Long-Term Communication & Support Plan

Long-Term Communication & Support Plan – Best Practice #25

Franchise systems need to have a franchisee communication and support plan that details what will happen when. The franchisee support and communication plan should cover the multitude of elements relating to the franchise, like:

• Franchise conferences and regional meetings
• Field visits, ongoing training and business reviews
• Business and marketing planning and approval dates
• Audits, assessments and awards
• Franchise newsletters and updates

The communication and support plan needs to be sufficiently planned, and structured, in advance (i.e., Long Term) for a number of reasons, not least:

• To ensure the Franchise Support Office has the resources necessary to execute the plan
• To enable franchisees to know what to expect, and plan appropriately
• To optimise required support for franchisees
• To help ensure a baseline of support is formalised
• To provide the franchisor with sufficient opportunity to strategically involve and influence franchisees, particularly regarding collaborating on needed franchise systemwide changes.

We suggest such a communication and support plan should go out at least one year, but ideally further in advance. We also note that it needn’t be set in stone, although the majority should not move around too much.

About the Franchising Best Practice 500 Series

This is part of a series of franchising best practices. Franchize Consultants is sharing and publishing these best practices weekly for the betterment of franchising. We know that better knowledge and execution of franchising best practices leads to bigger and more valuable franchisor and franchisee businesses.