While the general economic performance of Australian franchising is positive, the sector is still vulnerable to reports and often distorted perceptions about the credibility of the franchising business model. Franchising is one of Australia’s most robust and successful sectors, boasting over 1,100 franchise systems, 70,000 franchised businesses and a contribution to gross domestic product of […]
If you don’t have world-best training supported by accreditation in modern day franchising, then don’t bother getting out of bed. Gen Y will make up around 40 per cent of the Australian workforce over the next five years and already we’re seeing a jump in people seeking larger business opportunities in franchising. Unless you’re offering […]
Some commentators have said the 2014 budget is ‘tough but fair’ on businesses and consumers. I agree to an extent – both from a retailer’s and CEO’s perspective. While in the short-term the measures may put some immediate pressure on small business owners, I think this will be overtaken by the long-term benefits. Most importantly […]
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or stranded on a desert island for the past fortnight, you’ll have undoubtedly caught wind of the newest social media trend to hit Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – the ‘no make-up selfie’. Playing on the fact that most social media users are keen to post pictures of themselves […]
Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear. These words are particularly significant today for two reasons. First, there are significantly more absurd and ridiculous “news” stories that generate attention in the media now compared to long ago, due to both the pressure to feed the 24-hr news cycle and the […]
Why the cookie-cutter approach just won’t shape up. It is rare to find a retailer today that doesn’t have a customer loyalty scheme of some sort. However, an increasing number of consumers are seemingly walking away from these programs, with a recent survey showing more than a quarter had defected from a loyalty scheme over […]
How do you raise awareness and drive trial of something as simple as a new mango and lime flavoured chicken? You nick a giant mango from the tropics of Queensland and days later, once the story has borne its fruit in the media, you bring it to Federation Square for the world to see, of […]
While many small businesses view both time and money as a barrier to developing a CSR strategy, they’re merely a minor speed bump at the start of what is potentially an ongoing road of strong community engagement and brand recognition. For years, companies have edged their way closer to customers and now – through new […]
With regional categories for the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) Excellence in Franchising Awards set to open in the coming days, it’s time to start thinking about how your franchise measures up. We’ve discussed in the past what it takes to write a strong award submission and how to leverage an award win. For brands […]
While some franchises have long realised the benefits of thought leadership as a communications tactic, many still fail to embrace it. Thought leadership can shape thinking around the nature of a franchise, reveal its corporate culture, and introduce new ideas to the industry that might be important to a franchise’s future. Ultimately, it can demonstrate […]