Neil Welsh and James Jacka are the divisional franchisors for Jim’s Test and Tag, which counts 140 franchisees in its mobile system. The pair looks to provide consistency in training and so focuses on classroom experiences. Neil Welsh explains pre-franchisee learning and the extensive training franchisees initially receive to set them on the road to business success:
“We have two day prospect information workshops and in this we go through the contract, introduce potential franchisees to the business and to Jim. The first day is always run by a franchisee but other franchisees may drop in. If they do, we tend to leave the room and give them 15 minutes to answer questions.
“We talk about the culture, what it looks like, the operations manual and we assess them on fairly basic things — their views of the business, we do a bit of profiling. Then we talk about the disclosure document and the benefits and negatives of franchising.”
Getting down to training
When franchisees have gone through a full approval process, which includes completing a business plan and cash flow, undertaken pre-course reading and pre-course assessment, then they are ready for the full 15 day training which takes place at Jim’s headquarters in Mooroolbark, Victoria.
“Not a lot of people understand electricity and so everyone starts with a base knowledge,” Welsh says. Technical aspects of the training are assigned to professional trainers with associations like HIA and RMIT. “We’re not professional at training so we get the best in. Our team is fantastic. Our guys walk in knowing nothing, and walk out smart operators.”
The comprehensive training ranges from discussions about defining the three main words franchisees want to be identified by to managing a business, communication, time management, the culture, OH&S, goal setting and marketing through to mapping a 12 month plan.
“Everything is very structured. We teach them cold calling techniques and different decision making processes at different business levels. We build an action plan around what they’ve outlined as their strengths and weaknesses. We review their business plan, their goals, and in three monthsÕ time they know they will get another business review.
“They know what will happen throughout the next 12 months and what they need to do if something isn’t working,” Welsh says.
Jim’s Test and Tag is an ISO9001 quality accredited business. “We’re judged on how James and I run the divisional business, how our franchisors select and support their franchisees, and how the franchisees deliver service to their customers,” says Welsh. “We’re very focused on continual improvement.”