How a Franchise Agreement and a Franchise Disclosure Document differ
There are two documents that are of vital importance...
As an incoming Canadian franchisee, you have probably noticed that there are a lot of moving parts in a franchise. Therefore, it's wise to learn as much as you can about the inner workings of a brand before you join a franchise, including the key personnel you may be interacting with once you join. One such important role that may exist in your franchise is the Master Franchisee or Franchise Area Manager. This is a person who is responsible for developing the presence of the brand in a specific area, and they also support franchisees in that region.
Before you decide to join a particular franchise, learn more about what your Master Franchisee can do for you.
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Ensures the brand values
One benefit of buying into a franchise is the idea of consistency for you and your customers. Everyone knows what to expect when delivering or buying a service or product. Here, the area manager provides guidance to you, your employees and other franchisees and their teams regarding the mission of the brand. They will look at operations and recommend any changes necessary to keep the brand's framework intact, ensuring consistency across the board.
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Acts as a mentor
A good area manager will let you know what areas you can address to improve business. They will also review your operations, so they know how to help if needed. A franchise area manager may cover a fairly large region, and you will likely only see yours once or twice a month. Ideally, you will know about their visit in advance, so you can plan your time wisely.
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Works toward area success
Some Master Franchisees largely focus on sales. If there are unsold sites in your area for franchises, their main goal will be to find people for those locations. However, a strong manager will also help area franchisees run efficiently. This could mean, for example, encouraging more collaboration among franchisees or setting up more between-store referrals.
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Helps with local promotion
In some franchises, area managers coordinate the marketing promotions in their region. These are the promotions paid for with the advertising/marketing fee you may pay to your franchisor.
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Encourages teamwork
It's often helpful when franchisees network with and learn from each other, especially those in the same area. Your area manager may offer group training or simple meetings to help promote teamwork among franchisees.
