Hey all,
I have some questions about franchises vs. private practices and how marketing works within those realms. Specifically direct mail. I understand that private practices likely get to choose their own marketing campaigns, but in the franchise situation does the corporation handle all marketing or is it still left up to the individual owners? I appreciate any and all insight into this as it has been terribly difficult to navigate these waters. Thank you!
Which part has been difficult to navigate?
Understanding if there is a regional rep. that serves as a liaison between franchise owner and corporate office, if corporate office dictates marketing campaigns and content, how the entire marketing system works between franchise owner and franchise. That kind of thing.
Are you talking about things like Beltone and Miracle Ear? My guess is there would not be one standard, and each company and even each region might have different methods.
Are you asking because you are interested in having a franchise, or are you having a problem with a local franchise and wondering who to contact?
I might be interested in a franchise, but the information that I receive is all pretty generic and I’d really prefer a more specific knowledge of these things before getting more involved.
Many franchise agreements include a non-disclosure agreement and that is one of the reasons for that. They don’t want current franchisees talking to prospective franchisees in general, and some do not want all the cost information to get out there. I’m not familiar with hearing aid franchises and I don’t know how much information you can get without actually talking to the companies.
So my advice would be to talk to the companies you are interested in.
There may be other options as well. I remember my first audiologist told me that the Starkey guy (Bill, I think) put her in business when she got out of school and she remained a Starkey only person for that reason.
I don’t think people on this forum have the kind of knowledge you want. If you want generic info, I’d suggest googling “franchise.” I’m guessing there are some pretty good general articles detailing how franchises work. But ultimately, you’ll need to delve into the specifics of whatever franchise you’re considering as I’m guessing there’s a lot of differences in the details.