Making Franchise Relationships Work

By Joe Lindenmayer of Entrepreneur.com

The franchisee/franchisor relationship is a unique one. It differs significantly from the average "employee/employer" dynamic in various ways.

Over the course of 16 years, I've been both a franchisor and a franchisee at different times and at various levels of organizations. Ensuring an optimal relationship between the two will not only improve your bottom line, but perhaps your emotional well-being as well.

When you're new to an organization, you quickly understand the larger purpose of having two ears and one mouth. There is much to listen to and many to learn from before you should start making changes. As the youngest of seven kids, I've been used to people around me thinking they know more than I do (often times, this is true), but I also learned to speak up or you'll be left out. ...