Low-Cost Franchisees Surveyed on Brand Satisfaction

Franchise Business Review, a franchisee satisfaction research firm, has released findings from its survey of 13,000 low-cost franchisees representing 123 brands that it collected between October 2015 and April 2017. The survey categorizes these franchisees by gender, median age, educational level, years with their brand, and correlates income with those years. Most important, it looks at how satisfied those franchisees are with their brand, along with the top five sectors that have the most satisfied franchisees.

Gender 60% male 30% female 10% male/female partnership Median Age 45–54 Highest Level of Education High school 21% Associate 14% Bachelor’s 45% Master’s 18% Years in Business (with that brand) < 2 years 29% 2–5 years 33% 6–9 years 17% 10+ years 22% Average Years in Business & Pre-Tax Income < 2 years $32,700 2–5 years $58,700 6–9 years $84,500 10+ years $111,700 Top 5 Low-Cost Franchise Sectors With the Most Satisfied Franchisees Sports & recreation Advertising & sales Education Travel & hospitality Fitness How Satisfied Are Low-Cost Franchisees? 90% I enjoy operating this business 89% I enjoy being part of this organization 87% I respect my franchisor 87% Overall satisfaction with franchisor and the opportunity provided 85% Overall satisfaction with franchise 85% Would recommend their franchise brand to others 83% I believe my franchisor acts with a high level of integrity 80% Would “do it again” knowing what they know today 67% Is meeting financial expectations In addition, FBR noted other factors that influence franchisee satisfaction, including whether or not franchisees: 1) feel they are achieving a work/life balance; 2) feel they are giving back to society/helping others; and 3) are passionate about their work. Also, it is interesting to note that 72% of franchisees rate their long-term growth opportunity as strong or very strong, and another 23% rate their future growth as moderate.

This leaves just 5% who view their long-term growth as weak or very weak. If you’re interested in more about franchisee satisfaction, FBR published a related piece in June: “Franchise Business Review’s Research Finds High Income Does Not Equate High Franchisee Satisfaction.”