Real partners work together.

Partnership is not a word we take lightly at ZORZEES. Partners have each other’s back. Partners understand that their relationship is mutually beneficial. And when you’re in a really good partnership, sometimes the niceties are dropped for brutally tough honesty. It makes the partnership better. We strive for that type of relationship with each of our clients — where honesty helps us craft a better product.

A recent example of client feedback helping us create a better product is our recruiting module. For years the Recruiting module in our platform has provided the ability for franchisors and franchisees to post available jobs at franchised units. It helps franchisees accumulate a database of potential job candidates to be filled immediately or months down the road. While heavily used, it’s always been a fairly thin feature on the website for the job candidate. The candidate selects the state, specific location and job title for which they are interested in applying. Then the candidate fills out the form and applies.

This has worked great for years. But a client recently pointed out that we didn’t include standard job description fields like the job summary, job responsibilities and job qualifications. What a great idea! It’s simple for us to develop this feature, and we developed it quickly. It was just something we overlooked for so long as the module was “doing the job.” Now, the Recruiting module isn’t just doing the job, it’s expected to do a great job. Our client will receive more qualified candidates because the candidates will know exactly what is expected of them prior to applying.

We have countless examples like this where the ZORZEES platform is enhanced based on direct client feedback. With snappier performance, a killer new software interface, and loads of features on deck for 2023, we thank you for seeding and confirming our product ideas. Your provide the ideas, and we will develop them. Real partners work together.

Thank you for your continued feedback. We hear you.

David Glines
CEO

Every franchisor has felt the stress and pressure that comes with royalty collection.  What should be an easy, regular business function for their franchise, often turns into a challenge.  However, there are ways to streamline the process, while saving time and money.

Why is Royalty Collection Challenging?

Difficult to Obtain Consistent Revenue Reports

To calculate the royalties payable, sales information, at a minimum, is required for each franchised unit.  Every franchisor has felt the frustration of trying to track down each franchisee to obtain up to date financial information every collection cycle.

Human Error

Even once the financial information is obtained across the franchise system, there is always a risk of human error, either on the side of the franchisee providing the financial information, or on the side of the franchisor or its designated accountant/controller using that information to calculate the applicable fees.

Differing Agreements

Not all franchise agreements are the same, meaning a franchisor may need to track different royalty rates or other fees among franchisees in their franchise network, adding complexity to each fee collection cycle.

Other Fees

It is not just royalties.  Advertising or marketing fees, technology fees, and other regular fees may need to be be calculated and collected from each franchisee, and deposited into different bank accounts. More calculations means more potential problems.

Negative Precedent

Lack of automation can lead to an unpredictable process.  If royalties and fees are not always collected on their scheduled dates, or if exceptions are made due to the manual nature of the process, this can establish a risky precedent.  Lack of transparency to the franchisee may increase the risk of insufficient funds being available when the payment is withdrawn or legal complications if disputes arise.

What does this mean to the Franchisor?

To mitigate all of the challenges mentioned above, every franchisor needs to dedicate resources, whether a corporate staff member, bookkeeper or accountant, to manage the process.  Even emerging franchises often require a bookkeeper to spend several days each billing cycle managing the process.  It all results in additional costs to the franchisor. Brands with 25 open units have seen bookkeepers spend 3-4 days per week dedicated to calculating, invoicing and collecting royalty payments.

If mistakes are made, which inevitably happens in any manual process, there is potential legal and financial liability to the franchisor.

How can ZORZEES Help?

ZORZEES takes much of the stress out of the royalty collection process.  Through direct integrations to POS systems like Square, Clover, and Booker (from Mind and Body), franchisee sales data automatically feeds into the ZORZEES platform.  With individually configured fee and royalty settings available per franchisee, the correct fees and royalties can be automatically calculated instantly.  After franchisees securely connect their banks to the the Zorzees platform (via technology provider Plaid), bank transfers are fully automated on a weekly, semi-monthly or monthly schedule.

Franchisees like it because they know exactly when payments will be withdrawn from their account, allowing them to budget accordingly.  Franchisor like it because the automation reduces stress and risk by significantly removing nearly all human error and increasing the reliability of collections.  With a full history of payments available via reports, both franchisor and franchisee feel comfortable with complete transparency. It helps earn and keep trust in proven systems.

