When I was a trial attorney, every move I made had to be strategic. The witnesses I called, the questions I asked them, the words I used in closing arguments... even which color I wore on what day. It all influenced how a jury perceived the case and whether they would find the defendant guilty.
I was used to taking calculated risks. And, with the right strategy, I could predict the outcome.
Opening a franchise was no different.
I thought, “It’s a proven system. It’s gotta work, right?”
At first, it seemed to be working!
Three months into business and my first location was profitable. But I realized something - I had 3 more locations to open and I couldn't be in 2 places at once. I needed a strategy to duplicate my secret sauce at one location, while I opened the next.
That wasn't included in the franchisor's training program. So, I created the solution - key things that were absolutely CRITICAL to reaching my definition of success.
With them, I opened 4 locations in 3 years, taking all of them to the top 20% of the company while working less than 20 hours per week TOTAL on the business!
At the time, I was unaware that this never happens. Everyone wanted to know what I was doing. It wasn’t until business owners started coming to me for advice that I realized I was doing something out-of-the-ordinary.
The difference between failing franchises and thriving ones like mine is:
the SecrtSOS™ Method.