A franchise is often based on the idea of uniformity, rather than creativity. Whenever you go into a specific store, you feel like you’ve been in it before. All of the various outlets are the same.
This can be hard for some business owners, who wanted to start a company because of the sense of individuality they’d have and the creativity that would allow. Is there any room for this in a franchise?
Creativity usually comes in other areas
Though there are some brands that are built on a sense of creativity, with more of a boutique style, the reality is that most franchises do not allow for a lot of creative freedom. That uniformity is important because the goal is to ensure that the customer knows exactly what experience they’re going to get. That experience is reflected in the products that are sold — which are typically governed at a corporate level — and even the uniforms that the workers wear. You want to adhere to this because it’s what people expect and it’s the very reason they choose that franchise in the first place.
You may be able to have creativity in some other areas, though, such as where the business is physically located or what the landscaping looks like. You also get to determine who you hire and build a team that fits with your vision and your values, even if the product itself is established by the franchisor.
As you can imagine, it’s very important to know exactly what rules you’ll need to follow when starting a franchise and what steps to take to set everything up.
