For franchisors looking to build a successful franchise system, there is one Golden Rule: treat your franchisees like gold. Your franchise owners are your number one customers. Service them well and your business will grow. Cut corners and your entire system will suffer. It sounds so simple, yet achieving and maintaining high levels of franchisee satisfaction can at times seem like an unattainable goal.

The IFA Franchise Relations Committee is dedicated to promoting positive relations and encouraging dialogue and cooperation between franchisees and franchisors. The following articles by IFA members have appeared in IFA publications on the subject of Franchise Relations.

Information and program materials from the 2016 IFA Legal Symposium.

Information and materials from the 2018 IFA Legal Symposium in Washington, D.C.

Information about the 2016 IFA Annual Convention.

Information and sessions from the 2017 IFA Annual Convention.

Information about the IFA 2018 Annual Convention.

Franchises that want to be in front of customers and build a positive customer experience should make online review management a primary marketing strategy.

Franchise compliance programs can have many benefits. Reap the rewards of a culture of compliance. We’ve heard that saying, “Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast,” which is believed to have been coined by business leader Peter Drucker. The saying implies that while strategies can be created for a business, the success or failure of those strategies will be determined by the culture that permeates the organization.

Franchisors don’t always have to be right, but they must test their ideas, protect the best interests of franchisees and gain the respect of franchisees in the long term.