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The Roadmap to 50 Franchisees
A practical roadmap for franchisors who want to grow with direction, build long-term value, and design a business that works without everything running through them.
Most franchisors can grow their first few franchisees through momentum, energy, and personal involvement.
Scaling beyond that requires something different.
It requires direction.
The Roadmap to 50 is a structured approach for franchisors with around 10 franchisees who want to grow to 50 with clarity on what needs to be built, when it needs to be built, and why it matters.
This is not about slowing growth down.
It is about designing the business as you scale, so success does not depend on you being at the centre of every decision.
When growth is built with a destination in mind, certain things are created along the way:
- Clear operating standards that scale with the network
- Leadership capability beyond the founder
- Structures that support growth, profit, and consistency
- A business that increases in value as it grows
You may never choose to exit.
But by building with an exit in mind, you create a stronger, more valuable franchise that gives you options, protects your time, and supports sustainable growth beyond 50.
By working with this roadmap, franchisors get clarity on what to build next, gain strategic control over growth, and create a business that grows reliably with less founder dependency.
What I Learned From Running A £46m Franchise Business
My lived operational experience that helps franchisors grow their network.
How the Roadmap to 50 Works
We start by agreeing the destination.
That destination shapes every decision that follows.
Rather than working on one thing at a time, the Roadmap to 50 focuses on strengthening all the foundations of the business in parallel, adapting as the network grows and the pace of expansion changes.
The work typically focuses on four core pillars:
- The franchise proposition
Ensuring the opportunity is clear, compelling, and scalable for the next phase of growth.
- Recruitment and expansion
Supporting the right growth decisions as the network moves toward 50 franchisees.
- Operating foundations
Tightening processes, systems, and standards so the business scales without relying on constant founder input.
- Leadership and capability
Building the capability of the franchisor and support team so the network can grow without everything running through one person.
As the network grows, each pillar is reviewed, strengthened, and adapted.
What works at 10 franchisees is refined for 20, then evolved again as you move toward 50.
This is how growth, value, and ownership freedom are built together.
Who This Works For
- Franchisors with ~8–20 existing franchisees
- Franchisors ready to move past founder-centric growth
- Franchisors looking to scale with intention and value creation
Why This Works
This approach works because it combines clear direction with practical execution.
I’ve led, scaled, and supported franchise and multi-site businesses through growth, complexity, and change.
I understand where growth creates pressure, where it creates opportunity, and what needs to be in place for a business to scale without losing control.
Along the way, I bring:
- A structured, future-focused approach to growth
- The discipline of building value while scaling
- Qualified coaching capability to build leadership, not dependency
- Access to trusted partners who strengthen the network at the right time
This is not theory. It is grounded in real operational experience and designed to move at the pace your business needs.
Book your roadmap to 50 call to leave the call with a clear outline of next steps and what your roadmap will prioritise.
The Next Step
Growth without direction creates effort, not value.
The Roadmap to 50 call is a focused conversation to:
- Clarify your destination
- Sense-check your current foundations
- Identify what needs to be built next as you scale
- Understand what it will take to get from where you are today to a stronger, more valuable franchise business.
Book your roadmap to 50 call to leave the call with a clear outline of next steps and what your roadmap will prioritise.
“I Either Keep Guessing… Or I Get A Roadmap.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Please contact info@blackflagcoaching.com with any further questions you may have.
No. Building with an exit in mind is about designing a stronger, more valuable business. Many franchisors never exit but benefit from clearer structure, stronger leadership, and less reliance on themselves.
Typically franchisors with around 5–20 franchisees who want a clear path to 50 and beyond.
Both; they are developed in parallel.
For franchisors in the 10–50 unit stage, growth rarely pauses completely. Expansion continues, but the risk is that it happens faster than the leadership structure, operating rhythm and capability beneath it. This programme supports franchisors to continue growing while strengthening the foundations that enable scale to be sustainable, consistent and better aligned to the long-term vision.
We work on growth and organisational maturity side-by-side, ensuring the network doesn’t simply become larger, but becomes stronger as it expands.
We clarify where you are today, where you want to get to, and what needs to be built next. It’s a practical, focused conversation designed to create direction, not a sales pitch.
Yes - if recruitment is balanced with organisational strength. But if recruitment is the only focus, this roadmap may not yet be the right first step.
That depends on your growth ambitions and current foundations. The roadmap evolves as the network grows rather than following a fixed timeline.
Franchise Insights
Steve Barrett's Certifications
Running a £46m Business Inside a Franchise Network
Real operational experience that helps franchisors grow thei
This article shares the practical lessons I learned while running a £46 million, 33-location franchise operation on behalf of the franchisee. From reducing attrition from 120% to 39% to delivering £150k in annual savings, building governance, redesigning reward and shaping culture, it shows how this experience now supports franchisors who want stronger performance, better capability and scalable systems.
Industry Contribution: Host of The Franchisee Circle
I host The Franchisee Circle, a networking and peer-learning group within Circle Networks.
Founded on the belief that “Great franchisees learn from great franchisees.” Staying close to these conversations provides real-world insight into franchisee experience and performance, which informs the work I do with franchisors as their networks grow.
Black Flag Coaching Ltd
info@blackflagcoaching.com
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