The Franchat Podcast

Guest Host: Liam Wilson, Elevate AccountancyCan a franchise business be growing its sales, winning awards and still be heading towards financial failure? Absolutely. And it's one of the reasons why understanding the numbers behind a business is so important.In Episode 43 of The Franchat Podcast, Tim Morris and Natalia Shvarts are joined by guest host Liam Wilson from Elevate Accountancy for a practical and thought-provoking conversation about financial literacy in franchising.Whether you're considering buying your first franchise, already operating a business or responsible for supporting a network of franchisees, understanding financial performance is essential to long-term success.The conversation begins by exploring the financial questions prospective franchisees should be asking before investing. Liam explains the importance of understanding gross profit margins, break-even points, working capital requirements, cash flow and the time needed to recover the initial investment.The discussion then moves to one of the industry's recurring challenges: franchisees who are passionate about delivering their product or service but lack the confidence or knowledge to manage the financial side of their business.Tim argues that successful franchise businesses depend on three equally important pillars: marketing, operations and financial management. Yet financial literacy frequently receives far less attention during franchisee training and ongoing support.Natalia highlights why turnover alone is a poor measure of business success, while Liam shares a striking example of an award-winning, high-growth franchisee whose business ultimately failed because its financial performance told a very different story.The episode also explores how franchisors, franchise support teams and accountants can collaborate more effectively, using financial information and network benchmarks to help franchisees make better decisions, protect profitability and build sustainable businesses.The message is clear: knowing your numbers isn't simply about understanding accounts. It's about creating profitable businesses, making informed decisions and building long-term value.An essential listen for anyone involved in franchising.

What works when you have five franchisees may look very different when you have 25, 50 or 100.In Episode 42 of The Franchat Podcast, Tim Morris and Natalia Shvarts are joined by Sue Moore, founder of UK Franchise Guide and a franchise professional with 30 years’ experience, to explore what happens as a franchise network grows, matures and inevitably becomes more complex.The conversation looks at one of the biggest challenges facing growing franchisors: how do you move from the close, often highly personal relationships of an emerging network to a scalable support structure without losing communication, trust and franchisee engagement?We discuss the importance of developing the franchise support team alongside the network, creating effective two-way communication channels, using Franchise Advisory Councils and project working groups properly, and involving franchisees early when significant change is coming.Technology implementation provides a perfect example. In a corporate environment, a new system can simply be rolled out. In franchising, you are asking independent business owners to change the way they operate. The technology may be right, but without communication, involvement and buy-in, the implementation can still fail.We also explore why franchisors shouldn’t be afraid to seek experienced external support, particularly from people who understand the unique dynamics of franchising.Perhaps the biggest message from the episode is a simple one:Build for tomorrow, not for today.Don’t create processes, promises or systems simply because they work with the network you have now. Ask whether they will still work when the business is three or four times the size.Because successful franchising isn’t simply about recruiting more franchisees. It’s about building an organisation capable of supporting the network you are trying to become.

Franchising can be a powerful way to grow a business model, but is it really as easy as it sometimes appears?In Episode 41 of The Franchat Podcast, Tim and Natalia are joined by experienced franchisor and franchise consultant Cheryl White to explore what business founders need to understand before embarking on the franchising journey.The conversation tackles some of the common misconceptions surrounding franchising, from assuming it is a quick route to scale and profit, to underestimating the complexity of supporting a growing network of independent business owners. Cheryl shares lessons from her own franchising experience and explains why preparation, expert guidance, realistic expectations and strong support systems matter.The episode also explores franchisee accountability, sustainable growth, the dangers of relying on initial franchise fees, and why successful franchising is ultimately about people, relationships and long-term commitment.

When someone buys a franchise, what should they reasonably expect to receive from the franchisor?Initial training, operational systems and ongoing support are obvious answers, but where should the line be drawn? Should everything a franchisee needs to succeed be "in the box", or is lasting success dependent on seeking knowledge, coaching and personal development beyond the franchise system itself?In this episode, Kevin, Natalia and Tim explore one of the most important questions in franchising: what does great franchise support really look like?The conversation examines the balance between essential support and optional development, the growing role of coaching within franchise networks, and why the most successful franchisees rarely rely solely on what they were given on day one. They discuss how franchisors can help franchisees become stronger business owners, the commercial value of investing in personal development, and why support teams may increasingly need coaching skills alongside operational expertise.Whether you're a franchisor designing your support model or a franchisee looking to accelerate your own performance, this episode challenges conventional thinking about where responsibility begins, where support ends, and why the most successful businesses are often built by looking beyond the box.In this episode :- What support should be included within franchise fees.- The difference between operational support, training and coaching.- Why personal development is often the missing ingredient in franchise success.- How franchisors can help franchisees become better business owners.- The commercial return of investing in coaching across a franchise network.- Why the best franchisees continue learning long after initial training.If you've ever asked, ‘What support should we be giving’, or ‘What more support can we add to what we already do’  or ‘We give all this support and still the needle doesn’t move.’ Or "Should my franchisor be providing this?" or "Should I be looking elsewhere for support?"This episode is well worth a listen. 

