beyond.
While delegation, trust and culture are beneficial for any franchise, these three factors can help multi-unit owners achieve both quality and quantity in their businesses. To learn more about the Primrose way of multi-unit franchising, visit booth #226 at the 2017 Multi-Unit Franchising Conference on April 23-26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, or call 1-800-PRIMROSE to talk with a member of our franchising team.