The franchise development specialists at Ashtons Franchise Consulting share their insights on five essential questions every new franchisor must ask.
Franchising offers an exciting way for businesses to grow, but building a successful network takes careful planning, strong systems, and clear leadership. From attracting the right franchisees to maintaining consistency and culture across multiple locations, there’s a lot to get right.
Five members of the Ashtons Franchise Consulting team share their insights, drawing on experience across a wide range of franchise sectors, offering practical guidance to help businesses build strong, sustainable networks.
Question 1: What makes a franchise opportunity truly attractive to potential franchisees?
Phil Mowat says: A franchisee is not the same thing as an entrepreneur. There, I said it. Hear me out. In my opinion, the first-time franchisee has the entrepreneurial dream and desire to be a business owner, but hasn’t actually started a business before.
Why?
The reasons can be varied, but often it comes down to the fact that they don’t have that sole, original business idea, and don’t particularly want to, what they want is their own business, and to be their own boss. And that’s exactly why they turn to franchising. Franchising gives them confidence, knowledge, support – and a bit of “pushiness” to get on with it.
What makes an opportunity attractive?
Being truthful, authentic and realistic. Buyers want the real picture – not a glossy brochure or a load of AI sales slop. They want proper relationships, built through conversations, meetings and multiple touchpoints – think dating! Not being truthful will always come back to haunt you. Just don’t!
Question 2: What is one operational system every franchisor should have in place?
Karl Sandall says: Every successful franchise is built on one critical foundation: a standardised operations system. Without it, consistency breaks down, brand value erodes, and growth becomes difficult – if not impossible.
This system is far more than a manual; it’s the backbone of the brand. It shows exactly how the business is run so every franchisee, no matter their background or location, can deliver the same customer experience. In short, it turns a concept into a proven, replicable business model.
At its core, it includes step-by-step procedures, brand standards, training protocols, compliance requirements, and performance benchmarks. It’s also a living system, updated as the brand evolves and delivered through a centralised platform that keeps franchisors in control while holding franchisees accountable.
For franchisors, it reduces risk, simplifies support, and speeds up scale. For franchisees, it provides clarity, confidence, and a roadmap to success – making it essential to get it right from day one.
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