Van lines, portable storage affiliations, relocation coordinators, moving and storage companies, logistics and shipping businesses, etc. These are all examples of companies that started out small only to start expanding at one point or the other. And those expansions usually came to pass through creating franchise programs. Today, Movers Development focuses on helping businesses in the relocation industry (and other niches) learn more on the topic of creating a recognizable and operational franchise. Continue reading to learn more on the topic of how to grow your moving franchise in ten simple ways.
Ten guidelines to help you grow your moving franchise
Whether you are looking for ways to reach new audiences, expand to other markets, earn more revenue for your business, or grow your moving company brand – franchising is a great way to do it. Despite what many believe, business expansion is not a natural occurrence. Rather, you need to make it happen by making educated decisions from starting your moving company and creating a proper business plan, to the services you will offer and how you will choose to advertise those services. Each of these decisions (and many others) determine the course your brand will take as time passes. So, if you want to ensure a proper environment for your business to expand, these are the ways to do so:
1. Be an authority in your industry
No matter the reasoning behind your decision to expand by starting a franchise, you need to maintain your authority. As the headquarter of your brand, you are taking on a mentorship role, where you will need to transfer your knowledge to all new franchisees that join your business. For both your and their businesses to grow, you will have to guide them by example. You need to ascertain a teaching role, educating others on how to succeed, thus contributing more to your brand.
2. Grow your moving franchise by perfecting your business model
Use your moving company business plan and the strategies that helped you get where you are. Copying and re-applying your battle-tested business model is the best starting point for others to start. Each franchise can then adapt to their local market needs accordingly, with a strong foundation to keep things balanced. Despite how simple this sounds, finding the perfect business model takes years of researching and testing different strategies. So, the more time you invest in perfecting your current operations, the better off all other franchises will be when they start doing the same from the very start.
3. Don’t force growth – let it develop in its own pace
You can’t force others to follow a path they are not prepared for. In most cases, that leads to a big shipwreck due to lack of resources, proper experience, manpower, training, etc. Instead, you need to follow the natural order of things:
- Get your business to a point where it is not only self-sustainable but also increasingly profitable.
- Demonstrate to others how strong your brand is and convince them that opening a franchise is the best action plan.
- Maintain your brand name and reputation by avoiding to jump into risky partnerships.
4. Nurture your franchise relationships long-term
The body is unable to reach it’s full potential unless all parts of it are operating at full capacity. If you want to grow your moving franchise as a whole, each individual franchise has to be successful in its goals. And it is up to you to provide the support they need to make that happen. You need to nurture good relations with other franchises by offering guidance and assistance. However, it is still important for you to draw a line and let them operate independently.
5. Invest in developing a strong brand identity
In order to grow your moving franchise, you first need to ensure everybody in the industry knows your name. That means that you need to establish a strong online presence, something that is best accomplished through moving company SEO efforts. Once you combine that approach with other strategies such as paid advertising, email marketing, social media marketing, etc. – you will have the potential for a nationwide platform.
6. Maintain a stable environment between local and national
No matter how big your business gets, you still need to stay rooted in local communities where each of your franchises operates. As your business grows, so will your goals, naturally. However, if you want to grow your moving franchise as a whole, you need to make sure that each part of it is in sync with the rest. And to achieve that, you will want to keep the focus on the local community of each franchise by:
- Partnering with local businesses.
- Attending public events.
- Maintaining the image of a traditional small business.
- Make your name know with local SEO practices.
- Have a recognizable marker that locals will recognize and praise.
7. Make the smart call when establishing franchise owners
You need the right people in the right positions for the entire system to work in accordance with your core values. That is why you need to choose the best franchise owners to run each individual part of your organization. Make sure to take the time and do your homework on each potential candidate to choose the most qualified person for the job. Remember that power is not awarded but earned.
8. Make sure to streamline the entire process
Yes, each individual franchise will have its own personality to portray the local environment, its owner and staff. However, while unique traits are desirable, they can not run a franchise by themselves. There should always be a streamlined process that is clearly defined across the entire organization. Procedures and rules should still exist so as to assure the proper inner organization and operational aspects of each part of the company.
9. Procedures and rules require the proper training and resources
Throwing back to the first checkpoint on our list – you maintain a mentoring position as your business expands to other franchises. That means that you need to provide the knowledge and materials necessary for each individual franchise to grow and learn from. It is your obligation to ensure they have everything they need to succeed by offering them the proper training and resources to get them started along the path.
10. Remember to always put an emphasis on customer service
At the very core of each business, there is a common factor that determines its value in the eyes of the public – its customer support. To grow your moving franchise, you need to make sure that your general customer care guidelines and standards apply to each individual market. Your customer care is the handshake your customers need to create long-term bonds with your brand.
Start planning your franchising efforts today!
Despite the long list of guidelines noted here, the conclusion remains the same – grow > establish > expand > adapt > maintain. If you want to grow your moving franchise, you need to take the step-by-step approach that has proven great for others. For more information on how to succeed in the moving industry, explore some of our other articles or contact our company for a professional consultation!
