Franchisee training: a plan for franchisors in Croatia

Successfully running your own outlet is not the same as training someone else to reproduce its quality. Before expanding an existing business in Croatia, you need to design training that transfers knowledge, checks how it is applied and provides for support after opening. For a healthy franchise network, this is not a one-off presentation but an agreed process through which the franchisee develops the ability to run the business independently.

1. Define what the trainee must be able to do

Do not start your training plan with a list of topics. Start with a list of tasks the franchisee must be able to carry out independently. Saying someone is “familiar with ordering” tells you very little. A more useful objective is: the trainee can calculate the order required, check the delivery and correctly record any discrepancy.

Distinguish at least three groups of competencies:

• Operational: preparing the workstation, delivering the product or service, handling complaints and closing the outlet.
• Management: scheduling work, inducting employees, monitoring stock and identifying a decline in quality.
• Financial: understanding daily turnover, labour costs, write-offs and the outlet's cash requirements.

For each task, specify who must master it: the franchisee, the outlet manager or an employee in a particular role. An owner who will not work with customers every day must still understand how to monitor quality and interpret results.

Next, establish the trainee's existing knowledge. An experienced manager may need less explanation of staff scheduling, but their understanding of your standards still needs to be checked just as thoroughly. Adapt the teaching method, not the level of quality you require.

2. Build training around real situations

The most useful training combines explanation, demonstration, independent practice and feedback. Watching an experienced employee does not, in itself, prove that a trainee can do the job. Every important procedure should therefore end with a practical task.

When learning to handle complaints, for example, the trainee first learns the procedure, then observes a conversation and finally handles a simulated situation themselves. The mentor assesses whether they gathered the necessary information, offered an authorised solution and recorded the case correctly. A mistake becomes the basis for targeted practice, rather than a vague judgement that the trainee is “still struggling”.

Organise training into connected stages:

• preparation before arrival, using short materials and a check of basic understanding;
• practical work in an existing outlet with a designated mentor;
• practice in the future outlet, using the actual equipment and working with the actual team;
• follow-up after opening, when questions arise that classroom training cannot anticipate.

Set the duration according to the complexity of the tasks and demonstrated competence, rather than what makes the sales offer attractive. Allow for mentor availability, travel, absences and repeated practice in the schedule. Calculate internal costs too: the time your best employee spends teaching is not free.

3. Agree obligations and the limits of support

Croatia has no specific franchise law. A franchise agreement is regarded as an innominate contract—a type of contract not specifically defined in legislation—and is subject to the general provisions of the Croatian Civil Obligations Act. Depending on the nature of the relationship, the Competition Act, the Trade Mark Act and other general and sector-specific rules also apply.

There is also no specific statutory template for a franchise training programme. The agreement and its appendices should therefore clearly define what the franchisor will provide and what the franchisee must arrange. Do not stop at a promise of “comprehensive training and ongoing support”.

Cover at least the following:

• who attends initial training and who trains employees recruited later;
• which activities are included in the agreed fee and which carry an additional charge;
• who pays for travel, accommodation and reassessment;
• how successful completion is determined and what happens if the required level of knowledge has not been reached;
• which channel to use when requesting help, when support is available and how urgent problems should be reported.

Franchise training does not replace legally required employee training, professional requirements or other obligations specific to the business activity. Clearly distinguish the responsibilities of the franchisor and franchisee, and seek a legal review before entering into the agreement. An internal certificate of training completion is not an official professional qualification.

4. Assess knowledge and monitor its application after opening

Prepare a simple form for the final assessment: the task, the success criteria, the observed performance and any further practice required. Clearly flag errors that compromise safety, legal compliance or essential service quality. These must not be overlooked because the overall impression is positive.

Keep records of attendance, assessments and agreed corrective action. Give the trainee a specific explanation of the results and an opportunity for further practice. If opening is conditional on completing the training, that condition and its consequences should be agreed in advance.

After opening, monitor recurring difficulties. If several franchisees carry out the same procedure incorrectly, review the training before concluding that they are all being careless. Regular conversations and targeted refresher sessions strengthen trust within the franchise network.

Practical takeaway: before expanding, draw up a list of key tasks, assign a mentor and define what will count as evidence of successful performance. Do not promise unlimited help; provide clear, workable training and support that your team can actually deliver.