by Larry Reed | Feb 1, 2023 | Franchising
With any business that provides a service, it is important to not only keep customers happy but to keep them coming back. Below is a list of three ways you can make your customers feel appreciated and welcomed, which may result in them becoming loyal customers.
Show Your Appreciation
The role your customers play in the success of your business can not be understated. They are the main reason why you can keep your doors open, and your business in operation. To thank your customers for all that they do, you can show your appreciation for them.
This could be in the form of a customer loyalty program, customer spotlights and customer appreciation days. While these gestures may seem simple, they will go a long way in making your customers feel valued.
Make It Easy for Customers to Contact You
Direct communication with your customers is a great way to show them that you value their input. As a business, pulling back the curtain between yourself and your customers will make them feel like they are more than just a number to you.
While phone lines are not the popular form of communication they used to be, they still play an important role in customers being able to reach you. Email is another great method for communicating with customers, be it to fix problems or for marketing purposes.
When it comes to communicating with customers these days, though, it is hard to beat the power of social media. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and TikTok allow you to quickly share blogs, videos and other information that your customers will find entertaining and useful.
Personalized Customer Experiences
The experience and relationship that your customers have with your business should always be something you are looking to improve. One way of doing this is by making sure that your customer service plan includes creating personalized customer experiences.
This means treating your customers as individuals rather than as one big group of people. You can do this by creating specialized offers for them, messaging that focuses on products and services they are interested in and using their preferred platform for communication.
When it comes to creating a personalized customer experience, your focus should be on how your business can make your customer’s experience as easy as possible.
Ready to take the leap into franchising? Get in touch today to get started!
by Larry Reed | Jan 15, 2023 | Franchising, News
As an entrepreneur, being self-confident can be beneficial for you and your employees. Your employees will look up to you as someone they can trust to lead them in the right direction, and this will help them feel confident in their work. A workplace with confident employees is more likely to be successful.
But being self-confident does not come naturally to everyone. For some entrepreneurs, while they may excel in business acumen, building relationships and having knowledge of their business or product, being self-confident may be difficult.
Luckily, there are ways for you to build your confidence as an entrepreneur. Here are some of the methods you can use to make yourself a more confident entrepreneur and leader in your workplace!
Learning to Be Resilient
Encountering difficulties is part of being an entrepreneur. Of course, you will want to be as successful as possible, but as with any profession, you will come across roadblocks that may take you slightly off course.
One way to safely navigate these roadblocks is by learning to be emotionally resilient. What does it mean to be “emotionally resilient”?
This means that even in the face of adversity, you will be able to find a way to control your emotions, pick yourself up and get back to work.
Facing Your Fears
Even the strongest people have fears. But when it comes to dealing with fear as an entrepreneur, letting your fear of failure, challenges and conflict at work get the best of you will only hinder your success.
So, what can you do to overcome your fears? You can confront them!
Take the time to acknowledge that your fears are real and that it is normal to feel the way you do. You can begin to explore the source of your fears and the impact that not dealing with them is having on you at work.
From there, you can take steps to work to overcome those fears. If a challenge or conflict arises at work, try to work through it rather than ignore them.
Being an entrepreneur can be a life-changing experience. But if you are a person who lacks self-confidence, you may find your entrepreneurial career challenging. By practicing these steps, you can help yourself to be a more confident entrepreneur and leader.
If you would like to know more about franchising and how I can help you, get in touch today!
by Larry Reed | Jan 1, 2023 | Uncategorized
As a franchise owner, the pressure is on to recruit the best talent for your business. The right candidates can be found in a variety of ways, and with modern technology, there are a variety of recruiting methods to choose from.
An efficient recruitment strategy will help you source applicants, streamline interviews and get the onboarding process started in no time!
1. Enhance Your Job Ads
A thorough, descriptive job advertisement is a great way to capture the attention of job seekers. There are many ways to enhance a job ad, such as including a “requirements” sections, adding in a realistic salary range and incorporating screening questions.
If you aren’t receiving enough qualified candidates, it may be because your job advertisement is vague or less than impressive. It may be the window into your company for candidates and you want them to get a good impression from the post.
2. Utilize Social Media
Social media is the perfect avenue for creating a positive company brand and letting others know that you are hiring. Potential candidates will be able to look back through previous posts on social media platforms and determine whether or not they believe they’d fit in with your company culture.
3. Make a Good First Impression
Just as your social media profiles and job advertisements provide a first impression to potential employees, you want to make sure you make a good impression in your interviews and during any contact with the candidate.
Be sure to respond to email and calls in a timely manner and maintain a professional demeanor during meetings.
4. Showcase Your Company Culture
Company culture can influence how your employees feel when they walk into the office. If you aren’t sure whether your business has a strong, positive company culture, it may be time to create one.
