Why Franchisees Don't Achieve Time Freedom 

You know I’m your truth-teller, and I enjoy sharing real tips, strategies, and best practices on how to achieve success in your franchise organization.

That’s why in this blog post, I’m going to decode the real reasons why franchisees don’t achieve time freedom even when they go multi-unit.

If you're ready to lead with clarity, grow with intention, and finally obtain the freedom you signed up for… this is you!

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The Multi-Unit Myth 

I selected this topic because many people assume that going multi-unit, meaning operating multiple franchise units, automatically gives you time freedom. The reality is that as you open or acquire more units and grow into a multi-unit organization, what you are multiplying is the work, the challenges, and the number of people you oversee. 

Therefore, instead of having more time freedom, you have less… Unless you create the necessary infrastructure, systems, processes, and procedures to delegate operations,

Keep learning: 5 Steps to Become a Powerful Delegator

Now that the myth is out of the way, let's cover why franchisees don’t achieve time freedom.

You’re an Operator, Not a True Owner

The first reason franchisees don’t achieve time freedom is that they act more like operators rather than business owners. Letting go of the day-to-day operations is one of the most challenging things franchisees have to do when they grow. 

Think about it! When you start with one franchise unit, you are used to being at the unit day in and day out, looking at every detail of the operations, managing it, running it, and making all the decisions yourself. This helps you become an expert at running your business. 

However, as you begin to scale, you must separate yourself from daily operations and transition into an owner's role to achieve time freedom. This is where all your knowledge, abilities, skills, and understanding of the business will be beneficial because, as an expert, you’ll know what to expect and you’ll be able to delegate more effectively.

If you don’t make that switch in your role, you won’t have that extra time you are seeking.

Don’t miss: Traction vs. Distraction. Productivity Hacks for Busy Franchisees

You Become the Bottleneck 

Another reason why you struggle to achieve time freedom as a multi-unit franchisee is that you become the bottleneck. This means that when people have questions or need support, answers, or direction, they can only come to you because you have not empowered them to find those answers. 

• Your business cannot grow if everything in the business relies on you. You must stop making all decisions on your own! Once you do, you’ll see that you will have more time freedom.

There are three pillars that support time freedom:

1. Documentation. You need to document everything you are used to doing so that your team knows exactly how you want things done. Transfer the processes and procedures from your head and heart to paper. That way, you can provide these documents to your leaders and train them on how to execute the tasks as you expect them to.
2. Delegation. This is the hardest step because to stop being the bottleneck, you have to delegate the responsibilities to your leaders. 
3. Trust. If you want more time freedom, you must trust your team and leaders to do their jobs effectively. And please, don't micromanage them or constantly look over their shoulders; you have to truly trust them.
   This doesn’t mean that you can set it and forget it; you still need to follow up to ensure they are doing things the way you want and as you have trained them. And, if you see an issue, address it.

In case you missed it: District Managers, your Ticket to Freedom!

Keep in mind that time freedom doesn’t come automatically. You have to create it and build the processes, procedures, and systems around it to be able to delegate and get that time freedom.

This will take time and effort, but once you have established these, you will not only achieve this goal but also gain the ability to continue growing your organization and multiplying your profits.

If this sounds challenging, overwhelming, and you don’t know where to start, our COMMAND Program might be for you! This program supports Multi-Unit Franchises in defining, documenting, and delegating all of those operating procedures, processes, systems, and policies that enable them to achieve the time freedom they want and deserve.

You can explore the details of our COMMAND Program or register for our upcoming information session, where we will share how we can support you throughout your multi-unit journey. You can complete your free registration by clicking on the banner below:

Let me close with a challenge: if you were to take a 30-day vacation from your business, what areas would represent the biggest challenges? Those are the areas you need to start working on.

If you’re not clear on what would happen, take a couple of days or a week off to discover what happens when you're not in the business day-to-day. Notice what people ask, email, or call you for. All of those things that require your personal attention are the systems you are missing, and this exercise will help you identify some of the areas where you can start.

You can also reach out to us at the American Franchise Academy and schedule a call to learn more about how the COMMAND program can help you build all those systems.

I hope you enjoyed this blog about why franchisees don't achieve time freedom and that it provided ideas on how to fulfill that multi-unit ownership promise.

Reflections:

• What role are you playing in your business: the operator or the owner and leader?
• Are you holding onto some of the answers, information, tools, and resources your team needs to be successful and manage operations on your behalf?
• How much do you trust your leaders to execute their responsibilities?
• Do you have processes in place to ensure your people know how to perform the tasks you expect from them?

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