This month we have been following the women’s football Euro 2022 games. Not only has this been a fantastic event and the quality of the football has been mind-blowing, but through the hype and the emotion, it made us think about what makes a winning team? Why do some teams go through to the next level and some don’t – what is the secret? It made us realise that franchising is not that different – the same principles apply! Here, Natalia Shvarts looks at how the principles the Lionesses demonstrated in the Euros 2022 tournament can be applied to franchising.

You don’t win alone. Success is a team thing!

No matter how fantastic one player is, one player cannot win the game. Of course, our success depends on you being in the best shape you can be – physically and mentally but our success is shaped by every person who has ever encouraged, helped, taught, and believed in you.

In football behind each goal is a team of people – every player who made the right pass, the coach, the manager, the physio, the cook, the driver, the friends and family, and many more.

In franchising, the success of any franchisor depends not only on the franchisor team but also the franchise network and the success of each franchisee is down not only to that franchisee and their team but also the franchisor!

You fall, you get up and you try again. It’s about resilience & determination.

Beginner’s luck aside, most of us don’t win the first time we try something. Usually, each win happens as a result of preparation and practice. When we win, it encourages us to try again. When we don’t quite win, it’s about not giving up and having another go. Statistically, the more you try, the more likely you are to succeed and the key to success is therefore not to give up and to keep trying. Most successful people have tried and failed many times before they succeeded, and this is what we need to remember when the going gets tough.

Knowing when to take time out – substitution and knowing your strengths.

This is not just about keeping the right balance in the team but having the right people on the pitch at the right time and for the right length of time. If you have no forwards – you are unlikely to score but if you have no defence, then the other team is likely to score more goals than you. So, this is about having the right people in play at the right moment in time.

This is also about the longer-term strategy – conserving the right amount of energy for the next stage or getting a player out in order to avoid injury. Also never underestimate the value of new blood. Of course, without a doubt, a new face can cause unbalance, but it can also stimulate and revitalize bringing that much needed boost of energy.

I have often seen this with established franchise networks where new franchisees can be a positive force and unintentionally help others who may have plateaued or simply got tired. A fresh pair of eyes can give a new or different perspective, not necessarily giving us the answer but helping us get the clarity to get that “win”.

Respect the system.

Football has rules which must be observed. A goal will not count if the player was in an offside position. If a player breaks a rule, the other team may be rewarded with a free kick or worse still – a penalty kick.

The same goes for franchising because franchising like football is inherently a system with a set of rules which must be respected and observed. The franchisor must have a proven system and it is the franchisor’s duty to continue to develop and update the system so that it remains relevant. It is also the franchisor’s duty to provide training and support. In turn franchisees must not only pay the fees but they must follow the system which the franchisor has developed, use the tools which the franchisor has provided, attend the training which the franchisor offers. The success of both parties depends on both putting the effort in and respecting the system and each other’s roles within the system.

In summary, if you don’t win today, doesn’t mean that you can never win. In every situation there is an opportunity – an opportunity to learn, to change, to grow so take those opportunities. Respect the system and play by the rules. Make sure you have the right team and look after your team and because if you look after your team, your team will look after you.