Evolving your current business into a thriving franchise is a more comprehensive process than most business owners realize. At its core, you are transitioning from selling your current products, such as bagels, to selling and training individuals on the dream of running your current business model. That’s a dramatic shift from your current role.

Protecting the name of your business is a vital step toward franchising. It also has other important business implications. Think of it as the modern-day version of staking claim to land in the wild west. By trademarking your brand, you’re defending a key asset of your business. It’s the declaration that this belongs to you, and you are putting down business roots under this particular banner.

When your business reaches a certain size, it’s only natural to explore options for extensive growth and scale. With PLAYLive, we chose the franchising model. The ability to scale without fronting the capital for each unit and the ease of spreading to different regions combined with the other benefits of franchising made it the best route.

The National Labor Relations Board ruling labeling McDonald’s as a joint employer triggered a wave of concern in the franchising world. It took a step in the wrong direction for franchisors. While McDonald’s continues to fight the ruling, the precedence still stands. The McDonald’s corporation can be held liable as a co-employer.