by Dena Patton

 

When I coach entrepreneurs one of the greatest fears is growing their business "off" of them. That can mean you grow your services such that other employees are providing them along with you or for you, OR that can mean you scale the business into franchisees or licensees. Below are my top three tips I recently gave a client who is creating a license model to scale her organizing business nationwide:

1. Growing a business refers to increasing capacity (more employees/more locations/more clients you can serve etc). Scaling a business refers to the duplication of the brand experience (which we will develop) which are in different locations run by different franchisees or licensees (a great lawyer will handle the legalities) who own their own unit of your brand, and who have been consistently trained and maintained by corporate/headquarters (you). Either way you go, you need to have boundaries during growth so that lines don't get crossed, miscommunications don't run rapid, expectations don't ruin the experience and everyone knows what to do and not do.

2. Only take on a franchisee/licensee with the correct traits/skill sets (which are unique to your brand). Do not try to sell a franchise just for the sake of a sale you will regret it. Individuals missing the correct traits will likely fail or represent your brand in a poor way, and in the end you have wasted time and money.

3. The thought of "someone else" running your business/brand in another state scares most people. But when you have selected the right franchisee/licensee AND you train each one consistently (which we will develop), you are protecting your brand and delivering on your brand promise. You are therefore greatly reducing the odds that they can damage (or steal) your brand in the marketplace. Plus you get to enjoy the fact that you created something unique and you have people around the country delivering a consistent, great experience under your brand. Do it right the first time so you will save years and tens of thousands of dollars in mistakes.

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Dena Patton is a Life/Business Coach. Her passion is to transform busy women, entrepreneurs and celebrities into well-balanced, focused, happy people who are changing the world. Info at www.TheBoundariesCoach.com. She is also a business consultant for systems, structures, landing and growth. She founded two movements: Chat, Chew and Chocolate, which is dedicated to connect, inspire and empower busy women at www.TheFriendshipMovement.com and www.GirlsRuleFoundation.org which empowers girls 13-18.