Daily Habits of Successful Franchisees: What Sets Them Apart

Wondering what many top-performing franchisees have in common? Spoiler alert, it’s not luck. Successful franchisees tend to focus on developing simple, consistent daily habits that keep their operations running smoothly and drive sales.

In this article, I’ll list out some of these habits and routines that set successful franchisees apart to help you build a high-performing franchise location.

Key Takeaways

• While every franchisee is different, it’s undeniable that certain daily habits and routines are conducive to exceptional franchise leadership.
• It’s important to be actively involved with your team and interact regularly with your customers. Good franchisees don’t just sit back and watch from afar.
• Don’t get stuck in your ways and be prepared to adapt. Keep an eye on emerging technologies, and don’t underestimate online channels, such as review platforms or local discussion boards.
• Keep on top of important data like sales numbers and KPIs, rather than just reviewing them on a monthly or quarterly basis.
• Learn from the advice of other successful franchisees, both in your organization and outside.

Top Daily Habits of Successful Franchisees

1. Check Daily Sales and Labor Reports First Thing

Top-performing franchisees are financially disciplined and always looking for data about their business. One of my top tips is to review your sales figures and other numbers, such as labor costs, from the day before. This way, you know how your business is performing in real time.

Take a look at your total revenue compared to the same day last week, and see if you can spot any anomalies. Being meticulous with tracking these numbers helps you stay on top of your budget and notice issues like sales dips or rising labor costs early on.

This habit will also help you with your day-to-day decision-making. If sales are falling below target, you may need to react by adjusting staffing or launching a new promotion.

2. Walk the Floor Before Customers Arrive

This may seem like a small detail, but it can make a real difference. Top-performing franchisees often conduct a thorough sweep of their location before opening for the day. Arrive early and inspect your store for cleanliness, safety, and general readiness. Psychologically, this will help you get the lay of the land and show your staff you care about attention to detail. 

Successful franchisees make sure their location is in tip-top shape before customers arrive. Make sure the surfaces are spotless, the shelves are stocked, and all important equipment is in working order. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes; something as minor as a gum wrapper strewn on the floor can give a bad first impression and throw off their entire experience.

3. Run a Pre-Shift Team Huddle

I highly recommend kicking off each shift with a short team meeting. It doesn’t have to be long, just five to ten minutes to align the team, go over any shift-specific notes, share important updates, and set the tone for the day.

This gives you the chance to talk about the daily goals and encourage everyone to do the best job possible. You can use this pre-shift meeting to go over last night’s sales numbers, highlight a new promotion, or remind them that there’s an important order coming in. 

This is also an opportunity to recognize employees who are doing well and get your team “in the zone” before the shift starts.

4. Reply to Every New Customer Review

Many franchisees underestimate the value of online reviews. In my view, you should treat reviews and social media comments as an extension of your customer service. 

In the modern digital era, online reviews are more important than ever, and how you respond to these reviews can significantly impact your sales.

According to a recent study by Capital One, 89% of consumers are more likely to choose a business that responds to customer reviews.

Regularly check for new reviews on big platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp, and respond personally, whether it’s positive or negative. If a customer posts praise, thank them sincerely and tell them you’re looking forward to seeing them again. If a review is negative, apologize and, where possible, offer to make it right.

Being this responsive to reviews shows current and future customers you truly value their feedback and are willing to fix any issues that arise.

5. Post to Local Social Media or Community Boards

A common mistake that franchisees make is ignoring local marketing. Many owners simply pay their ad fund contributions and then leave marketing to the franchisor. But your local marketing should be part of your daily routine and can significantly boost your sales.

For example, by spending a few minutes each day on your location’s social media channels or doing community outreach, you can increase awareness about your unit and get more customers through the door. This could be as simple as posting a quick update or photo on Instagram or even contributing to a local forum/discussion board.

For example, a restaurant franchisee can post about a daily special with an appetizing photo of the dish on Instagram each morning. On the other hand, a fitness franchise owner might share a workout tip or success story from a customer. These local touches really bring value to your customer base and help to humanize your brand.

6. Review Your Core KPIs for the Week

I suggest stepping back and looking at wider performance trends every week. Some franchisees don’t do this regularly, but, at the end of the day, you’re more likely to lose track of things if you only check every month or quarter. 

Every Monday morning or Friday afternoon, review your key performance indicators (KPIs) against your weekly or monthly goals. These core KPIs may include total weekly sales, customer footfall, average transaction value, labor cost percentage, customer satisfaction scores, etc. Essentially, all the vital signs of your business.

Compare your current numbers with last week’s and with the same time the previous year. This will help you gauge progress, while also accounting for seasonal trends. A weekly KPI review means you’re less likely to get too bogged down in daily fluctuations.

7. Observe Service Interactions

A common mistake I see franchisees make is taking too much of a backseat when it comes to on-the-ground presence. Successful franchisees prioritize being at their location in person whenever possible.

Make a point of stepping back and observing how your customers and employees interact. Of course, you don’t want your team to feel you’re micromanaging them too much, but the more present you are, the more normal they’ll find you being around.

Listen to your staff greeting customers at the counter, watch a few checkout transactions, or spend time in the kitchen to ensure the brand standards are being met. Where necessary, you can also coach your team in real time. For example, if staff are having a tough time clearly explaining the new promo, take a moment to explain things clearly.

8. Check Inventory on High-Turnover Items

As a franchisee, you should make it your personal business to stay on top of inventory, especially high-turnover items. Every day, inspect stock levels of your most critical inventory. If you run a cafe, check for essential items such as coffee beans and milk; if you run a retail store, check for your top twenty best-selling items.

