Should you get a franchising mentor?

A mentor can accelerate your personal and professional development, and when you make the leap into franchising, they can be invaluable in increasing your likelihood of success. Mentoring can be one-on-one or offered as a company-wide support system, providing advice and guidance to new franchisees when they need it most.

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Who makes a good mentor?

A mentor must be experienced and skilled, with a good working knowledge of the franchise you are joining. They must be a good role model, willing to help others, available to help, and approved by the franchisor to perform this role.

A good mentor is willing to accept the role not only to help others but to enhance their own resume and the franchise as a whole. Mentoring is a valuable way of honing interpersonal skills and learning from others as new franchisees will have knowledge and experience from previous workplaces and interests that could add wider value.

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Benefits of mentoring

Mentored franchisees are usually very engaged and enjoy high levels of job satisfaction. They are confident in performing their role to the best of their ability, often increasing their chances of business success.

Mentors gain the privilege of recognition and the opportunity to impart their skills and knowledge, enhance their franchising network and be recognised as a valuable cog in the franchise's operation. Some franchises offer mentors reduced royalty fees or direct payments in exchange for performing this role.

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Choosing a mentor

Some franchises have a list of approved mentors available to new starters, while others will encourage franchisees to investigate the structure of the business and select their own mentor based on their individual criteria and preferences. If you know that you will want additional training and support, this is a key area to investigate prior to signing a Franchise Agreement.

It is important to identify your needs prior to selecting a mentor to ensure that the person you approach will be well placed to support your development. You need to understand your own strengths and weaknesses and record your objectives and ambitions. Having a clear vision of your goals will help you identify a mentor to help you to achieve them.

Once you have found a mentor, you will need to make sure that you get along well with them as it is easier to accept constructive criticism and feedback from someone that you click with. Take the time to talk to prospective mentors on an informal basis to ensure that your personalities and styles align, then remain in contact to establish and maintain a mutually respectful relationship.

A mentor can help propel you to business success, but you must take the time to identify an appropriate mentor and nurture the relationship. Mentoring should benefit both parties, so if either of you feels that goals are not being met, do not be afraid to modify or end the agreement. There may be a better mentor out there for you.

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