Franchising in Australia has been getting a bad run in the media lately. Imagine the media coverage if Australian franchisors decided to stop franchising. What might this look like? NATION TREMBLES AS FRANCHISING CLOSES The announcement that Australian franchisors are closing down their franchised operations has sent shock waves through the business and wider community 
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I write these Tips to encourage reflection on why we do what we do, and how this impacts on others. In this final one for the year, I’d like to reflect on how we measure success. But first let me introduce you to Keith Badger. I first met Keith in the early 1990s, when he had been a high flying, global oil company executive. He had just taken the role of Australian Managing 
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Fairfax media are currently running a series of articles that make serious accusations of unfairness against one of Australia’s largest franchisors, RFG, with claims the franchisor has ruthlessly focused its business model on its own commercial interests, at the expense of franchisee profitability. The articles also cite evidence of systemic franchisee misery in many of the 
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Prior to the funeral of a close relative, our extended family were sitting together immersed in thought. While it was a sad time, several young people were smiling as they texted on their phones. I quietly suggested this might not be appropriate and they popped the phones away. Ten minutes later the tapping and grinning had recommenced. These are good kids and I knew they w 
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In my early 20s, while completing my psychology degree, I lived in a small flat attached to the Yoga Education Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Each week over 1000 students attended classes at this Centre. In lieu of rent I assisted the Centre’s caretaker, David, with the evening routine of folding hundreds of blankets and the morning routine of cleaning the Centre’s seven b 
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I’ve just returned from the Australian National Franchise Convention on the Gold Coast. Each elevator in the resort had a comfortable leather seat at the back. It’s an unusual but nice touch. On the second evening of the Convention, when going up to my room on the 17th floor, the elevator suddenly shuddered and stopped. A red light began to flash and the lady who usually so 
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Earlier this week I attended an excellent business breakfast on mental health in franchise networks as part of an Australian initiative called R U OK Day. This is an important topic. As a psychologist who has spent most of his life working in the franchising sector, I can tell you that the gremlins of stress and worry are constant companions to most franchisees and franchis 
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I have been on a week’s holiday at the beautiful beaches near Cairns with my wife, Ann. Most people go on a holiday to enjoy themselves so, for the fun of it, I decided to measure how many people appear to be experiencing this sense of enjoyment. Walking along the beach promenade from our apartment at Palm Cove, definitely a piece of paradise, I began sorting people’s faces 
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A few years ago, on a long haul flight back to Australia, I decided to review what helps field managers to achieve superior performance in their job. This is to help franchisees maximize profits, stay aligned with the brand, and participate constructively in the franchise network. Part of my review involved cross referencing the findings from several FRI studies where we ha 
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“I am saying a journey is called that because you cannot know what you will discover on the journey, what you will do with what you will find, or what you find will do to you.” These words by the African-American social commentator, James Baldwin, resonated deeply as I sat in the darkness on a flight to the USA, watching an enthralling documentary on his life. While jo 
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