According to a recent study by Franchise Mind Corp., 50% of Franchise Master Licensees are not satisfied with ongoing support from the Franchisors and want help to perform better. Here are three critical findings:

• Master Licensees consider operational improvements as critical to succeed
• Master Licensees want greater focus on training to be better performing
• Master Licensees want tools and operational focus to grow the brand

The inability to provide a consistent customer experience, deliver on the brand promise across locations, get staff trained and productive, and provide access to a knowledge sharing environment have an immediate impact on customer perception and bottom-line. The damage to the brand, the financial implications to the franchisee, and ability to concentrate on growth are difficult to repair.  So how do you deliver and grow the knowledge across your organization, and ensure that your network has one common view? A super powered franchise intranet that equips all job functions across your franchise with the right knowledge, at the right time, can help bridge the gap. Whether you are a growing franchise or just starting out, the benefits of a connected and collaborative franchise intranet are easy to spot in daily operations:

• Easy access Online Operations Manuals
• Increased learning through training and support materials
• Seamless collaboration and knowledge sharing across r franchisees

“What I look for in a franchise, is proof it that supports multiple units effectively and makes use of technology. They should have systems in place, like POS systems that talk to each other, offer online training and marketing tools that everyone can use," says one Franchisee we spoke to.

More importantly, as you tackle the challenges of knowledge delivery in your franchise network, the overall business can truly start to flourish. In a knowledge-powered franchise, franchisees are more likely to:

• Expand market share into other territories
• Open additional units
• Validate the company to prospective franchisees
• Participate enthusiastically in company programs
• Contribute ideas for overall system growth
• Take a leadership role in helping other franchisees

It is time to fix the training failures of the past and provide franchisees with cost effective and easy to implement tools to provide a continuous learning and knowledge sharing environment that facilitates the real-time needs of franchise employees to please customers.