Tips on Franchise Development

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14Great Clips CEO Rhoda OlsenIFA Bonny LeVine Award Winner

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F E A T U R E S

Creating an Attractive Opportunity for Veterans

BY BRUCE EVANS

How companies can create programs to attract military veterans.

Hiring military veterans to work for your company is not only patriotic and morally

rewarding, it is also a savvy business decision that can lead to higher success rates. Veterans naturally make great franchisees due to their discipline, life experiences, and high-performance skill sets.

The key is making sure veterans will want to join your brand. There are several factors to keep in mind when considering what you can do to make your business opportunity an attractive one to entrepreneurial veterans:

• Consider the factors that make veterans good franchisees,

• Allow for single-unit franchise deals,

• Parallel your training to military training,

• Create a business that veterans can be passionate about,

• Have programs and tools in place to properly recruit and develop.

WHY VETERANS MAKE GOOD FRANCHISEES

First, consider what qualities you are looking for in franchisees, and how

being a team player and having a strong work ethic are several factors that make veterans successful.

• countries, to serve and protect. After re-entering the civilian

world, veterans are again looking for an opportunity to be loyal, and a career where they can grow.

• Team players: Veterans worked on teams in the military, and were there to support their teammates. This translates well into the workplace, as now veterans support their colleagues and play up their strengths.

• Strong work ethic: Veterans know how to see a project through, and

This work ethic is just what is needed when it comes to opening a franchise.

SINGLE VERSUS MULTI-UNIT AGREEMENTS

An attractive business opportunity offers a variety of ways to join the franchise. At Capriotti’s, we previously only sought multi-unit franchisees. This often deterred veterans, as they didn’t want to sign on for multiple units as a new franchisee. We’ve recently

made the switch and now Capriotti’s allows for single locations. This change offers more opportunities for veterans to invest in the franchise.

A successful single-unit owner will often turn into a multi-unit owner in the long run, once the franchisee is ready to continue growing their business.

CREATE TRAINING PROGRAMS

When joining the military, some people don’t know what they are getting themselves into. You do not want this to be the case when veterans become franchisees with your brand.

In the military, everyone goes through basic training, which allows them to be successful in their role and prepare for any issues that may arise. Most who have enlisted haven’t experienced military life before, and need to have thorough and comprehensive training.

The same is true in the franchise space. These veterans have never owned a franchise before, and may not necessarily have the experience in your industry. Therefore, it is essential to have comprehensive training programs in place to train these veterans and

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allow them all the proper knowledge to succeed.

Last year at Capriotti’s, we rolled out a program called the “Business Mastery Coach.” It provides for new franchisees to have a business coach with them for 180 days after opening, allowing the franchisee to become a “master” of the company. Through the program, franchisees perfect operations, learn local store marketing and focus on best practices in growing the business.

Implementing a program such as this is a valuable asset to attract prospective franchisees, as they fully learn the franchise through the training program, just as they did in the military.

CREATE A BUSINESS VETERANS CAN BE PASSIONATE ABOUT

Veterans joined the military because they are extremely passionate about their country and want to serve and protect their fellow citizens.

Transferring back into civilian life, they are often seeking another opportunity where their passion can shine through.

At Capriotti’s, franchisees are passionate about the food that they sell, which prompts more successful businesses. Creating a business that franchisees and employees can be passionate about is key. By offering these high-quality products or services, you are creating a business that franchisees will want to be a part of, especially veterans.

HAVE THE PROPER PROGRAMS IN PLACE

In order to draw in potential veteran-franchisees, your business must have the proper programs in place to both recruit and develop them. For example, Capriotti’s is now working with IFA’s VetFran program to develop toolkits to guide franchisors in this process. By utilizing programs such as VetFran, both franchisors and franchisees can

coordinate with others in the industry. It is also important to utilize

leadership programs for your brand, as veterans have high leadership potential, and can transfer their leadership skills honed in the military to the franchise space.

By implementing these practices, such as supplying single-unit franchise options, creating comprehensive training programs, and developing recruiting and leadership programs, companies can create appealing franchise opportunities to attract veterans.

Bruce Evans is a U.S. Army veteran and the Vice President of Franchise Development at Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop. Capriotti’s now

has over 100 locations open across the United States. To learn more about franchise opportunities at Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop visit franchise.org/capriottis-sandwich-shop-inc-franchise.

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