Good relationships between franchisors and franchisees depend partly on a clear understanding of what the franchisor is charging for and how they are making their revenue. Hiding income streams only leads to trouble, says Win Robinson in this article from our archives

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Franchising Outlook 2025: How are we feeling?

Franchisors anticipate the gradual economic recovery will improve business results for both their franchisees' and their own businesses, according to the latest Franchising Confidence Index figures.

Lost In Translation

Franchises don't always transfer successfully from one country to another. Simon Lord looks at the lessons to be learned from past experience and Win Robinson defines four key steps to successful exporting. First published in 2007, updated October 2024

Splat! When media hits the fan

News stories show need for franchises to be ready to handle hostile social and professional media

Big Lessons From The Big Country

Callum Floyd rode across the USA to bring back insights from the International Franchise Association convention in Las Vegas

Making Money - helping franchisees increase profits

Every business owner needs to keep an eye on their bottom line. Simon Lord shares some real-life examples of the ways companies are helping franchisees increase profitability

Practical help with getting tax relief

30 August 2021 – Philip Morrison of Franchise Accountants offers some practical guidance on how to help franchisees secure relief from IRD to spread out their tax burden and help with business resilience

Stay in touch to grow your franchise

How can franchisors attract, involve and appoint new franchisees during a time of economic uncertainty?

The naked franchisor - calculating and collecting franchise fees

Who Can Legally Sell A Franchise?

Do you need special qualifications to sell a franchise? Yes and no - Stewart Germann clarifies the laws about selling franchise opportunities

Wise counsel

Franchise Advisory Councils are an effective way of harnessing franchisees' ideas and driving systems forward, says Win Robinson

How long do franchisees keep their businesses?

In May 2012 we were asked by a reader what the average length of time is that franchisees stay with a franchise system in New Zealand. It's longer than many people might think, so we decided to explore some of the reasons why people stay or why they go.

Education - who trains the trainers?

March 2019 - If franchisors want to help franchisees build better businesses, they need to invest in themselves

NZ’s international franchisors share their secrets - PODCAST

August 2016 – Four of New Zealand’s top international achievers came together at the Franchise Conference for a gripping panel session on how to expand overseas. Their message? ‘Just do it!’

Learn from NZ's top franchisors - Podcast & Video

August 2017 – An experienced panel of New Zealand franchisors explored the 2017 National Franchise Conference theme of innovation, integration and resilience in business, sharing some vivid examples from their own experiences

Public, private, partnership?

Dr Callum Floyd discusses the impact of private equity and listed company ownership on franchisors and franchisees

OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE
kiwis going global

December 2010 - How realistic is it for New Zealand-based franchises to dream of global expansion? Simon Lord talks to two companies on the export trail and takes some advice from the experts

Who pays for price promotions?

Franchisors and franchisees should be wary of how they structure sales promotions

Franchises under fire – how to handle the media

Media trainer Pete Burdon offers some tips for franchisors and franchisees who might find themselves in the spotlight when something goes wrong or right

top franchisees focus on PERFORMANCE NOT COSTS

Research says franchisees who focus on minimising costs run the risk of harming their overall profitability

Franchising - the best education young businesspeople can get

While franchising isn’t considered valuable enough to be taught in our universities, joining a franchise and working with franchisees can be a superb way of adding practical knowledge to theoretical learning.

BORNE to the USA

March 2014 - BurgerFuel’s new partnership opens the door to the world’s biggest franchise market – and other Kiwi franchisors are keen to follow

Dealing With Bad Press

Bad publicity can happen to any company at any time. We look at some recent situations and offer practical advice for franchisors and franchisees on being prepared

MAKING AN IMPACT
the importance of good photographs in franchisee recruitment

Attracting potential franchisees means a franchisor needs to present their opportunity in the best possible light. That means showing them what it looks like - so how do you get great photos of your business?

FRANCHISED VS. COMPANY-OWNED
– study spreads new light on performance

April 2014 - It’s commonly said that a franchised outlet will perform significantly better than a company-owned outlet within the same system, but is it true? A new study from the Franchise Relationships Institute set out to shed some light on the question.

kiwi franchises GOING PUBLIC

September 2013 - Some familiar franchise names are starting to turn up on the New Zealand stock market. Simon Lord looks at the reasons why

the e-commerce
TIPPING POINT FOR FRANCHISING

June 2012 - Greg Nathan and Zhanna Kremez report on the ways that franchisors are addressing the growing challenges posed by online retailing

when importing a franchise MAKES SENSE

Many franchises are developed locally – but are NZ companies missing out on investing in overseas brands?

PROPERTY LEASING
- getting the right place at the right price

December 2011 - How do you get the right deal on a property lease? Simon Lord asks the experts

multi-unit franchising
FAD OR STRATEGY?

Good franchisees are hard to find, so should they be encouraged to own more than one outlet? Win Robinson considers the issues.

franchising’s future IN THE CLOUDS

Giles Brown & Daniel Munns outline changes in technology that offer new efficiencies, new opportunities and new threats for franchisees and franchisors

new book tells
McDonald’s NEW ZEALAND STORY

April 2010 - McDonald’s may be a global giant, but the brand’s success is based upon its ability to attract local talent and adapt to local conditions wherever it goes. A new book by Rosemary Hepozden tells the story of how McDonald’s came to New Zealand and documents its first 35 years here.

Making Franchisee Conferences Work

In any franchise, the annual conference is always a major event. Here are some tips from an experienced franchisor on making the most of getting everyone together.

Conference Planning Do’s & Don’ts

When planning a conference for franchisees, what do you need to know? Here's a helpful list from a professional events manager.

Managing marketing funds

September 2009 - How do franchises collect marketing funds, who is accountable for them and how should they be spent?

Discovery Days help potential franchisees learn about opportunities

October 2009 - Discovery Days, when groups of potential franchisees visit franchisors, are common practice overseas - but haven't taken off in New Zealand yet.

Master Licences - What Do They Offer?

Looking for a bigger challenge? Wanting to diversify your company's interests? Searching for growth? A master licence from overseas might offer exactly what you need.

What Old Franchisors Know and New Franchisors Don't

October 2008 - Every cloud has a silver lining, although new franchisors may not recognise that yet.

Franchise Association Calls For Positive Regulation

13 February 2008 - The Franchise Association of New Zealand has come out in favour of franchise regulation with calls for six specific recommendations to be included in legislation currently before parliament.

Coming soon to a court near you?

Will growing concerns in US franchising affect the types of disputes we see in New Zealand?

The Challenge of Change

Greg Nathan discusses how to get franchisee buy-in and commitment to change

Put People Back in Business

Good relationships are going to matter more than ever in 2009

Proofing Advertisements

Advertising provides the life blood for many businesses, so it's important that it says the right things. We provide a light-hearted look at what can go wrong and how to get it right.

How Are Franchises Responding to Recession?

Franchises tend to do pretty well in a recession, but that doesn't mean that franchisors or franchisees can afford to be complacent. Franchises which have not taken care to get their structures right, or which have not adapted to changing markets, will run into difficulty - no matter how hard franchisees work. Here are six key areas that good franchises will be working on as they organise themselves for the immediate future.

McDonald's Lessons Don't Always Apply

McDonald's is generally recognised not just as the best-known but also probably the best franchise on the world. That's great for them, but the expectations of excellence that it creates can actually be dangerous for other franchisors.

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