Unbelievable as it may sound, many franchisors failed to establish their franchises on the market simply because they failed to set up good business operations manuals. Whether or not you will use a Franchise Operations Manual Template for your business operations manual, getting it done in a professional way is of utmost importance for the success of your franchise company.
Most business owners who have considered franchising as well as entrepreneurs planning to start their own franchise companies are well aware of the fact that the operations manual is among the fundamental company documents. They are probably aware of what must be included in this document and that it must comply with federal and state regulations. However, knowing what without knowing why is the number one reason for ending up with a poor business operations manual.
The Purpose of a Business Operations Manual
Each business is unique in its own way – even if two companies offer the same or very similar products or services, there might be significant differences in the way their business operations are executed. The main purpose of your business operations manual, however, is not only to describe how each aspect of your company procedures and operations must be executed. It must set the mainframe of rules and regulations that will ensure consistency among all franchise units and it will help your franchise to reach its full growth potential and success.
Let’s look at the big picture and pinpoint the 3 main purposes of any business operations manual:
- Consistency. One of the main purposes of many business operations manuals is to create consistency. Consistency is the key to creating a successful and credible business. If you offer a fast food franchise, you want to make sure your customers will be able to enjoy the same high-quality food and customer service. If you are offering a carpet cleaning franchise, you want to be confident that your shops will work during the same business hours, offer the same type of services, and so on.
- Independence. Your business operations manual is the framework that will allow every single franchise unit to work independently. The manual must concentrate on setting the systems and the specifics. Having systems in place for the way every single aspect of your business operates is what allows your business model to be duplicated and thus allows your franchise to realize its full growth and revenue potential.
- Trademark protection. Intellectual property management is one of the hottest issues for franchisors. Regardless of the industry niche, no business owner wants to put their trademark, brand names, company logos, or any other intellectual property material at risk. Your business operations manual is the document that must settle this issue in a way that guarantees low or no risk of any intellectual property infringement.
The fastest and the easiest way to cover all of the issues discussed above is by using a professionally written Franchise Operations Manual Template.