The Power of 'Plug-and-Play' Franchising

In today’s franchising world, sustainable growth relies heavily on well-established systems that allow franchisees to hit the ground running. The plug-and-play franchise model has emerged as a powerful solution for achieving this, offering franchisees the tools and processes they need to succeed from day one. However, for this model to truly work, the foundation must be meticulously planned, and the onboarding process must be world-class.

Across our brands, this model has empowered franchisees to operate efficiently from day one, with the support of world-class onboarding, hands-on training, and consistent follow-up, ensuring they are set up for long-term success.

Onboarding as the foundation of plug-and-play success

At the heart of any successful plug-and-play model is the onboarding process. Franchisees need systems that are fully developed before they come on board, as they are often going all-in by leveraging their life savings, such as their 401Ks. The responsibility of the franchisor is to ensure that they have made the best decision in choosing the franchise, and that starts with a comprehensive, well-thought-out system. A true plug-and-play model ensures that franchisors are not “learning on the franchisee’s dime.”

To give franchisees the best start, the onboarding process must be exceptional. A successful franchise system implements a unified approach, using detailed checklists to outline expectations for both franchisees and the corporate team. This ensures nothing is left to chance, providing a clear roadmap for franchisees to follow and a structured framework for corporate support. Effective onboarding lays the foundation for franchisees to seamlessly integrate into the system and perform effectively from day one.

In-person training: The critical hands-on component

Training is another crucial part of the plug-and-play model, but it must be delivered thoughtfully. If a franchisee is flying across the country for training, that training had better be necessary. It’s not about delivering content that could be done over Zoom or in a PowerPoint presentation. In-person training should be reserved for the hands-on aspects of the business that cannot be taught remotely. You can't teach someone how to ride a bike through a seminar; they need to get on the bike and start pedaling to truly learn.

By focusing in-person training on the critical, hands-on components, franchisors can ensure that franchisees leave with the practical experience they need. This level of training is vital to building the confidence and skills franchisees need to succeed in their day-to-day operations.

Follow-up support: Ensuring long-term success

Onboarding and training are only the first steps. Ongoing follow-up is equally important to the success of the plug-and-play model. I believe that for the first 8-12 weeks after training, franchisors need to have weekly touch-base meetings with their franchisees. This ensures that the systems learned during onboarding and training are being applied correctly, helping franchisees move toward their first sale and early success.

A structured approach to follow-up is essential. Our Evive Brands use a “Know, Show, Do, Review” method. First, franchisees need to know why something is done a certain way and then are shown how to do it. Next, they need to actually do it themselves, and finally, their work is reviewed to ensure it’s done correctly. Many franchisors stop after the first two steps, but the real success of plug-and-play comes from allowing franchisees to execute and review their performance. This full cycle is critical to helping franchisees internalize the systems and become successful operators.

The six-month milestone: Gaining confidence and mastery

The beauty of the plug-and-play model is that, with the right onboarding, training, and follow-up, franchisees can go from new operators to confident business owners in just six months. Although it takes time to develop and refine the systems, the plug-and-play model allows a franchisee to reach the same level of competence and confidence in just a fraction of that time. By the six-month mark, franchisees have typically repeated the systems enough to build their confidence and operate with a level of independence.

This structured approach—starting with a world-class onboarding process, reinforced by hands-on training, and followed by consistent support—ensures that franchisees are set up for long-term success. In the end, plug-and-play isn’t about setting it and forgetting it. It’s about having a proven system in place, executing it daily, and giving franchisees the guidance and tools they need to thrive.

Ryan Parsons is the CEO of Evive Brands, a franchise industry leader with a community of brands which includes The Brothers that just do Gutters, Executive Home Care, Grasons, and Assisted Living Locators.