Building and infrastructure -- 2

If a solid franchise system is the backbone of a brand, an efficient, smoothly working infrastructure is the heart of a multi-unit franchisee operation. Successful franchisees understand how to take advantage of a proven operating system and focus on building their procedures, processes, and people to create a working team focused on sustained growth. Mike Simon, who operates 42 Donatos Pizza restaurants in the Midwest, views the creation of a working infrastructure in the franchise world like a box. "Here are your four walls to play with," he explains. "There are structural and franchise things you have to do in a certain way, inside the box. Outside the box is where you manage your people, goals, and expectations. It is up to you to get results, using your own personal skill sets and personality." For many multi-unit franchisees, stepping up to operate multiple stores begins with learning to let go, often a struggle for entrepreneurs. When he and a business partner took the ownership plunge in 2010, Simon--who spent three decades on the corporate side at Wendy's, Pizza Hut, and Tim Hortons--admits it took a couple of years to shake off his "This is the way we do things" corporate hat for a more creative operational culture. "The first tendency you have is to over control," says Simon, whose Titan Restaurant Group began by converting a portfolio of 39 family-owned Donatos Pizza restaurants into franchises. "You want to give people enough freedom so they can play outside the box. That really is where true growth comes from." Learning to delegate Title Boxing Club franchisee Sam Heaps is still pondering the best route for making the expansion leap while ensuring that his two existing fitness facilities stay strong. Heaps learned early as a first-time business owner about the problems of working in the business instead of on it. When Heaps teamed up with his sister Kate Carski in 2012 to open their first Title Boxing Club franchise in Springfield Va., they spent every waking business hour running the facility. Within two years, the pair added a second club in nearby Falls Church. It didn't take long for him to discover that something in his hands-on approach had to give. "Even though we were putting in the hours, we weren't able to get enough done," says Heaps, a former college baseball player and personal trainer. "You can't do it all. I had to step back and look at the big picture. We had to put our trust in our team and let them thrive and shine." To meet the challenges that come with expansion, taking the time to find the right people who are the right fit is worth the investment. Most decisions required to efficiently manage multiple units are people-driven, especially when it comes to making the shift from doing everything yourself to hiring your first manager (or managers). At the center of a strong working infrastructure is a concept called "span of control," says Simon, who was in charge of implementing the delivery system at Pizza Hut and served as vice president of U.S. operations at Tim Hortons. "I tell every franchisee I have ever managed in my life that when you go from five to six stores you are going to build that sixth store just to pay for the supervisor to run the first five," he says. "Too many stores creates too much freedom, not enough stores chokes all freedom. You need to grow in every aspect of the business, but also allow for creativity," he says. Cultivating a layer of management to develop leadership and foster a culture where people want to stay and move up the ranks will help to solidify your infrastructure over time. With pizza restaurants in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, Simon's organizational chart includes two vice presidents and six supervisors. Each vice president oversees three supervisors. Each supervisor is in charge of seven stores. When developed correctly, multi-unit processes should be able to be replicated anywhere, by anyone. The amount of operational.