By Dugan Aylen, Director of Franchise Recruitment Services (FRS) Ltd 
As we move into the month with the shortest day and busy late night shopping, people already looking at franchising tend to put it on the backburner, and people that were thinking about it will now put it off until the New Year. Phones are not answered, emails are not read and the internet is used more for Christmas shopping than looking for franchises.
Slow Down and Sleigh Bells..
The period from the end of November through to early January is a time of drought in the franchise sector, and, as we see lead numbers usually halve in December, this is further compounded by the fact that those leads already in the system generally lose much of their initial motivation and desire in the build up to the holiday period.
Dreaming of a White Christmas..
While many people are dreaming of a white Christmas and a break from work, many others are dreaming about starting their own business in 2008 and franchising has become an ever more popular way of helping this become a reality.
Seeing out 2007..
I have heard many complaints that 2007 has been a bad year for franchising in terms of lead numbers, but I tend to disagree with this, and for those brands that have committed a realistic budget to advertising, have positioned that advertising in the right places, and have effectively handled the leads generated, their expectations have been met.
Targets Missed..
In 2007, I have come across many franchisors trying to do too much at the same time in an effort to save money and control budgets. This often has a detrimental effect on the number of franchisees they bring on every month, and now we are in December, this is when realisation hits that targets have been missed, and planning begins for 2008 to do it all again.
Outsourcing Franchisee Recruitment..
Many franchisors believe they will lose control if they outsource the area of franchisee recruitment, and I can understand this concern. This is why it is extremely important to be diligent when selecting an outside agency to get involved in everything from the placement of franchisee advertising, receiving all the leads generated, handling and management of those leads all the way through to arranging face to face meetings between qualified leads and the franchisor.
There are a number of consultancy companies offering this kind of service to franchisors, but some of them want large monthly retainers and to tie the brand into advertising in vehicles they control; some also look for over-inflated commissions when a franchisee comes on board and some don’t have the experience, or the independent knowledge to simply provide a service that works!
New Year’s Resolutions..
Franchise Recruitment Services Ltd (FRS) offer bespoke packages which focus on the success of the brand and I am always happy to have a chat on the phone to see whether outsourcing is a realistic option for you. Make it your New Year’s resolution to look into getting some assistance with all your franchisee recruitment needs so that next time you don’t have a cold, hard winter!
For more information and to talk about your recruitment process, please contact Dugan Aylen directly by using the contact request link below
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