Up-to-date Franchise Manuals

Franchising is about the transfer of a successful business model and the protection of a valuable brand.

Franchise manuals help formalise aspects of the business model, and thus include important information on how franchisees are to operate the business.

Franchise manuals also help franchisees understand how they are to operate within the franchise system.

Franchise manuals need to be useful and cover operational information that is relevant and practical to franchisees. That information needs to be up to date. If the manual is not up to date then it is in some ways worse than not having one. It can even be counter-productive or illegal.

Franchise manuals are often described as the cornerstone of a successful franchise system, and for good reason.

If you’re a franchisor, make sure you have good coverage. Make sure your manuals are useful to franchisees and contain up-to-date information.

Franchisees are investing in your franchise business because they have faith in your business model. Make sure your manuals reflect this and are valuable to franchisees. If they are, that will help everyone develop a more effective business and total brand.

Relevant questions:

• Are your franchise manuals up to date?
• Do your manuals adequately address the operational requirements of your business, and protect your brand?
• Are there areas not currently covered you know should be included?

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.

We have assembled the first 40 best practices into The Best Practice Handbook, which is available for purchase.