Franchises Making a Difference
My dad has Alzheimer’s, so fighting the disease is a cause that’s close to my heart. I was happy to hear recently that senior-care franchise Home Helpers has become a partner of the Alzheimer Association's Alzheimer's Early Detection Alliance (AEDA). AEDA was created earlier this year to help educate people about Alzheimer’s, which affects up to 5.3 million Americans and is the seventh-leading cause of death in the nation.
Through this partnership, Home Helpers franchisees and their staff will be educated about all aspects of Alzheimer’s so that they can educate their clients and the community about things like the warning signs of the disease, the benefits of early detection and community resources that can help them.
But this isn’t just a feel-good story—it’s also a smart business move. A partnership between an Alzheimer’s organization and a senior-care franchise is a natural fit. What’s a natural fit for your franchise company? For a fitness franchisor or a franchisor that sells health-conscious food, it might be a partnership with an organization that promotes weight loss or children’s fitness. For a franchisor that caters to women, it might be a partnership with a group that supports breast-cancer research or helps battered women. You get the idea.
Consumers have less money to spend right now, so they’re being more cautious about where to spend it. In many cases, they’re considering more than just price—they’re also considering a company’s commitment to their community and to the causes that matter to them. Does your franchise just take people’s money, or does it give something back as well?
Joining forces with a nonprofit organization or social cause raises your franchise’s profile because you benefit from the other group’s marketing efforts as well. It can also be a way for franchisees to get their employees fired up about making a difference.
If you’re a franchisor, consider what partnerships make sense for you in the long term. If you’re a franchisee, think about what seems natural for your location and suggest it to your franchise support team.
Who knows? It could be the start of a beautiful friendship—one that’s profitable in more ways than just monetary.
