Franchising has grown in popularity over the years. Its appeal is compelling, with opportunities to scale, increase revenues and rise brand recognition. But all of this is down to the success of the franchise network. Without successful individual franchises, the network will plummet. 

Statistics show that approximately 50% of new franchises will not make it to their fifth anniversary, similar to the failure rate of small businesses. This often comes down to the operational challenges faced by both franchisees and franchisors: franchisees lack the skill set to run a small business, while the franchisor lacks the skills to manage, lead and support its network.  

This article will cover how different types of training can be the difference between a franchise network that is profitable, sustainable, and provides a positive experience for franchisees – and one that fails. 

A franchise network is a business model where a franchisor grants a franchisee the right to operate a business using the franchisor’s trademark, products, services, and business model.

Managing a successful business model is not the same as managing a franchise network. Just because someone has grown a profitable business does not mean they have the skill set to train someone else how to do it successfully.

So the million-dollar questions are:

The key is in these two areas: clear communication and robust support. Let’s dive into how different types of training impact this.

A Learning Management System (LMS) can help you deliver training no matter your requirements in a simpler, more streamlined and communication-friendly space.

WeSchool’s LMS is one of the most flexible and collaborative learning platforms in the industry. This makes it ideal for franchise training requirements, as it supports training for all requirements (branding, operational, marketing, financial – and everything in between), locations and types (online, in-person or both).

It looks like a social media platform for a reason – it’s built to be social on it! With a layout resembling online forums, and the option to comment on every content piece and message others with a few clicks, WeSchool encourages a constant back and forth between franchisor and franchisee.

As we know, franchising success comes down to effective training – but not all of it can be delivered online. WeSchool complements well with in-person training, as trainers can add supporting materials and plan in-person events through a calendar while differentiating them from online materials. 

That which isn’t measured isn’t managed. This is why as well as building relationships and in-person training, WeSchool lets you deliver formal training by creating assessments and exercises. This is perfect for training new franchise owners with skill sets they lack, such as marketing, operations or administrative tasks.

Franchising is more than handing over your business to a stranger, hoping they will do the same and succeed. Whether they do well or fail will come down to the quality of training and relationships built in the process. Ultimately it’s about focusing on the things that are going to increase the chances of your franchisee’s success. Why should franchisees invest in your approach? How are you going to support their growth? 

If you’re interested in learning more about how to create an effective training strategy to support the growth of your franchisee network, get in touch to see how our cooperative LMS provides a space to create your own flexible training.