Franchising is a common method of expansion for enterprises. It allows businesses to enter new markets with minimal to no capitalization, and, for the individuals seeking to be a franchisee, it provides an opportunity to be a business owner of a proven and stable brand. However, a successful franchise goes beyond the brand. A successful franchise relies on the effectiveness of the franchisor’s franchise training program.
Understanding Franchise Training Programs
What is a Franchise Training Program? It is an important part of the franchise agreement as it assures the proper operation of each franchise. A brand’s success in franchising depends on how well its franchisees can deliver the brand experience and quality consumers expect. The key to achieving this is an effective franchise training program.
Unleashing the Benefits of LMS Franchise Training
The important question is not “What is a Franchise Training Program?” instead, “What can a Franchise Training Program do for me?”
All major franchises in different industries have a Franchise Training Program. It is the secret to providing consistent quality and customer experience throughout all franchises.
Food Industry: McDonald’s
The fast-food giant has one of the world’s most effective franchise training programs. Their Field Operations and Franchising trains franchisees on maximizing quality, service, and cleanliness.
The training program comprises 12-18 months of training in a restaurant, seminars, conferences, and one-on-one sessions. They also have self-directed training that franchisees can take part-time for 20 hours per week. In addition, McDonald’s has Hamburg University as part of their ongoing training program that offers management courses in 28 languages.
Health and Wellness: Anytime Fitness
Anytime Fitness has over 5,000 franchised locations in 50 countries. To maintain quality and customer satisfaction, they have a mandatory two-week training course at their headquarters in Minnesota.
To keep franchisees updated, Anytime Fitness has an online operations manual containing topics to help franchise owners launch and operate their franchises. Anytime Fitness also provides daily or weekly assistance to their franchisees for free. This assistance can be through phone, onsite visits, email, and publications.
McDonald’s and Anytime Fitness are just a couple of large franchises that are able to maintain their brand standards with all their franchisees worldwide. Despite the thousands of their franchisees, these companies provide an efficient and effective training program using Learning Management Systems.
Why Do Franchisors Provide Training Programs?
Another important question that follows “What is a Franchise Training Program?” is “What is the purpose of a franchise training program?”
The success of a franchise business model relies on the capability of its franchisees. It is important that each franchisee is able to not only operate but, ideally, replicate the performance of the main business. Through an effective training program, franchisors are sure that their franchisees can maintain the franchise’s standards and policies.
- Training ensures that franchisees adhere to the franchisor’s business model and brand standards, resulting in consistent product quality, service, and customer experience across all franchises.
- Training equips franchisees with the knowledge and skills they need to run their business successfully.
- A well-trained franchisee has a higher chance of thriving and opening other additional locations.
- Training is the foundation of a franchisor’s relationship with the franchisees. Training shows the franchisor’s commitment and support to the franchisees’ success.
A Learning Management System can reinforce the franchisor’s training program.
- A centralized training platform allows franchisors to organize and deliver training materials easily.
- An LMS training program allows for easy scalability to accommodate a growing network of franchisees.
- An LMS platform allows for consistent and accessible training content, ensuring each franchisee receives the same training and information.
- Franchisors can monitor the progress of their franchisees’ training through an LMS, helping franchisors determine improvement areas and provide additional training where needed.
- Franchisees can access training materials freely through an LMS, making training more cost and time efficient.
Best Practices for Designing Engaging and Impactful Franchise Training
An effective franchise training program has to be engaging and impactful for franchisees to retain the information provided. When designing a training program, it is best to incorporate best practices and leverage LMS technology.
- Use interactive materials such as videos, quizzes, and simulations to make training more engaging.
- Break down information into smaller modules to facilitate microlearning. Smaller modules allow franchisees to learn quickly, helping them fit the training into their busy schedule and increase retention.
- Incorporate game-like elements to encourage participation and healthy competition. Gamification can motivate franchisees to progress in their training program by providing rewards and achievements like badges.
- Make the training program accessible on mobile devices. Mobile learning will make training more convenient and flexible for franchisees.
