If you are a successful franchise of a large franchise brand or chain, chances are you will wish to expand. The most important thing to do is make sure you are on the most positive terms with your franchisor. You should tell your franchisor at the earliest point of your plan to expand. It is important that you ask the franchisor for help when you are expanding. Growing your business is not an easy task. It requires systematic checks of your business. The kind of checks your car does electronically such as sensors telling you:
Your alternator is charging
Your battery is good
Your seat belt is on
You have gas in your tank
Oil pressure
You are not overheating
Your speed is ok
Your RPM's are appropriate for the gear you are in
As long as the little warning lights are good, everything is ok. Right. Wrong. As you know, those are important indicators. However, what about the warning buzzer that says; Your door is ajar. Your door really isn't a jar. It's a door, not a jar. This sounds funny but think about it. There are warning lights in a car but they may mean more than they say or they may be a false alarm.
For instance, when you turn on your engine all the lights are on. Most modern cars display malfunctioning lights at least once during their life. These lights are great for idiots, as a matter of fact they are often called idiot lights, but they are bad for do-it-yourself mechanics. Some cars display lights automatically at a certain number of miles. The check engine light goes on. The dealership is the only one who can reset the lights. If you are a do-it-yourselfer and have maintained the car yourself, the light still goes on and stays on. Later, when something does go wrong, the do-it-yourselfer doesn't know because the light has always been on. Whoops.
Like a car, franchisors have built safety switches into there business models. They have out all the mistakes for you before they happen. These set of idiots lights will help you, but make sure you are interpreting them correctly. An erroneous reading of a warning light will create unnecessary hardship for you as a franchisee. An example of an erroneous reading would be:
Your sales are up 50% and you just signed a huge one year contract. You should expand because you are doing 1.5 times what a normal franchise does right.
Most would say yes, business is up, new contracts coming in, you are good as gold. On the surface this may look good. But any good franchisor will tell you this is a typical sign of a cash flow issue. Sales are up, but how are receivables? One year contract is good, but are they also net 90 days? If you do not have proper cash flow funding you could wind up waiting for a check in the mail the day the bank comes in and wants to repo your entire store? This is why you need to talk with your franchisor and have a game plan, pay attention and use their expert advice? After all that is why you bought a franchise in the first place. Think about it.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs
efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..It doesn't take a Terrorist Act, Tsunami or Earthquake to... Read More
One of the quintessential parts to any business is your... Read More
With the help of balanced scorecard strategy map, it is... Read More
Canada's lean leaders need to look beyond the horizon and... Read More
While writing an article recently on effective ways to bridge... Read More
Writing a business plan can be tricky when all the... Read More
The trick is to determine what uniquely identifies your best... Read More
Creativity is one of the greatest tools for success in... Read More
The new check cashing instant clearing will take some time... Read More
Are you frustrated by the lack of growth in your... Read More
The decision to sell, or not to sell your business... Read More
The current state of the available technology at the disposal... Read More
Franchised companies often require what some believe to be excessive... Read More
As a franchisor it is imperative that you seek, find... Read More
Can you imagine going on a road trip without knowing... Read More
If you are looking for a partner, funding, angle investor... Read More
When developing the competition section of your business plan, companies... Read More
Some analysts credit [Larry] Ellison with anticipating the consolidation in... Read More
American Eagle Outfitters and Wet Seal Stores have issued statements... Read More
Possibly THE most frequently asked question of me is "What... Read More
How often does your company make a quantum leap forward?... Read More
A well known, national chain of restaurants discovered that certain... Read More
A piano tuner recently moved to Buffalo, NY, and would... Read More
There is a story, about a business owner who wasn't... Read More
Scenario OneDuring a recent presentation, a business owner was given... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..Running a business, whether it be an offline multi-billion dollar... Read More
The trick is to determine what uniquely identifies your best... Read More
It doesn't take a Terrorist Act, Tsunami or Earthquake to... Read More
How are you feeling today? Good, not so good, great?... Read More
American Eagle Outfitters and Wet Seal Stores have issued statements... Read More
Writing a Business Plan these days is tough, venture capitalists... Read More
Private equity firms have raised so much capital over the... Read More
Cassy was an employee of a nonprofit who had been... Read More
Does the competition drive you crazy?Are they relentless about taking... Read More
I've either been involved with or held a process-related role... Read More
I love the excitement of starting up a new home... Read More
As fast as you can say business disaster, your business... Read More
Imagine an office without a desk, or lights, a computer,... Read More
Many movies have been made about the tragic story of... Read More
Strategic planning and consulting is the strategy roadmap to manage... Read More
Many cities have home pages on the Internet. Many of... Read More
When developing the competition section of your business plan, companies... Read More
Entrepreneurs often give little if any consideration to their computer... Read More
To Grow (Catapult) Your Business That's Why.When it's in your... Read More
Writing a business plan is not an easy endeavor, nor... Read More
Let us look at a few of the big distribution... Read More
Remember Chux? The disposable diaper that took the market by... Read More
You have heard that there is extra money on the... Read More
One of the most important initiatives in the domain of... Read More
Ask a small business owner about their strategic plan and... Read More
Strategic Planning |