SA Franchise Warehouse

Training is key for prospective franchisees’ success 

For franchisees to be successful, a strong and formative management approach is necessary, where emphasis is placed on elements such as stock control, organising, planning, staff management and understanding the rules of the franchise. Training Manager at Sandwich Baron, Sergio Martins, says without this kind of structure and management, franchisees could struggle to achieve the profit margins they require. Training is therefore imperative to help franchisees fully understand the franchise’s business system, resulting in exceptional service, quality, consistency and great profit margins.

The key capability needed to run a successful franchise is the ability to follow the business system and the regulations of the franchise brand. At Sandwich Baron, we expect franchisees to be fully committed to delivering top service, and consistency in a quality product, which require them to be able to work on food costs and implement controls every day in all areas of the store. Marketing strategies must also be implemented daily and revised annually to achieve increased turnover and continually grow the customer base.

For this reason, as soon as potential franchisees are given the go-ahead to open a new store, they begin training immediately. With the over-arching objective of upholding the value of the brand, we discuss elements such as the franchise agreement, rules and compliance, to make sure they will be able to comply with the high standards expected in every section of the operation.  Suppliers, stocktakes, ordering, compliant products, food measurement and product yield are included, as well as the point of sales system, security, theft and insurance. 

All our training has clear objectives and we evaluate the franchisees’ understanding through tests to make sure that the desired outcome was achieved.

A positive attitude and a great motivated team are musts, so franchisees are encouraged to grow in their leadership role and to have regular meetings with their staff. This helps them feel part of the business and allows the franchisee to identify and address any issues timeously. Franchisees cannot for a moment assume that the operation like this can run itself - a hands-on approach is non-negotiable and hard work is required to achieve maximum success. Owner run, rather than manager-run, stores are preferable.

Establishing and maintaining a robust and healthy relationship between the franchisee and franchisor is also critical, because through this channel the entrepreneur has access to excellent knowledge, proven advice and support. The franchisor has walked this path for long enough to know what works and what doesn’t, how to deal with the common issues that arise in a business of this nature and how to establish a culture of continual improvement among the staff.

For more information about the franchise, visit www.sandwichbaron.com