Choosing Franchise Software for Managing Multi-Location Businesses: Key Considerations

Introduction

Running a business feels like juggling a hundred balls at once. Now, imagine running multiple businesses across various locations simultaneously—sounds daunting, right? As your business flourishes, so does your trajectory. Your establishment expands, your client base grows, and demand surges. Before you know it, a single location just can't keep up. You'll start thinking about growth and expansion, and here’s when you start thinking about more than one location or 'multi-location'! 

Only a few brave hearts dare to take on such a challenge. They know the secret lies in organizing, delegating, and implementing efficiently. Here’s where you need the right support with the right system.

Thanks to modern technology and continuous software advancements, there's a way to manage it without overwhelming stress.

Let’s figure out.

What is a Franchise?

In 2023, the United States had approximately 806,270 franchise establishments. Franchising allows a franchisee to use the franchisor’s business model and ideas under a contractual agreement.

As explained in a recent university study,

“Franchising, or a business franchise model, is a contractual business model or relationship whereby an established brand, known as the 'franchisor,' allows an independent business owner, or franchisee, to use its branding, business model, and other intellectual property. In return, the franchisee agrees to pay an upfront franchise fee, plus ongoing royalties to the franchisor.”

According to another Franchising.com, 

"Franchising means working for yourself, but not by yourself." This means that everyone involved has the responsibility to operate their own successful businesses long term, and that the success of the brand as a whole depends on each team member's individual successes. You have to be willing to operate as a whole group with the brand's needs at the forefront.”

What is a Multi-location Business?

A multi-location business is one that has multiple branches or outlets in different places, whether within various cities, regions, or even countries, but all operating under the same brand. These businesses have a centralized system for managing operations, policies, and branding, while each location caters specifically to the needs of its local market. This structure allows them to maintain brand consistency while adapting to local customer preferences and demands. Examples of multi-location businesses include retail chains, fitness studios, franchise restaurants, and healthcare clinics.

What are the Key Differences between Franchise and Multi-location Business-

Often used interchangeably, franchisees and multi-location enterprises differ from each other in some core aspects.

• Ownership: In terms of ownership, franchises are owned by individuals or groups who purchase the right to use the franchisor’s brand, business model, and operating systems. So, there remains a corporate head (the franchisor) who oversees the multiple franchise businesses operating under their brand. In contrast, multi-location businesses are entirely owned by the same individual or company across all locations.

• Control- In terms of control, in a franchise, the franchisor offers a standardized business model, training, and support, while the franchisee manages daily operations, paying fees and royalties. Expansion happens by selling franchise rights to new franchisees, ensuring brand consistency across locations.  In a multi-location business, a central owner or corporate office controls all locations, covering expansion costs directly, and maintaining consistency while allowing some flexibility.
  

• Functioning of Physical Locations- In a franchise model, each physical location is individually owned, with the franchisee handling expenses, staff, management, and supply needs. Although the locations adhere to the brand’s guidelines, they may incorporate local marketing strategies. In a multi-location business, however, the core brand owns and manages all locations, maintaining a consistent look, structure, and unified marketing approach across each physical site.
  

Key Challenges in Managing Multi-location businesses?

Owning a franchise or a multi-location business can be a rewarding venture when managed well. However, there are many important factors to consider before diving into a business tied to a larger corporation.

Here are the top 10 challenges in managing a Multi-location Business-

1. Maintaining Brand Consistency
2. Efficient Delivery of Services
3. Problems in Communication and Coordination
4. Financial Oversight
5. Conforming to Local Regulations
6. Collection of data across locations
7. Integrating multiple apps and technology
8. Streamlining schedules across several time zones
9. Client Experience
10. Staff Management

Here are the detailed analysis of the challenges mentioned above-

1. Maintaining Brand Consistency
Small variations at any location can impact a brand's reputation as a whole, making consistent quality a top priority.

2. Efficient Delivery of Services
Delays or miscommunications can lead to inconsistencies, potentially affecting both customer satisfaction and operational effectiveness.

3. Problems in Communication and Coordination
Delays or miscommunications can lead to inconsistencies, potentially affecting both customer satisfaction and operational effectiveness.

4. Financial Oversight
Managing invoicing and revenue tracking across locations, especially with different currencies, tax rates, and revenue streams, requires robust financial systems.

5. Conforming to Local Regulations
Balancing compliance while adapting processes accordingly for each region can be time-intensive and costly.

6. Data collection across locations
Collecting accurate data from multiple locations for meaningful insights requires a streamlined approach and should not make reporting and decision making difficult.

