When you think about the training involved in onboarding your new franchisees do you think of the image below?

It’s not that you don’t think that the onboarding training is important. You know it’s essential. But it can be repetitive and if the franchises that we work with are anything to go by, then you worry that not enough of the information conveyed in your onboarding training is retained by your new franchisees.

And if you look at it from the point of the new franchisee, then you might realise that it can seem to them something a bit like the image below.

Joining your franchise network is an exciting time for them. They have made a positive decision and they’re looking forward to their journey with you. But it can also feel like they’re being overloaded with information just as they’re embarking. Let’s face it, we all find it tough to retain everything in these circumstances.

There’s got to be a better way, right?

Most of what is described above is carried out in face-to-face training when your new franchisee joins. Face-to-face sessions are a great way to build rapport, confidence and inspire new franchisees about your brand. So that’s exactly what they should be used for. Much of the detail about your processes and operations can be delivered online allowing franchisees to digest it in their own time and at their own pace. And crucially, they can dip into it when they’re most likely for it to embed, e.g. trying out a new process. They can also return to it to refresh whenever they need to.

But how do I know that it’s working?

By using our online learning platform, Course Builder, branded for your franchise, you can create, publish and track everyone’s learning easily, rewarding them with points and personalised certificates. You can use questions to test understanding and get feedback from franchisees using the survey tool.

With the right preparation the outcome of the onboarding experience can look more like the image below! For both of you!

For advice about how we can help you with getting your onboarding training online please contact us at grow@iflourish.co.uk.

Image credits: Pixabay.

Image credit: Pixabay

You’ve put that all important work in finding the right people to become franchisees in your franchise network. You don’t accept just anyone, only the people with the values, drive and passion that align with your franchise.

But the work isn’t over at that stage. Guiding your new franchisee in how to operate your model successfully and for them to feel properly supported you need to train them effectively. So, we all know we should be putting more care into our training, but as ever, time is short and too often it slips down the list of priorities. If you really take the time to stop and think about the benefits to your business you might realise why training needs to be a priority for you.

Building and protecting your brand reputation

Explaining the values of your brand and how it should be sold to customers through effective training will pay dividends for you and your franchisees in the long run. This includes explaining the pitfalls of deviating from the brand values or cutting corners with quality.

Supporting your franchisees to grow revenues

You have built up your brand and know what works in reaching and persuading customers to buy from you. Sharing that experience with your franchisees, e.g. how to make social media work to their advantage, will help them grow their revenues and also increase your value proposition to them.

Freeing up your time and growing your franchisee network size

Many franchisors have told us that the onboarding training they do is repetitive and takes up time that could be spent on other valuable tasks. Using online training you can remove the need to repeat standard messages, allowing you to focus the time you spend with franchisees on training that is best delivered face-to-face, e.g. role play.

Removing the need to book training venues, arrange travel, refreshments, etc. also saves you money and allows more people to access the training without the worry of having to give up their own time to travel to a fixed location.

Making sure your legal and compliance issues are managed and monitored

Whatever your franchise business you will have legal requirements, e.g. safeguarding, data protection, as well as needing franchisees to comply with your processes and policies. Online training is a great way to deliver this training, which can be dry at times, and to test knowledge through a range of questions and assessments. You’ll have the reassurance that you know that your franchisees have proved their knowledge and you can intervene where reports indicate concerns.

But how do I get my training online?

Our learning platform, Course Builder, is used by 13 franchise networks. We have been working with franchises since 2014 to help them decide what training to get online and how to do it. With over 25 years’ experience of using technology to support learning, we can help you with effective learning design, topics to choose and different types of learning media.

For advice about how we can help you with training your franchisees please contact us at grow@iflourish.co.uk.

You may not have come across the term microlearning before, but you’ve almost certainly done some, perhaps without even realising it. Not sure how to change the tyre on your car? Want a quick guide to cooking that exquisite dish for friends and family? Got a problem with your laptop or smartphone? If you don’t have someone immediately to ask where do you go? You type your search into Google and hope you find some good links. Most likely you’ll end up at YouTube watching a short video that someone has helpfully uploaded. That’s a good example of everyday microlearning.

Why does it matter to me?

