Keep it Simple

Conversation with Steve Gibson continued: One fundamental lesson learned is to keep a microfranchise business as simple as possible. As a comparison consider two of the Academy's ventures: an ink-refilling business and baked goods distributors. An inkjet cartridge refilling business seems simple enough but technology is constantly changing meaning your business must be constantly changing, even radically, which does not play to the strengths of franchising. It is also a highly cut-throat industry with large players even giving away printers free if ink-refilling is contracted through them. The Academy's bake goods distributors consist of a man on a bicycle with a display case on front with five items to sell. Such a business has high potential for replication, for training of often poorly educated franchisee, and for continued demand in the market.

Throughout this blog I have tried to highlight such simple models as I agree with this fundamental philosophy. Over time more complicated microfranchisees will be necessary but the current status in the world tells us that there are enough problems that can be solved cheaply and effectively if only systems were in place to distribute the solution. I think the first wave of microfranchises should be as simple as possible than can be replicated quickly and widely.