By Gage Hagedorn, Pearle Vision

Responsible franchising involves habits that start early, long before any agreement is signed, and continue throughout the life of the relationship.

It includes setting clear expectations throughout the sales process, promoting thorough due diligence, adhering to shared operational standards, closely monitoring unit economics, and fostering authentic collaboration between franchisors and franchisees.

At Pearle Vision, we work in a service-oriented, regulated sector, which increases complexity. However, the core principles of responsible franchising apply across all industries. Whether you’re in food, fitness, home services, or healthcare-related fields, the “right way” to franchise begins with alignment and remains strong through accountability and communication.

Setting Expectations

One of the biggest misconceptions I see in franchising is the idea that a well-known brand automatically guarantees success. It doesn’t. A brand can open doors, but ownership still needs leadership, operational discipline, local market effort, and a willingness to learn.

We try to be direct about that from the start. Candidates need to understand what role they want to play, what they’re responsible for, and what it looks like to show up every day. You can’t rely on a brand name to do the work for you.

That’s especially important when a candidate enters a complex category. Responsible franchising involves being honest about what the business requires, including compliance expectations where applicable, and ensuring the candidate is prepared for the realities of leading a team, building a local reputation, and operating consistently.

Effective Due Diligence

IFA’s Responsible Franchising principles emphasize due diligence for a reason. A franchise relationship is long-term, and people need access to real information, not just a brochure.

One thing we actively promote is franchisee validation. Two to four conversations with current franchisees typically give candidates a range of perspectives without overwhelming busy operators running their businesses. Some candidates want to learn about profitability factors or staffing issues. Others focus on how owners stand out locally. The right questions vary depending on the candidate.

What matters most is that those conversations are candid. We don’t sit in on validation calls. Franchisees should be able to share what surprised them, what was harder than expected, and what support looks like after opening. The goal isn’t to close the sale. The goal is to help the candidate understand whether there’s a real fit.

Komal Kumar, a Pearle Vision franchisee in Orange County, California, went through the conversion process with concerns around maintaining clinical integrity, understanding the full financial picture, and day-to-day flexibility. As Komal put it, “What helped address those concerns was the level of transparency during the process. I had access to open conversations, real data, and most importantly, other franchisees who shared their experiences candidly.”

Standards Protect Everyone

When I think about operational standards, I focus on protection from two fronts: brand integrity and franchisee equity. If one location allows standards to slip, it affects everyone in the system. This is not just an abstract concern. It’s the practical reality of operating within a shared brand.

In our system, that means disciplined inventory management, consistent reporting, and ongoing training and development. It also means setting expectations that protect the customer experience and ensure consistency, regardless of location. Standards should be paired with support, not just enforcement.

I’m careful with the phrase “non-negotiable,” because there’s always room for franchisees to bring local nuance. But some fundamentals protect the integrity of the model.

Komal put it simply: “The structured support during the transition and early days was critical. Clear operational guidance, training resources, and access to the right people helped us stay focused and execute with confidence.”

Standards create consistency, and consistency builds the kind of franchise equity worth protecting.

Unit Economics

Responsible franchising also emphasizes long-term financial sustainability. If the model doesn’t work at the unit level, everything else is window dressing.

We coach franchisees using a simple framework: sales equals volume times average transaction value times conversion. Behind those numbers are practical levers that require real leadership and discipline. This includes customer retention, staffing efficiency, product or service mix that reflects local demographics, local marketing to drive demand, and so on.

A critical part of responsible franchising is catching underperformance early and addressing it through coaching, not pressure. At Pearle Vision, each location is partnered with a field support leader, essentially a business partner on the ground. They maintain regular contact and consistently review performance. If a location is trending off plan, they build a coaching plan, revisit the business plan, increase in-store support, and work hands-on to help the franchisee get back on track.

Komal pointed to her field support leader as one of the most meaningful forms of support during her transition. That kind of relationship keeps performance visible and makes early intervention possible before small problems become larger ones.

Collaboration and Communication

Markets change. Technology changes. Consumer expectations change. Responsible franchising requires a system that stays close to franchisees and can adapt without losing what makes the brand worth protecting.

IFA’s principles put real emphasis on franchise advisory councils and open communication channels, and I think that emphasis is warranted. No franchisor has perfect visibility into every local market. And no franchisee should feel like they’re operating without a voice.

A concrete example from the Pearle Vision system is how franchisee feedback through an advisory council helped drive meaningful improvements to our point-of-sale platform. Operators surfaced friction around disconnected tools and workflows, and that feedback led to the development of a more integrated approach designed for the franchise community. That’s not a small undertaking, and it reflects a genuine commitment to acting on franchisee concerns.

Komal has seen that collaboration from both sides and summed it up this way: “Responsible franchising comes down to balance, listening, adapting, and continuing to evolve in a way that supports both the brand and the people operating within it.”

Long-term Discipline

Responsible franchising is an ongoing process. It’s about getting the relationship right from the start and maintaining it with clarity, accountability, and mutual respect. The sales process should set realistic expectations. Due diligence should be encouraged and kept candid. Standards should protect brand integrity and franchisee equity. Unit economics should drive decisions. And collaboration should be built into how the system evolves.

When those pieces are in place, the model stays strong, and franchising remains worthy of the trust entrepreneurs place in it.

Gage Hagedorn is the director of business development at Pearle Vision. For more information about IFA franchisor member Pearle Vision, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/pearle-vision/.

Search