From using bankruptcy as a source of motivation to establishing a solid vendor relationship, the Redneck CEO details the experiences that shaped his franchise journey
35 years ago, I had just gone bankrupt after running a gym near the Baylor University campus. I lost everything – I didn’t even have two nickels to rub together. Shortly after, I was offered a steady vice president position in franchising, but I decided to leave that job to take a giant leap of faith. A buddy of mine called me about a fitness franchise idea, and my gut told me it was worth the risk. And eight years later by the time I left the company, we had grown Curves to over 8,000 units across the world.
I have no doubt my past experiences are what have allowed me to succeed today. If it weren’t for going bankrupt, I would have never taken on the challenge of growing Curves. When scaling a brand, I’ve learned some very valuable lessons. There are five key areas to consider: leadership team, franchisees, vendors, online presence and marketing.
1. Put a rockstar leadership team in place
This might be one of the most important steps in scaling a brand. You have to put together a team of people who share the same vision and truly understand your brand’s industry, franchisees and customers. Hire people who will help take your brand to the next level. Hire people who are trustworthy, honest, open and hardworking.
And when you hire the best of the best for your leadership team, it helps attract the best franchisees to your brand, which leads me to my next point.
2. Select only the best franchisees
Your franchisees are the heart of your network. Selecting only the best will put your brand on the road to success. And in this day and age, you can vet a good franchisee candidate in record time. You can email, text, FaceTime and web conference with your best prospects. Better than that, those potential franchisees can and should talk to the other franchisees in the system and should ask these questions: Where did you go to finance your franchise? How many people did you hire, and how quickly? How soon did you turn a profit?
“When you hire the best of the best for your leadership team, it helps attract the best franchisees to your brand”
It is this kind of frank and honest discussion that potential investors trust. These conversations are less about trying to sell something and more about walking in someone’s experienced shoes for an hour. I cannot stress enough how big your business can grow alongside small business owners who are willing to share their story.
When all of this is done well, you will find that you are not in the business of hosting Discovery Days. You’re more focused on signing days, as the national map adds new cities and states and the brand goes from a regional player to a national sensation.
3. Line up an exceptional vendor network
Once your leadership team and franchisees are put in place, focus on vendors. Think of vendors as your brand’s secret weapons. Establishing a solid vendor relationship is crucial to providing great customer service and guaranteed cost efficiency to your business. We even partner up with one of our vendors for our annual franchise conference to help build the relationship between the two networks.
Vendors also allow you to put your brand in front of new customers, and they can help set your brand apart from the competition. That’s why it’s important to invest in people who have the same vision as you, and who serve as a good partner to your brand.
4. Update your online presence to match superior training
Updating the brand’s look may be exactly what you need to help drive your business forward. Don’t be afraid to make changes that reflect the brand’s future. Maybe you need a new logo or an updated website? It’s small changes like this that can make a huge impact on your brand. It is also beneficial to hire a team to make sure all information is constantly being updated, especially when the pace of growth is moving quickly.
Remember that the look of your brand is a direct representation of the service your customers will receive, as well as the type of franchisees your brand will attract. And what’s one of the best ways to target potential franchisees?
5. Release incredible branding materials
Branding materials may be last on this list, but this task should never be put to the side. These materials, and the plan that is put in place to release them, goes hand in hand with updating your brand’s online presence. Any changes to the brand’s look need to also be translated to the marketing materials.
When a franchisee goes through training, put an emphasis on the importance of marketing, and give them the marketing materials they need. When you make it as easy as possible, franchisees are sure to follow the plan in place.
Although scaling a brand does not happen overnight, spending time in these five areas allows you to reap the benefits sooner rather than later. Today, I’m taking these lessons learned and applying them daily to my two franchise brands. When you take the time to put all your ducks in a row, you’ll find your brand quickly sustaining success and growth as you reach customers around the world.
THE AUTHOR
Gary Findley is the self-proclaimed ‘Redneck CEO’ and oversees multi-brand franchises chains Restoration 1 and Bluefrog Plumbing + Drain.
