Starting out on your entrepreneurial journey can feel daunting, especially if you’re building a new business from the ground up.
One of the greatest benefits of investing in a franchise system is that you’re not in it alone. You’ve got the support of a wide network of other franchisees, as well as extensive training to help point you in the right direction.
But what exactly does franchise training look like? To find out, BusinessesForSale.com visited the UK support office of Molly Maid, a multi-national cleaning franchise with more than 400 locations around the world.
They were in the process of welcoming two new franchisees into the fold: Tulsi Patel, who used BusinessesForSale.com to find a Molly Maid resale based in Kingston, and Krishna, who was launching a new greenfield location. They shared with us some insights into the journey of becoming a franchisee.
Making New Franchisees Feel Welcome
Molly Maid’s training programme took place over the course of a week, in which their new franchisees Tulsi and Krishna familiarised themselves with every aspect of the business. But before the training kicked off, they were greeted with a round of applause from all the Molly Maid team upon their arrival in the morning.
For Aaron Watson, Director of Franchise Operations at Molly Maid UK (pictured far left below), the training week was as much about making their new franchisees feel comfortable and welcome as it was about giving them information. “We want to know what makes them tick, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how we can support them,” he says.
A bit of hospitality can go a long way to making new franchisees feel welcome. Molly Maid offered Tulsi and Krishna the opportunity to stay in a flat situated above their office for the duration of the week, meaning their commute was a short walk down the stairs.
“We’ll be taking them out for dinner during the week too,” says Aaron. “Because it’s not just about the training – it’s about getting to know them as people. It’s really important to make them feel at ease and part of the family. We’re building a long-term relationship here.”
Tip: If you’re interested in becoming a Molly Maid franchisee, you can explore their franchise profile on BusinessesForSale.com.
Practical Lessons from Real-Life Entrepreneurs
Once Tulsi and Krishna had been welcomed by the Molly Maid team, the training began in earnest. Over the course of the first day, they received an overview of the Molly Maid brand, followed by a deep dive into business targets and setting year one reviews. After that they explored the ins and outs of recruitment, discovering the best ways to recruit new maids and work with their staff. Finally, they took an extended look at how to market their business.
All the training was grounded in practical insights based on previous Molly Maid franchisees. These were not just lessons coming from a spreadsheet, but from the real-world experiences of more than 400 entrepreneurs around the world.
This is one of the greatest benefits of investing in a franchise system: there’s a wealth of past and current entrepreneurial wisdom to draw upon. Even if you’re an experienced business owner, that extra layer of knowledge and security can be extremely helpful.
Tulsi and Krishna were also provided with a large binder to take away – a kind of Molly Maid bible – which contained all the essential information covered during the week. This meant that they could easily go back and refresh their memories on any aspect of the training, alongside the continued future support from Molly Maid.
Why BusinessesForSale.com is to the Go-To for Franchise Resales
BusinessesForSale.com played an important role in connecting Molly Maid with one of their new franchisees. Tulsi Patel (pictured left below) found Molly Maid’s profile while using the site, and sent them an enquiry requesting further information.
“We started out with a very simple location-based search,” says Tulsi, “And found a Molly Maid resale based in Kingston-Upon-Thames. A lot of people we spoke to said they’d seen the Molly Maid cars, or their neighbour had used them before, so we knew it was a trusted brand. We picked Kingston because it’s an affluent area where we hope we can build our client base.”
Listing a franchise resale on the marketplace is easy with BusinessesForSale.com. If an existing franchisee decides they want to move on, we make the process of finding a new owner as simple and stress-free as possible. “BusinessesForSale.com is our first port of call for franchise resales,” says Aaron. “When a franchisee decides they want to sell, it’s the first place we go to get them on the marketplace.”
While one franchisee’s journey might be coming to an end, their sale represents the start of an exciting new chapter for Tulsi and her husband. “We’re hoping to transact shortly after the training week has finished, before starting an exciting new career as franchise owners,” she says. I’m sure there will be hiccups along the way, but knowing we have support from all the Molly Maid team gives me so much reassurance.”
