Run a Business by Becoming a Franchisee!
- Nela Friesen
- Feb 6, 2025
- 8 min read
Table of Contents
About Jordan
Jordan Brown is the owner/operator of three McDonald's restaurants in Alberta. He runs the restaurants in Taber, Coaldale, and Brooks. His dad was a general manager of a McDonald's restaurant when Jordan was young so McDonald's has always been a big part of his life. Jordan has been with McDonald's for 26 years, starting as a crew member as a teenager. He rose through the ranks and eventually became a general manager of a restaurant for five years before becoming the operations supervisor where he oversaw the running of multiple restaurants. This helped him gain the skills he needed to be a franchisee. He has been a franchisee for six years, taking over for his dad when he retired. Jordan now gets to continue his legacy.
What is being a Franchisee like?
An Average Day on the Job
Like with any job, Jordon's days as a franchisee can always change. But on an average day, he starts his day with his morning routine, which includes journaling, reading, and going to the gym. This isn't directly related to his work as a franchisee, but it sets up the rest of his day for success. He starts his work day by checking the results from the previous day for each restaurant. This can lead to follow-ups with management teams to celebrate wins or talk about improvements. After this, he likes to visit one of the restaurants to get to know the team and learn how he can challenge and grow them as individuals. He is also part of various committees in the McDonald's system, like the People Team and the Regional Marketing Team for Alberta. He is also part of the Ronald McDonald House Charity Board of Directors (more on this later). He takes part in meetings for these various committees.
Other than this, he spends a lot of time working in the community. This work isn't directly tied to the restaurant but he can serve the community and work to build the brand. It is meaningful to him and he loves it.
Pay
Becoming a franchisee of McDonald's has a great return on investment. It is expensive and requires a lot of money upfront. However, the nice thing about McDonald's system is that only 25% of that is required upfront and the rest is financed through a bank. In 7 years, the franchisee can have that amount paid off if they run their restaurant well. The initial investment is multiplied by four in 7 years, making it a great system.
However, it does require hard work. When McDonald's chooses who to partner with, they don't just look at who has the money to do it. They also look for someone who can build the brand and the community. A franchisee is expected to be involved in the restaurants they operate.
Work Conditions
Stress always comes and goes in any line of work. McDonald's is a very fast-paced business that operates 24/7/365 so it can be stressful. It’s all about the people making it a very collaborative job. If you have the right people doing the right things at the right time, it will be less stressful and can even be fun. Taking care of yourself is also important to reduce stress.
Franchisees often get to decide how many hours they work. Jordan calls how he works an integrated lifestyle. He still works a full work week but he is always available including on his days off in case there is a problem. Although he's always available, he creates barriers and structures to protect his family time. There is also flexibility if he needs to take an extra day off for any reason. He said that it's all about creating good infrastructure and empowering the team to make good decisions, which allows him to spend more time with family and the community.
Qualities Needed
To succeed as a franchisee, you need to have good people skills because it is a people-first business. If you can’t connect or empathize with people, there may be challenges. You must be a strong leader to lead your team and also develop strong leaders. You also need grit to succeed because there will be extra stressful seasons where you may be working harder or under financial stress.
Hardest and Easiest Part
The hardest part is building and maintaining a high-performing team that is motivated at all times. Jordan told me that all success comes through the team and the people. There will be feelings and emotions that can lead to someone who is not performing their best because of something that might be happening in their personal life. This can affect the business so it’s important to stay connected with the people. The little things matter like asking how someone is doing, and listening to care and do what you can to help.
The easiest part is the day-to-day running of the restaurant. McDonald's sets up good systems and training programs. Running the restaurant is not complicated as long as the franchisee operates as designed and doesn’t overcomplicate things.
Most Rewarding Part
It feels good to have a good team. It feels rewarding to see people succeed both in the business and in their personal lives. It is also rewarding to be able to serve the community through opportunities like the Ronald McDonald House Charity.
Misconceptions
There are misconceptions about McDonald's. The first is that as a franchisee, that person is rich. They can be, but it will take hard work. Like with anything, you will get what you put into it. Another misconception is that McDonalds is just an entry-level job. An employee can rise through various positions and eventually become a franchisee if that interests them. It’s not the perfect job for everyone but it can become a career if they would like it to.
