The McDonalds operations manual has plenty to teach anyone going into franchising about how to become a big success.

There is no denying that the McDonalds operations manual is an example of how to set up a franchising dynasty that can dominate an industry.  When it comes to franchise operations, there may be no other interventional franchising empire that has achieved such a high level of efficiency and finding ways to make operations from Boston to Hong Kong run like a well oiled machine.

The image of the company that customers have as a happy place where they get food they like is one that is crafted from the McDonalds operations manual on up.  This image doesn’t just fall out of the sky.  It comes from discipline all levels of the operation. It take a careful mix of discipline and tender loving care from the franchising company mother ship to keep thousands of McDonald’s restaurants in line but happy and working hard at the same time.

That discipline is laid into the McDonalds operations manual so that franchise owners know well how to create an army of hard workers who are also happy workers.  It is no secret that people working at a McDonalds make low wages and that there is high turnover because of that.  The McDonalds operations manual lays out a scheme to keep those low paying positions filled with good people who serve customers in a way that brings them back for more McDonald’s food over and over and over again.

Its all about offering customers consistency

A fact of life that most people accept the same way they accept that the sun comes up and mosquitoes bite in the summer is that when you go to a McDonalds, it will always be the same experience. That too is a corporate ethic that McDonalds made a cornerstone of their operation when they set out to franchise the company. That consistency is something that the McDonalds operations manual stipulated down to the color of the bathroom tissue and the type of light bulbs to put in.

It doesn’t matter whether you go in a McDonalds in Florida, Idaho, Canada or Saudi Arabia, you will see a restaurant that is identical to every other McDonalds in the world in almost every way.  There are adjustments made for culture in their international stores but the McDonalds operations manual puts a huge priority on making sure that when customers come to McDonalds, they get exactly what they are expecting in terms of good food, a clean environment and helpful employees.

That consistency is a huge reason why the McDonalds operations manual has generated such success for the chain. Truck drivers know that if they want a good cup of coffee, go to McDonalds.  Parents know that the food they get for their kiddos at McDonalds will satisfy the little tykes and that it is fundamentally a worthwhile meal for the buck, they can trust McDonalds.

That is why for millions of customers “going to McDonalds” is as much a part of life as going to see Grandma or the weekly trip to the grocery store.  And that is why it is a good move for any hopeful fast food franchising chain to study the McDonalds operations manual to learn the secrets of amazing success that can be found there.

 

 

 

To franchise your company is a smart way to jump start a small business in a hurry.

Many smart entrepreneurs find that to franchise your company is a great way to launch a successful small business and cut out much of the fear and trembling that goes into building a business from the ground up. There is no getting around the fact that building a small business is a tough road to go. It is a worthwhile struggle because you are your own boss and when you get your store or other kind of small business up and on its feet, its all yours and you don’t have the pain in the neck of bosses, supervisors and someone else getting all the profits.

The fast track to getting a small business up and running is to franchise your company by buying into a lucrative franchise from a very successful and prosperous national chain.  By seeking that franchise agreement with a big and famous power broker company, you naturally inherit all of the business smarts that they worked their tails off to earn the hard way.  You also inherit a massive customer base of rabid fans of that company who will flock to your franchise because they like the stuff that they buy with that brand name associated with it.

To franchise your company isn’t cheap.

If you do think that the idea to franchise your company to buy into success is a great route to go, your first step is to learn all you can. This will not be tough because companies that have taken over the world selling franchises are excited to flood you with more franchise information than you can shake a stick at. But instead of shaking a stick at it, read every page of it.  It can be an eye opening experience.

One of the wake-up calls that will hit you early is that it isn’t cheap to franchise your company through a natural chain because there are franchise fees, royalties and you bear many of the start up costs just like you would if you started a company from scratch.  Still in all, to franchise a company and be able to hang out that shingle with that famous name on your door is a ticket to almost instant success. You are going to have to work hard to make it all work.  But if you work hard and run your small business franchise like a well oiled machine, the results will make you smile in the form of a bulging bank account and a bulging chest full of the pride of a very successful small business owner.

A sample franchise contract must be sent to the franchise applicant by franchise law but there is much more you can do with it with a little creative thinking.

