What is obvious to some is not for others

Photo credits: Franck Berthouloux, consultant in Adventi Franchise (Nantes)

Decisive in the choice of a sign

By definition, the franchise based on know-how and its transmission to franchisees, prior to their integration in network (initial training) after the opening of their point of sale or Agency (continuing education). Future franchisees often are neophytes in the phase of learning a new trade. In the choice of a sign, they must among others attach to verify the quality of training, vital for the success of their independent business. Four criteria are to examine closely: the cost, duration, the content and the quality of the speakers. All training must meet the requirements of entrepreneurs who have made a significant financial investment and made the choice of a new career direction.

Initial training

Cost: support opportunities

Amount of thousands of euros, the cost of training must always be clearly notified either in the franchise agreement, the DIP, either in the business plan (estimated budget). In General, it is included in the admission of the network. "The future franchisee may seek to separate the cost of training of the right of entry as an invoice and a convention." This procedure allows to obtain, according to regions, funding by pole use of all or part of the training - such as travel expenses-. If the franchise applicant is an employee of another structure, and if the franchisor is certified training centre, he may benefit from support by the OPCA1 of his current employer for the individual right to training. ", said Franck Berthouloux, consultant in Adventi Franchise.

Training period: return to common sense

According to the last study carried out by the Banque Populaire, the duration of initial training is on average 34 days, ranging from a few days to several months. "Should be talking about common sense." If the franchise is predominantly technical and commercial, the duration of the training must be consistent with the requirements of the business. ", said Franck Berthouloux.

Store-school or tutoring by a "senior".

The content of the training must balance between theory and practice, with alternating between these two modes of teaching. "It is easier to digest the theoretical part of a formation at the point where it spent a day in a point of sale." This allows the franchisee of better grasp its missions and areas of intervention in its future activity, to control the environment from its point of sale and measure investment in a partnership with the franchisor relationship. ", said Franck Berthouloux. To discover the backstage of a point of sale, as you would for a show, there are two relevant solutions: the school store in one of the pilot units of the network or tutoring by a franchisee "senior".

Trainers: Beware the employee vocabulary!

"For the transmission of the theoretical part, the trainer must be understood without"sur-utiliser"the language of the business." He must make his speech for a neophyte, but also be flexible to adapt to future business leaders profiles based on their level of knowledge. What is obvious to some, is not for others. "It is not enough to convey its know-how with its own words, but" whether to do "", adds Franck Berthouloux. The content itself, it is necessarily predominantly commercial, technical, and legal. Ideally, it should also include a general part on entrepreneurship, management, management and human resources, sales techniques, a reminder of the right of the franchise and the elements to negotiate a right to the lease.

Quality and number of stakeholders

In training, what matters is that forms on which area. The holder (the franchisor) know-how is not necessarily a good teacher. "The franchisor has the know-how." It is best to pass it, provided it is a good teacher. It may illustrate the theory by his experiences. Explain the practice of the profession with anecdotes, it is always the little extra that makes the difference. ", explains Franck Berthouloux. It is advisable to the franchisor in this case training of trainer. Or to external expertise for the general part of the training, or to propose a network provider to intervene on purely technical part. In addition, in each training session, the franchisor must bring changes, taking into account the remarks made by trained individuals.

Continuing education: in parallel with commercial animation

Continuing education: the bite of recall

Any franchisor must provide visibility in terms of continuing education of the network for the franchisee as well as for its employees. "Continuing education, or Form'action, is as much a reminder of the know-how as an enrichment of knowledge on new themes, which can be provided by an outside firm." This accompaniment throughout the contract, absolutely vital, can enter in the individual right to training and therefore benefit from support. It must be the franchisee and its collaborators. It is an argument of choice to capture the best elements in the recruitment phase or, Alternatively, to retain its staff. ", provides Franck Berthouloux.

Franchisor, facilitator and trainer: three different trades

"Continuing training becomes a tool of management, increasing the performance of employees in the service of the company, and avoiding the loss of know-how." Attend a seminar or a convention, it can also be continuing education. Through the exchange of experience, it is an opportunity to work the franchisee on his daily outside the context of the point of sale, and motivation. It belongs to the franchisor any implement to maintain the activity of its franchisees. ", says Franck Berthouloux. As for initial training, the training should be stipulated in detail in the DIP and the franchise agreement. Duration, cost, content, and stakeholders are the criteria to determine the effectiveness. The mission is not accomplished at the end of the program, but only if the know-how was actually sent.

(1) OPCA: The organization professional collector certified collects and manages contributions from companies in respect of the financing of vocational training.