Jumping into the franchise game, it’s a little like preparing for a monstrous relay race. If you’re wondering How to Franchise, it all begins with an ironclad operations manual. This isn’t just another dusty tome filled with bromides and platitudes. It’s instead your franchise’s battle plan-its very heartbeat.

Seek ideas from the ground troops-in other words, your employees. They’re where ideas pertaining to the nuts and bolts of everyday operations are going to come from. Ever have one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” moments? Perhaps it’s their idea which strikes the spark. Their experience will make this a very real book. This is because they understand things others do not.

Outline your processes in terms a nine-year-old would understand. The answer is it took the process step by step. Document every one of the processes. Don’t dole your information out to gobbledegook. Keep each and every instruction clearer than a bell.

Visuals can be your ace in the hole. Sometimes, diagrams, flowcharts, and pictures can say what words cannot. Think of the manual as an orchestra-each pictorial element being an instrument to bring harmony to complex ideas. They say a picture is worth a thousand words; you might save a few trees along the way too!

Let your manual not collect dust. As evolution is inevitable, updates should be as frequent as relevant. Ask for feedback by franchisees and tweak per their suggestions. It’s like stew back home-taste as you go, adding a pinch of salt here or a dash of spice there. Your manual should fuel efficiency, not induce yawns.

Your operations manual should speak in a language anyone would understand. Be that good buddy, the mentor rather than an aloof teacher. Add some zest, some anecdotes-make it appear like chatting between old chums rather than with an exalted professor.