When candidates interview for a position, be sure to mention all of the ways that employees are recognized, appreciated and valued within the workplace. Creating a favorable environment for employees is a great way to entice qualified candidates to apply and current employees to stick around.
5. Consider Current Employees
When a new position opens up, do you consider your current employees for the role, or immediately post on a job board? Companies that promote from within may experience better employee retention and spend less money on recruiting new candidates.
The next time a job opens up on your team, think about your current employees and who could potentially fit seamlessly into the role!
When you’re ready to launch your own business, we can help you with the purchase of your first franchise. Contact me today to learn how we provide support and guidance for entrepreneurs!
by Larry Reed | Dec 13, 2022 | Franchising, Uncategorized
We have all had times when we’ve wanted to increase our focus. For some, ignoring distractions is easy. For others, simple distractions can kick them out of the zone.
Whether you are working on a challenging work task or a home project, it is always a good time to be hyper-focused and productive.
As an entrepreneur it’s easy to go, go, go and forget about your health. As it turns out, if you take care of yourself, it can actually improve your focus!
Fortunately, there are many ways to boost your concentration. Here are my favorite ways to help you improve your focus to maximize your success with your franchise!
1. Improving Your Sleep
Getting more sleep is usually easier said than done. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs know this too well.
But improving your sleep can provide drastic changes to your focus. There is a strong correlation between sleep and cognitive function. Experts agree that sleep influences memory, attention and thinking.
If you’ve been feeling like focus has been hard to come by recently, try changing up your sleep routine. It may be hard to stop working late into the night, but it will greatly improve your overall health—including concentration.
2. Try Focus Exercises
Focus exercises are meant to improve your focus and overall cognitive function. A lot of focus exercises are activities that you probably enjoy doing, you just don’t have a lot of time for. These exercises include reading, sudoku puzzles and meditation.
If your focus needs a boost, try scheduling in time to read a book before bed or doing a sudoku puzzle during lunch.
3. Fit in Exercise
Yes, your schedule is busy. Where could you possibly fit in exercise?
Studies show a correlation between exercise and cognitive function. Being in nature can also improve both your physical and mental well-being, so why take an after-dinner walk to help boost your focus and improve your attention?
4. Remember to Hydrate
Studies show that dehydration can influence cognitive function. Since water is so important to our bodies, you can never go wrong with increasing your aqua intake!
An easy way to do this is to keep a large water bottle with you at all times. You’re busy and always running around, so a water bottle with a handle or strap makes it easy to carry along at all times.
5. Take a Break
Really—take a break! Sometimes stepping away from your tasks and giving your brain a break can help you come back to work even more focused and productive.
If you need to, schedule in regular breaks throughout the day, and take short breaks when you’re feeling unfocused.
Being an entrepreneur is an exciting time, but it is also common to experience a lack of focus, concentration. With these five tips, you can improve your focus and, in turn, maximize your productivity and success within your business!
For all of your franchising needs, contact us today!
by Larry Reed | Dec 1, 2022 | Uncategorized
If you aren’t actively trying to keep your employees engaged already, you should be. Studies show that upwards of 85% of employees are actively disengaged in their current workplace. But what does this mean for a small business owner?
Employees who are not being engaged tend to be less productive in the workplace. There also tends to be higher turnover, a lower retention rate and poor employee morale in these types of workplaces.
In short, not encouraging engagement with employees can hinder your business, hurt your brand’s reputation and cost you a lot of money.
Fortunately, there are many ways you can strive to keep your employees more engaged and happier in the workplace!
1. Create the Right Environment
As a franchisee, you may not always have a say in the setup or layout of your business, but you can work to create a welcoming, positive environment for your employees.
Easy ways to do this include demonstrating a positive attitude, recognizing accomplishments and having the necessary equipment available at all times. Helping employees have a better work-life balance is another way to create an environment that individuals would like to spend their workdays in.
2. Professional Growth Opportunities
When it is time to fill a position, do you post a job online or hire from within? Making it known that employees have the room for professional growth within your business encourages them to work harder within the company.
If the opportunity for a new, higher up position becomes available, there should be an adequate opportunity for current employees to put in an application. Let the candidates have a fair shot at the position. It is never a good feeling to be passed up for a job you believe you’re qualified for!
3. Employees Are People, Too
It’s easy to get caught up in the business side of, well, your business. There are so many meetings to attend, goals to reach and tasks to complete. But it’s important to remember what (or rather, who) is making your franchise function and succeed on a day-to-day basis.
Your staff members are, first and foremost, people. Yes, they are the strategists, managers and other important personnel that drive your company, but they are human.
They require understanding, compassion and encouragement that every person desires in the workplace. Empowering your employees can improve motivation and productivity, which benefits your business in the long run.
Keeping your employees engaged is something you should always strive to do! It’ll help reduce onboarding costs and improve overall employee morale within the workplace.
Get in touch today to get the support you need to build your business!
