Taco John’s franchisee Tamra Kennedy started out as a secretary at a local fast-food restaurant and worked her way up to owning multiple units.

Meet Stefan Pickerel — franchisee, chef, spice blender and now the corporate chef for the Spice & Tea Exchange. Stefan’s journey holds some important lessons for franchisees and franchisors across the industry.

Women are forces to be reckoned with, and every March their outstanding achievements are recognized during Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month was created as a way to revise a written and social American history that has largely ignored the contributions of women.

By focusing on four key elements, franchisors can have peace of mind that they’ve taken the right steps to build a system with franchisees equipped to be successful partners.

Any growing brand will face a time when it lacks the resources to run processes with consistency, so lay the technology rails down early.



 

Competition for talent is heating up as jobless rates fall and more businesses vie for potential candidates. 

The best training programs go beyond how-tos and tactical execution. They empower franchisees and employees to take ownership of their roles and work as an extension of the brand.

Once the junk is gone, it’s just a matter of keeping things clean. With growth and expansion as the main goals for any franchise system, even the smallest amount of clutter can actually hurt the company. When it comes to franchises, there are lots of people in place to ensure the day-to-day operations run smoothly.

For franchisors and franchisees not in tune with the changes in the marketplace, customer and market relevancy can slip away. By contrast, for those disciplined business owners and leaders, change can be recognizable. And where change is recognized, opportunities are unlocked.

Strategically placing the pieces where they belong, providing necessary tools and support is a winning combination for both franchisee and franchisor.