What The Founder of 4000+ Franchises Told Us

Chuck Runyon, CEO and Co-Founder of Self Esteem Brands, joined our C-Level Franchisor Forum as a guest mentor. Self Esteem Brands is the franchisor for Anytime Fitness, which now operates nearly 5,000 clubs in 35 countries. In a candid conversation, Chuck shared a number of strategies that have been helping him and his team of senior executives navigate their way through the COVID crisis. Read Chuck's best practice tips for franchisors below.

Here are five strategies Chuck Runyon shared with 40 CEOs and senior executives in FRI's C-Level Franchisor Forum.

Share the pain. The first action Chuck took when COVID restrictions hit was for him and the corporate team to take a pay cut. He wanted his franchisees to know that, while they were dealing with reduced sales and profits, the corporate team were also making sacrifices to keep the brand alive. He said this has helped to build a united front that we are in this together.

Remember you are talking to a person. Chuck reminded us, while we may like to quickly get down to business, when you speak with franchisees, first listen to what's going on in their lives beyond the business. And to remember that, like you, they've got a whole heap of other stuff to manage as well as their business. He said this type of listening builds trust in you as a leader.

Admit mistakes. Chuck attributes Anytime Fitness's low level of disputation down to a culture of fessing up to mistakes. He said if you or your executive team make a mistake, admit it. Then analyse why it was made by collecting information, including asking franchisees how the situation could be handled better in the future, and don't let it happen again.

Value values.  Anytime Fitness has Four P's which are central to their culture, which Chuck believes is the reason they have consistently been voted one of the best places to work in America. These are People, Purpose, Profits and Play. He tries to infuse these into everything they do every day and says this helps to create high-performance teams.

The attitude of gratitude. As well as taking time for exercise, sleep, healthy food and spending time in nature, Chuck has implemented an attitude of gratitude into his life. He also encourages his kids to adopt this approach, by reminding them they have a privileged life as their worst days in COVID are equivalent to most other peoples' best days.

What percentage of franchisees in Australia operate more than one franchise unit? The number is 33%, up from 23% ten years ago. And we predict this number will grow. Why? Because stronger franchisees will be partnering with or buying out struggling franchisees who haven't been able to navigate their way through the current maze of business challenges.

In response to your requests for affordable professional development that is suitable for the current times, we have transitioned our popular face-to-face programs into convenient, interactive virtual forums. All participants in our recent virtual programs rated their experience as excellent. Now is the perfect time to book your place in a Workshop suitable for your role. Numbers are limited to maintain quality interaction.