7. Integrating multiple apps and technology
Integrating scheduling, inventory, accounting, CRM, and other essential functions into a single platform is tricky and requires ongoing support and coordination.

8. Streamlining schedules across several time zones
Risk of miscommunication, double-booking, or delays are high in case of locations or clients across different time zones and if manual adjustments are required.

9. Client Experience
Delivering consistent, personalized customer experiences across multiple locations is a challenge.

10. Staff Management
Managing who has access, adjusting privileges, and handling remote entries can be challenging, leading to potential security gaps and administrative inefficiencies.

Hence, managing franchise operations is no walk in the park! As a franchisor or a business with multiple locations, you need to keep quality, consistency, and top-notch service in check across multiple locations, all while handling marketing, operations, and logistics. So, how do you stay on top of it all and set your business up for success? Enter franchise management or multi-location business management solutions. With this powerful technology, you can connect with all your locations at the tap of a button, automating the repetitive tasks that slow you down. It’s like having a command center that keeps everything running smoothly, so you can focus on growing your brand!

Why do you need Franchisee Management or Multi-location Business Management Software?

Keeping in mind the various challenges in running a multi-location business or maintaining consistency of brand and quality of services, a software platform becomes extremely significant. Having centralized control and overseeing day-to-day operations, the ability to track performance and efficiency across locations becomes rather easy with good multi-location business management software.

However, while choosing one that supports your business expansion plan and operations is the tricky part. Hence, in this blog, we have covered all that is required when choosing 

Here are the Top Features that the best Franchisee or Multi-location Business Management Software should have-

1. Software that is Simple and Intuitive
2. Easy Integration Options
3. Simplified Payments and Invoicing
4. Customizable Data Analysis and Reporting
5. Access Management across Locations
6. Map Integration for Multiple Locations
7. Auto-adjustment to Time Zones
8. Centralized Profile for Clients

Here is a detailed breakdown of the features from the list above. Let’s dive in.

1. Software that is Simple and Intuitive 

You don’t want employees and franchisees to struggle with any technical tool. If your software requires elaborate training sessions or dedicated personnel, it isn’t exactly reducing your burden. If the software you’re trying is complicated for user adoption, it’s unlikely to meet your needs immediately. A simple interface and easy-to-navigate features help a lot. Ensure that the software is accessible for people with basic computer skills, as fast adoption and adaptability are essential!

If necessary, you can conduct pilot runs for a few weeks. Look for software with a trial period of at least one week, alongwith good onboarding assistance. Free onboarding plans are even better! Based on the feedback from stakeholders using the software, you can choose the best fit for your company.

2. Easy Integration Options

You cannot have a franchise software tool that works independently of your accounting system, POS system, CRM, calendar, marketing, communication, and other essential tools. A business with multiple venues needs a tool with a wide array of productivity features.

For instance: For a smooth workflow, ensure your scheduling system can sync with your accounting software. This way, all your booking details, payments, and financials can be automatically updated, making accounting simpler and more efficient.
If all the required features aren’t available in one multi-location management software, there should at least be a seamless integration tool like Zapier that connects all essential and useful productivity tools. One should be able to easily manage multiple venues, or a franchisor should be able to oversee how their locations are operating with real-time updates on schedules, classes, make-up classes, payments, check-ins, and more.

Without the stress of juggling multiple systems, smart software with strong integration features helps keep everything aligned, reduces manual tasks, and ensures consistency across the board, enabling smarter decisions to be made faster.

3. Simplified Payments and Invoicing

Invoicing is a major challenge for multi-location businesses. Managing finances and invoices is particularly complex due to the "multiple locations" involved, meaning each location has its unique customer base, local market demands, location-specific promotions, tax rates, regulations, and invoicing laws. This becomes even more complicated when locations span across countries, as it introduces varying formats, currencies, payment methods, and exchange rates. In terms of real-time tracking, businesses may find it difficult to monitor revenue trends and payment terms, often leading to cha os and confusion.

Using a multi-location management software with invoicing features not only eases the workload but also encourages timely royalty payments from franchise operators. It centralizes invoicing data, standardizes processes, and supports real-time tracking—all while handling location-specific taxes and regulations. Automation tools in these platforms streamline repetitive tasks, minimize errors, and keep each location's finances in sync with the central system. Beyond saving time, a robust invoicing tool simplifies bookkeeping so you can operate efficiently without needing a large accounting team, even when managing multiple locations.

4. Customizable Data Analysis and Reporting

We are talking multi-locations here. Managing multiple locations requires reliable data analysis and accurate reporting, which can be complex yet critical. Key performance indicators are essential for any business owner, whether for reviewing current sales reports or making strategic decisions about the next steps. Given the extensive nature of these reports, it can be overwhelming at times. As a franchisor or multi-location business owner, you need flexible reporting options—different views, customizable timelines, and specific report types to suit your needs.

