"You will know me by my deeds"

I love this quote but, what does it have to do with franchising?

The franchise relationship is difficult to explain especially to someone that has not actually signed the documents and lived through this most unusual non-partnership interdependent partnership/relationship/marriage.

After my wife and I purchased our first franchise in 1984 we spent the next 18+ years as multi-unit franchisees and Area Developers for a system that grew from 200 units to over 750. The company then went public, closed 200 units and went bankrupt. We had certainly experienced the good, the bad and the ugly side of franchising.

In 2002 I began studying the various aspects of franchise excellence and that is when this quote struck me as the essence of franchise excellence.

When the actions of the two interdependent parties benefit both sides, you truly have a franchise that "gets it"! Thus, simply ask the current franchise owners; if the deeds of the franchisor would indicate that they understand and practice both the art and science of franchise excellence. The franchisees will know.

Jeff Johnson