mates. New franchisees will question the nature of your friendship,
and will ask whether you are getting any under the counter benefits
that they aren’t – which, in all reality, you probably will be, since
you’ve been there from the start, and the franchisor is your mate.
Your franchisor mate will start to feel the pressure to be ‘The
Franchisor’ instead of just the guy who started the whole thing. Bigger
groups means more responsibility for the franchisor, in making sure
that the whole group is catered for.
As a friend, you need to know that this is going to happen sooner or
later. And as a friend, you wouldn’t push back if the benefits you had
been receiving as a friend come to a shuddering stop. It may be that
little transgressions you’ve been allowed to get away with in the past
are now not permitted.
You may find that there are suddenly layers of people between you
and the Franchisor. Maybe a personal assistant, or a field office, or
even a couple of layers of management. While these layers are
necessary for the franchise to grow, it can be a bit horrible to suddenly
find yourself on the outer.
Don’t be surprised if your mate pulls away a little. Or even a lot.
Make sure that they realise you know they are doing it, and that you
know why. Make sure you acknowledge the leverage you have had
before, and that you understand why that leverage may have been
taken away. Don’t let your friendship suffer because the franchise
group is maturing. Give your friend some space and, when things
return to an even keel, they will still be your friend, and an even
better franchise group will be evolving.
And that will help everyone in the group to make more money.