The Unique Challenges and Benefits of Multi-Unit Franchising
Most first-time franchisees barely survive the ordeal of opening a single unit. Getting a business off the ground can gut bank accounts, spike stress levels and create 80-hour workweeks. So when Liz McGill began her franchise odyssey in 2010 by signing on for 10 Massachusetts territories of Get In Shape For Women, a small-group personal-training franchise, some people thought she was headed for catastrophe.
But unlike most newbies, McGill had spent the previous 14 years as vice president of human resources for one of the largest U.S. Supercuts franchisees, helping the operation expand from 19 snip shops to more than 75.
During that time, she'd observed the power of multi-unit franchising and soaked in the best practices that helped the company succeed. So when it came to starting her own mini-empire, she had realistic expectations. She knew she was going to work herself ragged, that there would be setbacks and that profit would not come quickly. But she also knew there would be a payoff if she had the energy and drive to make it work.
"First and foremost, to be a multi-unit franchisee,
