Franchisors

If you are a franchisor, you'll know that the success of your business relies heavily on the quality of your franchisees.

The right person in the right place, at the right time, is crucial.
Finding the right person is an exacting task.
We know, that is what we do at LINK.

Getting the right people to become your franchisees is an exacting task.  If things aren't done "just right" it can be a very long and difficult process, and have adverse results further down the track.

LINK's Franchise Division specialises in the sale of business format franchises with a combination of the best franchisee selection skills and the best business broking skills, we are the only franchise recruitment agency of our kind in New Zealand.  Our role is to present the information about your business in a very systematic and professional manner, and to target, test and recruit franchisees to match your profile.

LINK recruits franchisees nationwide for selected franchisors that have well documented systems and which operate according to or above the standards of the Franchise Association of New Zealand Code of Practice.

We are currently recruiting franchisees for:

• Greenfield sites in new territories
• Existing company/franchisor owned outlets
• Conversions of existing independent businesses to franchises
• Re-sales of established franchise businesses for existing franchisees.

Being a division of a major business brokerage we have a constant number of people contacting our company looking to buy a business.  Your franchise opportunity is promoted to thousands of buyers who come in contact with our company.  These are people who are not just thinking about buying a franchise but individuals who are genuine buyers along with companies looking for opportunities to expand their business.

Your franchise opportunity will be promoted through

• The LINK website
• Our database of registered buyers looking for business opportunities
• LINK Business Broker magazine
• Listings on Realestate and NZ Biz Buy Sell websites
• International exposure through our immigration network

The following are just some of the items that a serious franchisor should take into consideration when planning to recruit franchisees.

Key Points

Profile of the Franchisee Required 
Recruiting Strategy
Documentation
Advertising Budget
Process

Profile of the Franchisee Required 

Careful consideration must go into building up the profile of your "perfect franchisee".  Franchisee profiles differ enormously from franchise to franchise so a good deal of thought must be put in to determine the right skills and characteristics your franchisees will need.  Remember it is not just competencies that you are looking for.  You need to get further inside a prospective franchisee's mind, and find out about attitudes, core values and habits that will give your franchise the best chance of success.

We have the experience and knowledge gathered from successfully recruiting many franchisees across most industries to assist you in developing the profile for your franchise system.  LINK will target, test and recruit franchisees to match your profile.

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Recruiting Strategy

Once you know who you are looking for you will also know where to look.  Determine where you want to aim your efforts and at what speed.  Do you want to radiate out from a central point or do you want to locate franchises in certain strategic locations around the country and then fill in the gaps?  Your recruiting strategy will need to be tied in with an appropriate advertising and promotional programme that targets the people you need to attract.

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Documentation

This is a vital area.  Your documents must befit the image of your company in terms of presentation and information contained therein must be very carefully considered.  This information must attract quality prospects but also paint a true picture of the opportunity available and not adversely expose the franchisor to liability at some time in the future.

It is important that you have specific documents for the various functions that you wish to carry out in your recruiting process.  For instance; a "Summary" of the opportunity, an "Overview" of the franchise, a video, CD, computer or audio presentation, the "Franchisee Questionnaire", the "Disclosure Document", the "Franchise Agreement" and various other certificates, forms and documents.  Each document will have a specific objective in your recruitment process.

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Advertising Budget

When embarking on finding the right franchisees you need to have well presented advertisements and a marketing plan designed to attract the right type of people.

Remember, in the long run, recruiting is a numbers game and unless you can get the message of your opportunity to your target market the success in finding the right franchisees will be restricted.

Our experience in designing and developing marketing and business plans is the result of statistical information we have gathered from prior marketing campaigns and we will advise you on the best suited strategy for your franchise.

The media you use should be appropriate and should be selected to target your specific audience.  Apart from the normal advertising media such as Franchise NZ Magazine, daily newspapers, suburban newspapers, TV, radio and direct mail, you should think about Business Opportunity Expo's and networking amongst or targeting staff, suppliers and customers of the franchisor and making it a feature on your website (franchise opportunities page).

The copy in your advertisement is important because it can bring in many or few replies.  An attention-grabbing headline is essential, as is copy that immediately captures attention and ends up creating the desire in the reader to learn more.  Professional assistance with advertising writing, layout, and media placement can make a big difference.  We have marketing staff who specialize in developing the right marketing program utilizing our experience and knowledge in franchisee recruitment.

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Process

All prospective franchise applicants must be subject to the same recruitment process, and receive the same level of information at the same stages within the process.  Detailed notes must be kept of all conversations and enquiries, and the answers, to reduce the possibility of future franchisor liability.

A comprehensive Assessment Form should be developed so that accurate (and comparative) conclusions can be drawn.  Attention to detail in the process, psychological profiling and professional recruitment assistance all need to be carefully considered.

LINK approaches the recruiting of franchisees in a well planned, systematic manner to ensure that you get the right people as your franchise owners.

And don't forget how important it is that your induction and training of both hands-on operational and business system aspects effectively prepares the franchisee for the critical launch and initial trading period.

Please call us to discuss in detail how LINK can help you in the development and growth of your franchise.

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