What is franchise territory mapping and how does it work?
Did you know that Get Ahead uses state-of-the-art mapping software to ensure that franchise territories don’t overlap? There are many advantages to defining territories, from building a stronger network of franchisees to checking the viability of each region.
Let’s take a closer look.
Why has Get Ahead chosen to map franchise regions?
One of Get Ahead’s strengths is that regional directors each operate in their own territories. This means that franchisees don’t have to compete for the same clients; instead, they can help and support each other.
If franchisees are in competition, they might be tempted to compromise on price or quality to win a project – this could undermine Get Ahead’s reputation. However, when the element of competition is removed, franchisees can focus on managing high quality work for the right price, keeping standards high and the business thriving.
Because our RDs don’t compete, they can help each other. This ensures strong relationships across our franchisee network, with regional directors confidently reaching out to each other to ask questions and provide support.
Our mapping software also allows us to highlight likely clients within a given radius of the RD’s home office. We only sell franchises to people living in areas where there are enough potential clients to make the franchise viable.
What franchise mapping software does Get Ahead use, and what can it do?
We use Atlas Mapping’s software, Vision®, to help us to define franchise territories. Our maps show areas that already have a regional director, and areas that are still available. When someone contacts us from a particular area, we use the software to check whether the area is already covered. For example, when we opened our West London branch, the spread of the territory in a westerly direction was dictated by the existing Surrey branch border. The border is very clear, so a potential client looking for support from Get Ahead will ultimately only work with one RD.
The mapping software also helps us create territories of the right size. Too large, and we give the RD an unmanageable area while potentially limiting chances for future franchisees. Too small and we restrict the scalability of any regional office.
Business data is another important feature. When checking the viability of a geographical area, we can use the mapping software to establish that there are enough businesses to make a franchise worthwhile. Of course, cities tend to have more businesses than rural areas. This means that urban-based franchises usually have small dense areas, while rural-based franchises have large, spread-out areas. For example, we have one franchise for Leeds, and another for all of Suffolk and Essex combined.
We can also use the software intelligently to define areas that are practical to manage. For example, if an efficient transport service connects the area you live with somewhere else, it could mean that a territory that includes both areas would be practical to manage. In addition, natural barriers like rivers, as well as roads and local travel trends, all play their part in how we create a viable territory.
Buy a Get Ahead franchise
We’re delighted to have invested in Atlas Mapping’s franchise tools, and we’ve already seen benefits for our established franchisees. If you’re interested in becoming our next franchisee and you’d like to know whether your region is suitable, get in touch today on 01483 332 220 – we’d love to hear from you.