I’m a proud franchisor now, but I’ll let you into a secret – when someone first suggested I franchise face2faceHR, I recoiled in horror. I had in my head that a franchise, whilst a good model commercially, involved no creativity, no independence, and just following a very prescriptive set of rules.
I immediately thought of McDonalds or similar, where the key to success is following the model exactly. Not changing the burger sauce recipe. Not coming up with new items to add to your menu. Not utilising creative and personality-driven marketing techniques.
I had fallen for the common myth that franchising equals restriction. But that doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, our franchisees are a testament to a fabulous blend of shared values and individual creativity. We’re united by a common mission – to support and empower small businesses. But how we bring this mission to life varies wonderfully across our network. Each franchisee leverages our comprehensive tools, training, and frameworks in ways that best suit their local markets and personal strengths.
I’d hate the idea that our guidelines stifle creativity, and our franchisees prove the opposite every day. Within the supportive structure we have, they find the freedom to innovate, personalise, and express their entrepreneurial spirit. You can see this if you have a look at them on social media. They have a ‘base’ of resources but they are all different, and their independence and personalities shine through, adding incredible value and diversity to our brand.
A key value for us is empowerment, and for me that means empowering our franchisees, not boxing them in. They have access to a wealth of resources, but they’re free to explore, experiment, and excel in their own unique ways. We try to achieve a good balance of guidance and autonomy because we think that fosters a vibrant community of HR consultants.
They come up with ideas, for new products, adjustments to services and for resources that would help them or their clients, and they are not only free to vary how they offer products and services, but if they come up with a great idea for something new, we’ll set the wheels in motion and turn that great idea into a new product with resources guidance and training to back up their innovation.
Want to know more about what it’s like working with us? Download our prospectus and then get in touch for a chat with us to find out.