Your franchisees are busy people. You’ll have trained them when they came on board with you, but are you sure you’re reaching them beyond that on a regular basis? Microlearning is a great way for your franchisees to learn new skills or knowledge in bite sized chunks when they need it most. Offering meaningful learning in digestible pieces will help you improve the value proposition you offer your franchisees. Good support will always be welcomed!

What is microlearning?

Microlearning activities are short, sharp and targeted. They can take many forms, but these tips will help you make them useful and valued:

1. Aim for them to take no longer than 5 minutes, preferably shorter. The competition for attention in our working and personal lives gets fiercer by the day.
2. They should be engaging, to the point and easy to digest. Franchisees are more likely to give up time in their busy day if they can consume and understand them quickly.
3. They are best used for skills, but they can also be very useful to remind and reinforce. For example, it could be quick tips on customer service or how to manage your social media channels.
4. Make it relevant. Engagement with a short activity is much more likely if it’s pushed to a franchisee when they need it most.

How do I create it?

You might not see yourself as a content creator or trainer, but it’s easier than you think. Here’s some things you might want to try:

1. Short videos. Your smartphone is a very portable videoing device! You can capture high quality videos using your smartphone. And you can edit them using the native software on your phone too. Or if the learning point is better delivered by one of your franchisees get them to do it and share it.
2. Short audio clips. Most modern smartphones also come with good audio recording and editing software. You may find audio helpful where the learner doesn’t need to see a visual and can maybe be doing something else at the same time.
3. Images. There is a raft of free (or freemium – where you get a certain amount for free and pay for extras) software tools available on the internet now. For example, you can edit photos using Pixlr, create professional looking banners, flyers and other images suitable for use on the web using Canva (this has many free images, but you can buy more targeted ones starting at $1 per image), and you can also find royalty-free photos and images to use on sites like Unsplash and Pixabay (the sushi image in this blog article is from Pixabay).

Still not sure and want some advice? Email us at grow@iflourish.co.uk.

You’ve got an established franchise business and you’re recruiting more franchisees. That’s good news of course, but how do you train your growing number of franchisees? How do you know they are following your model correctly? How do you know the quality you’ve strived for is being delivered in every part of your franchise network?

How e-learning can help you

You’ve most likely got onboarding training for your new franchisees. But it’s human nature that we find it hard to remember everything we’re told up front. Learning is most effective when it’s implemented, and that may happen at some point after your franchisees have come on board. Using e-learning allows your franchisees to jump online, 24/7/365, and engage with essential training when they need it most. This makes it much more likely that the learning will be implemented and change behaviours and actions.

For example, you might be rolling out a new campaign to recruit customers and be using social media to promote it. Or you might be introducing a new IT system, e.g. for customer management or bookings, and you need to train your franchisees how to use it effectively. Tailored e-learning can help train your franchisees in targeted topics that are made available to them when they need it most.

E-learning can also help ensure franchisees are delivering your business model effectively and to the quality standards you expect. You most likely have a manual (or several) explaining your model and standards. But does it really bring to life the passion that you put into establishing your successful business? E-learning, using the right mix of graphics, video and questions, can really enliven your training, making it easy to digest and increasing engagement.

How can iflourish help you?

Our learning platform, Course Builder, enables you to create and publish learning content rapidly and distribute it to whoever in your franchise network needs it, whether it’s individuals, groups or your whole network. Course Builder is branded using your logo, brand colours and fonts so that your franchisees know that it’s part of your online presence. You can test franchisees’ knowledge through a wide range of question types, set pass marks and reward them with points and branded certificates.

Watch our short video below to find out more about Course Builder.

Not tried e-learning before?

You may be new to e-learning, but that’s no problem as we also deliver an effective onboarding process that will help you get up and running quickly and successfully.

We’ll train you how to use Course Builder, although we think you’ll agree it’s so simple you won’t need much training, and we’ll work with you on your learning strategy to identify what learning to prioritise and how to develop it.

Worried you don’t have the skills?

You may be surprised to hear that you already have the skills in-house to create and publish effective e-learning. We help many businesses uncover their natural creative talents. The award-winning Puddle Ducks franchise started using Course Builder in 2014. Without any prior expertise or graphics skills, they have produced over 60 of their own courses on a wide range of topics.

Want to boost your growth?

If you want to boost your growth and help your franchisees flourish get in touch with Frankie O’Brien at frankie@iflourish.co.uk for a free demo and trial.