- Use quizzes and assessments throughout the training to gauge a franchisee’s knowledge and understanding.
Topics a Great Franchise Training Program Should Cover
Franchise training programs can cover a plethora of topics. Each of these is designed to improve the franchisee’s performance and knowledge.
Marketing Strategy and Brand Positions
Franchisees need to be familiarized with the franchise’s branding and marketing to fit in and deliver the same experience to their customers. Marketing training for franchisees also enables them to leverage the marketing resources available and properly position themselves in their respective market.
Sales Systems
Sales training aims to help franchisees increase revenue and improve their sales skills. Sales training includes lead generation, negotiations, and sales techniques.
Customer Relationship Management
In connection with sales training, franchisees need training on handling their customers properly. This training aims to equip franchisees with the proper skills they need to develop and nurture customer relationships.
Compliance Requirements
Compliance training educates franchisees on the licenses and requirements necessary for them to operate in their respective location.
Operational Fundamentals
All franchisees need to be familiar with operating procedures. This training will include procedures and systems franchisees use in their day-to-day operations.
Human Resource Management
Franchisees need to be trained in handling their employees. This training will educate franchisees on recruitment and selection, training and development, retention, and assessment.
What Training Is Available for New Franchisees?
Each franchisee has its unique need depending on their journey or tenure as a franchise. For new franchisees, a mix of different methods is ideal. The goal of training new franchisees is to make sure that they ease into the system and culture of the franchise and retain the information in their training without getting overwhelmed.
Self-Guided Learning Modules
These are often used at the beginning of training for franchisees to better understand the company and its operations before moving on to more intensive aspects of the franchise training program. These modules can be in the form of online courses or operation manuals. Franchisors can also conduct an assessment to determine if the franchisee is ready to move on with their training.
In-Person Workshops
These are often conducted in the franchisor’s main office and provide interactive training for franchisees wherein they can communicate and ask questions to their trainer. In-person workshops are held regularly and are used to onboard new franchisees.
On-Site Training
These are held in the actual franchise location, and it aims to provide immersive and hands-on training to franchisees by giving them first-hand experience under the supervision of the franchisor or a trainer.
Continuing Education Modules
Continuous franchisee training allows franchises to be up-to-date with franchise standards and procedures. This makes sure that quality and brand experience is consistent. Continuing education modules can be in the form of online franchise training courses, seminars, or manuals.
Boost Efficiency and Performance With LMS-Based Franchise Training
An effective franchise training program is the key to a successful franchise business model. Franchisors need to be sure that their franchisees utilize and practice what they acquire from their training. For this reason, large franchises use LMS to improve the efficiency and performance of their franchise training programs.
LMS, or Learning Management Systems, are commonly used in employee training. It has all the necessary tools a franchisor will need to create an effective training program – from design, assessment, and tracking.
Through an LMS, franchisees will have access to materials anytime and anywhere. Franchisors will also be able to disseminate information easily through the platform and monitor franchisee activity and performance. LMS platforms use various materials, such as courses, videos, and quizzes, for effective franchisee training.
Leveraging Learning Management Systems for Franchise Success
What is a franchise training program? It is the key to a successful franchise business model.
A training program’s effectiveness will contribute to a franchise’s overall success, as seen with larger franchise companies such as McDonald’s. With the volume of information given in franchise training programs and a large number of franchisees, utilizing an LMS platform to streamline the training program is beneficial.
Using an LMS will create a conducive and convenient learning environment and set-up for both franchisors and franchisees. LMS allows for quick information dissemination, easy training material design and organization, franchisee performance tracking and monitoring, and so much more. With an LMS, a franchise training program will surely become more efficient.
LearningZen recognizes the importance of a franchise training program. That is why we have created a platform allowing franchisors to design engaging and effective training programs. Our platform simplifies franchise training — from our user-friendly interface to our reporting and analytics system. We even have a mobile app to make accessing and organizing resources possible anywhere, anytime.
If you want to create a successful franchise training program, LearningZen is the perfect platform for your franchise. Contact our team to learn more.
