Franchise Empire Building Strategist & Advisor to hundreds of franchisees, April Porter helps franchise owners accelerate their growth & profits in record time. As an award-winning entrepreneur with a proven record of success in growth strategy, she has experienced first-hand the joy of building a business that creates a dream life.
April says. “I am fulfilling my mission of teaching franchisees how to fill the gap between the franchise model and the executive-level know-how they need to increase revenues, build a reliable team, & scale to multiple locations.”
Below are highlights of the interview:
Tell us about some of yourself and how you’ve progressed as a business growth strategist.
I started my career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney. As a trial attorney, I prepared to win my case by strategically planning every move I’d make during trial – the order of witness testimony, the introduction of evidence, the objections that would block the defense, and the color suit I would wear each day. Each piece tied together to persuade the 12 strangers of the jury to unanimously agree to send someone to prison, often times for life.
As I transitioned into entrepreneurship, I viewed business success through the same lens – strategically connecting the dots of the customer experience to lead them to purchase from us again and again. It worked so well that we expanded to multiple locations very quickly, winning several awards, and receiving franchisee requests to learn my secrets.
Tell us about Ask April Porter.
Ask April Porter opened in January 2021 with a mission to fill the Franchise Gap – the space between the franchise model and the vision of success each franchisee has. We serve franchisees and small business owners, teaching them executive-level strategies to increase profits, build reliable teams and scale into multiple locations. In four months, we grew to a six-figure organization. We now host the #1 franchisee podcast – the Infinite Franchisee Show, and three of our team members have been named to the Top 175 Influencers in the Global Franchising Industry.
What factors have contributed to your success? What are your priorities?
We understand the pain points franchisees do not share with their franchisors. Because I have been in their shoes and have achieved what they long for, I am a mentor that they want to learn from; but more importantly, my journey gives them hope that it is possible to achieve their ultimate vision of business success.
In terms of advising services, how important are innovative ideas in Ask April Porter?
We are the only company teaching strategic thinking, mindset development, leadership evolution and efficiency tactics specifically geared toward franchisees. We believe that our strategies hold the key to individual franchisee success, productive franchisee-franchisor relations, and franchise brand growth through current franchisee re-investment. Our client results prove that our revolutionary programs are the difference maker in their path to success. We are committed to being the catalyst for change in the franchising industry in this respect.
What kind of help and support do brands and franchisees require throughout the start-up phase?
Brands- New franchisors are experts in their product or service, but rarely know much, if anything, about being a franchisor. Because franchise development is fast-paced, new franchisors are required to make quick decisions on new topics as they unfold, which results in a lot of trial and error. Ideally, an executive wants to understand the big picture of how all aspects of the business will work together to reach an objective – strategically. We teach new franchisors how to connect dots in their business before they even know some dots exist, resulting in smooth operations from the beginning that anticipate franchisee needs. The method bolsters franchisee confidence in the brand and promotes faster growth with investments from both new and existing franchisees.
Franchisees – Most first-time business owners are leaving a job to become entrepreneurs, and they are taking on the risk of business ownership to achieve a vision of success unique to them. Unfortunately, they often bring their employee habits into the management of their franchise and cannot extract themselves from the day-to-day to achieve their vision of success. Franchisors rarely have the bandwidth or the expertise to work with each individual franchisee to overcome their bad habits, limiting beliefs, and lack of business acumen. And, because each franchisee’s definition of success is different, a cookie-cutter approach doesn’t work. We have the franchisee development formula that compliments the franchisor’s system and business model to elevate the franchisees, and consequently the franchisor, to their visions of success.
As a franchise expert, as per you, what are the key transformational concepts in the franchising space?
Franchisee success requires a proven franchise model, plus a Freedom Franchisee mindset and business acumen. With both, underperformers become top performers, and top performers become multi-unit franchisees. The franchisor is responsible for providing the proven model. The franchisee is responsible for providing the mindset and business acumen. Unfortunately, many franchisees enter ownership believing that the franchisor will provide everything they need to succeed and aren’t prepared to invest in the development of their mindset or acumen. Those franchisees get stuck and begin to blame the franchisor for their lack of success.
The franchisors that set an expectation from the beginning that the franchisee must bring the proper mindset and business acumen to the equation will build sustainable brands that continue to grow year-after-year. Partnering with Ask April Porter allows franchisors to provide both sides of the equation to franchisees without increasing the franchisor’s expense or bandwidth.
What advice would you provide to someone entering their first leadership role in the franchise industry?
Get involved. Connect with other franchise professionals and offer your support. Being collaborative will take you further than feeling competitive.
How can franchise services assist businesses in growing, and what does the future hold for the industry?
Franchisors cannot provide every piece of the success-puzzle alone. Partnering with franchise services allows franchisees to access the resources they need for growth. To help franchisees grow as fast as possible, it is important to introduce them to the right resources in the right order. The first thing any businessperson should invest in is themselves. If they do not acquire enough knowledge up front to recognize opportunities and pitfalls, they will burn through their capital and their energy, spending time and money on the wrong things.
What is your vision for Ask April Porter’s future?
We are working to be the go-to resource for franchisee support in the industry. Ask April Porter will be the obvious suggestion when a franchisor or franchisee is looking to develop their next growth strategy. At our annual conference, we provide programs for franchisees to elevate their business education, emotional intelligence, confidence, and stamina required to move to the next level in franchising. Brands that partner with us will empower their franchisees to up-level into top performers and multi-unit owners, taking both zees and zors to their dreams faster – just as franchising was intended.
Website: www.askaprilporter.com
