Working together in a franchise
Since the way a network operates is comparable to an extended family, the opportunities for actual family members to work together are plentiful in franchising, finds Annie Blinkhorn
They say the family that plays together stays together. The same could also be said of ‘works together’ – particularly in franchising when those working towards a common goal enjoy not only the familial support of a relative but also that of the franchise network which itself mirrors a family structure.
Franchisors too are keen to recruit family members, given the dependability factor of people who have more than just business bonds to connect them. Says Andy Hirst, head of franchise development at Domino’s Pizza: “Trust is very important when it comes to running any business and so some franchisees fi nd working with a family member the best option.”
“A number of franchisees run their stores as family businesses and we fi nd this can work really well. Running a franchise is a real commitment and having a family member to support you can be invaluable. Often it’s not just the fi nancing people choose to approach their families for help with, but for operational aspects such as marketing, HR or accounts.
“We have a number of franchisees who already run their businesses with brothers, wives, sons and daughters and, as their franchise grows, there are great opportunities to continue expanding the business further with the backing of their family behind them.”
Sussanne Chambers, managing director of HomeXperts, the estate and letting agent franchise adds: “The saying two heads are better than one is true in franchising. Often family members have different skills and experiences, they trust and instinctively know how to support each other as they grow their franchise business.”
Here four franchisees describe their experiences of keeping it in the family.
Caremark
Caremark Sisters Jo Fitzmaurice, 43, and Hayley Parkins, 41, have just embarked on their Caremark franchise in Bedford. Having worked together previously, they are confident that their joint venture will be a success.
Why did you decide to go into business with a family member? Hayley and I worked very well together in several businesses some years ago and really enjoyed the experience. It wasn’t until I took a career break and looked into a domiciliary care franchise that the germ of an idea began, which started primarily when we were both caring for our terminally ill mother at home. It was at that point we realised the need for families to have access to a really good care and support service. We discussed going into the care sector and as Hayley was working in healthcare at the time, her knowledge of the industry was invaluable. We wanted to help others whilst providing exceptional standards of care as well as enable families to have the highest quality of life possible. When Hayley told me she would like to work in the business with me, I did not hesitate – to be working with my sister again will be amazing!
How will you divide the work between yourselves?
Hayley’s skills gained from her previous employment equip her perfectly to take on the role of care manager, whilst I will be taking the role of the franchisee. Both Hayley and I, together with our father, are directors of the company, with our father taking responsibility for the fi nancial direction of the business. The roles of care manager and franchisee are clearly defined in the Caremark system and the skills required for each are perfectly suited to our individual previous experience. We both work very proactively and are able to distribute the workload to suit our particular strengths.
What do you think will be the biggest benefi ts of working with family?
We both work to very high standards and are committed to providing the best professional care and support. We understand the need to support and develop our employees and how to work as a team. Knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we are able to be supportive of one another as well as understanding the commitments we have outside of work. As sisters we are very close and rely on each other for feedback, criticism and support.
What advice would you give to others thinking of going into business with their family?
First, make sure your skill match is relevant to your responsibilities. Be totally honest and transparent with each other and make sure that you can talk openly about anything without a major fall out! Always listen to each other and don’t take feedback or criticism negatively. Realise that you will face obstacles along the way, but see these as a way to learn and make positive changes in your working relationship. Don’t have expectations of each other that have not been discussed work life/family life balance correct from the start is crucial and always set aside time to be a family and not just business partners. Most importantly, never lose sight of what made you decide to do it together in the first place!
Do you think there are any negative aspects to working with family?
Not really, not for us, having worked successfully together in the past. We do exchange ‘words’ from time to time! But it’s never anything serious and is to be expected when one is working closely with a family member. We are very different people but we are both as committed as the other to making our business a success and totally trust each other to make this happen.
Granite Transformations
The Whitwood family run two Granite Transformations franchises in the East of England, recently opening their second retail showroom in St Ives, Cambridgeshire to complement an existing site in Norwich. Before franchising, father Malcolm had his own woodworking fi rm and sons Oliver and Tom already had jobs but felt like a change. Oliver, 31, explains how Whitwood & Sons came to operate the ‘top-that-fi ts-on-top’ franchise.
How did you find out about franchising and why Granite Transformations?
We first saw the Granite Transformations concept at a trade show and, since we didn’t take any leafl ets, we might have missed the opportunity – but later we saw it at another show and got hold of the franchise information. By 2004, we’d opened our fi rst showroom in Norwich.
