How can you help franchisees thrive during times of economic uncertainty?

Turbulent economic times have always been an opportunity for strong, innovative businesses to shine – and the challenges presented by today’s political landscape are no different.

The businesses that thrive, rather than being content with merely surviving, will be those that have a strong culture and a mindset of growth and innovation embedded at every level.

It’s vital to be unwavering in your commitment to your business’ values, no matter what the environment is.

Running a home care network of over 120 franchises businesses, effective communication from the top is essential to maintaining a consistent culture and brand values. Brexit has been an opportunity to redouble our commitment to this, and an internal culture campaign to re-emphasise our values, beliefs and ethos at every level has supported our continued growth.

Confidence to innovate, so essential when the road ahead may be bumpy, comes through strong communication and collaboration. I would advise any large franchise network to offer as many opportunities as possible for franchisees to come together to share learnings and ideas and to benefit from peer support.

After all, that’s one of the many benefits of running a franchise – support from the parent business and from other business owners who are in the same position. We’ve found that a mixture of regular face-to-face events and online tools that people can access remotely works well. Public celebrations of success and rewarding excellence are wonderful motivators too.

It’s vital to be unwavering in your commitment to your business’ values, no matter what the environment is. We turn away a great number of franchisee hopefuls because they do not fit our ethos. We know that if we did, they would only dilute the strong brand we have built over so many years. If an applicant doesn’t show a real vocation for care and an affinity with our ethos, it doesn’t matter how brilliant a businessperson they might be, they won’t be part of the Caremark network.

Never rest on your laurels, keep moving. Our industry, home care, is a growing and fairly recession-proof one. No robot could ever replicate the vital work our teams do. That only motivates us even more, so we continue to innovate at head office level and to inspire our franchisees to do the same in their local communities. Whether you a franchisor or running a network or a business with employees, culture and values need to be clearly communicated and reinforced at every level. In this way franchisees and staff alike will become brand ambassadors because they feel supported, inspired and part of something bigger.

For further information please email info@caremark.co.uk or visit www.caremarkfranchises.com

David Glover, Managing Director, Caremark