What if the biggest obstacle to growing your business isn't a lack of opportunity... but the way you think about time?With Tim away on jury duty, Kevin Aires and Natalia Shvarts are joined by guest host Nikki Senior for a practical discussion on one of the biggest challenges facing business owners and franchisees: time.Together they explore:Why it's your relationship with time, not just time management, that matters.How franchisors can help franchisees structure their days for success.Practical tools to identify where your time is really going.When to stop, outsource, delegate or automate tasks.Why working on your business, rather than constantly in it, is essential for long-term growth.Packed with practical ideas and thought-provoking insights, this episode is full of simple strategies that can help franchisees and business owners become more productive, reduce overwhelm and focus on the activities that really move their business forward.

In Episode 38 of The Franchat Podcast, Natalia , Kevin and Tim explore one of the most common and emotionally charged challenges in franchising: pricing.For many franchisees, increasing prices feels uncomfortable. There is often a fear that customers will leave, competitors will undercut them, or the market simply “won’t pay.” But as the conversation unfolds, the co-hosts challenge that assumption and discuss why price resistance is often more about the franchisee’s own mindset than the customer’s actual willingness to pay.The episode looks at the importance of understanding your target market, communicating value with confidence, and recognising that customers rarely buy on price alone. Natalia shares examples of how customers often accept reasonable price increases when they already trust the service and feel they are receiving genuine value. Kevin adds powerful insight around perceived value, reminding listeners that what something is “worth” depends heavily on the customer, the context and the problem being solved.Tim brings the conversation back to franchising, highlighting why pricing should not be treated as a nervous annual conversation, but as a key part of a franchisor’s growth strategy. From service quality and customer relationships to local market positioning and franchisee confidence, pricing is far more than a number on an invoice.The discussion also touches on the legal distinction between recommended pricing and price fixing, the dangers of franchisees assuming what customers can afford, and why small, regular price increases can often be more effective than large, infrequent changes.This episode is a reminder that strong pricing is not about being expensive. It's about understanding value, delivering consistently, communicating confidently, and helping franchisees build more profitable, sustainable businesses.For franchisors, this is a conversation worth taking seriously. Because when franchisees understand pricing properly, it can have a direct and powerful impact on network growth.

In this episode of The Franchat Podcast, Tim Morris, Kevin Aires and Natalia Shvarts tackle one of the biggest challenges facing business owners, franchisees and franchisors: time mastery.The conversation explores why so many people reach the point where they are simply too busy to grow. They are working hard, serving customers, keeping plates spinning and dealing with the day-to-day demands of the business, but without enough protected time to step back, plan, sell, delegate and build for the future.Kevin shares practical thoughts on the value of a default diary, 90-day planning, protecting sales time and making sure the important work goes into the calendar before the less important tasks take over.Natalia focuses on the importance of knowing yourself, understanding when you work best, recognising your own capacity and learning how to delegate before quality or energy begins to suffer.Tim looks at time through the lens of franchisee growth, including the challenge of knowing when to invest in support, how the J curve affects growing businesses and why cash flow planning is essential if business owners are going to buy back time at the right moment. He also shares the practical SODA principle: Stop, Outsource, Delegate or Automate.This is a lively, honest and highly practical conversation about time, growth, discipline and intentional business ownership.Because being busy is not the same as making progress.

In Episode 36 of The Franchat Podcast, Destination Mastery, Kevin, Natalia and explore a powerful question for franchisees and business owners: what is all this actually for?This episode looks beyond being busy and focuses on building a business with real purpose, clarity and direction. From lifestyle goals and freedom, to mindset, time and changing ambitions, the conversation connects directly to franchisee performance and why success starts with understanding what the franchisee is truly trying to achieve.Practical, honest and thought-provoking, this is an episode for anyone serious about building a better business, not just a busier one.

Kevin Aires was away this week, but regular hosts Tim Morris and Natalia Shvarts were joined by two guests, Ed Purnell and Ben Brookes, for a lively discussion on social media, content creation, and why both matter far more to franchise networks than many realise. The conversation explored brand control, local franchisee personality, authentic content, and the risks of getting social media wrong. Most importantly, it highlighted that social media is not just a marketing issue. Used well, it can play a real role in strengthening trust, visibility, local engagement, and ultimately franchisee performance.

In Episode 34 of The Franchat Podcast, we explore what it really takes to launch a franchise brand. We discuss the key foundations needed to bring a successful business model to market, the common challenges new franchisors can face, and the level of commitment required to build a strong and sustainable franchise network. A practical and honest conversation for any business owner thinking about franchising.