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One franchise. Two franchises. Three franchises. Four. How can you effectively keep everything moving forward in different locations when your time is short? A few basic time-management skills will balance your schedule and optimize your time.
Combine Some Activities
When you have multiple locations of the same franchise, much of the back-office work— accounting, payroll, training, and purchasing—is the same. If possible, these internal processes should all be done in one location by one person—the savings in labor goes straight to profit, too. Also, train employees from different locations together, when possible, to save time and to cross-train them as needed. Then, when someone calls in sick, you won’t be the one making sandwiches in your restaurant franchise. Collaborate with locations so you can “work on the biz instead of in the biz.”
Lots of Lists
Keep your to-do list at your fingertips, and then delegate prioritized projects to each site manager or appropriate employee. Since you cannot be everywhere at once, they can share projects that benefit every location. There is always downtime with employees, so use that to keep the business going forward while lightening your own load.
Focus Your Time
We are continually distracted by email, phones, and business emergencies. When your time is slotted for a meeting or task to work on the business, stay focused on that; keep the conversations free from email and phone notifications for efficiency’s sake. If someone really needs you for that emergency, they will use an old-fashioned phone call to contact you. In the meantime, respect your own time, and be disciplined about who gets access to you.
Spread the Word to All
Keeping multiple locations informed can be tough. And even if each one has its own performance goals, the overall success is interdependent. Communication software offers various modes of communication to keep employees at different sites working together.
Two Heads Are Better Than One
A value-add, and part of why you bought franchises, is the brain trust found through other franchisees. Align yourself with the other multiple-location owners and share ideas. Ask for opinions and utilize their experience along with the support available from the franchisor. Your success matters to everyone sharing the brand. Everyone has an interest in helping you find the time to grow your franchise.
Balancing your time between locations does not necessarily mean spending equal time at each place. Instead, each location will determine how much time you actually need to be there in person. A new site or a new manager may need more hands-on attention, for example, but if you have good support, good internal processes and communication systems, and the discipline to tune-out immediate demands as needed, you can balance your time effectively.
Susan Guillory is the President of Egg Marketing & Communications, a marketing firm specializing in content writing and social media management. She’s written three business books, including How to Get More Customers With Press Releases, and frequently blogs about small business and marketing on sites including Forbes, AllBusiness, The Marketing Eggspert Blog, and Tweak Your Biz. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing.