"Along with innovation, franchising has always been one of the driving forces behind Midas' development".
Midas celebrated 40 years in France in 2016. What role has franchising played in the company's history?
Midas opened its first center in France in 1976, and its first franchise in 1979. Since then, this model has remained at the heart of the company's development. When the Mobivia Group, itself steeped in the culture of entrepreneurship, took an interest in the network in 2004, it was also for this reason. Franchising is still, along with innovation, the main driving force behind Midas, since today only around forty of the network's 352 units are directly owned. And we continue to open an average of 20 new franchised centers every year.
How are Midas franchise candidates selected?
We start by meeting for an information day. The morning, which I run, is a theoretical immersion in the Midas franchise. Candidates learn about our company, what we do and how we do it. The afternoon is devoted to an individual interview, which enables the development team to gauge whether or not a candidate is a good fit with our model. Then, the successful candidates undergo another interview, this time with a member of the sales team, who will go into the details of their skills: what is their approach to management and customer relations? Finally comes the two-day immersion in a franchisee's center, if possible with a profile close to that of the candidate. This is an opportunity for the candidate to compare his or her vision of the business with what it really is, on a day-to-day basis.
How long does this integration process take?
It takes a maximum of a month and a half from the first contact with a person to the validation of their application. Depending on the situation, the candidate may or may not have already signed his or her DIP, and will generally have made parallel progress on location and financing. Depending on whether it's a takeover, creation or transformation, the project will then take a few weeks or months to become a reality.
What profiles are you looking for? What makes a good Midas franchisee?
Business, business and business! Our bosses need to know how to explain, advise and reassure, as well as how to sell and build loyalty. The technical dimension comes second. The ideal franchisee is one who understands that his entire business is linked to one thing: the customer. Once they've understood that, their sales follow. The top 20 of our centers are made up of people who have a taste for customer service and who go out of their way to satisfy it. What's more, as much as I'm open to all profiles, I want to be sure that the person will flourish in their role as a franchisee, get the return on investment they came for, and be a fine ambassador for Midas.
"We support our franchisees on a day-to-day basis, but also to help them prepare for the future."
Are you open to multi-franchising?
Around 20% of our members are multi-franchisees, operating between 2 and 4 centers. On the other hand, we want franchisees to start with one unit, so that they can learn the business and, above all, get to know the customers and their expectations. After two or three years, they may decide to open a second or even a third franchise. Provided they understand that they will then need to recruit the right center managers.
Are young people and women among your targets?
Absolutely. We currently have 12 women in our network. They inspire confidence and are rigorous. As a result, several of them are in our top 10. I'd like even more of them to join us. As for young people, we appeal to them through our modernity. With electronic diagnostics, touch-screen tablets and the Midas Connect app, for example, they're familiar with innovation, technology and the digital world. And through its Via ID business gas pedal (incubation, financing and various synergies), Midas supports a number of mobility startups, from Drivy and Altermoove to Ector and Reezocar. That's very attractive for them too.
What are Midas' main strengths in terms of support for franchisees?
Our main strength is having 80 contacts available for franchisees. We support them on a daily basis via our telephone hotline, on a weekly basis with the Midas weekly newsletter, full of commercial information and news, and on a monthly basis with a visit from their area manager. There's also all the training - technical, management, sales - that we offer, for both the franchisee and his or her teams, and at will for 10 years. Franchisees also receive a great deal of support in terms of what will happen tomorrow. This is probably the most important role of a franchisor. And what makes us so attractive.
Olivia Leroux