Whew, 2022 was quite a year for ZORZEES. As we reflect on what our team accomplished this year, we begin first by thanking our clients who help shape our software platform. One such client, Prime IV Hydration & Wellness, found so much benefit that they named ZORZEES “Vendor Partner of the Year 2022.” Receiving this honor from the leading drip IV hydration franchise in the country felt great and confirmed our client-first mentality is paying off.

On the technology front, significant enhancements to our platform now help clients close franchise sales even faster — sending SMS text messages through automated campaigns and collecting qualifying financial information from franchise sales prospects added automation to streamline sales.

We continued our security road map with plans to obtain 3rd-party certification for SOC-2 compliance, a must-have for technology companies selling into the enterprise. Finally, we integrated to additional P.O.S. systems to help calculate and collect our clients’ royalties, while improving the performance of our core technology platform, laying the foundation for our new interface, and releasing a number of product updates to strengthen existing functionality.

None of the improvements to our platform could be made without the tireless efforts of our Development and Client Success Teams. We thank Guillaume, Juliette, Vince, Donny, Trevor, Sabrina, Khai, and their teams for the hard work in 2022.

While 2022 has been exciting, 2023 will be the year franchises learn about ZORZEES entering the scene. As we expand our marketing efforts in 2023, we look forward to learning more about your franchise problems and how the ZORZEES platform can solve them.

We will see you at industry events in 2023.

David Glines
CEO

It’s an exciting time for Zorzees. The company was just named “Vendor Partner of the Year 2022” by the leading drip IV provider in the country, Prime IV Hydration & Wellness. Announced at Prime IV’s award ceremony and gala in Cancun, Mexico, the Vendor of the Year Award was given to Zorzees for the exceptional quality of its cloud software product for managing a franchise. Zorzees CEO David Glines accepted the award on behalf of the company.

“Prime IV implemented Zorzees as its franchise management software at unit number one,” said David Glines. “Since that time — and in less than two years — Prime now has more than 140 franchise agreements, 50 open units, and many more on the way. Prime’s growth trajectory is the envy of franchisors across industries. We are honored to be selected as Prime’s Vendor Partner of the Year from among all of the exceptional vendors, and are excited about our commitment to Prime IV’s franchising journey in the years ahead.”

Named the “Primey’s” the award reception culminated a two-day franchise conference hosted by Prime IV. The conference and award ceremony are set to be an annual event.

“From distributing our FDD digitally to its exemplary communication system, the Zorzees software makes the complicated process of running our franchise as easy as one can hope for,” said Steve Neary, head of Business Development. “We private-labeled our installation of Zorzees and named it ‘PrimeLink,’ giving our users powerful software system that looks and feels like the Prime IV brand — not just another piece of software.”

About Zorzees

An early stage company, Zorzees provides an end-to-end franchise management software solution for both emerging and established franchise brands. From digitally managing FDD distribution to calculating/collecting royalties via ACH payments, Zorzees takes work off franchisors’ plates. By automating mundane tasks and eliminating unnecessary multiple software systems, Zorzees gives franchisors the technology they need to grow rapidly and maintain franchisee compliance. Franchisees love their online courses, and franchisors/area developers love their views across the entire franchise.

Being a franchisor is difficult.  Balancing the management of existing franchisees, onboarding new franchisees, and prospecting for future franchisees — it’s a lot to manage for a single team. Maybe your franchise system is growing to scale where a franchise management software package could help you manage all of these moving parts.

What is Franchise Management Software?

The first step is explaining what franchise management software is, and what it’s not.

Fundamentally, franchise management software is a set of efficiency tools that allows franchisors to manage various functions of their business.  It typically contains some or all of the following functionality:

• A client relationship management (CRM) tool to manage the franchise sales process
• FDD e-receipt management and tracking
• Tools to manage the onboarding and build-out of a new franchisee unit, such as a leasing or construction tracking tool
• A central repository for crucial documentation (training materials, marketing materials, etc.)
• A Learning Management System (LMS) to provide training to area representatives, franchisees, employees, and any other role in the franchise system
• A royalty calculation and tracking tool

One thing that a franchise management software is not, is a generic, one-size-fits-all, “productivity” tool. These types of systems have tons of features you’ll never use – or probably are missing the franchise-specific features you need.  Franchise management software is designed specifically for the franchise industry, to help growing and established franchisors manage their business through automation.  Beware any software providers that don’t specialize in working with franchisors, or don’t have extensive knowledge of the franchise industry.

How does Franchise Management Software Benefit your Business?

Taking advantage of the tools listed above can greatly improve the efficiency of both the franchise sales process and the franchise management functions of your business.

The CRM in franchise management software handles the franchise sales process, making sure no lead gets lost.  FDD management functionality inclusive of FDD e-receipts helps prevent legal hiccups.  Management tools and document repositories provide a single location where franchisors, area representatives, and franchisees can go to collaborate.  An LMS provides a training portal not just for area representatives and franchisees, but for their employees as well.  And finally, royalty calculation and tracking streamlines the financial relationship between the franchisor and their entire network. It automates accounting tasks that can be error prone and quickly suck a franchisor’s time away from focusing on more important parts of their business. Accountants can spend days calculating/collecting royalties and fees, when software can automate this process and in milliseconds.

With the best franchise management software, all of these features are available in one place, with one login.  Rather than managing various spreadsheets, lists, documents, and files, which may be on different computers and in different locations, all that information can be available within the franchise management software package.

Zorzees Franchise Management Software

The Zorzees cloud-based franchise management software platform provides all of the functionality described above, and more.

• The Zorzees CRM can be used stand-alone, integrated to an existing website or landing page, or linked to in a digital marketing campaign to efficiently manage lead flow
• The Zorzees FDD manager can include an unlimited number of FDDs, and automatically manages expiration dates and location constraints to make sure the right FDD is sent to the right prospect, and the e-receipt and waiting period are controlled
• The Zorzees document repository can include documents, images, links, videos, and other files, so all your franchisees and area representatives can access the information they need, anytime, from anywhere
• The Zorzees Leasing and Construction manager tracks and manages the build out of new franchise units in a centralized location
• The Zorzees LMS allows customized courses and tracks individual progress, so training will never be an issue again
• The Zorzees royalty management system can be integrated to your POS system, and not only calculate royalties and other payments, but even initiate the ACH transfer so you’re never chasing a payment again

Get all this with a single franchise management software tool from Zorzees.  Click here to schedule a demo.

A Learning Management System (LMS) can be a game changer for any franchise, whether new or well established. Some emerging franchisors ask, “What is an LMS?” An LMS is an online platform that supports the management, automation, and delivery of educational content.  Basically, think of it as an online school for your franchise.

Who benefits from implementing an LMS?

An LMS can benefit every role or user in a franchise organization from the franchisor all the way down to the employees hired by franchisees.

Managers and Employees

Whenever a manager or employee is hired, they can be provided a personal account to the LMS where pre-loaded courses, appropriate for their role and unit, are automatically available.

These courses can range from policies and procedure, health and safety, ethics, customer service, or sales – anything they might need to know to be successful in their role and ensure consistency across the franchise brand. The goal here is to ensure consistency and compliance across your end customer’s experience. By ensuring everyone in the franchise is taught from the same principles with the exact same content, you can rest assured that your brand experience is consistent.

As the user completes the course in the LMS, their progress can be tracked to ensure completion. Once a course (and any related quizzes) is complete, the user receives a certificate of their achievement.

Franchisees

Content specific to Franchisees can be designed and delivered within the LMS.  This may include anything from how to onboard as a new franchisee, understanding the values of the brand, how to use the franchise-required software tools, or how to build-out and operate their unit.  As with Employees and Managers, their progress and success can be tracked by the Franchisor and their Area Representatives.

Area Representatives

In addition to the courses for Franchisees, which may also be appropriate for area representatives, a franchisor may want their area representatives to complete additional training on how to market and sell franchises within their territory, as well as how to manage their franchisees.  All of these courses can be included, and made available to the area representatives, within the LMS.

Franchisor

The Franchisor can manage the entire learning system, from creating new courses to tracking progress, directly through the LMS.

How does the Zorzees LMS add value to our franchise clients?

The Zorzees Franchise Management software platform includes a customized LMS for all clients.  Franchisors can use our tools to create an unlimited number of courses, each including various lessons, topics, and quizzes.  Customization means the LMS will be consistent with the franchise’s brand, including logos and color scheme.

