Effectively Managing a Family Franchise Business As you’ll find out if you talk to another dynastic professional who’s passed the torch to the next generation, delegation is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to pulling off family business ownership. Effectively Delegate Roles and Tasks from the Beginning To avoid confusion, you need to step up and make clear to everyone their role in the franchise and the kinds of tasks (be specific!) that they’ll be carrying out on a day-to-day basis. Many of the roles that family members end up doing in the context of family-run franchise locations can be undefined—and therefore potentially underappreciated. Many franchisees delegating tasks to family members might run into this scenario: One family member whose role was clearly laid out from the outset gets all the credit, while another family member works behind the scenes to do necessary yet largely (or completely) unacknowledged work. The problem: A lack of role-setting and delegation. Make sure that you assign roles to each family member and that those roles match their previous experiences, aptitudes, and people skills. Be realistic because being too optimistic (or too gloomy) in your appraisal of what each family member can do can cause you to underutilize your employees or, maybe worse, create resentment if one family member feels underappreciated or overworked. Keep the Gossip and Personal Stuff Separate Remember how we were talking about trust, accountability, and loyalty being qualities of family members? Well, that’s true, but this can also create unexpected problems when you consider that you probably know a lot of the hidden psychology, quirks, and personal secrets of your spouse, children, brothers, sisters, or in-laws. The surprising thing is that as much as we love our family, it can be easier to get upset and let it show with a family member turned employee than with a regular coworker. Remember that when you show up to work each day, you’re there to carry out your job. One last tip: Consider taking a break from one another at the dinner table to allow time to recharge. Keep the conversation light and get ready to head back to a franchise you love!

1. All in the Family: Managing a
Franchise Business When Your
Family Members Are Your
Employees

2. Running a family franchise business can be tricky if you
imagine it as an extension of your family’s at-home
dynamics. There clearly needs to be separation between the
behaviors, attitudes, and relationships that exist between
you and your family employees over the dinner table at
Thanksgiving and in the workplace.

3. When properly utilized, there are a ton of advantages to
taking family bonds and moving them to a professional
setting. Consider this: Picking the right business partner, in
general, is like trying to find the proverbial needle in the
haystack. You need someone who’s dependable,
trustworthy, loyal, and responsible; who shares your values;
and who balances out your weaknesses.

4. Topics of Discussion
1. Effectively Managing a Family
Franchise Business
2. Effectively Delegate Roles and
Tasks from the Beginning
3. Keep the Gossip and Personal
Stuff Separate

5. 1. As you’ll find out if you talk
to another dynastic
professional who’s passed the
torch to the next generation,
delegation is one of the biggest
challenges when it comes to
pulling off family business
ownership.
cc: sixes & sevens - https://www.flickr.com/photos/45665251@N00

6. 2. To avoid confusion, you need to step up and make
clear to everyone their role in the franchise and the
kinds of tasks (be specific!) that they’ll be carrying out
on a day-to-day basis. Many of the roles that family
members end up doing in the context of family-run
franchise locations can be undefined—and therefore
potentially underappreciated. Many franchisees
delegating tasks to family members might run into this
scenario: One family member whose role was clearly
laid out from the outset gets all the credit, while
another family member works behind the scenes to do
necessary yet largely (or completely) unacknowledged
work. The problem: A lack of role-setting and
delegation.
cc: Thomas Hawk - https://www.flickr.com/photos/51035555243@N01

7. 3. Remember how we were talking about trust,
accountability, and loyalty being qualities of family
members? Well, that’s true, but this can also create
unexpected problems when you consider that you probably
know a lot of the hidden psychology, quirks, and personal
secrets of your spouse, children, brothers, sisters, or in-laws.
The surprising thing is that as much as we love our family, it
can be easier to get upset and let it show with a family
member turned employee than with a regular coworker.
Remember that when you show up to work each day, you’re
there to carry out your job. One last tip: Consider taking a
break from one another at the dinner table to allow time to
recharge. Keep the conversation light and get ready to head
back to a franchise you love!

8. Want to learn more? Please visit our
blog at:
http://www.hotdogonastickfranchise.com/
opportunities/all-in-the-family-managing-
a-franchise-business-when-your-family-
members-are-your-employees/
Or visit our website at:
http://www.hotdogonastickfranchise.com/

9. Disclaimer: This information is not intended as an offer
to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a
franchise. It is for information purposes only. Currently,
the following states regulate the offer and sale of
franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana,
Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North
Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia,
Washington, and Wisconsin. If you are a resident of or
want to locate a franchise in one of these states, we
will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have
complied with applicable pre-sale registration and
disclosure requirements in your state. Franchise
offerings are made by Franchise Disclosure Document
only.