Veronique Speech-Buhot, former of Promodès and Carrefour, is the new general delegate of the French Federation of franchise (FFF) since the 1st of January.

You have worked for a long time for groups of the great distribution, how do you perceive the franchise that includes many SMES or even VSES ?

Véronique Speech-Buhot : When I was in charge of Champion supermarkets, over 1000 points of sale, we had 500 franchisees… I consider the franchise as a business model for modern and future. A model of entrepreneurial dynamics, growth, creator of jobs in our territories, economic wealth, and that meets the needs of the company. The franchise offers many possibilities to all those who have desire to undertake. To the one who has just wanted to create his own job in the region that he loves, to the employee wishing to change sectors or professions, or even to seasoned entrepreneurs, who have ambitions of development. They can open more outlets of the same brand (multi-franchise) or different department stores (multi-franchise) and thus create a heritage, while diversifying their risks.

The franchise is also made for all these young people who dream of becoming entrepreneurs, as well as for the quadras in a retraining programme. It is necessary to more widely open up the franchise to young people ! It is a very good stepping stone to achieve their dream of entrepreneurship, less risky and faster than a start-up. With the franchise, they will benefit from a concept that has proven, expertise is modeled, coaching, training…

Your support is essential. Subscribe for $ 1 support Us

But for the young people, the cost of access to the franchise, in terms of personal contribution and rights of entry, is it not a brake ?

V. D.-B. : Certainly. But this initial investment will save time and money compared to what they would have had to invest if they had made all alone. This will enable them to avoid fatal errors: the rate of sustainability of franchise businesses is much higher than that of a classic creation.

Regarding the funding, I would like to invite the banks that know us well, I salute their commitment to our networks through their specialized units, to imagine solutions so that young people can move more easily to the franchise. After all, it is less risky to finance a franchise business than a start-up where the rate of breakage is high !

With over 2000 franchise networks installed did we not reached a plateau in the expansion of the model ?

V. D.-B. : I don’t believe that we made the full. At the beginning, the franchise is developed mainly in the trade sector, but now services, delivery activities, the commission, the brokerage… to widen its field of intervention. Markets change and the consumer constantly needs new products. Gold entrepreneurs isolated do not have sufficient capacity for responsiveness, innovation, to meet the new expectations. Networks are more agile and rely on the “collective intelligence” of franchisees to renew their concept or inventing new. The franchise still has beautiful days in front of it !

The trade is now challenged by the technological changes, the competition of online sales and platforms, and also by the new consumer behaviour, more infidels…

V. D.-B. : most of The franchise networks combine today physical points of sale and online commerce : they were converted to the “omnicanal”. I observe with satisfaction that pure-players of e-trade come to open stores… In fact, the physical network adds credibility to the Web. The future is this combination of the physical and the digital. The consumer always needs to move, to touch, to feel, to experience what he wants to buy, and also, it is human, he appreciates having a person to talk to, and who can also advise. The proximity, the quality of the service and the availability of the product you want will always make the difference.

consumers, and society in general, are more sensitive to the positioning of the signs on environmental issues. What is happening in the franchise ?

V. D.-B. : The major networks have already implemented policies and concrete actions in this sense : selective sorting, recycling, energy savings, controlled origin products, etc, This commitment is brought to spread, not only because there is an increasing consumer demand, but also because the franchisees are entrepreneurs rooted in their territories, in contact with the associations, elected officials, stakeholders. And for the heads of network, the practices of social and environmental responsibility (CSR) will increasingly become a constituent element of the know-how transmitted to their franchise partners. Has the FFF, we have integrated a point on the CSR part of our Code of ethics and we will offer information sessions and trainings in this sense to our members.

What do you want to do ?

New mailCopy

Read our complete file

the latest news of the franchise

Le salon Franchise Expo 2020 will be held finally in the fall of the Franchise, the strength to undertake The salon Franchise Expo Paris 2020 is postponed from 24 may to 27 may

What are your areas of priority for 2020 ?

V. D.-B. : We will continue our lobbying with the public authorities. Our goal is to better recognize the franchise as a major contributor to economic activity, making a significant contribution to the economy, entrepreneurship, employment, the revitalization of city centres. The public authorities still have a tendency to liken us to the chains succursalistes, so that we fédérons independent contractors. We will engage in a great act of outreach to the general public, especially young people, opinion leaders, local elected officials, managers of city centre, of the media. We will raise awareness as the consular networks, the networks supporting entrepreneurship, as well as the employers ‘ organisations and trade unions.

What do you want to do ?

New mailCopy