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FCA Quarterly Partner
Update
Issue # 3, 2014
Welcome
to the regular Franchise Council of Australia Partner Update. This update is an opportunity for you, our
members, to learn about what's new, what's on offer and what's coming up with our partners. In this issue...
Roundtable Event: Reputation management in the public and social media landscape This discussion is about managing your
reputation through social media - to be able to effectively control
the good and the bad which can and does happen on Twitter, Facebook and
others.
Special guest Jay Boston, founder of ID Digital Agency will provide expert insights and
advice on the topic.
Date: Tuesday 26th August 2014
Time:
7.30am - 9.00am
Venue: Holding Redlich, Level 8, 555 Bourke Street Melbourne
Parking:
Numerous parking buildings and public transport options in the vicinity.
Facilitators:
Gis Marven, Whirlwind Print and Alicia Foreman, Back In Motion.
Cost: Free of Charge
to FCA Members only
Catering: A delicious breakfast box (pictured), tea, coffee and juice
will be provided.
Extend
your customer reach It’s long been said that the costs of acquiring new customers far outweighs that associated with
retaining existing ones. Whether this widely held belief holds true or not, it is clear that the emergence
of the digital age and its increased access to affordable technology has resulted in far greater customer
reach both within and outside of the store environment.
Franchise systems have been quick to adopt
new technologies in an effort to drive customer engagement. Digital loyalty and rewards cards are now
prevalent in the industry when once this was available only in banking and large department store and
retail institutions. Now, franchisors are seeking new initiatives to further enhance the customer
experience and recruit new business.
Increasingly they are looking to point of
sale to deliver solutions that meet these needs in a fast and affordable way. Visual surveys, integrated
ordering apps, instant gratuities and digital calls to action are some of the features enabling customer
data capture and promoting frequency of purchase within the store, while social media is a fast growing
avenue for connecting with and selling to new customer groups, and highly effective when combined with
pos integration and customer recognition.
 Franchise
point of sale specialist Shift8 says that taking full advantage of these features needn’t be a costly
exercise and during August they’re running interactive sessions for FCA members showcasing
the use of pos in enhancing the customer experience and driving growth.
Marketing,
IT and Operations professionals should not miss this informative and free event.
How can you boost your profitability in FY15?
As a franchisee, there’s a good chance that increasing profitability, and reducing operating
costs are at the very top of your business agenda. Franchisees continue to face a range of fixed operating
costs, from rent and insurance to power and payroll but as we kick off another financial year, looking
to maximise technology investments can help to set you up for success.
Technology was once
on the list of fixed financials, but now there are ways to avoid up-front technology costs with pay as
you go options, or by using technology to reduce other costs, for example travel, which can also improve
productivity and deliver better customer value.
Tablets, Mobile Business Applications, and
DOT (Digital Office Technology) are all technologies that can help reduce administration costs and increase
staff productivity, and recent advances in the quality of business grade video-conferencing, can take
the hassle out of business travel by making face-to-face communication with both customers and suppliers,
easier than ever before.
Simple changes can make a big difference to your profitability as
a franchisee - meaning less time and  energy spent on 'maintaining
your businesses’ and more on doing the things that matter most. The digital future is here, and
there’s no time like the present to take a close look at how digital tools can help improve profitability
and productivity.
For more information visit: http://www.telstra.com.au/small-business
Getting social: Share your news with the FCA network This month the FCA has launched new twitter and LinkedIn
channels with the help of cross-media agency, Keep Left.
The channels are designed to help
keep members, as well as other FCA followers abreast of news from across the organisation and industry,
and share relevant content on a more regular basis.
Following an in-depth analysis of the current
social media landscape, Keep Left was able to identify what was missing and what the FCA would need to
do to add value to those looking for Australian franchising news and advice online. As well as providing
insight and recommendations, Keep Left is also working with the FCA to create, build, monitor and manage
the new channels, as well as engage followers with topical content.
Keep an eye out for information
on events, awards, advice, services, education and industry news, as well as updates from members which
will be posted each week. To submit news from your business that you’d like to share with the network
and other online audiences (e.g. award wins, new openings etc), please email  a
short overview to social@franchise.org.au
For
advice on how Keep Left could help you build or manage your business’s own social media channels,
contact Head of Franchising, Verity Lowe on 03 9268 7800 / verity@keepleft.com.au
Don’t miss the Melbourne Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo The third and final Franchising
& Business Opportunities Expo for 2014 is being held in Melbourne this month, following highly
successful shows in Sydney and Brisbane.
A feature event of the Victorian Small Business Festival,
the Melbourne show will showcase 100 successful Australian and international companies - such as Pack
& Send, Plus Fitness 24/7, V.I.P. Home Services, The Coffee Club, Step Into Life, United Petroleum
and The Cheesecake Shop - all eager to share their success with
potential investors and franchisees.
“I have been to many shows and this was by far the best,”
commented Jane Garber-Rosenzweig from Franchise Legal, after the Brisbane Franchising & Business
Opportunities Expo in July.
“It was very well advertised and promoted, so attendance was great
and we met highly valuable people.”
Exhibition Manager Fiona Stacey says there are very few
stands left in the show and anyone who is thinking about exhibiting needs to contact her straight away.
“This will be another exciting show and a great place to network with the franchising industry,
as well as to grow and improve your business.”
Diary dates:
Melbourne 22-24
August 2014 at Melbourne Exhibition Centre
Sydney
27-29 March 2015 at Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park
Brisbane
18-19 July 2015 at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Prospective Franchisees embrace Australian Franchise Registry The Australian Franchise Registry, powered by FRANdata Australia, is experiencing strong enquiry and
registration completion following it’
s recent launch by the Federal Minister for Small Business, the Hon. Bruce Billson MP.
CEO Darryn McAuliffe, speaking with prospective franchisees at the Brisbane Franchise and Business
Opportunities Expo, says that “whilst solid interest from franchisors and their advisors was anticipated,
the level and specific nature of enquiry from prospective franchisees has significantly exceeded expectations.
There seems to be an emerging pattern of better informed and more heavily researched prospective franchisees
scouring the sector for the best opportunities.
"The fast and free public search
function on the Franchise Registry is proving very popular with prospective franchisees as they commence
their brand selection journey”. He went on to say “the common ground that all stakeholders
share is a hunger for deeper and broader data on the franchise sector which is a key bi- product
of the registry”.
For more information or to complete registration for your brand
please visit The Franchise
Registry
How content has rewritten the rules of the franchise buyer journey
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Mitchell Greenway
Franchise Business.com.au
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Learn how the right content at the right time
can cut through the clutter and improve your franchisee recruitment success.
There are two questions I’m constantly asked; given the chance, what franchise system would I purchase?
And, how can you, the franchise, generate higher quality leads? Ultimately, these two questions are fundamentally
entwined and can generally be traced back to what motivates a franchise prospect to make that final leap
into one of the biggest decisions in their life? The journey a prospective franchise owner embarks on
from start-to-finish is a personal one of self-education, discovery and belief that this decision will
make a positive impact on their future.
Read
more here.
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