Licensing brands, processes, and products to expand your revenue is far from a new concept.
According to Statista, there are over 750,000 franchise establishments in the United States alone. Some of the top franchises include full-service restaurants, commercial services, residential services, and real estate services.
With nearly $1 trillion in revenue coming out of franchise businesses, there’s naturally a lot of pressure to get your share of that pie.
Starting a new franchise and reaching into new markets at any stage is exciting and full of opportunity, but it’s not without challenges. Startup costs are often high, and managing employees across multiple locations is tricky.
While it may be challenging, starting a franchise is an excellent opportunity to expand into new markets and boost revenue. To get over the hurdle of managing employees across multiple franchise locations, we’ve gathered five of the most impactful tips:
1. Lean on Your Systems to Create Transparency
Managing employees across multiple locations doesn’t mean that you have to try to be everywhere all at once. In fact, trying to do so is counterproductive. Instead, aim to put systems in place that naturally encourage the behavior you want out of your employees.
For example, ZoomShift has a GPS time clock that tells you if someone’s clocking in at the right location and whether they’re running late or not. With that kind of oversight, you don’t have to confront your employees about being late since the system acts as a source of truth.
The same thing goes for managing your operation’s daily tasks. Software like Squadle provides all the checklists you need to ensure that things run smoothly, stay clean, and are regularly maintained to optimize performance. It’s all done in-app, and with timestamps, so you’re always in the know.
These kinds of systems push people to do the right things, even when no one is looking.
2. Hire Slowly and Carefully to Build the Right Culture
Hiring is the first line of defense to creating a culture of ownership and accountability. While it’s tempting to fill a role quickly because you’re in a tight spot, that can often turn out to be a big misstep. The wrong person can bring negativity to your workplace, cut corners, or even diminish the customer experience.
The right person, on the other hand, can uplift their colleagues and enhance the customer experience. Finding those people requires diligence and patience. Hiring slowly also makes it easier to do cross-interviews and ask the right questions.
If you really want to kick it up a notch, then try doing working interviews, especially with managerial hires, so both you and the candidate get an opportunity to see if it’s a good fit before fully committing and potentially wasting each other’s valuable time.
3. Empower Your Staff to Create Personal Accountability
Hiring the right people is an excellent way to create an environment rich with personal accountability, but your job is far from over after the hiring process is complete.
The way you treat your employees day-to-day matters, and most people don’t respond well to micromanagement. Instead, use a servant leadership approach where you’re checking in with your staff and encouraging them to do their best work by offering the tools, knowledge, and support they need to reach their full potential.
Do that, and you’ll be able to challenge them tactfully and even delegate without worrying about the end result as much.
4. Prioritize Communication to Ensure That Everyone is Aligned
Never simply assume that communication is taking place – make sure that you’re communicating regularly with your staff to keep a constant pulse on their daily challenges and opportunities.
For example, make sure that someone on your staff is checking in with employees on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. These meetings don’t need to be long or too formal, but they do need to make employees feel comfortable and heard.
When leadership shows a genuine interest in their employees and makes a commitment to listening to their concerns and ambitions, great things happen. It also makes it easier to recognize their achievements, foster coaching opportunities, and fill gaps in your communication strategy.
5. Show Your Face to Inspire the Team
Sometimes the best way to keep multiple locations operating at a high level is to show your face more often.
Seeing management or ownership often keeps people on their toes and encourages higher engagement. Naturally, personal ownership rises, and so does the level of performance. People act differently when their manager can pop in at any moment.
This may sound simple, but it’s where a lot of businesses fall short. If you’re holding regular one-on-ones with your employees, then you’ll naturally see how the dynamic shifts when you’re on-site.
Wrapping Up
Building a culture full of transparency, rich with communication, and filled with personal interaction won’t happen overnight. It takes time to right the ship, but with enough persistence and optimism, you’ll create a management plan that’s sure to net positive results.
While you’re at it, don’t forget about leveraging the right tools. Franchise scheduling is one of the best ways to create accountability, cut costly time tracking errors, and streamline your daily operations.
If that sounds like a home run, be sure to try out a free trial of ZoomShift.
