BY EDDY GOLDBERG
GROWING TO 10 ( and Beyond )
ADVICE FOR THE EXPANSION-MINDED
Growing to 10 units is a cherished milestone for franchisees . Different obstacles and opportunities crop up along the way , some expected , others not . A while back , we spoke with multi-unit , multi-brand franchisee Sean Falk about his own journey to 10 units , which at the time included four brands : Great American Cookies , Pretzelmaker , Mrs . Fields Cookies , and
Salsarita ’ s Fresh Cantina . Since then , he ’ s had a few more journeys : serving as chair of the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference , testifying before Congress on the Affordable Care Act , and vice president of franchising at Safeway Driving School . Today , in addition to his franchise business , he ’ s franchise development leader and client executive at Hylant Insurance .
Looking to grow to 10 units or more ? Here ’ s some advice you can take to the bank .
How do you know when it ’ s time to expand ? Everyone will have a different trigger point and time frame . It may rely solely on your ability , confidence , and talent . It may take some time for you to feel knowl- edgeable enough and have the monetary support to open additional locations . Or you may have vast experience running big operations and can step into a demanding role right from day one . Others still may have significant financial resources to open multiple locations quickly . Additionally , the level of complexity of the operation will affect how quickly or slowly you expand . Simplicity may afford you the opportunity to expand more quickly . As a QSR operator , I had the good fortune of waiting until my 10th location to add overhead , like an operations manager and an administrative assistant . Some operations , like hotels , are so complex and demanding that you will need that level of support right out of the gate ! So there really isn ’ t just one answer for when it is time to grow . There are many variables to consider . But you will know , and it will be very clear to you !
Should you stick with one brand or take on additional concepts ? There are pros and cons to both sides of this argument . Again , it depends on you . Let me give you my track record as an example . Initially , I bought into a brand and opened a location in my home town of Monroe , Mich . Monroe is a very small town . There wasn ’ t an opportunity for me to open multiple locations of the same brand there . My initial plan was to stay local and open other concepts . So I looked for other brands and eventually had three different brands operating in Monroe . When I decided to break ties with my partner at the time , my goals changed . My new plan was to just have one , or maybe two brands , and expand into other cities . That changed again . As
60 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE III , 2016