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When establishing a new business, it is important to understand that you will be in your chosen location for a prolonged period and therefore must be a good neighbor and welcomed by the community. If you have been a resident of your local province for many years, it is likely that you will already have some connections that will help you to become established.
If you do not, it is important to consider how you will establish your new business, create long-lasting, positive relationships with the local residents, and become a successful franchisee. Here are some tips.
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Develop a "Good Neighbor" strategy
In addition to considering all of the legal and financial implications of becoming a franchisee, it is wise to consider the manner in which your business venture will satisfy a need for the local community, and how you will promote it.
You should develop a "good neighbor" strategy that will guide you in becoming a part of the community in which you will be working, articulating how you will develop and maintain the positive relationship with the local residents that will be needed to remain profitable and popular.
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Undertake appropriate risk assessments.
If you will be welcoming members of the public into your facility, you will need to perform a thorough risk assessment to ensure they will be safe. This includes implementing the appropriate health and hygiene measures; mitigating the risk of slips, trips and falls; and placing signage where necessary to warn of hazards that you are unable to remove, such as low ceilings or steps.
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Prepare a communications plan
You will need to communicate your plans for the business to the public, particularly if there will be any disruption or building works while you are setting up. Proactively engaging and explaining the works that will be conducted and the timescales to completion will promote transparency and reduce the likelihood of complaints.
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Engage with the community
Setting up a website and social media feed will allow you to communicate with potential customers, advertise the business and explain what you will be doing once you open. Maintaining these streams of communications once you are operational will help to build your network.
Remember that not all of your potential clients are online, so consider notices in your window, ads in local newspapers and other forms of offline communication to maximize the effectiveness of your engagement campaign.
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Get involved
Proactively involving yourself in local projects and events is a great way to get your name known and to develop those connections that could be vital to the success of your business.
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Conclusion
There are many ways in which you can establish positive connections with your local community, and taking the time to consider how you will embed yourself and your business into the lives of local residents will improve your chances of success.
