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Franchise Operations Manuals

We are Franchise Publishing Consultants, Content Writers and Developmental Editors. We advise clients on how to document their Know-How and Business Systems.

A professionally developed Operations Manual will equip your franchisees with all the tools needed to gain competitive advantage – year on year.

  • Developing a Franchise Operations Manual – often from a blank piece of paper – can be daunting
  • Creating engaging Content that your franchisees will read and put into practise is essential
  • Documenting sound processes and clear operational procedures takes time

A well-written Operations Manual can make a real difference.

  • A good Roadmap, well-considered format and structure makes your Content user-friendly
  • Professionally edited Content makes your Operations Manual look polished, professional and insightful
  • Demonstrating how the franchise network must be measured and analysed leads to continuous improvement
  • Franchisees who operate to clearly defined and professionally documented procedures are likely to be more successful – and, therefore, more profitable

All About Compliance

For compliance, all Franchisees in a developing network must operate uniformly to the same business system so that Brand Standards are upheld.

Operations Manual – Essential Tool

The relationship between Franchisor and Franchisee is formalised by a contract – the Franchise Agreement. The Franchise Agreement states that the Franchisor must provide all their Franchisees with access to an up-to-date Operations Manual for the duration of the Franchise Term.

The Operations Manual is one of the essential tools of any Franchise Support and Launch Package.

A ‘gold standard’ Operations Manual provides Franchisees with operational detail on how to run their business successfully – and profitably.

It should become a comprehensive ‘encyclopedia’ of Know-How which details:

  • How to set up the new Franchise
  • How to operate the Franchise day by day
  • How to implement a programme of continuous improvement

As the franchise develops into a mature network, the Operations Manual may need to be entirely rewritten. This should be considered every 5 – 8 years to reflect all additions and modifications to the Franchisor’s business system. Read my Blog.

It is worth noting too, that the Operations Manual must be current and up-to-date. Therefore, due consideration must be given to how Content can be updated easily as and when changes must be recorded.

Franchise Systems

Our clients operate many different types of business system including:

  • B2B
  • Job
  • Management
  • Social enterprise
  • Manufacturing; and
  • Distribution

Proven Strategy for Franchise Operations Manuals

An award-winning, full-service independent publishing consultancy, Manual Writers International has advised on, developed, edited and updated Franchise Operations Manuals for many well-known brands over the past 35 years. These include Costa Coffee & Premier Inn (Whitbread plc), Kwik Fit, Metro Rod, Wiltshire Farm Foods, The AA Driving School and EasyHotel plc. However, we have also worked with 100s of start-ups; and numerous conversion franchises such as Bang + Olufsen.

Their Franchisees operate successful businesses because they deliver consistently to Brand Values and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). They meet – or exceed – the Minimum Operating Requirements set and monitored by their Franchisor.

Introducing the Operations Manual

Introducing the Operations Manual to franchisees at Induction Training is essential. Later, when a new system or method of working is introduced, the Operations Manual must be updated and relaunched to the Network through Development Training.

  • For mature franchises, the Operations Manual will be held on a password protected portal
  • For new franchises, a password protected database is a great solution

Ethical Franchising

Three years after launching Manual Writers International in 1986, I became an accredited British Franchise Association (BFA) Professional Advisor. One of the first accredited Affiliates to join the Association, I passionately believe in ethical franchising. In the early years, I worked with the BFA to establish a ‘gold standard’ for the Franchise Operations Manual.

Later, I worked closely with the BFA to develop a layman’s version of the BFA Code of Ethics and the BFA Members’ Rule Book. Manual Writers International and the BFA relaunched the Association’s Franchisor and Franchisee Guides. We then reviewed and updated Content for the first relaunch of the BFA’s website four years ago. 

Appointed a Companion of the British Franchise Association in 2011 for an ‘outstanding contribution to franchising in the UK and the BFA’, I continue to support and promote ethical franchising in the UK and overseas.

For further details please Penny Hopkinson on +44 (0)1926 641402 or +44 (0)7956 315750 or email me at ManualW@aol.com