International network of robotics, coding and 3D-prototyping schools
 

Franchisee partner support

ROBBO company practice from Maria Hakkarainen, CEO ROBBO FINLAND

This article will prove to be useful, if you are:

  • planning to become a franchisee partner of ROBBO
  • studying ROBBO CLUB for research purposes
  • willing to know how large business chains support their partners
  • interested in the practices of successful franchising companies

The following text is dedicated to the support and guidance provided by ROBBO to its partners, both at the beginning of collaboration and throughout years of partnership.
This article will prove to be useful, if you are:
  • planning to become a franchisee partner of ROBBO
  • studying ROBBO CLUB for research purposes
  • willing to know how large business chains support their partners
  • interested in the practices of successful franchising companies

The following text is dedicated to the support and guidance provided by ROBBO to its partners, both at the beginning of collaboration and throughout years of partnership.
ROBBO is: The manufacturer of educational robotics
About ROBBO

ROBBO is:
  • The manufacturer of educational robotics
  • The developer of a sovereign platform, dedicated to teaching robotics to children
  • The creator of the ROBBO CLUB franchise: a network of schools for students from 5 to 15 years old, providing classes on robotics, programming and 3D printing

Since 2015, the company has been inviting both experienced and novice entrepreneurs to open children's robotics clubs under the ROBBO CLUB brand for partnership. In order to develop such ventures, the company maintains a partner care department, develops and improves the tools and practices to support and accompany franchisees.
ROBBO partner support program: the key points

The process of partner guidance begins long before the franchise is purchased. For example:
  1. The development manager, collaborating with a potential client, calculates the financial model of the franchise club for a particular city. Thus, the client is able to analyze the territory in advance according to the recommendations of the company, as well as understand the pricing and the return on investment.
  2. At this stage, the partner’s premises may be agreed upon. If one has found a suitable location or owns a property, it is possible to coordinate it with the management before signing the contract.

ROBBO considers this level of care for the franchisee justified and does everything possible to ensure that the future partner enters the business prepared.
ROBBO partner support program: the key points
Startup Stages

• Registration of a legal entity
• Selection and decoration of the premises according to the brand book
• Providing internet connection, installing cameras, purchasing and arranging the furniture
• Training program: business processes and products of the company
• Recruiting and training of teachers
• Training program: the work of CRM, website development, marketing, advertising campaign
• Opening Day, conducting trial classes
• Starting of sales

The end of the startup process occurs at the moment when the partner has built business processes, learned how to sell services and reached breakeven.
Startup Stages
Formats of support in the startup stages

Interdepartmental communication
During the startup process, a team of more than 10 people supports the new partner: the head and account managers of the partner’s care department, a technical specialist, the marketing and methodical departments.

Personal chat
All operational issues can be resolved in chat throughout the working hours. The chat is available on smartphones and is acclaimed for its convenience and efficiency.

The platform for access to franchise materials (standards, instructions, regulations, documents, etc.)
The platform was designed to be user-friendly and simple to navigate: one can easily find and access the folders with necessary instructions and documents.
Startup session Throughout the startup stage, regular online meetings with the partner care team and one’s personal account manager may be held 2-4 times a month, if necessary. The new partner will be able to discuss their progress, goals and objectives for the future period. If any problems arise, they may also be discussed during the session.
Startup session

Throughout the startup stage, regular online meetings with the partner care team and one’s personal account manager may be held 2-4 times a month, if necessary. The new partner will be able to discuss their progress, goals and objectives for the future period. If any problems arise, they may also be discussed during the session.

Learning platforms for teachers and business owners
Each business owner receives access to a business platform: a learning platform that contains detailed lessons and tasks to prepare the club for operation. The educational course features:
  • the product overview
  • the company mission
  • marketing and positioning features
  • advertising campaign pricing, sales
  • additional information needed for a successful start.

