Most of our engagements begin with a prospective client asking us a question. Here are a few of the more common examples:

"Can you help us manage a franchisee conflict?"
Yes, we can.

"Can you tell us if we should franchise?"
Yes, we can.

"Can you develop a turn-key franchise program for us?"
Yes, we can.

"Can you help us sell more franchises?"
Yes, we can.

We have been asked to do many different things for clients and have often been able to say "yes we can." Other times, we have had to say "no, we can't" for any number or reasons. The rationale that comes along with a "no" can be as useful for prospective clients as our saying "yes." So if you'd like to explore what we might be able to do for your company, please contact us.

Our Capabilities
One way of looking at franchising is that it is a business within a business. Thus, in plying our profession, we need to have a command of a number of business disciplines that are needed in our work, including those listed below. However, we do not typically "sell" services as individual packages unless they coincide exactly with client needs.

What we sell are individually-tailored solutions to business challenges, goals and problems that, with our help, our clients have decided to pursue. Like:

•      Market analysis
•      Business/brand growth strategies
•      Brand analysis & competitive strategies
•      Franchisor/franchisee business modeling
•      Financial forecasting & budgeting
•      Franchise agreement design
•      Registration document design
•      Franchise manuals development
•      Accounting procedures & controls
•      Franchise marketing strategies & systems
•      Franchise website design and content development
•      Facility and image design
•      Franchise sales/promotional materials
•      Franchise advertising development
•      Franchisor staffing & organization design
•      Franchisor/franchisee training design
•      Operational support systems design
•      Franchise survey research
•      Franchisor/franchisee communications
•      Franchisee organization development
•      Interactive educational workshops
•      Conflict resolution/prevention/management services
•      Follow-up consulting

The Franchise Twist: It Matters
If you read through this list, you probably noted a number of familiar terms with "Franchise" in front of them. This might lead you to wonder, as one example, why not go to an ordinary ad agency for "Franchise sales/promotional materials" or "Franchise advertising development"? The reason is the special nature of business opportunity marketing.
      The customer here is an unusual class of individual, someone who is contemplating a major investment. Understanding the psychology of this type of prospect and the sales process is a key issue. Thus, positioning and presenting a franchise offering is somewhat a specialized art, and given the competitive nature of the business opportunity marketplace you want to know that you are presenting your opportunity in the best possible manner.
     Another example: Although "Conflict resolution" doesn't have the word "Franchise" in front of it, there's a franchising difference here too. Our approach to solving franchisor/franchisee difficulties is markedly different from traditional arbitration and mediation. It deals with very human qualities like emotions, which are usually at the heart of disputes, and are every bit as important as the contractual issues that are ostensibly at issue.
     Having the right approach is critical in such cases because the stakes in franchise conflicts are particularly high; conflicts can multiply very rapidly throughout a franchise system and can literally stop a franchise program in its tracks. For an unusual example of a conflict resolution situation, see the Westinghouse project profile.
     Just one more example is survey research. Designing survey instruments that can yield powerful data for business strategy development as well as franchisee opinions requires an understanding of the real business issues that make franchise companies tick.
     To "bottom line" the issue, franchising matters require franchise-savvy solutions.

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Structuring assignments is an art form in our business. We do not sell off-the-shelf "solutions." We custom-design assignments to meet the specific needs of each client, a process that pays off in superior outcomes.