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.

Your store operations manual is more than a set of rules because it makes your job easier and makes your store more profitable as well.

It is easy to think of your store operations manual as something that you are required to keep in the building so it sits on a shelf gathering dust from week to week.  That would be one of the tragedies of all time if you missed out on the real value that is buried inside that dusty old franchise operating manual.

Your store operations manual not just a boring set of rules that the franchisee wants you to know. Hidden away in that volume are guidelines and procedures that can address just about any situation you might run into in running your retail outlet. To ignore the gold that is hidden in the store operations manual is literally like setting out to reinvent the wheel. That document represents the combined wisdom and experience of the franchisee and of many skilled and very successful retailers. So blow the dust off of that puppy and crack it open.  You will be glad you did.

It is important to see the store operations manual as more than just your guide to how to stay honest in dealing with the mother ship that sold you the franchise. That store operations manual represents the safety vest for your employees who are on the front line of dealing with customers, managing inventory and interacting with vendors.

You do not want to leave those folks out in the cold.  Arm them to the teeth with a resource of information so they know exactly what they should do if problems or opportunities come up.  Give each employee a copy of the store operations manual and then they will have no excuse for not becoming employee of the month if they live up to that document.

If it has to do with making your franchise work, it is covered in the store operations manual.

Once you get a cup of coffee and start spending some time in the franchise store operation manual, the experience can be quite eye opening. Right there in that one document, right along side all the franchise information you could ever hope for are tips on how to deal with every imaginable situation in your retail setting.

The variety of areas of store issues that are covered in the store operations manual will turn that book into your Bible for running your franchise. It will cover everything from dress code to management of inventory to how to balance a till to how to fire a bad employee or promote a good one.  Perhaps the most important area of retail life that will be covered in depth in your store operations manual will be customer relations and how to bring in more customers and make the ones you already have love you even more.

No franchise retail owner or manager should let very much time go by between readings of your store operations manual. If you never looked at it, do it now. If you read it a lot, do it more. That information can take a troubled franchise and fix what ails it or take a great franchise and make it ever greater.