Every franchisee wants their business investment to be successful. But it takes more than just desire to achieve success in franchising.
What are the key elements of success that make franchisees successful?
To answer this question, we turned to one of the most established and successful franchisees in the Oxford Learning franchise system, Sohrab Ghadially.
Sohrab and his wife Amy were among the first franchisees to open an Oxford Learning franchise over 28 years ago. (At the time, there were only three Oxford Learning locations in total.) As multicenter owners, the Ghadiallys opened and operated four successful Oxford Learning locations in the Brampton and Mississauga areas and were among the top-performing franchise locations for decades.
Now retired, Sohrab remains involved with Oxford Learning in a consulting capacity for other locations within the organization as a mentor for all franchisees. During a training session, Sohrab shared his Five Key Elements of Operational and Business Success.
Key Elements of Sucess in Franchise Operations
1. Ownership of Success and Failures
A successful business needs leaders who analyze what is working and what isn’t. By evaluating successes and failures and adjusting practices accordingly, every franchisee can become successful.
- Embrace a leadership mindset.
- Continually evaluate successes and failures.
- Adopt a problem-prevention focus rather than a problem-solving focus
- Ensure your philosophy of success aligns with the brand’s mission. You need to believe in and implement that philosophy as a core value.
2. A Vital and Strong Team
One person cannot do it all. Delegating tasks to a strong team ensures that all aspects of your business are handled effectively. Ensure you hire the right people and invest in ongoing training for them.
- Deliver a premium product by hiring and training a premium team
- Focus on inside your business
- Referrals are the most important part of building your business
- Staff is the most important part of your business. The right staff is happy, trained, supported, and compensated.
- Give your staff what they need to feel motivated to do their jobs confidently.
- Don’t ask, “How are you doing?” Instead, ask, “How are you feeling?”
3. Understand and Implement the Brand’s Key Differentiators.
Knowing your product thoroughly and communicating the benefits and features at every possible moment is key to your customers understanding your product. Your product is unique. Your customers need to understand what makes you different.
- Understand and implement whatever makes your organization unique.
- Staff should understand and deliver this differentiator at every opportunity.
- This way, clients and customers will also understand and experience the key difference your company provides and become ambassadors for your franchise location.
- Believe it. Embody it. Communicate it. Most importantly, deliver it!
4. Attracting New Customers
Understanding who your customers are and what their needs are is vital. However, attracting customers requires that customers know you are there and understand what you offer them. Your franchise system likely has a robust strategy to bring customers to you, but every franchisee has a role to play in their local community..
- A consistent client base is key to success.
- If customers leave, it is because their expectations have not been met
- Personalize your interactions with customers so they feel seen, understood and valued.
5. Retain Your Customers
There is more value in keeping the customer you already have. Ensure their success and happiness; they will be your customers for a long time.
- A consistent client base is key to success.
- If customers leave, it is because their expectations have not been met
- Personalize your interactions with customers so they feel seen, understood and valued.
Learn More
Want to learn more about Oxford Learning’s key differentiators? Schedule a discovery session with the Franchise Development Team.
A Recipe for Success: Shift Your Focus
According to Sohrab, success is only possible with the right mindset.
As a franchisee, shifting your focus and mindset away from the details of running your business and toward your customers is the key. Business success can only happen by doing everything possible to ensure client success, whether it is a customer being happy with their meal or helping a child get better grades.
In any industry, meeting the client’s needs is vital. Many franchisees get distracted by the idea that they have to do it all themselves, which contradicts the benefits of franchising. Instead, following the systems provided by the franchisor and using the provided tools properly frees the franchisee to focus on what matters most: the client’s happiness.
Sorab says that when franchisees provide the ingredients to ensure the customer is happy, success follows. That’s it. That’s the recipe.
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Since retiring from franchising, Sohrab and Amy have enjoyed travel and togetherness. Sohrab looks back fondly on his time as a franchisee as a rewarding and fulfilling experience and enjoys remaining involved in the Oxford Learning franchise system in a consulting capacity. He hopes that sharing the keys to his remarkable success with new franchisees helps them have a successful franchising experience.