How to Promote Community Involvement for Franchise Businesses
Franchises make successful businesses because at their core they’re local businesses run by local business owners and members of the community.
Franchisors need to understand this and give their franchisee owners opportunity to connect with the community and be involved. It’s a great way to promote a franchise business locally and nationally.
Why Community Involvement Matters for Franchises
Encouraging franchise owners to get involved in the community is good for the local franchise, the corporate brand and, of course, the community.
There are other benefits, too, to being a community-focused franchise. For example, workers are growing more aware of business’s corporate social responsibility and studies have shown they’re happier when working for places that give back regularly.
And when local franchises participate in the community, there’s the chance it’ll get noticed by the local paper or television station – this is valuable earned media.
Check out our Franchise Marketing Playbook for insights and tips to effectively managing multiple locations.
Here are three examples of franchises making a community impact:
1. Expedia CruiseShipCenters Helps Hurricane Dorian Relief Efforts
A franchise owner in Canada with strong ties to the Bahamas helped after Hurricane Dorian struck in September 2019. In addition to teaming up with other locals to raise relief funds, Chris Ashton opened his franchise office to donations like toiletries, clean water and food. With community support, Ashton’s local franchise made a significant impact while fostering a sense of community. The franchisor showed support by selling t-shirts and broadcasting the fundraising campaign.
2. Molly Maid’s Ms. Molly Foundation
More than 20 years ago, the Molly Maid housekeeping franchise started this non-profit organization to support victims of domestic violence. The foundation encourages grant recipients to work with their local Molly Maid, which brings everything back to the community. While setting up a foundation might not be a viable option for every franchise, it’s a great way for Molly Maid to continually give back year after year and position their franchise owners as businesses that care and help affect local change.
3. Panera’s Franchise-Wide Day-End Dough-Nation
Giving back to the community can be as simple as providing your franchise owners with the opportunity to regularly donate. Panera Bread donates un-sold bread and baked goods to local charities every single day. Putting forth this sort of initiative and simply providing your franchise owners with an opportunity to get involved essentially gives them permission to make a local impact.
How Can Your Franchise Get More Involved?
At Oneupweb, we have a Volunteer Paid Time Off Program where employees earn extra paid time off for volunteering in their off-hours. Or, you can pick a day of service (like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or President’s Day) to bring employees out for a day of volunteering.
Have questions about franchise marketing? We’ve been helping franchises meet their marketing goals for over twenty years. Reach out or call 231.922.9977 to see how we can help you.
