I was never a fan of franchising. And it was operating a service business that I understood why

I was never a fan of franchising. And it was operating a service business that I understood why.

Franchising works perfectly in many segments. Food, apparel, finished products. The contract standardizes what matters.

In services, the math changes. You standardize price, parts, layout. But the service happens far from your eyes. In my repair shop, the brand was in the mechanic's hands. In the energy distributor, in the electrician's hands. Your brand passes from hand to hand until it reaches someone who never signed a contract with you.

A satisfaction survey measures customer service. The quality of the work itself, it does not reach.

That is where it became clear: a service standard is not decided by the smile at the front desk. It is decided in the structure, before the first unit opens.

Before franchising, the question is not how much you can grow. It is what creates value for the brand and what dilutes it. Few ask that question, because growing is exciting.

Growing right multiplies the brand. Growing wrong distributes your name to people you do not control.

The brand is yours. The standard, if it is not in the structure, is not.