What cemented your decision to invest and work together as a family?
Dad and I had already decided to invest in a Granite Transformations franchise, but we thought it would be great if we could all work together, so we enlisted Tom as workshop manager.
You are all three trained as professional joiners. Did that help with the franchise and what extra support did you receive?
We attended the initial training programme and found the technical side quite straightforward, as you might expect. We are not afraid to get our hands dirty and pitch in with the installations, but we appreciated the franchisor’s input on business operations and sales and marketing. We didn’t have the finances to invest in a major advertising campaign, so we built the business through leaflet drops, exhibiting at county shows and word-of-mouth recommendations, as well as passing trade.
How do you see the future and the growth of your family franchise?
For now we are managing with just four fulltime employees, but our growth target is to double turnover in the near future, by which time we shall be recruiting new staff. But don’t expect any fanfare and fireworks. As a family, we have always adopted a cautious attitude, building up our business gradually, and we shall be sticking to that formula.
Domino’s
Domino’s Pizza Brothers Archie, 42, and Muj Yasin, 37, began their careers at Domino’s Pizza as in-store team members in Luton, their home town. Archie joined in 1988 as a delivery driver and Muj in 1990 as a customer service representative. Finding the fast-paced environment so appealing that they decided they wanted their own slice of this exciting business. Today they are franchise owners of 12 stores across Luton, Dunstable, Hemel Hempstead, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City and Birmingham. Archie recalls their 25 years of fraternal franchising.
How did you go from working as employees to owning your own franchise?
Joining the company on the shop floor gave us a good grounding for the road ahead. Seeing the business from the floor up meant we could appreciate every single job role within the store and could coach and encourage our teams accordingly. We knew what it was like to be working in the rush – a Domino’s term for the peak time in a store – so we knew that every role was vital to running a smooth and efficient store.
Working together as brothers how much did your family dynamic inform your working style?
Muj and myself are very passionate about Domino’s, we just think there is no business like it. It captured our attention and once we were hooked there was no looking back. When we invested in our first store it was a fantastic feeling and over the years we have seen the company grow and develop into the successful, well-known and well-loved brand it is today. We are privileged to be a part of that and have built our business based on our own experiences. We believe in our people and see all our team members as an extended family. We really do regard our network of staff as a huge team all working towards the same goal.
HomeXperts
HomeXperts Jasprit and Belinder Kahai brought their HomeXperts franchise in 2011 and live with their young family in Harrow, North London. Jasprit, describes how the franchise has fitted around their family life.
Why did you decide to work together?
We wanted to work together in a property franchise; we are both very interested in property, but had different employment experiences. We knew we could work well as a team and we wanted to find a franchise where we could work together and be successful.
How do you share the responsibilities?
From the start Belinder took on the financial side of setting up the business. With an accounting background this was an area that she excelled in. I have managed my portfolio for the past 15 years and it was my role to take on the management of the letting properties and all valuations plus dayto- day admin work. Belinder has a flair for pr and marketing and she manages this side of the business including managing our website and especially being creative and writing our blog. We have clearly defined roles and we both know what our responsibilities are. With a young family we also recognise there are times when one half of the partnership can work on HomeXperts business and the other manages the home life. So we are always there to support each other. A recent example is when we had a landlord with a query and although it was technically part of my role to deal with his questions, Belinder spoke to him, sorted out his query all before I got back from my meeting. End result – one happy landlord!
Did you know you could work together?
Yes we have been married for 14 years and we know each other really well, neither of us was worried about working together, in fact this was one of the main attractions of working with a HomeXperts franchise.
What are the benefits of working with family?
I have always wanted to work for myself and working with my wife I wanted to become a property professional and HomeXperts was ideal. This is a very flexible business for me and it works around the family.
Did you look at any other franchises and what was it about HomeXpert that suited your plans for a family business?
We looked at a number of other franchises. Some had higher levels of investment, however, than we were comfortable with. We also wanted a business where we could work at from home, with a low-cost investment. We also wanted a franchise that was a relatively new set up, working with the market conditions we have today and a franchise that would grow and develop with our business. We liked HomeXperts from day one, we were impressed with the professional approach and we liked the team at HomeXperts. We particularly liked that they were realistic with their business plans for us, very honest and did not sell us an unachievable dream like some other franchisees we talked to.
We are very happy with the family decision we made to join HomeXperts, even with the economy the way it is at the moment, I know I have prepared well for the future for myself and my family with us both working in a business we are enjoying immensely.
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