A copy of a sample franchise contract is required to be sent to the hopeful franchise owner shortly before D-Day when you and that starry eyed future franchise magnate sit down to sign the formal franchise agreement template document. When you get ready to roll out hundreds or more franchise ownerships, it is easy to have a standard sample franchise contract on the shelf that you ship out just to punch the clock and live up to that quirk of the franchise rules.

There are places you can download a sample franchise contract template that is generic.  It is easy to consider simply sending that to the franchise owner and let it go at that.  Of course, if do that, when the franchise owner sits down to sign the actual franchise agreement form that will turn into a long term franchise relationship with you, he or she may find some surprises.  That is a situation that you should avoid at all costs because surprises when you are ready to seal the deal and collect those fat franchising fees can put big storm clouds over the relationship.

It takes more work but make it a part of your franchising program to send to each franchise applicant a sample franchise contract that is exactly what he or she will sign not that many days later. Much depends on how customized you make your sample franchise agreement for each franchise applicant.  The more you bend over backward to make each franchise relationship unique and a perfect fit for that particular market and franchise owner, the more success and big bucks you can expect from that franchise sale.

The sample franchise contract is a great way to stimulate conversation and relationship with your franchise partners.

There is no getting around that you have to send that sample franchise contract because that is spelled out in franchise law in bold letters. So while you are doing your duty as a good franchise operator and sending along that sample franchise contract, why not get some good from this step along the path to adding a new franchise to your chain?

Along with the legal hoops you jump through to take that raw franchise owner recruit from application to closing the deal, there is an educational path to take each new franchise owner through as well. Even if the franchise applicant is an old pro at buying franchises, if this is the first franchise they have bought from you, they need to learn the ropes. The sample franchise contract is a great step to stimulate questions and to get a dialog going with the franchise applicant.

Along with the sample franchise contract, you can send support material that encourages the new franchise owner to ask questions and arrange meetings to clear up any hazy areas about that document or any other quirks of the franchise relationship. A smart franchise buyer will turn into a much better franchise owner who will deliver the goods when it is time to roll up his sleeves and turn that franchise into a huge money making operation. You can help that new member of your team become that productive by using the sample franchise contract step of the process to build that partnership into something that will stand the test of time.

The franchise licensing agreement is a legal document that puts the marriage of the franchise partners in motion but that doesn’t mean it has to be harsh.

It is the nature of the beast that the franchise licensing agreement must live up to expectations as a major watershed document in the franchise development process. By the time that hopeful franchise owner sits down at the table to sign that franchise licensing agreement, a great deal of water has gone under the bridge.  There will be meetings, phone calls, background checks by the franchise company and by the franchise applicant and exchange of franchise disclosure documents big enough to choke a horse.

As the franchising company, the responsibility for authoring the franchise licensing agreement falls to you. Smart companies that build a franchise empire do not farm out this chore. Put some thought and care into how that franchise licensing agreement looks, smells and feels because it is important that is works on several levels.

The obvious level that the franchise agreement must work is as a legally binding document that cements the relationship between you and that new franchise owner.  By legally binding, we are not kidding because this document will have to stand up and do its stuff if push comes to shove in a legal way. So you do have to put some teeth into the franchise licensing agreement so that it protects you.  But keep in mind that it takes two to tango when you are building a franchise relationship and work with representatives from the other end of the table so both you and the franchise owner feel that the franchise licensing agreement is fair to everyone making the deal.

Let the franchise licensing agreement kick off a productive long term business relationship.

Keep in mind also that when you get up from signing that franchise licensing agreement with a new franchise owner, you will have started a relationship that should and could result in great wealth for everyone. You want that franchise owner to charge out of that room with moxie and enthusiasm to conquer his or her market in the name of your company.

There is no reason to make the language of the franchise licensing agreement hostile, stale or unpleasant.  Keep in mind that you are in the position of selling that franchise to the franchise owner so that makes him or her a customer.  Never miss a chance to build that customer relationship.  By making the franchise licensing agreement an upbeat and encouraging document, you are even using a boring old legal document like the franchise licensing agreement part of your bold marketing plan that will result in an explosive growth in your franchising empire. That is smart use of the franchise licensing agreement to be sure.

