Later this summer I plan to do a two-part blog series on the Freedom Franchise and what it means in terms of philosophy and branding . . . and that got me to thinking about what I would want in a Freedom Franchise if I were on the other side of the business model. I would want the logistics and systems developed so that I could run the business effectively and be freed up to make key decisions about things on the local level.What do you mean by “key decisions at the local level”?
There are certain things that absolutely need to be free for the owner to choose. Business hours. Colors. Staffing. Pricing. Hiring. Event involvement. Community outreach. Menu (after getting the fundamentals in place at the opening of your new bakery). In other words, anything that is absolutely unique to them and their business.But what about the stuff that is not unique to one store?
For example, all of the systems. Layout advice ─ especially where production flow is concerned. Menu planning. Color recommendations. Hours analysis. Staffing budgets. Pricing models. Marketing plans. Equipment packages. The nuts behind each of the bolts. Those are all wheels I don’t want to reinvent, as a business owner. I want to make decisions myself and be able to implement them easily and intelligently. But I don’t want to have to reinvent the process wheel, which would be an inefficient use of my time.The very reason to join the Freedom Franchise instead of being independent is to have the benefit of a proven business model, with built-in solutions and a community of like-minded people.
What are the critical success factors within the Great Harvest franchise?
1. Product
2. Service
3. Marketing
4. Numbers
So how do I knock it out of the park in those four areas? I want to be able to do the things that set me apart while not having to spend too much time on things that, while critical, are more behind-the-scenes and can be automated. For example, I can track labor and ingredients, after I set a budget, on a real-time basis. Put your energy where it will reap the greatest dividends.
There are a lot of things that seem like they would be cool to do as a one-off. Virtually everything I just listed fits that description. But most of them will never be noticed by the customers in your store and will take a lot of time. What will be noticed is your menu, pricing, service, hours, colors and marketing. I want good recommendations on most everything else so that I can focus on those most important elements.This is how I want to spend my time. I want to be able to do and manage the things that will have the greatest impact on my customers. For that, I want to focus on product, service, outreach and pricing.
I also want to focus on things that impact me. Cost control. Labor management. I do not want to focus on developing my own systems for these things. What I want is for all of the systems to be developed and set up for me. I just want to use them.
Smarter use of limited time and resources =
A better business and a better work / life balance.
To me, that is what the Freedom Franchise is all about. Being able to spend time on the things that matter most. And freedom from wasting time on back office systems.
Learn more about Great Harvest's unique brand of franchising here:
Read other posts about how to use your time more effectively:
