The training and support infrastructure at Progressive Sports is impressive. Eddie has worked hard to create a supportive network for franchisees.
“We put in place support for all those touchpoints. From monitoring visits, online resources, meetups, and regular communication, to help them to feel supported.
“We have to maintain that because you know what happens in London or wherever can damage the reputation of the business. So we’re very mindful of that, we monitor it carefully.”
Eddie doesn’t just monitor franchisees when they join. He starts this at the selection point.
“You have to get the right people in to share that passion with poland rcs data us for physical activity and sport with children. If they haven’t got that, then they might not be in it for the right reasons.”
Qualifying franchisees is a vital step. Selecting the right people to represent your brand is critical.
Over the years, Eddie has learnt a thing or two about the challenges franchises often face.
As with most businesses, not everything runs smoothly. Progressive Sports is no exception.
“Aside from the pandemic, the part I found the most stressful was the financial pressure. Mentally, it can be the most challenging thing to go through as a business owner. Especially when you’ve got to meet payroll and all these other things.”
“There was a period in 2012-2013, early into our franchising journey where I had to borrow money from my parents and plug it into the business to support it.”
That being said, Eddie had the passion and consistency to navigate the business through this difficult time.
“In the early days I got a bit impatient and I think that only comes through experience of running a business. You need to be consistent and persistent when executing the plan and don’t take your foot off the accelerator.”