When expanding a franchise, maintaining consistency across all locations is critical to building a strong and recognizable brand. Customers should know exactly what to expect when they walk into any given location. That means the interiors and exteriors are set up similarly across locations, the products and services offered are the same and the general aura of the property is familiar no matter if they’re in Downtown Dadeland or across the bay in Key Biscayne.

From a construction perspective, this all sounds like it should be easy. Just create a model program, replicate it for each subsequent operation, and you’re good to go, right? Well, as with anything, there’s more to it than just that, but taking the time to get things right early and develop a model for the franchise is key to ensuring consistency and efficiency during subsequent buildouts.

First, Adapt the Franchise Model to Your Specifications

Many franchises are national or even global ventures. When our team at Seacoast Construction prepares a new program for franchises in South Florida, we take the criteria we’ve been given from the franchise and model them for the specific building we’ll be working in. The model will vary based on the franchise, but the goal is to create a program that can be replicated across locations in the area.

If a franchise owner wants to open new locations and needs a reception, offices, consultation rooms, and other designated areas in each location, we factor those in and create a construction model for the franchise.

The model and rough project estimate are based on a raw space and make some assumptions about the project site. For example, the model might assume that the location is a concrete slab storefront with panels and bathrooms already roughed in.

Accounting for Space Additives with Your Model Program

The model will estimate the cost for a program in a given region, but additional calculations need to be done to account for location-specific requirements or additives.

For example, if the model is based on a 15-foot ceiling but your location has a 20-foot ceiling, it will cost more to handle that. You can use Excel to prepare and compare costs for your construction project in order to estimate the true cost of a given franchise location.

If we were to think about a franchise model like a car, it’s like knowing the price for a base model, but if we wanted to add rims, a lift kit, or any other add-on, the cost would naturally be more.

The same is true for a franchise. You would start with the equivalent of a base model, but if you need to make adaptations based on location or site-specific requirements, your costs will need to be adjusted. To get an accurate estimate, further calculations will need to be done in Excel or another construction software program.

Contact Our Team at Seacoast Consulting Group with Questions

To improve efficiencies when expanding franchise operations, it’s helpful to create a model program and adjust as needed from there. Our teams at Seacoast Consulting Group and Seacoast Construction are ready to help. If you’re planning a franchise project in South Florida, get in touch with our team today to learn more about how we can help.