What's holding franchise brands back from growing, and what can franchisors do to overcome the challenges of recruitment, international expansion and developing industry talent?

In this episode of FranFeast, Glenn Walford and Joel Kleber explore some of the major opportunities and challenges facing the Australian franchise industry, from attracting the right franchisees to building stronger networks and expanding into international markets.

The episode features Peter Knight from the Australian Franchise Alliance discussing the value of franchisees learning from one another, while Doug Downer from Franchise Ready examines what Australian franchise brands need to consider before expanding overseas.

Jason Gehrke from the Franchise Advisory Centre explores the importance of professional development and whether the industry is doing enough to develop the next generation of franchise professionals.

Glenn and Joel also discuss whether franchise marketing approaches are helping or hindering franchise recruitment, including why prospective franchise buyers need useful information and opportunities to build trust before making an enquiry.

In Platform of the Week, they explore Smappen and how location intelligence and demographic data can support franchise territory planning and network growth.

The episode also examines changing payment rules, the importance of customer experience, and why older videos, podcasts and other digital content can continue attracting prospective franchise buyers long after publication.

Key takeaways

• How changes to payment surcharges and transaction rules can affect pricing decisions and operating costs for franchise businesses.
• Why successful marketing campaigns need to be supported by a strong customer experience, quality products and consistent service delivery.
• How franchisees can benefit from sharing knowledge and practical experiences with owners from other franchise networks.
• Why franchise recruitment requires more than lead generation, including providing prospective franchise buyers with useful information and opportunities to build trust.
• What Australian franchise brands should consider before expanding internationally, including local market conditions, operating costs and support requirements.
• Why ongoing professional development and practical industry knowledge are important for people working in franchising.
• How territory mapping, demographic insights and location data can help franchisors assess market potential and plan network expansion.
• Why videos, podcasts and searchable online content can continue generating interest from prospective franchise buyers months or years after publication.

Episode Chapters

1:06 – Franchise Headlines: Payment surcharges, marketing campaigns and franchise industry news

16:23 – Why Franchisees Need to Learn From Each Other: Peter Knight, Australian Franchise Alliance

34:45 – Are Marketing Managers Getting in the Way of Franchise Recruitment? Glenn Walford and Joel Kleber

47:08 – Taking an Australian Franchise Overseas: Doug Downer, Franchise Ready

1:02:37 – Developing Franchise Professionals: Jason Gehrke, Franchise Advisory Centre

1:23:20 – Platform of the Week: Smappen and franchise territory planning

1:42:44 – Social Scene: Franchise video content, AI search and building an online audience

2:03:14 – Upcoming Events: Franchise industry events and what's coming up

Listen or Watch on SPOTIFY HERE |  Apple Podcasts HERE| Amazon Music HERE