Franchise Success Is Having a Friend in High Places
August 7, 2013 Published by Expansion Experts Franchising
Kathy Hill is a successful business woman who in 2002 founded Tax Tiger, a tax representation firm. I met Kathy when she decided to franchise her business five years ago; her incredibly strong faith was obvious from our first conversation. Kathy credits her business and franchise success to “making God a priority.” “God has blessed my business from day one,” she says. “Everything I have achieved is because of His Grace,” she continues. Kathy loves to share her message and has recently written a book titled Is God’s Hand in Your Business? 15 Essential Principles of Success and Prosperity. The book will be released next month and you will be able to find more information about it in her soon to debut website http://www.kathyhillauthor.com.
Kathy defines franchise success as having franchises that are successful and profitable with franchise owners who are resolving their clients’ issues while providing top quality service. The Tax Tiger clients have always come first and she has made it her mission to fight for them; and, in representing them, her firm embodies the ferocity of the tiger. Kathy searches for partners in franchisees who share this vision of service and commitment to clients.
In 2008 Kathy started with the objective of having a total of 10 franchise owners and she is halfway there. She obtained a loan during a time when all money had dried up and she has grown her business in spite of the severe economic downturn of these last five years. As she has grown her franchise network, she has expanded her objectives, and today Kathy predicts she will have a total of 12 to 15 franchises. For Kathy, it is not all about the money but about having a faith-based relationship with every one she encounters and allowing her principles to shape these human connections.
Her greatest challenge in growing her franchise network has been the ever-rising cost of marketing. Tax Tiger is committed to providing franchisees with a large percentage of their clients and thus, as marketing costs continue to rise and as the economic conditions hurt consumers, finding these clients has been costly and demanding. It also has at times put strain on the franchise relationship.
Kathy’s response is one of honest and direct communication with franchisees to ensure that the relationship is kept intact in the face of hard times. She also has become even more resourceful and creative. “If something is not working, then we need to find what does. This means we have to keep trying new things. We have been blessed that we have found new avenues for our marketing efforts that are producing results,” Kathy explains.
To replicate success in franchising, Kathy believes one must be extremely diligent in finding quality owners. “Every franchise candidate spends an entire day with me and my staff. I go to great lengths to ensure we are on the same page; and I turn away those people who are not a fit to my organization. As you know, I am not trying to have big numbers of franchise locations. Instead, I want and can afford to have the quality I require to offer the clients of Tax Tigers the excellence of service they deserve. If a candidate does not have a great desire to make a difference in someone’s life, then they don’t belong in our company.”
In response to my request to share a tip with those people who want to franchise their business, Kathy had a number of great points:
- Make sure you have a profitable business model that is easy to teach to others.
- Remember that your operations manual needs to be easy to follow and that it must capture the way you do everything.
- Remember to not go at it alone. Seek the assistance and guidance of qualified consultants with practical experience in franchising and who are committed to your success.
- Believe in miracles.
“For me,” Kathy says, “franchise or any business success comes from making God’s will my priority. As I honor and praise God, I see His Hand in my business and in everything I do. Franchise success is about knowing you have a Friend in High Places.”