A similar learning platform has been created for teachers: it contains an additional section regarding lessons and assignments for students.
Learning platforms for teachers and business owners robbo

ROBBO’s three-stage system for recruiting, training
and supporting teachers is a matter of pride for the company

  • 1
    Stage One — Test Task:
    ROBBO publishes a vacancy with a test task, which helps to identify candidates with higher motivation and assess their level of knowledge and experience.
  • 2
    Stage Two — Interview with the Partner:
    The purpose of this stage is recruiting a candidate who the partner is comfortable cooperating with, who will agree with the working conditions and schedule.
  • 3
    Stage Three — Interview with a ROBBO methodologist.
    The candidate who has successfully passed all the stages of selection and receives the necessary recommendations may proceed to the training stage.

    The training of teachers consists of listening to lectures and performing practical assignments with ROBBO equipment. Having completed the training, the teacher takes the exam and receives a certificate.
    During the training, the teachers closely cooperate with the methodical department, attend staff meetings and gain access to the company chat where one can quickly get support and advice from experienced colleagues.

ROBBO’s three-stage system for recruiting, training
and supporting teachers is a matter of pride for the company

  • 1
    Stage One — Test Task:
    ROBBO publishes a vacancy with a test task, which helps to identify candidates with higher motivation and assess their level of knowledge and experience.
  • 2
    Stage Two — Interview with the Partner:
    The purpose of this stage is recruiting a candidate who the partner is comfortable cooperating with, who will agree with the working conditions and schedule.
  • 3
    Stage Three — Interview with a ROBBO methodologist.
    The candidate who has successfully passed all the stages of selection and receives the necessary recommendations may proceed to the training stage.

    The training of teachers consists of listening to lectures and performing practical assignments with ROBBO equipment. Having completed the training, the teacher takes the exam and receives a certificate.
    During the training, the teachers closely cooperate with the methodical department, attend staff meetings and gain access to the company chat where one can quickly get support and advice from experienced colleagues.
Development and working process

At the end of the start-up stage and later, if necessary, consulting sessions may be scheduled. The care department reacts to the requests in due course.

Tools for communication with the company

Ticket system
The ticket system is a special platform for the partners and employees. The system enables one to send questions to all ROBBO technical specialists, submit requests to the methodical and software departments. Each request is assigned a number (ticket), the average response time rarely exceeds 24 hours.

Personal chat
The personal chat allows the partner to communicate with any member of the support team. The first person to be contacted is one’s personal account manager. However, the employees of the marketing department, the head of the care service, the director of franchising and development may also have access to the dialogue. Personal Chat is the partner’s direct communication channel with company management representatives, which are always open to suggestions.
ROBBO’s three-stage system for recruiting, training and supporting teachers is a matter of pride for the company
Community of Franchisee Partners
Our community of partners and teachers is another matter of pride for ROBBO. The partners' chat contains topics dedicated to holidays in the club, summer camps, marketing, competitions, and more. Partners share insights with each other, discuss their tasks or difficult situations with customers, so on. The partner community is a place of safety, where negativity and conflicts are extremely uncommon. This is a group of like-minded people, social entrepreneurs and activists who are sincerely passionate about their work, respecting the brand and each other.

Staff meetings
Online meetings of teachers with the methodical department are conducted annually. Important elements of the staff meetings include teachers' reports, announcements of further development plans, as well as discussions of important topics in education. For example, the key topic of the 2022 staff meeting was the expansion of the ROBBO educational ecosystem and the idea of opening a college. In 2023, the main topics were the ideal trial lesson and a new program for preparing competitions. The projects discussed at the staff meetings may significantly increase the club's income.

Other franchise features:
• PR support of the brand
• An ecosystem of IT services for working with clients (CRM, LMS)
• A rating system: the best partners receive prizes and gifts from the management company
• Internal competitions for students

This and much more will be discussed in more detail in the next article.

Finally, ROBBO representatives are always happy to communicate with partners in person. The company's management is open to suggestions and criticism, as well as business conversation in a suitable environment.

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© 2024 «ROBBO». All rights reserved.
Impressum:
Name: ROBBO FINLAND Oy
Address: Otakaari 7b, 02150 Espoo, Finland
Tel: +358 40 4187890
Business ID (Y-tunnus): 2924516-7
Contact:
info@robbo.world
+358 40 4187890