Franchise industry knowledge needs to start with why a franchise exists

From the outside, many just don't understand the culture and mechanisms of franchises and cooperatives. I fortunately 'get it'.  Despite the outside world's lack of understanding, franchise and cooperative models have real strengths.  Unfortunately they have inherent weaknesses which tend to come to the fore.  While franchise agreements often create the very headaches they intended to curtail, it is the relationship between the franchisee and franchisor which is often the most problematic.  Get this right (and that doesn't necessarily mean that it can't be fractious) and the collective of businesses can grow.  

Selection of appropriate franchisees also tends to be an ever ending issue for some franchise systems. What needs to be understood is the reason that franchisees want to join a network rather than be in business without the support of a franchisor.  Understand this and align the franchisor offering to what is appropriate for both the greater business need and that of the incoming franchisee and you have a winning formula.

My experience spans automotive, jewelry, non-bank, mortgage brokering, insurance, home renovation market, education, and retail.  I am known for being able to work effectively with both franchisee and franchisor, often being a deal maker, peace maker or objective third party.