 

 

The franchise agreement document is a crucial step in buying a franchise so know it inside out when you prepare to sign up to own your own franchise.

It is crucial that you understand the franchise agreement document well in advance of that big day when you sign the formal document to make your franchise purchase legal. There is an old saying that knowledge is power and that old saying applies in spades when it comes to getting all of the franchise information you can lay your hands up before you seal the deal.

Sealing the deal happens when you sign that franchise agreement document because once both franchisor and franchisee put their autographs on it, that contract becomes as legally binding than a marriage contract. In fact, most marriage contracts are easier to get out of than a franchise agreement document and that is something to sit on the back porch and think about before you move forward.

The good news is that the way the franchising process is set up, the franchising company is expected and required to make sure you are up to your nose in explanations and chances to review all of the franchise paperwork including the franchise agreement document. Part of that preparation will be the delivery of a fully customized franchise agreement sample that will be down to the last detail a replica of the franchise agreement document you will sign a week or so later. This sample is required to be delivered to you in plenty of time for you to read it over a few dozen times, have your high priced lawyers check it out and ask questions and dicker about it before you have to put your name on the final draft and start owning that franchise you want.

Resources for learning about the franchise agreement document are abundant.

You don’t have to wait for the sample franchise agreement document to come flying into your mailbox to start digging deep into the insider secrets about the company who owns your franchises and what life will be like when you buy that franchise and start doing business as a small business owner.  One big document that delivers more detail than you may have thought possible is the franchise disclosure document.  Again, the federal overlords in the FCC require that the franchising company spill their guts in the franchise disclosure document about every dirty detail about the company and what will go on as the franchise development process goes forward.

You can also find plenty of examples of franchise agreement documents online so that you can tap into templates that will tell you what a franchise agreement document will look like and what kinds of things you can expect to agree to when you take out your pen and sign that document. The actual franchise agreement document will be unique and customized to the business that offers it, the market niche that they are in and perhaps even to the specific arrangements between you and the franchising company.  But because you took the time to get to know the franchise agreement document long before you had to face down the legally binding contract and conquer it, you will come through the process with flying colors.

Look at the hotel franchise agreement that you prepare for your franchise owners as step one on a long relationship of profits and growth.

The hotel franchise agreement that you prepare for your franchise owners is one of several important franchise documents that will make your plans for franchise success take off.  When you are preparing to franchise your company, the composition of the various franchise documents can get tricky.  By the time that hopeful franchise owner comes to the table to sign the hotel franchise agreement with stars in his eyes, he should be well broken in by the process that you have in place leading up to that eventful day.

You know how to make a hotel take off and become a profit generating superstar and that is why you want to use the hotel franchise agreement methodology to turn a big success into a mammoth marketing dominating powerhouse.  Make sure that you bury in that hotel franchise agreement that the franchise owner will jump through the hoops that it takes to make a hotel go from a building by the side of the road to a place that your customers call home away from home.

Of course, by the time that eager new franchise owner shows up with pen in hand to sign your hotel franchise agreement, they already know your insider tricks of the trade.  Some weeks before signing day arrives, the franchise applicant had the big challenge of wading through that very involved and detailed franchise disclosure document where you spill your guts about who, what, when and why your hotel is a success where others have gone belly up.

This A to Z document makes that franchise owner a member of the insider family.  So you want to seal the deal with a binding hotel franchise agreement that puts that hard working franchise owner to work building another hugely profitable hotel outlet for your company.

Turning that new franchise owner into a big game hunter for bringing in the huge crowds of customers.

When it comes to the hotel business, one thing matters and that is putting bodies in those cushy beds and filling those empty rooms each night.  When you add a franchise owner at the moment that hotel franchise agreement is put in place, you want to know that your new franchise partner can put bodies in those beds and in your restaurants and using all the other money generating services your hotel offers.

You will do much of that fact checking before the hotel franchise agreement is ever put on the table for signatures. You will run a check on that franchise applicant to make sure they know how to turn a small business into a big success. Before you agree to let that franchise applicant sign your hotel franchise agreement and hang your company name on their hotel, the homework for the right locations and what customer niche that they will target will be set in stone. If all of that preparation looks and smells good, it should be a happy day all around when the hotel franchise agreement is signed and you are ready to cut that franchise owner loose to become a record breaking success for your company.

