Putting support in place before your first franchisee joins

Running a successful business does not automatically mean you are ready to become a franchisor. Once an independent business owner starts using your franchise concept, you need to do more than explain how it works: you must also provide ongoing support. Within a franchise network, that support is part of the working relationship. How do you organise it before your first franchisee starts, without making everything depend on your own availability?

1. Turn the statutory duty to provide assistance into practical support

The Netherlands has specific franchise legislation: the Dutch Franchise Act, incorporated into Book 7 of the Dutch Civil Code. It governs not only the lead-up to signing the agreement, but also the subsequent working relationship. Article 7:919 of the Dutch Civil Code requires franchisors to provide the commercial and technical assistance reasonably necessary to operate the franchise concept.

This does not mean you have to take responsibility for every business problem or guarantee a profit. Your support must, however, match the requirements of the franchise concept. Examples include help with using mandatory systems, delivering joint campaigns or resolving problems with operating processes specific to the franchise.

If a franchisee believes particular assistance is needed, they must let you know. You must then discuss it together. Simply forwarding a request to a general email address without following up is therefore not a workable approach.

Prepare an overview in advance with three categories:

• Standard support: for example, initial training, system guidance and periodic reviews of business operations.
• Help on request: for example, guidance on a recurring stock issue or questions about a campaign.
• External expertise: for example, individual tax advice, employment law guidance or advice on financing.

Use these categories to clarify expectations, not to exclude necessary assistance. What is reasonably necessary depends in part on the franchise concept and the circumstances.

2. Check whether your organisation can deliver on its promises

In your existing business, you may resolve problems between appointments. That approach is less effective when a franchisee elsewhere runs into difficulties while your staff are busy serving customers at your own branch.

For each support task, identify who is responsible, how much time is available and who will provide cover. Include preparation and follow-up: an afternoon of training takes more than just the hours spent with the group.

Test your arrangements with a practical exercise. Ask an employee or someone from outside the business to submit several support requests as though they were a new franchisee. For example: the till system is not working, a supplier has delivered the wrong goods, or a local advert does not meet franchise standards. Then track how the requests come in, who makes decisions and when a useful response is provided.

Do not assess speed alone. Can the person handling the request actually solve the problem? Is it clear when you need to make a decision? And does your own branch continue to run smoothly?

A key test of readiness: routine support requests must still be dealt with when you are away for a day. If that is not possible, first arrange cover, delegate authority or add capacity. Recruiting more franchisees will not strengthen a fragile support operation.

3. Make availability and follow-up predictable

Set out your support arrangements clearly and ensure they align with the franchise agreement. Describe what support is available as standard, which channel franchisees should use to request help and how urgent problems will be handled. Have a legal adviser check that these arrangements meet your statutory obligations.

Distinguish between acknowledging receipt, providing an initial substantive response and resolving the issue. You cannot always fix a disruption at an external supplier immediately. You can, however, agree who will stay in touch, what temporary workaround is possible and when the franchisee will receive another update.

A simple support log should record:

• the query and its impact on the branch;
• the person responsible for handling it;
• the agreed next step and update arrangements;
• the resolution and any further action.

Avoid promises such as ‘always available immediately’ if you do not have the staffing to deliver them. Instead, set clear support hours, an emergency contact procedure when operations grind to a halt, and realistic response times. Also clarify in advance which additional services, if any, will be charged for separately. Do not simply present necessary statutory assistance as an optional paid extra.

4. Use consultation to prevent recurring problems

The Dutch Franchise Act requires franchisors and franchisees to consult at least once a year. For a new franchise network, that statutory minimum will rarely provide a suitable level of contact during the opening phase. Schedule more frequent contact initially, then adjust the frequency according to need.

Do not discuss turnover alone. Also consider system problems, how practical campaigns are to implement, supplier performance and the quality of your support. Ask explicitly which questions have gone unanswered.

Record actions, assign responsibility and set a date to review progress. If the same issues keep coming up, investigate the cause. There may be a gap in the guidance, but the central process itself may be impractical. Good support also means improving the way you work as a franchisor.

Practical takeaway: do not open your first franchise outlet until every important type of support request has someone responsible for it, a clear process and the capacity to handle it. This makes support a reliable commitment within your franchise network, rather than a personal favour from the founder.