The store operations manual that you provide to each franchise owner can be a way for you to be part of that store even when you are not there.

The store operations manual that you give to each store manager is much more than just a formality that you have to do as part of the package of franchise documents that you put together.  You already know that if you want franchise operations to function in an orderly way, a well developed store operations manual is a must.  But there are good reasons to go above and beyond the minimum requirements of a store operations manual and make it a document that virtually jumps off the shelf of the franchises in your empire to become part of daily life in those stores.

What makes a great store operations manual is about a lot more than page after page of instructions on how the franchise owner can make sure that franchise live within the structure of your company franchising guidelines.  Yes the rules of the game for being a great franchise of your company must be in there along with long and complicated rules of the road about how to stay within franchise law according to the franchise documents that got the whole shooting match up and running.

The real juicy stuff of that store operations manual are the hidden gems of wisdom you know about what it takes to make that store take off like a rocket to make tons of money.  Don’t let that store operations manual become such a dry and boring set of rules that you leave out the hot tips on how to handle problems and insider clues on how to give that franchise outlet a swift kick in the pants to get out of a sales slump and back into the massive profits mode that everybody wants.

That store operations manual touches every employee in your vast franchise empire.

It is easy to feel out of touch with the vast network of franchises that make up your far flung empire. The job of building a top notch chain of knock-your-socks-off franchise outlets does not end when the franchise agreements are signed and you have collected your franchise fees.  The more you do all you can to stay in touch and involved with your franchise owners and the many employees of each franchise outlet, the more success they will enjoy and the stronger the loyalty they will feel which will pay off when the time comes for those franchise agreements to be renewed.

The store operations manual is not just a set of rules that are only for the franchise owner and manager. It can be a bible for how to run that franchise that can help management and employees alike.  You can include vital instructions in the store operations manual that employees of each franchise can use to understand their jobs better, to resolve conflicts and get a vision for becoming very productive members of that store’s sales team.

One great way to make sure that the store operations manual gets used frequently is to write it yourself. Do all you can make that store operations manual the type of document that “connects” with the human beings who are part of that franchise operation.  Don’t be afraid to use a bit of humor and let your own personality shine through even in a stodgy old franchise document like the store operations manual.

If you do that, the store operations manual will not waste away gathering dust on the shelf in the store manager’s office. If anything, the biggest problem you may have with your store operations manual is that franchise owners keep asking for replacement copies because theirs just keeps getting worn out from overuse. That is a good problem to have.