And our clients need help designing engaging course content, the Zorzees educational consultants can be hired to design a course for you. Our approach to online learning follows a micro-learning approach, where lengthy pages of information is never loaded into the courses. Courses designed by Zorzees are highly interactive, ensuring that learners are engaged from the moment they click “Begin Course.”

To learn more, click here to schedule a demo.

Sending the correct Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is a critical consideration of the franchise sales process. The consequences of sending the wrong FDD can range from prohibitions on selling further franchises to civil penalties, or even criminal prosecution.

The process of sending FDDs has traditionally been manual, which allows for the potential of human error and can be a logistical nightmare since many states require their own versions of the document to be registered in their state.

What is the Right FDD?

The “right” FDD varies by date and by state. For an FDD to be sent to a prospect, it must not have reached its expiry date, and it must be registered in the state (where states require it).

Consequences of Sending the Wrong FDD

Sending the wrong FDD can result in both federal and state consequences.

Federally, the FTC could prohibit the franchisor from further violating the FTC Franchise rules, effectively preventing them from selling further franchises until the issue has been resolved. The FTC can also seek civil penalties and/or consumer compensation.

At the state level, existing registrations may be revoked, civil action is possible (resulting in damages and/or penalties), or even criminal prosecution. Some states also allow the prospective franchisee to launch private civil action to recover damages (actual and punitive).

Even if an accidental transmission of an incorrect FDD doesn’t result in the consequences outlined above, it may still cause reputation damage and cause the franchisor to miss out on a high quality prospect.

The bottom line is that the consequences of sending the wrong FDD to a prospect can be very serious.

How Does Zorzees Help?

Zorzees simplifies the entire FDD disclosure process, and helps avoid sending the wrong FDD to a prospect. Zorzees incorporates electronic controls and automation to ensure the right FDD is sent to the right prospect, every time.

Within the Zorzees platform, an unlimited number of FDDs can be uploaded for a franchise brand. This allows to customize by state, to account for state-specific FDDs and to set individual expiry dates. The system will then only allow the franchisor (or Area Representative) to send an FDD to a prospect if there is a valid FDD on the platform for that state. Once an FDD has expired, that FDD will no longer be able to be sent to prospects until a new FDD has been uploaded.

Each prospect application within Zorzees tracks which version of the FDD was sent to the prospect, the date it was sent, and the e-receipt. This way, there is a permanent track record of the FDD disclosure process, protecting the franchisor in the case of future disputes.

Further, to help motivate prospects to sign the FDD receipt, a series of drip email reminders can be sent to the prospect and lead owner letting them know that the prospect has not yet acknowledged their receipt of the FDD.

Zorzees makes the entire FDD disclosure process simpler for franchisors, reducing the risk of human error in sending the wrong FDD, and maintaining a record of the entire disclosure process.

Schedule a Demo of the Electronic FDD Process

1. Timely Royalty Collection
   ZORZEES automatically calculates and collects royalties for franchisors so they are paid on time.

2. Easy Online Onboarding for Franchisees & Staff
   Our ZORZEES LMS enables franchisors and franchisees to monitor and track the lesson-by-lesson training in every franchise course. Whether onboarding to become a franchisee, training new employees on Operations, or learning how to sell franchises at the corporate level, learners inside the ZORZEES LMS access university-level online course capabilities — but delivered in an easily digestible micro-learning model.

3. Digital Distribution of FDDs to Expedite Franchise Sales
   Our Franchise Sales CRM — which includes SMS and email  drip campaigns  — also manage the electronic distribution of FDDs across all 50 states, making it easy to send the right FDD to the right prospect at the right time. It helps reduce risk by preventing the distribution of expired FDDs.

4. Centralized Operations/Resources
   Creating an easy reference system for franchisees and area developers to organize and search files and website links has been critical in keeping our clients literally on the same page. No one is confused about where they find information, because there’s only one place to go.

5. Trackable Build Out Manager
   Franchisors and franchisees collaborate on key milestones in our Build Out Manager to track expected versus actual completion dates. Every item on checklists clarifies responsibilities for the franchisor and the franchisee. There is no misunderstanding of expectations.