How to Run a Successful Franchise Business - Mike Skitzki

Out of college, I worked for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in the fleet services division. During that season I met a man that had recently opened a Mr. Handyman franchise. He was so excited to get started but he only had two vans which were too small for the fleet services we offered. However, he explained there might be a bigger opportunity via their network of franchise owners. 

Fast-forward to when I was working with John Rotche to launch TITLE Boxing Club. We had the privilege to have Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza, visit one day. When I asked Tom what he thought of the business his answer underwhelmed me at first. After Tom looked around for a bit he just said, “your product is an experience and this is all great so just do this every time”. The more I thought about it I realized the profoundness of what Tom said. To be great at any business you have to know what your core competencies are and deliver on them at every interaction. 

We’ve seen a lot of growth in the franchise space and behind nearly every location is a local business owner. Like any small business owner, those franchisees have invested their sweat and equity into a business they hope will be successful. Where franchise owners get some extra help along their journey is the network of other franchise owners and the franchisor. Together they are all trying to solve the same problems and sharing best practices that help everyone succeed. 

If you are considering if franchising is right for you or not there are a few questions to ask yourself. If you like the idea of having some systems already in place and processes to follow while still making your own decisions then franchising is likely a good fit for you. Whereas, if you want to create something unique from the ground up then a franchise might feel a bit too restrictive for you. 

I had the chance to co-author a book with John Rotche called Reach. Which is about making human connections. And about the critical importance of mentorship – both receiving and giving. The way we complemented each other working on the book was, John provided the backstories and I wrote the application piece of how we applied those learnings. 

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