As you finalize your franchise development program, do not ignore the importance of your franchise training program. You must work out all the details of the franchise training program.

Creating and implementing the correct franchise training program for your specific franchise is vital to your success.

A poor franchise training program is a principal reason for the failure of both individual franchisees and franchise systems.

Program Design

As you design your franchise training program, consider the following issues:

  • Franchise Training Program DesignWhat does the new franchisee (and perhaps the franchisee’s employees) need to learn to successfully launch and operate the new business? Your franchise consultant’s advice can be invaluable in designing your franchise training program. Consider including in your franchise training program any training materials or manuals created for the staff at your company-owned locations.
  • Decide which franchisee personnel should participate in the franchise training program. If the franchise will be run by an owner/operator, you must train the franchisee; however, if the franchisee will be an absentee owner, train the franchise’s General Manager. Also consider providing franchise training to various managers or key employees. These personnel may include managers, assistant managers, shift leaders or head technicians.
  • Ask yourself how much time is needed to effectively train each participant in the franchise training program.
  • Determine when the training will take place in relationship to the opening of the new franchise. Will all participating franchisee personnel train at the same time? How far in advance you train franchisee personnel can greatly impact the franchisee’s pre-opening wages expense. Remember, if franchise training occurs too far in advance, the trainees may forget important information.
  • For each subject in the franchise training program, decide how to best conduct the training, such as on-the-job versus classroom.
  • Consider what materials you will need. NFA’s clients often use their franchise Operations Manuals as their training guides.
  • When designing your franchise training program choose your trainers. At the outset of your franchise program, you can usually utilize Franchisor managers as part-time trainers, perhaps supplemented by key personnel at company-owned locations. As your franchise sales increase, you may elect to create a full-time franchise training team.
  • Decide where training will occur. Usually, during the first few years of a new franchise development program, the majority of the franchise training program is conducted at company-owned units. This main training program is supplemented with additional training at the new franchise location itself around the opening of the business.

Over time, your franchise training program will change. However, before you sell your first franchise, it is important to create a carefully-considered, structured franchise training program.

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