Key ingredients for success

Lesley Gillespie Co-Founder and CEO Bakers Delight Holdings
Learn from the experts at Bakers Delight what it is that makes a successful franchisee.

Lesley Gillespie | Co-Founder and CEO | Bakers Delight Holdings

Lesley Gillespie and husband Roger opened their first Bakers Delight bakery 29 years ago in inner suburban Melbourne. Today the company is Australia's most successful bakery franchise with over 700 bakeries across Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Recruiting the "right" franchisees is a major contributor to maintaining levels of excellence and longevity of a franchise network. It is pivotal to business success for both the franchise and the corporate "parent" that franchisees make a career choice that is right for them.

An informed franchisee
Before purchasing a franchise it is important to thoroughly research the available franchise opportunities and to make the correct choice of industry. This is the foundation of a successful franchisee.

It is also important to consider franchise longevity which includes number of years the franchisor has been in business and whether the franchise product or service offering is a passing fad - will trends dictate success?

Is the franchisor open and frank, offering the opportunity to talk to other franchisees? Talking with franchisees helps in understanding what it is like working hands-on in the business, and to obtain unbiased views on the franchisor.

Obtaining independent legal, accounting and business advice before signing any binding documents is absolutely essential.

Commitment
A franchise by its very nature offers strength in numbers and commitment to the proven systems and procedures that have made the franchise business successful.

While the franchisee must be committed to the relationship, commitment is also facilitated by what the franchisor has to offer initially through training and subsequently in ongoing support.

Attitude
Embracing a positive, goal-driven attitude is pivotal to success.

The franchisee needs to embrace a willingness to work hard and learn, and an ability to communicate these values to members of their staff.

Benchmarking
Benchmarking performance against other franchise businesses within a network and the sharing of ideas between likeminded individuals encourages continuous improvement and contributes to business success.

A franchisor who is committed to the success of their franchisees will offer avenues for peer communication through benchmarking, conferences, workshops and forums.

For those who make the decision to go into franchising, their success will be determined by their depth of understanding of the franchise business, combined with a commitment to the formula, tools and systems that underpin the strength of the franchisor.

To find out more about a franchise business opportunity refer to the A-Z Franchise Listing.