In this guide we’ll share some advice on how franchisors and franchisees can maintain a positive, mutually beneficial relationship. And as with any relationship, it (mainly) comes down to one thing: communication. 

In order to understand this relationship – and how to better it – we must first understand what we mean by a ‘franchise’.Franchising is one of the most powerful business models for scaling a brand. But behind every successful franchise network is a strong relationship built on trust, clarity, and ongoing support between the franchisor and the franchisee.

In this guide, we’ll break down what that relationship looks like: who does what, how the system works, and what makes the partnership succeed. Whether you're curious about the dynamics or considering a franchise opportunity yourself, understanding the roles and responsibilities on both sides is key.

Let’s start with the basics: what exactly is a franchise?

A franchise is a business model where one party (the franchisor) grants another party (the franchisee) the right to operate a business using its brand, products, services, and operating systems.

As part of the deal, both franchisors and franchisees have contractual obligations towards each other to help set both parties up for success.

Franchising your business is popular with entrepreneurs because it’s a low-risk way of expanding, since you’re using other people’s investments to grow. Almost any kind of business can be turned into a franchise, and there are several different types of franchises.

When people refer to franchising, they're usually talking about this: the franchisee uses the franchisor’s trademark and is contractually obliged to follow a very specific business plan and processes.

Examples of Business format franchises are gyms, fast food restaurants, and retail outlets. 

In fact, the oldest food and hospitality franchises, like Howard Johnson restaurants, were business format franchises.

In a product distribution franchise, the franchisor only supplies the trademark and product. This leaves the franchisee with a lot more freedom than in the business format franchise. 

Examples of product distribution franchises include Coca-Cola and Ford.

Domestic cleaning, a coffee van, or pool maintenance are examples of single operator franchises. They require fairly little investment up front and are suitable for individuals who want to run a small business under an established trademark. 

This requires a large financial investment up front and the franchisee, usually a corporate investor, tends to take an advisory role and let the franchisor, or an executive team, run the actual business. 

Examples of this include department stores or hotels, such as Hilton Hotels and the Waldorf Astoria.  

As the original business owner or parent company, the franchisor’s main role is to protect the brand and help franchisees succeed as they maintain consistency across all locations. This is why franchise owners may turn away potential franchisees, if they aren't confident the brand's integrity can be maintained.

There are other responsibilities, too, like:

Providing a business plan and practical rules on implementation in an operations manual. 

Offering an initial training program to help franchisees put the operations manual into practice. They also provide guidance as the new franchisees operate.

Establishing solid marketing strategies that will help promote the brand while protecting the trademark and giving franchisees access to marketing materials and advertising campaign plans

Keeping up with and adapting to new trends, product and service development, and innovation. This includes identifying new territories suitable for franchise expansion in order to strengthen the brand as a whole.

The franchisee is responsible for executing it on the ground, running the day-to-day business, hiring staff, and delivering a consistent customer experience. They essentially take the blueprint provided by the franchisor, and run with it.

Some of the responsibilities of a franchisee include:

Protecting the brand by operating by the rules set out in the franchisor’s operations manual and training.

Building a loyal customer base through consistent customer service

Being able to cover all initial costs of setting up a franchise, including the initial franchising fee, lease, equipment cost and so on. 

Hiring staff, setting up an employee pay structure, training staff properly and keeping them motivated.

Keeping the franchisor informed of any concerns or problems in order to work out a solution together.

What is the relationship between franchisor and franchisee?

The relationship between franchisor and franchisee is a mutually beneficial business partnership, and is built on a legal agreement. Both parties have something to gain from the arrangement, and share a goal of maintaining and growing the brand.

Even though they are independent, they also need each other to be successful. Let’s examine the different aspects of this business relationship:

The partnership is contractual and regulated

The foundation of the franchisor–franchisee relationship is a formal, legally binding contract. In fact, this is the basis for a successful franchise system. 

In the franchise agreement, each party’s obligations, rights, and limits (usually everything from how the established brand can be used to how fees are paid and disputes handled) is clearly defined. Sometimes, these agreements may also regulate the nitty gritty, from font size for the digital menu display, to strict staff uniforms.

The document protects both parties and ensures they are on the same page (pun unintended) from day one. Straying from the agreement, or failing to understand it can lead to franchise disasters.

Franchisors are the brand owners. They’ve built a proven business model, developed systems that work, and crafted a recognizable identity. They did this so well that franchisees want in. So, it’s their job to maintain the integrity of that brand by setting clear operational and branding standards. 

Franchisors also provide the tools franchisees need to succeed: training, marketing materials, access to approved suppliers, etc. By defining the system, they make it possible for franchisees to replicate success, even if they’re new to the industry.

The franchisee is the one on the ground, running the day-to-day operations. They’ve made a financial investment and are responsible for hiring staff, managing inventory, and other business activities. 

It’s true they might not have full creative freedom like an independent business owner, but they do have the benefit of operating under a brand that customers already trust. 

Collaboration and communication are critical

The franchisor-franchisee relationship works best when both parties communicate regularly and transparently. Franchisees need support and feedback and franchisors need insight from what’s happening in the field. 

Open communication here can build trust and help prevent small issues from becoming major problems for both the franchisor and the franchisee. It also creates room for improvement on both sides .

Read more: How to create better corporate communications.

Interdependence is the basis of a successful franchisor-franchisee relationship. While franchisees are independent business owners, they’re still part of a larger brand system. They operate their own legal entities, hire their own teams, and are responsible for their own financial results.

But, they must do all of that within the framework provided by the franchisor. This essentially provides a structure of entrepreneurship with a safety net. It’s a balance: the franchisee controls their business, but the brand’s consistency depends on their alignment with the franchise system. 

Build a consistent franchise with digital signage

There are so many ways to handle messaging in your franchise. And there are lots of different tools to help streamline the work and sometimes even automate it.

One of the easiest ways to handle this is digital signage for QSR chains. ScreenCloud makes it simple and cost-effective to create nicely designed promotions, menu boards, notices and more for your franchise business.

This is great because you can effortlessly create content for one business and simply share those as blueprints for everyone in your franchise. Create  templates, set permissions and keep overall control of the content that is shown on screen. 

You can set up our digital signage software  for your franchise really easily. Plus, we have a built-in Remote Device Management capabilities, which  means you can manage dozens of screens across several locations without bouncing from site to site. From your central dashboard, you can ensure the  content is consistently on brand, always fresh and hyper-relevant to each branch. 

Start a free trial or book a demo to learn more about how ScreenCloud can streamline your franchise’s messaging and communication.

How does franchising help provide a successful future?

Franchising offers a proven business model, brand recognition, and ongoing support, giving franchisees a head start and reducing the risks of starting from scratch.

What does the franchisor–franchisee relationship look like?

It’s a business partnership where the franchisor provides the brand and systems, and the franchisee runs the day-to-day operations while following set standards.

How is the franchisor-franchisee relationship maintained?

Regular communication, adherence to brand standards, mutual respect, and collaborative problem-solving are key to a healthy franchisor-franchisee relationship.

What is the franchisor franchisee relationship? How do you build a good relationship for business success? Explore practical advice for roles, relationships, and brand alignment.

Franchisor and Franchisee: The Guide to a Successful Relationship

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Franchisor and Franchisee: The Guide to a Successful Relationship

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