 

Take a look at the Subway operations manual when you are considering which franchise to buy.

The Subway operations manual may seem like an odd place to spy on one of the most successful fast food franchises in the world but think again. The franchise operating manual for the Subway chain has buried in it the secrets to their success.  It is those secrets that make Subway a worthwhile candidate if you are thinking about where you will put your franchise purchasing investment money to start your own fast food restaurant.

There is no question that thinking hard and long about investing in a franchise from one of the top dogs in the fast food franchising world is just plain smart.  The big shots in franchising in fast food such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s got that way because they know the lay of the land in conquering the world of franchise fast food sales and then dominating that world year after year.  Some years ago, Subway sauntered in as the new kid on the block and took over that world.  The Subway operations manual tells the tale of how they staged that revolution in the fast food franchising world and how they did it on their own terms.

The Subway operations manual has the insider secrets for of how Subway changed the game for how to run a very successful restaurant franchise. It details how to run a Subway with lower overhead which means more profits. When you go to a Subway, you will notice that it runs with a bare bones staff and yet the store runs very well. That is one of the many secrets of efficiency spelled out in the Subway operations manual.  It is also one of the big secrets of success that make Subway a sweet candidate to get a franchise agreement from.

Subway sets the bar high for taking good care of their franchise owners and that makes Subway an attractive franchise to own.

What really jumps out when you start to crack the covers of the Subway operations manual is how Subway set the bar high for franchise owner support.  They really pour the tender loving care into their franchise owners. If you think you will fork over your hard earned franchise fees to Subway and never hear from them again, you can forget it.  They are true mother hens about making sure that their franchise owners are happy campers.

That means that when you turn to your Subway operations manual, you have the muscle of the entire home office at your fingertips.  They bend over backwards to be partners with their franchise owners. They are not just there when you are carrying the huge mountains of profits to the bank in wheelbarrows.  The Subway operations manual is a life boat of answers to how to deal with problems at the street level. It provides a huge amount of resources that Subway offers to make sure that they are there with you in the trenches to fix things when they go wrong just as much as they are there to help celebrate your huge success.

Franchise templates are easy to tap into so you can educate yourself in what it takes to buy your own franchise long before you start making deals with the franchising company.

Using franchise templates as part of preparing yourself for the adventure that is just ahead of you of buying your own franchise is just smart business. When you walk in to that room to sign those franchise agreements  and you are smart, aware and you know there will be no surprises, that is a great feeling.  It is also a great feeling to know that you are on top of this project to start your own business through franchising and that you can talk the lingo with the big dogs because you took the time to study different franchise templates well in advance.

Taking it upon yourself to find and examine the franchise templates of the major franchising documents you will see flood your mailbox is like going to the gym before the big game.  You are giving yourself the edge so that when you are faced with the real deal, it will be simply a matter of ready aim fire for you to move quickly toward sealing that big fat franchising purchase that you want.  Great athletes know the value of training and so do military people. So why not take advantage of their strategies so you are armed and dangerous when you start to dicker with the franchising company for the best deal you can get.

Taking the fear and trembling out of franchise documents.

When you set out to buy a franchise from a large company, you are in a whole new world that comes with its own little language.  By hunting down some reliable franchise templates, you can put yourself through lingo school so that you will be able to babble like a native of franchising and know what you are talking about to boot. It is true that the franchising company is required to write their major franchising documents in language that is not completely peculiar to regular human beings. It is still smart to tap into the resources of franchise templates because you will get feel for the layouts and what each document is telling you about the big transaction that is ahead of you when you actually purchase that new franchise small business.

There are certain significant documents that will be heading your way once you complete the franchise application to get the ball rolling.  One of the first documents you will see will be a huge publication called the franchise disclosure document.   Be sure you know what to look for in this huge stack of papers because it is pure gold in terms of putting you in the driver’s seat when it comes to the franchise purchase you are working on.

Along with the franchise disclosure document, you can find franchise templates of the franchise agreement and the franchise operations manual and each of them will be a huge benefit to your learning curve that will result in you transforming into a true franchising expert. That is a good transformation to complete quickly and tapping into franchise templates is just one way to put the pedal to the metal to make you a franchise guru sooner rather than later.

