Many companies wish to expand and a few wish to use franchising as a method of expansion. Not a bad idea, but one must consider the importance of the fine details. One book I recommend you read is the "E-Myth" by Gerber it is available at all the usual places. You see when going from a small business to a franchise company it is important to make sure you take out all the mistakes you have made in the past in building your small business and insure that your future franchisees never make those mistakes themselves. After all they need not go thru the rigorous minefields and brick walls you had to in order to be successful. Especially considering you will most likely be charging them a substantial upfront franchise fee.
Many new franchisors know they need an Official and Confidential Operations Manual, yet since it is such a daunting task they often favor the idea of hiring someone not involved in their business to do so for them. The fees for operation manual writers is quite high and indeed it was my reasoning to write my own for our franchise company, which happens to specialize in Mobile Car Washing and Detailing. www.CarWashGuys.com . After completing the manual, which is always under constant revision as markets change and consumer buying behavior trends ensue, I found that not only was writing my own operations manual a cost savings; it was imperative.
A good Franchise operations manual will end up about 500 pages, mine ended up over 1000 typed pages with about 10,000 hand written notes and sub topic accumulation of forms and ideas of the past 20-years. After going thru this process of designing what I believe is the best franchise company ever created, I realized that you never fully understand your business completely until you put yourself, employees, customers, cash flow and procedures under a microscope. I can tell you that when you finally do this, you will be humbled indeed. I suppose that is a good thing, even though us entrepreneurs seem to have above average egos.
So with this said let me first say, I cannot give you our manuals for free, generally our perfected business model is sold in the form of a franchise and the franchise fees are generally $20,000 up front. But as an entrepreneur I will give the basic outline, which you need to write your own. Which if you intend to franchise your current business, I highly recommend you do it yourself or with a close in-house team. If you choose to hire a writer, pay a little extra and spend a little more time putting all your ideas into a tape or digital recorder so that the true important details are not lost in the political correctness of a Manual Writer. Remember I am in a service, home based franchise company and you company will be slightly different and therefore your manual will also be somewhat modified, but I assure you this is where you need to start. Try to have at least 20-pages for each item and then once you state using bullets, paragraphing, formatting and illustrations you should be closer to 35-40 pages for each topic. Here is the outline and best of luck and continued success in your business.
OFFICIAL OPERATIONS MANUAL
I. IMAGE
II. COMMUNITY RELATIONS
III. CUSTOMER RELATIONS
IV. MEDIA RELATIONS
V. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
VI. VENDOR RELATIONS
VII. OTHER FRANCHISEE RELATIONS
VIII. FRANCHISOR RELATIONS
IX. LOCAL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
X. BUSINESS COMMUNITY RELATIONS
XI. COMPETITION RELATIONS
XII. ABOUT VEHICLE
XIII. MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT
XIV. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
XV. WATER PURIFICATION
XVI. INTER COMPANY PROCEDURES
XVII. ACCOUNTING AND BILLING
XVIII. BANKING AND CREDIT CARDS
XIX. FINANCING
XX. ROYALTIES
XXI. COMPUTER PROCEDURES
XXII. SUPPORT (COMPUTERS)
XXIII. SCHEDULING TIPS
XXIV. QUALITY CONTROLS
XXV. ASSOCIATIONS
XXVI. INSURANCE
XXVII. SAFETY
XXVIII. WASHING PROCEDURES (VEHICLES)
XXIX. INDUSTRIAL AND SPECIALIZED SERVICES
XXX. TERRITORY LIMITATIONS
XXXI. RECORDS TO BEAT
XXXII. UNDERSTANDING OUR FOUNDER, COMPANY HISTORY
XXXIII. FUTURE OF FRANCHISOR
XXXIV. FOUNDER'S MESSAGE
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs
monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..Aside from the fear of losing a spreadsheet or research... Read More
It is most fascinating to study how entrepreneurs spot opportunity... Read More
Many businesses offer small business franchise opportunities. There are many... Read More
The restaurant industry in the United States employs an estimated... Read More
As a practitioner and student of Small Business Marketing, I... Read More
Every company has a value proposition. That is a statement... Read More
If you plan to do business online, then your website... Read More
When working from home, it is usual to find that... Read More
The easiest way to lift profits is to cut the... Read More
The reason we Franchisors call it an exclusive territory is... Read More
I have to admit, I was curious. When I saw... Read More
Why would you use an event pass?Event passes are often... Read More
A recent survey showed that only 28.7% of small business... Read More
I have a confession to make. My name is Caroline... Read More
My 16 year-old daughter said, "Gee Dad! You look just... Read More
Imagine that you have operated a successful franchise business for... Read More
How a donation is different from a sponsorship and what... Read More
Recently one of my customers told me the chaos swirling... Read More
It is not surprising that some people may perceive Six... Read More
Here are some useful tips on how to select a... Read More
Over the years I heard the best way to learn... Read More
Are you thinking of starting a small pressure washer business... Read More
You've heard marketing and advertising gurus quip, "Sell the sizzle,... Read More
When is the Chamber ideal for your business?Joining a Chamber... Read More
No matter your age or station in life, we all... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..Having their own business is something many millions of people... Read More
In this paper, I will:1. provide a framework for creating... Read More
Buying a franchise is not for everyone. This guide will... Read More
How is your pipeline structured?I assume most of you have... Read More
For many small businesses, the "S" corporation is the business... Read More
The way you manage your money is one of the... Read More
If you really want to earn more money with your... Read More
Concrete Roof Tile Business: During the 2004 summer season, storms... Read More
As a practise gets larger & larger the associated problems... Read More
In today's marketplace the words 'job security' have become an... Read More
Continuing from the second article:6. About the aground mathematical model,... Read More
If you discovered the bottom line in your business depended... Read More
One way to determine your companies mission statement is based... Read More
When working properly, computers enable small businesses to make big... Read More
I started working with another new client last week. He... Read More
All franchises must meet the legal definition of a franchise... Read More
KEEPING INTEREST HIGH: Supervision is key to the success of... Read More
Do You Really Need a Toll-Free Number for Your Business?... Read More
Your grandfather probably told you to "learn something new everyday".... Read More
Did you know that satisfaction is the number one emotion... Read More
Aside from the fear of losing a spreadsheet or research... Read More
Do you own a franchised business? Over 400,000 franchised businesses... Read More
1. Leadership Is Learned ? While many people appear to... Read More
Hi, Charles...here, Your Cap and t-shirt guy From Texas. How... Read More
Attorneys and Lawyers are ruining the franchise industry. It is... Read More
Small Business |