Opportunity Out of Crisis: What Coronavirus Means for Franchising Your Business

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  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • Atosa USA
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • RATIONAL USA
  • Imperial Dade
  • DAVO Sales Tax
  • RAK Porcelain
  • Red Gold Sacramento
  • Texas Pete
  • Day & Nite
  • McKee Foodservice
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Being hit head on by a global pandemic in 2020 was nothing any of us expected. As we settle into our new normal, you may be thinking about franchising your business. What sort of opportunities have arisen out of this crisis? Social distancing, toilet paper shortages, mask requirements — is it truly the right time to franchise?

Opportunity has arisen from this crisis in several ways. After my franchise development team and I have seen record franchise sales this year, I say with resounding confidence that the groundwork has been laid and it is indeed an excellent time to consider franchising your business.


Opportunity #1: The World is Virtually Easier to Navigate

Necessity is the mother of invention. When COVID hit, we figured out a way around social distancing and fast. The digital world is more user-friendly than ever. Let’s break down what this means for franchising your business — the franchise sales process goes faster, and training can be done through readily available virtual platforms. Even trade shows are virtual, eliminating geographical bounds!

After you made the sale of your first franchise, your brand is blossoming, and your franchisee is operational — now what? Businesses and consumers step in stride with contactless payments, order-ahead tools, and third-party delivery services. There are stronger additional revenue streams that have occurred due to this national crisis bringing in customers virtually who may never have otherwise set foot in a brick-and-mortar. I’ve enjoyed seeing the ingenuity of franchised brands, such as The Local Culinary, the first-ever virtual kitchen brand family to hit the franchise market during this time.


Opportunity #2: Well-Qualified Candidates Seek New Ventures

Darwinian law has been in full swing during the pandemic crisis for businesses. Businesses who couldn’t adapt, shuttered. What’s left? People who need jobs and candidates for your franchise who are open to new ideas. The talent pool is rich with well-qualified, well-capitalized potential franchisees. The market is ripe with opportunities for business owners looking to develop a franchise because individuals are open to it due to the newfound mindsets of flexibility. As people have found themselves suddenly unemployed this year, their minds turn to alternative ways of bringing in income.

  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • Day & Nite
  • Atosa USA
  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units
  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • DAVO Sales Tax
  • RATIONAL USA
  • Texas Pete
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • RAK Porcelain
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • Imperial Dade
  • McKee Foodservice
  • Red Gold Sacramento

As stated in our opening paragraph, my business has seen record franchise sales that have outperformed any other year in my 11 years in operation. This demonstrates people’s willingness to take risk, the desire to be their own boss, and their openness to business ownership. The opportunity for you as a franchisor is a wider, deeper candidate pool from which to choose.


Opportunity #3: Real Estate

When developing the franchise business plan, we factor in real estate costs. Here’s the opportunity: several businesses shut down suddenly when COVID hit leaving empty stores and broken leases in its trail. Don’t let this scare you. These businesses weren’t prepared, and their models couldn’t adapt quickly enough. When adequately prepared for the unexpected you can benefit from lowered real estate pricing and desparte landlords trying to make ends meet. Stores that can be retrofitted lower costs for your franchisees making the value of your franchise offering go up. McDonald’s closed 200 stores in 2020, half of which were in Walmart. Joe’s Gourmet restaurant, a franchise based out of Georgia, capitalized on these empty sites and now has a viable, sustainable, pandemic-proof model in place that will take over these empty sites inside of the nation’s #1 retailer.

Recognizing the opportunities that this pandemic has presented — such as empty real estate with desperate landlords — or knowing how to price everything for the current market’s conditions, it all starts with franchise development wisdom. In the same way that franchising uses a proven model to best deliver results to the business owner, a proven development process with a dedicated team of experts behind you is essential.

My team and I can help walk you through this decision-making process. Is it the right time to franchise your business? Contact us for a free consultation!

  • McKee Foodservice
  • Inline Plastics Safe-T-Chef
  • Imperial Dade
  • BelGioioso Burrata
  • DAVO Sales Tax
  • Texas Pete
  • AyrKing Mixstir
  • Simplot Frozen Avocado
  • Day & Nite
  • Atosa USA
  • RATIONAL USA
  • Red Gold Sacramento
  • RAK Porcelain
  • T&S Brass Eversteel Pre-Rinse Units
Franchise Marketing Systems
Founded in 2009, Franchise Marketing Systems is a one-stop-shop for all franchise development, marketing, and sales needs. Founded by franchise industry guru Chris Conner, FMS seeks to become a strategic partner with restaurants —and businesses across all industries — as they expand through franchising. As a first step, FMS offers a free, no obligation consultation to those interested in learning more about franchising their business. The company and its leadership team boast an impressive list of clientele — including Sodastream, Rosati’s, and Ford, just to name a few —and is dedicated to walking alongside their clientele throughout the entire franchise development process, continuing on into sales.