The benefits of franchise ownership have become even more clear since the pandemic hit. Working tirelessly to support franchisees, franchisors have been providing guidance and positivity, and have taken swift action to keep business moving. Collectively, the industry has instilled a sense of “we’re all in this together.”
To help bring the franchise community together, IFPG President Red Boswell has been interviewing franchise leaders to see how they have been managing through every phase of the pandemic. In his webinar series entitled “FranchisingStrongerTogether,” franchisors have shared how they have been supporting franchisees and finding innovative solutions to keep ahead of the crisis. Here are a few quotes from the series.
“When there’s a crisis, communities need to rally around a flag. It’s great to have an initiative that everyone feels good about. In response to COVID-19, we created a “Pay it Forward” program where customers can give donations of our catered food to healthcare facilities and we match their donations. Our franchisees love it, and it has done a lot to boost morale. Another positive initiative we’ve implemented is collecting videos from franchisees. Each one talks about their struggles and ideas and then we share one system-wide every day. That mutual support and sense of community is all-important.”
—Michael Haith Founder/CEO Teriyaki Madness
“WE WILL COME BACK FROM THIS, it’s just a matter of when. With 10 brands and more than 1,600 franchisees worldwide, we are determined to support our franchise partners. We started with a royalty deferment through April and May. We are using our corporate teams in different ways to get ahead of the crisis. Right now, our real estate development team is asking for concessions from landlords. Our marketing team is figuring out new services and products to offer. We don’t know how long this will last, but we still believe that 2020 is going to be our strongest year ever.”
—Ray Titus, CEO, United Franchise Group
“To support OUR franchise partners, we have been holding “huddle calls” three times a week where we all get together on screen to talk about what we can do right now. We have been guiding them through financial assistance programs and best practices during this pandemic.”
—Jesse Johnstone, President, Fibrenew
“We have been telling our franchisees not to let the crisis stop them. Our goal is to give them the confidence to keep going. While they can’t meet with prospects face to face, we can use Zoom to hold meetings and still generate business.” —Aaron Marshall, Founder/CEO, KeyRenter Property Management
“FRANCHISEES have been making “caring and sharing” calls to update existing customers and let them know we are here for them.” —Dustin Hansen, Founder & CEO, InXpress