While partners in the quest for business success, franchisors and franchisees often find themselves with opposing opinions on how to run a business. For the franchisor, the most important thing is often instituting a cohesive brand strategy. For the franchisee, the concern is with meeting the requirements and expectations of customers that are encountered on a day-to-level. With such a glaring gap between the macro and the micro, it is inevtiable that differences will arise.
Canada's Financial Post has some solid advice for both franchisors and franchisees looking to getting a better grasp of their counterpart. In reality, its best to think of a franchise relationship as a marriage. There will be good days and bad days, but in keeping with the idea that it's never a good idea to sleep on an argument, it's ideal that both parties in the franchise relationship find a clear and cohesive way to work out disagreements, rather than letting them fester.
““You have to put the time in, roll up your sleeves — and you’ve got to be there and take responsibility. If [franchisees] start thinking that they know better too much — they clearly would have been better off on their own,” Jennifer Dolman, a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP told the FP. While franchising lets entrepreneurs work on their own, they should never forget that they are instituting a tested, and pre-arranged business system.
Also essential is to get as much information as possible before signing the franchise agreement, so you're not blind-sided when your expectations aren't met. All in all, sound advice for all franchisees as they try to make the franchise relationship work right.