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When targeting potential veteran franchisees, there’s no magic formula that works for every brand. Rather, you should create a thoughtful approach to helping veterans understand what is different about your specific franchise and why their background would be a good fit.
By Jessica Hinnen
Leaving career in the military to rejoin civilian life can be tough for veterans. Finding that next career step is especially difficult, with most wanting to draw upon the invaluable leadership, training and operational experience gained during their service, but not knowing exactly where to apply those skills.
One path that many veteranshave taken is to become an owner of a franchised business. Many veterans are comfortable with the franchising model, as it requires attention to detail, focus, responsibility, grace under pressure and the ability to follow a system — much like the military. The beauty of franchising is that it provides the processes and procedures for a successful business while also offering freedom to build upon that framework — a true win-win for veterans.
The value that military veterans can bring to franchising is widely regarded — in fact, VetFran, a strategic initiative of IFA, provides access and opportunities in franchising to veterans and their spouses. Through VetFran, franchise organizations provide financial discounts, training and ongoing guidance to aspiring veteran franchisees or veterans that are seeking employment after the military. In just five years, 6,500 veterans have become business owners through VetFran.
The question for franchisors, then, becomes not if military veterans make a good addition to franchise systems, but rather, how to best reach them. With more than 600 participating franchises as members of VetFran, it can be difficult to stand out.
Signal 88 Security has found success with military veterans because the company’s model is a natural next step into civilian life. We refer to our franchisees as “heroes,” as they provide peace of mind, protection and safety to a community of people. Additionally, Signal 88’s business model works exceptionally well for veterans because they are used to serving their country, and as a patrolling security team responsible to deter trouble in their neighborhoods, they can serve and protect their communities back home. Signal 88 has successfully recruited more than 100 veterans to join its franchise system and have created a few best practices to get in front of this sought-after group.
Have a presence at military job fairs
Simply putting your brand out there at civilian and military job fairs can be an effective strategy for reaching military veterans. Through Service Academy Career Conferences, Signal 88 has been able to target people that have transferred out of the military. This includes a presence at job fairs in Washington, D.C. and San Diego over the past year.
The company likes to be visible at these civilian job fairs because although it’s a place to look for the next franchisees, there’s also a program that helps groom employees within the Signal 88 system. If a veteran cannot afford a franchise, he or she still could still transition into being a star employee. Once within the Signal 88 system, veterans can take career advancement into their own hands and move up the ladder to become the franchisees of tomorrow.
Feedback generated from these efforts has always, and attending military bases helps fill the company’s pipeline with the right type of people for the system.
Get online
Utilizing online tools can be a cost-effective strategy for targeting military veterans as well. Many online groups and resources exist that specifically target those transitioning out of the military, such as HirePatriots.com, RecruitMilitary.com and Military Spouse Employment.
Even though there are about 110 veterans in Signal 88’s network, the company didn’t initially begin its franchisee search knowing that veterans would be a target candidate. It just so happened that people with law enforcement and military experience end up being successful franchise partners in the network. Now, Signal 88 has started reaching out to people who fit the “perfect franchisee profile,” and the company is actively looking to talk to candidates about the opportunity.
Be social
Advertising on social media is another highly targeted approach, using groups that are geared toward veterans such as Project Transition USA, From U.S. Military to Civilian Franchise, Private Military Companies and Military Spouse to name just a few.
Targeting potential franchise candidates through content marketing platforms is another approach. Ads are targeted toward veterans on Facebook with stories that will interest the right types of candidates.
Signal 88 Security uses a combination of the above strategies, along with highlighting stories of successful veteran franchisees within the network whenever possible. When targeting potential veteran franchisees, there’s no magic formula that works for every brand. Rather, you should create a thoughtful approach to helping veterans understand what is different about your specific franchise and why their background would be a good fit.
Jessica Hinnen is Partner Commitment Manager at Signal 88 Security.