How can you align your franchise model with your social mission?

There should be a core social mission, that is consistent and has buy-in within the co-founding team / board but there should be some freedom given as to how this is ultimately flexibly communicated and delivered through franchise partners to ensure that they can map their work to local partners and communities in their own contexts successfully. There is no “one size fits all” approach that works here.

Aligning a franchise model with a social mission involves careful planning. Clearly define your social impact goals and integrate them into the franchisee selection process. Develop training programs emphasizing the social mission. Create incentives for franchisees to exceed social impact targets. Measure and report social performance alongside financial metrics. Collaborate with franchisees on community initiatives. Build a strong brand identity around social responsibility to attract socially conscious customers and franchisees.

Clearly articulate your social mission and ensure it is a core part of your brand identity. Your mission should be reflected not only in your business practices but also in the franchise agreements and expectations. This creates a strong foundation where franchisees understand that they are not just joining a business but also a movement aimed at social good.

Carefully choose franchisees who are aligned with your social mission. They should share your values and be committed to advancing the cause. In addition to financial qualifications, assess their passion for the mission and their ability to carry it forward within their community.

Provide ongoing support to franchisees in integrating the social mission into their daily operations. Offer training, resources, and guidance on how they can contribute to both the financial success of the business and the fulfillment of its social goals. This ensures mission-driven consistency across all locations.

Think about some straplines and themes that everyone can get behind and then create social media content involving them. It's good to pick at least one hashtag that you use consistently and guidelines about the types of pictures or videos so those not so used to sharing have easy prompts to get them going

Franchisees should be encouraged to communicate the social impact they are making locally. Help them measure and share their progress, both within the company and with their customers. Highlighting success stories can inspire others and showcase the real-world benefits of the mission-driven approach.

Regularly review the franchise model to ensure it continues to align with your social mission. As your business grows and evolves, you may need to adjust policies, practices, and goals to stay true to your purpose. Continuous improvement keeps the franchise model agile and impactful.

Empower franchisees: Give franchisees the autonomy to develop initiatives that align with the social mission, adapting them to their local context. Incentivize social outcomes: Consider offering rewards or incentives for franchisees who make significant social contributions, further embedding the mission into the business.