The goal here is to make sure you never run out of the products that keep your business chugging along. 

9. Do Quick Competitor Recon

The most successful franchisees are keenly aware of their competitive landscape. A good habit to have is scanning for competitor activity in your area. This could mean simply driving by a competitor’s store on the way home to see if they’re busy, or spending ten or fifteen minutes checking a rival’s recent social media posts.

By making competitor awareness part of your daily practice, you can catch opportunities and threats early. For example, if a competitor down the street from you launches a big promotion, you might decide it’s time to create a promotion of your own for an extra marketing push.

10. Check in With Team Members Individually

Pre-shift meetings are great, but it’s also important to make time for one-on-one interactions with your staff. This could be having a quick, casual chat with an employee during quiet moments, or it could be structured, scheduled check-ins with each team lead.

Your relationship with your location’s staff should be a two-way street. Listen to their concerns, and make sure they actually feel heard. Employees often feel more comfortable sharing ideas or concerns one-on-one than in a group. 

This can have a major positive impact on morale. A recent study by Business Insider shows that 1:1 meetings with employees boost productivity, engagement, and their overall well-being.

Franchisee Mindsets That Make a Difference

Building strong habits is only half the equation. To really thrive as a franchisee, you need the right mindset. Here are some attitudes that can make or break your success as a franchise owner.

Start the Day With a Positive, Solution-Oriented Attitude

Owning a franchise comes with constant, endless challenges—a late delivery, a sick employee, a customer complaint. Attitude matters when tackling these problems.

I can’t overstate the importance of starting each day with optimism and focusing on solutions rather than problems. This obviously doesn’t mean being blind to issues. You have to address challenges, but always approach challenges with a solution-oriented attitude, rather than drowning in pessimism. This sets the tone for the team: if you approach the day with confidence, it’ll be contagious and create a “can-do” mentality across the board.

Be Consistent and Lead by Example

Actions speak louder than words. Call it a cliché, but this statement definitely applies to franchising. The fact is, your behavior sets the standard in your business. Be consistent, and don’t cut corners when it suits you. If you follow your own standards diligently, it will prove that everyone plays by the same rules and earn you respect from the team. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, either. Jump in to wash dishes or serve customers when the place is busy; there should be no task in your franchise that is below you.

Keep Investing in Yourself

The best, most motivated franchisees never stop learning. You should be endlessly curious and committed to improving yourself and the way you do things.

Don’t treat training and upskilling as a chore. It should be exciting to stay up to date on industry trends and experiment with new technologies. Attend webinars or regional meetings to pick up new best practices and get ideas. Read books, follow relevant podcasts, and capitalize on any training or support offered by your franchisor. 

Prioritize Progress Over Perfection

As in any business, you shouldn’t expect perfection in your franchise location. Embrace the mindset of progress instead of waiting around for everything to be just right.

It’s better to make steady improvements rather than obsess endlessly over tiny details before changing anything. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have high standards, but understand that thinking and planning only get you so far. Considering a new local marketing tactic? A perfectionist might spend months researching every last detail, while an action-oriented franchisee will implement it, then learn and adapt as they go.

Stay Open to New Ideas and Tech

Franchisees who rise to the top of the industry usually embrace change and innovation instead of resisting it. Be open to fresh ideas, whether those come from emerging franchise technologies, your franchisor, or even their customers.

You should be willing to experiment and adopt tools that could give you the edge. If your franchisor rolls out a new app, dive in and learn how to use it, rather than grumbling about changes to the system. Not every new idea will succeed, but smart franchisees will be willing to at least explore it.

Lessons From Real Successful Franchise Owners: What Sets Them Apart?

Let’s take a look at some of the top-performing franchisees whose habits and mindsets have shaped the long-term success of their business.

Ronnie and Susan Morris, Express Employment Professionals: Have Passion for Your Community

Ronnie and Susan Morris of Express Employment Professionals in Jackson, Tennessee, say devotion to their local community drives their success, claiming, “It’s our passion, making a real difference in our community because we know we’re putting people to work and we’re changing people’s lives.”

They recommend framing your work as giving back to the communities around you, rather than simply obsessing over your bottom line. This kind of attitude, which values both staff and customers, inevitably shines through in your day-to-day interactions. 

Henry Trefenko, McDonald’s: Build and Lead Teams

Henry Trefenko, who owns two McDonald’s branches in Carlisle, England, claims that being present and building teams is absolutely essential: “I need to be in and around my business, and take enormous pride in it. And you’ve got to build and lead teams.”

The importance of building a strong team and leading by example is key here. Trefenko also emphasizes being present on the ground and taking genuine pride in doing good work. 

George Tinsley, KFC: Don’t Be Afraid to Fail

George Tinsley, who has owned multiple franchise units across the US since he opened his first KFC restaurant in 1984, says that his first weeks were chaos: “After about a week, it was total chaos. Fortunately, customers were coming in, but I learned we had to better prepare to move forward.”

Tinsley’s story is a particularly inspirational one. His initial rude awakening spurred him into action and taught him that better organization was imperative moving forward. Importantly, though, Tinsley didn’t start off striving for perfection: he hit the ground running and learned from his mistakes. For him, it certainly paid off.

Franchise Success Is Built From Daily Habits

Success in franchising is the result of consistent, intentional habits repeated day after day. The top performing franchisees lead by example and keep a close eye on what’s happening both inside and outside their walls. 

If you’re exploring franchise ownership or looking for opportunities that align with your values, Franzy is here to help. We vet every brand we list and match you with franchises built for long-term success. Ready to find your fit? Head to Franzy to get started.