One simple practice separates successful franchisors from average ones: effective franchisors spend the majority of their time working on important rather than urgent things. They adopt Stephen Covey’s advice outlined in his best-selling “First Things First” and “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” books.


There are only so many hours in any given work day. So the question becomes, “What do we do during those hours?” Isn’t it interesting how some people use their time to be incredibly productive while others accomplish very little. Why is that? Why do some franchisors achieve their goals and experience great growth and success while others do not?

Successful franchisors spend the majority of their time in quadrant 2. They know that duplication and consistency are at the heart of a successful franchise system, and therefore make it their #1 job. The only way that brand consistency can be accomplished is through training, so they invest time and money on their training program. They also continue to innovate and develop new concepts and product ideas that appeal to their market.

When an important/urgent issue comes up, they quickly switch to a “SWAT team” mode, fix the problem, and immediately return to the “important but not urgent” quadrant.

Average franchisors on the other hand focus their effort in the other quadrants. They spend their time on the phone or replying to emails that do little to help them grow their business. They’re busy. Some even work very long hours, but unfortunately, they spend their days on “time wasters” and activities that don’t contribute to the achievement of their business goals.

To be successful as a franchisor, you need to be certain that your franchisees succeed. Success begets success. Successful franchisees increase your royalties and help sell other franchises. So stop procrastinating and delaying important activities such as improving your training program or developing new products ideas. Define which activities are important to your franchise, and allocate the majority of your time to completing those activities.