Solid Connections are Essential in Franchising

By Kathleen Gosser, Ph.D.

Learning is a continuous process, and can come from many different avenues in franchising. Your franchisor will provide you with the information you need for your brand and formal education can provide the business acumen needed to run a business. But there are also other resources for learning and growth in the franchising industry.

Major Franchising Associations

In today’s online world, there are so many resources to guide you in your franchising adventure.

The International Franchising Association (IFA) produces a robust website, with so much information in general and directly from franchisees. Connecting with the IFA is a great source of education. Further, becoming a member gains you access to experts across the industry, who you can learn from as well.

Peer Support

In my experience, franchisees are always willing to help other franchisees. Some franchise organizations have associations that are specifically organized for franchisees to help one another.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), for example, has associations across the country. KFC’s founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, encouraged the franchisees to form their associations to help each other. These associations provide educational programming, mentoring and other forms of support.

Business School Community

Becoming a part of a university business school community also provides valuable growth opportunities. Often times, there is more learning among the students than even from the course materials or the professors. Lifelong connections can be made in this setting. Business school education focused on franchising—such as the Franchise Management Certificate program from the College of Business at the University of Louisville—can provide critical, practical information on running a franchise business.

Being an avid learner is a key to success as a franchisee. With technology driving so many advancements in our world, staying in touch with fellow franchisees and continuing your own learning will make a difference in your business.

For more information on the Franchise Management Certificate from the College of Business at the University of Louisville visit uofl.me/2WCGeMI. 

Dr. Kathleen Gosser (PhD, University of Louisville) is an experienced leader in the franchise industry and a passionate educator. In her 30 year career in the franchise industry, she has enjoyed numerous roles, including leadership of customer satisfaction programs, operations measurement, employee recognition, training and team member engagement efforts. She also had direct P&L accountability as the Region Coach of 10 restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky.

This blog post was originally published on Fransocial.