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. (Colin Powell)
Post-Secondary / Training
No post-secondary education is required to become a franchisee for McDonald's. Jordan said that he took a few courses through post-secondary institutions to develop the skills that he would need to be successful but this was not necessary. McDonald's provides all the training that a new franchisee needs. They provide leadership training and let the franchisee try it and learn through experience. Development plans are personalized for each trainee, making sure that the trainee can learn more in areas that need to be improved. New franchisees are paired with mentors who are experienced franchisees to learn from in the first few months of buying and transitioning into running the business.
Beyond that, there is support for experienced franchisees as well. Each franchisee gets a business consultant from McDonald's who assists in setting business goals, making sure targets are being met, etc. There are also opportunities for ongoing training and development, such as conventions where training and break-out sessions are offered. There is an expectation to keep improving oneself as a franchisee, whether that's through reading books or listening to podcasts for example.
Extra!! Questions to Think About
What is the relationship like with McDonald's as a whole?
As an owner/operator of McDonalds, Jordan has bought the rights to use the McDonald's system. In return for using their system, Jordan must give them a percentage of the restaurant's sales. Everyone wins together. The owner/operator is able to run a business with the support of the McDonald's system and grow the business and their profits, and McDonald's is able to grow their revenue and profits along with the franchisee.
What obligations do people have to fulfill as a franchisee?
Franchisees must pay the company a percentage of sales. There is also the expectation that they will follow the systems that McDonald's has created. Those who trust the system are often more successful than those who try to change the system or think they need to come up with their own methods. They may also be asked to be a test market for new products. This can feel risky since it's a new product being tested and it may require capital up front. However, it gives them a voice, allowing them to influence changes made down the road so it can be worth it.
How involved is Jordan in running the restaurants?
This all depends on the people, and Jordan told me he is blessed to have a great team working with him. It depends on the experience level of the management teams at the restaurants. Right now, he holds people accountable for their results. If someone needs coaching or development, he gets involved to help them learn and understand the McDonald's system. A big role he has is leader development, ensuring the leaders know how to run the business by taking care of the people while also being profitable.
Is becoming a franchisee a good fit for entrepreneurs?
When someone becomes a franchisee for McDonalds, they are using a system that has been tested, developed, and proven, so they aren't creating something completely new. It is usually easier to be successful due to this. A franchisee still needs an entrepreneurial mindset despite not creating a completely new business. They still have to be comfortable with taking risks and should be able to create business plans and strong teams. They still need a growth mindset and should always be looking to improve. Despite there being areas where the franchisee has no freedom like the menu, they still have freedom in areas like marketing, pricing, which products to focus on, etc.
Tips to Succeed as a Franchisee!
Find the why behind your choice to become a franchisee. If you can find your 'why', it will no longer feel like work and it can even be fun. You can find meaning and purpose in what you do.
Trust the system. The systems created by McDonald's have been tested, developed, and proven. There has to be trust between the franchisee and the franchisor, and those who trust the system often become more successful.
Read The Wealthy Franchisee by Scott Greenburg. Jordan recommended this book saying that it contains great tips on how to succeed as a franchisee. He told me that if you can follow the tips outlined in the book, it will help you a lot in your journey to becoming a franchisee.
Ronald McDonald House Charity
The Ronald McDonald House Charity celebrated 50 years this year! The charity includes four houses across Alberta close to hospitals that serve as temporary homes for families with a sick child. The goal is to provide a home away from home at a very affordable cost where the family can focus on supporting their child without needing to worry about meals or where they will stay the night. They can also serve as social support systems where families can spend time with other families going through the same thing so no one is alone during this hard time.
McDonald's is the founding and forever partner of RMHC. The restaurants help cover operating costs by fundraising through RMHC Round-Up, the sales of happy meals and cookies, and the annual McHappy Day where a portion of all sales goes to the charity.
As an operator of McDonald's, Jordan is currently serving on the RMHC Board of Directors. They are currently working on projects to expand some of the houses to three times the size! He finds a lot of personal purpose in doing this work as family is very important to him. Giving back and making a difference in the community is what drives him to continue working, and by working with RMHC, he can make a big difference.
Never start a business just to make money. Start a business to make a difference. (Marie Forleo)
I had a great conversation with Jordan and learned a lot about his work. I hope you enjoyed it and were able to learn a lot about this potential career path as well! Thanks for reading!
Check Out McDonald's!
Instagram: Instagram/jjbrownfoodservices
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