A robust multi-location software with powerful analytics features can address these challenges. With it, service-based businesses can effortlessly track key metrics: which classes had the highest attendance during peak season at each location, which months saw the most class sales, identifying the top- and lowest-performing programs, pinpointing locations with the most merchandise revenue, or tracking churn rates by location. This level of insight can make all the difference in refining business strategies.

5. Access Management Across Locations

Certainly, managing a multi-location business makes it impossible for an owner to be physically present at every location simultaneously. However, a robust centralized software platform can bring all your locations together under a single, efficient interface.

Maintaining consistent service standards is non-negotiable, and it’s equally crucial to decide what each team member can access at various levels—whether they’re multi-location owners, managers, or trainers. The right software should empower you with robust access controls to oversee data on memberships, transactions, facility usage, and permissions across sites in real-time.

Your software should also let you define access levels for employees, covering everything from schedules and classes to payments and wellness apps, ensuring smooth, unified operations across all locations. Additionally, a well-integrated platform allows you to update member information, adjust access privileges, and manage entries remotely—all from a single hub, without the hassle of juggling multiple systems.

6. Map Integration for Multiple Locations

Since we are talking about scalability of businesses and businesses going multi-locations, this one aspect of that definitely adds value is map integration feature. The ability to display multiple locations on your website is extremely crucial for local SEO. It helps your business show up in local search results, making it easier for nearby customers to discover your services online. With Google Maps, each location can be easily found by potential customers searching nearby, boosting local search rankings and ensuring every branch is visible online.

 A good multilocation management system has map integration whereby businesses can provide customers with a seamless way to find the nearest locations, check for directions, view operational hours, temporary closures, contact details, and all sorts of other updates in real-time available across all locations in one place. In true essence, Google Maps integration is an essential tool for multi-location businesses, combining operational efficiency with enhanced customer satisfaction.

Secondly, beyond visibility and convenience, Google map integration also helps in establishing credibility and brand trust. It is not just easy for potential customers to find your business locations but also helps rely on the additional information provided with each location. 

7. Auto-adjustment to Time Zones-

This is one of the most notable features of multi-location software. It is tremendously helpful for businesses operating across multiple regions and time zones. Make sure the software you choose can sync scheduling and booking data seamlessly across different time zones for various locations and franchise businesses. This is especially important for service-based businesses, as it enables real-time booking and scheduling, automatically adjusting to each location’s time zone.

No matter how widely your business is spread, adjusting to time zones should never be a barrier to efficient service delivery. Both staff and clients should be able to set and book appointments based on accurate schedules without manual adjustments.

For centralized operations, the ability to streamline communication, track all schedules and appointments, manage slot availability, and account for temporary breaks across locations is essential. Automated time-zone management helps deliver efficiency in business operations and enhances client experience, preventing confusion and avoiding double bookings.

8. Centralized Profile for Clients

For the ultimate client convenience, look out for a multi-location scheduling software that offers centralized profiles for clients. This feature enables clients to manage all family members' schedules in one place, regardless of location. It is easier and much efficient from customer experience point of view when clients are able to manage all family members' schedules in one place, regardless of location.

With Omnify, clients can create a single profile to keep track of their entire family’s schedules, making it easy to view, book, or reschedule appointments across various locations without needing separate accounts or logins. This feature allows clients to access upcoming and past bookings for each family member, ensuring they stay organized and in control of everyone's schedules, from children’s classes to adult appointments.

Moreover, the convenience of a unified profile simplifies client interactions with the business. Clients no longer need to keep track of multiple accounts or call individual locations for schedule inquiries, as they can manage all bookings through one platform. This streamlined approach to managing schedules across locations improves the customer experience, builds loyalty, and reduces administrative work for businesses. 

This feature is much sought after and especially valuable for service-oriented multi-location businesses where clients might frequent different branches, creating a consistent and accessible experience that meets modern client expectations.

Conclusion

Taking on the challenge of multi-location management is no small feat, but it’s also an exciting step toward broader success. With the right support system, organization, and efficient delegation, you can streamline operations, maintain quality, and grow without the chaos. Modern technology and advanced software have made it possible to manage multiple locations smoothly, empowering you to scale confidently. Embrace the journey—with the right tools, even the most ambitious business expansion becomes achievable.

Running a business with multiple locations can come with unique challenges. Discover how Omnify can help streamline operations, reduce complexities, and enhance efficiency across all your locations. Schedule a DEMO today to see how Omnify can support your growth!