Often, the appeal of investing in a franchise comes from the opportunity to capitalise on a market within an industry you don’t have the necessary experience in.

Starting a business in this way doesn’t deny your chance of success, but you need to be proactive in what you do to ensure you are not only providing a quality service or product to your customers but, above all else, running a compliant and ethical business.

Knowing the rules and regulations associated within the field in which they operate is a given for a franchisor. Successful franchises do more than just keep up with industry trends; they anticipate them and position the franchise network to be at the forefront of innovation – perfecting their preparation to stay ahead of the curve. But what role do franchisees play in keeping their own franchise above board?

Here, our Senior Early Years Quality Manager, Jess McCarthy, talks through the importance of franchisors knowing their sector guidelines, what franchisees should do to ensure they’re compliant within their own operations and what we do at Monkey Puzzle to help our franchisees run an ethical and safe business.

For us, staying abreast of industry guidelines is critical. Our franchisees rely heavily on being well informed about rules and regulations they have to adhere to – providing information on this simply acts as a roadmap for them so they can deliver a quality service. Not only this but navigating relevant requirements is essential for minimising the risk of legal consequences.

Industries are also subject to constant change and evolution. We need to be prepared to be ahead of the game to stay updated on these changes and be able to communicate them effectively for our franchisees. This ensures that our network has the time to adapt their operations accordingly. By supplying the necessary industry guidelines, we empower our franchisees to thrive while maintaining our brand’s consistency, compliance and relevance in the ever-changing landscape that is early years education.

The good news here is that we know our franchisees shouldn’t be responsible for seeking information to ensure their businesses work within the guidelines – that is our job as the franchisor.

The whole appeal of investing in our model, rather than going it alone, is that we will endeavour to take the pressure off our franchisees by communicating all industry policies and legislation – hence the importance of the franchisors being in the know.

For our franchisees, operating businesses within the early years sector, this level of support is invaluable – the Department of Education sets out the standards that we must meet to remain compliant. We know that these standards constantly evolve too, so rather than expecting our franchisees to manage this alone, we guide them through the process of an OFSTED inspection, being close at hand to ensure our franchisees know what it takes to be compliant.

Knowing when OFSTED inspections will occur is not an exact science, but you can have a good idea when one of our settings is due. We keep an up-to-date database where we predict which of our nurseries are more likely to be inspected and when.

After developing the general time frame, we can begin to supply our franchisees with the necessary information on how to prepare for the inspection. Preparations extends beyond our franchisees too – our practitioners haven’t experienced an inspection, so information needs to filtered down to allow them to feel confident and comfortable.

We have annual audits of our franchisees and their setting’s performance. In these we forensically examine their whole framework and recommend areas for improvement from our findings.

To do this successfully, it is important to establish good relationships with your franchisees. Showing face with monthly visits is a great way to keep that line of communication positive. When inspection time rolls around, we like to visit more frequently, perhaps every fortnight, so we know everyone is prepared to the nth degree.

We’re a firm believer that if you’re standing still, you’re going backwards. You need to keep that channel of communication open between franchisors and franchisees. Developing that culture is vital as you look to stay ahead of the curve of industry guidelines. Being compliant and ethical in our industry is much more than a target within our business plan – but a necessary component of our long-term business success.