 

The franchise application form is step one of your exciting new career as a franchise small business owner.

Look at the arrival of that franchise application form as the beginning of your exciting journey that ends with you owning and operating your own franchise small business. Do not let the fact of life that you are going to have to deal with various franchising documents during the short window of time before you sign that all important franchise agreement put a damper on your enthusiasm. Instead greet that franchise application form with open arms and sink your teeth into it because once that document is complete and filed with the franchise company, you are on your way to a life of excitement, small business ownership and plenty of success.

It is good to keep in mind that the franchise application form is not an application for employment.  Don’t go run in the closet when this important franchise document shows up.  It is understandable that you want to launch out and make your fortune as a small business owner.  The thing that will make you a big hit with the franchising company is your entrepreneurial side that is not interested in just drawing a paycheck. At the same time, even the most intrepid small business owners have to sign a few deals and play ball with business partners.  Completing and submitting that franchise application form is playing ball in the big leagues to be sure.

The franchise application form tells the franchising company that you are legit.

A big reason why there is plenty of time built into the time between when you finish the franchise application form and when you set up shop as a franchise owner is that both you and the franchising company have to check each other out.  Your part of making sure the franchising company is too legit to quit is by reviewing the franchise disclosure documents  that will show up not long after the franchise application form is done.  Be prepared because the FDD is a monster to go through so give it some serious attention.

At the same time the franchise company has to make sure that you are not a flake and that you can deliver when they hand over a profit generating franchise to you. They are not going to give you a franchise on your good looks so they need the information on the franchise application form to check you out. Spill your guts on the franchise application form and don’t make them go on a wild goose chase to verify that you are a serious franchise applicant and that you can turn that new franchise into a money generating nuclear bomb.

Above all, when you are filling out that franchise application form, be honest.  The franchise relationship is grown up business so this is no place to get frisky. Give them all of the information they need and wear your heart on your sleeve in the parts of the franchise application form that probe your motivations for wanting to own a franchise. These sections of the franchise application form are there so they can look into your mind and see that you are a go getter, a business man or woman to be taken seriously and that you will work like a dervish to make that new franchise a huge success.

 

The Subway franchise agreement and the method to their madness is a perfect template for any up and coming fast food franchising chain.

If you are getting organized to start franchise your company, the Subway franchise agreement and the success it has spawned is a great place to start. The list of examples of great franchised fast food chains is as long as your arm. But among the great stories of how to take a healthy food outlet chain and turn it into a franchising powerhouse, Subway stands out.  The Subway franchise agreement and the other documents that drive that powerhouse can serve as templates for great success for any upstate franchising company that wants to know how to do it right.

You can find evidence of a truly unique approach to building a franchise buried right there in the Subway franchise agreement and their franchise operations guidelines.  Because Subway attacked the franchising market with their own slant on things and they brought the corporate philosophy that made them a huge success before franchising to the game, they exploded on the world of franchise fast food and they just keep on exploding there.

One way that the Subway franchise agreement and the other functional franchising documents laid down a formula for massive success is in their attitude about their customers. Subway made it a point to challenge the empires of McDonald’s and Wendy’s with one simple concept.  That concept was quality foods combined with phenomenal customer service.  You see it and sense it when you walk into a Subway.  That impression that you are eating food that is good for you served by happy and friendly employees is no fluke.  Franchising documents like the Subway franchise agreement made those values job one for any Subway franchise.

Putting the franchise owner on the pedestal.

Perhaps more than any other international franchising company, the Subway franchise agreement is all about the beginning of a powerful partnership between Subway and each and every franchise owner.  Subway is notorious for treating their franchise owners like royalty. The way they take great care of the people who make money for them has resulted in the Subway franchise agreementbecoming one of the most sought after franchises to own in the fast food industry.

For any fast food company that is thinking about getting into franchising, you cannot go wrong modeling how your franchise relationships work form the Subway franchise agreement.  If you can replicate the incredibly strong relationship between the Subway franchises and the corporation and the volcanic growth that Subway has enjoyed because of their unique approach to franchising, you will be in for a very prosperous future to be sure.

 

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