I had the privilege to attend the 2019 Raring2go! Bury and Bolton Awards last Thursday, May 23rd in Bury Town Hall.
It was a glittering affair with over 150 people present, representing their businesses, all of which had been nominated for the awards by the general public.
The Raring2go! Awards are now in their fourth year and are being run by more and more of our franchisees across the country. The Awards champion local businesses providing a service to local families of primary school-age children. They are a simple, yet highly effective way in which recognition for outstanding performance is rewarded.
The Awards
There were 25 separate awards presented last week in Bury and the goodwill generated for our local Bury and Bolton editions was huge. Trophies, plaques and certificates were presented to winners (and nominees) and I’ll bet all of them find a space to display them on their premises as well as their online property too.
The goodwill generated is already being translated into written business for our local editions, so the by-product of this ‘feel good’ initiative takes on an even greater significance. It is without question worth doing on many levels.
Why do I mention this? Because the idea for our local awards programmes was pitched to us by one of our brilliant franchisees. We liked the idea so we a supported it and ran with it and looking back from this fourth year, we’re so pleased we decided to do so. It was our Big Mac moment.
How Franchisees help Franchisers
In 1967, US based McDonald’s franchisee Jim Delligatti created the Big Mac and desperately urged the company to let him sell it at the McDonald’s restaurants he ran. Eventually, they agreed and gave him a green light. Just look at the Big Mac now; it is quite simply the most recognisable ‘icon’ of the McDonald’s corporation and clearly one of its most successful and lucrative combinations over the years.
I say, it’s a jolly good job the franchisor listened to its franchisee. Who knows, in years to come where the Raring2go! Awards might take us. It’s a jolly good job we listened to our franchisee and recognised we don’t know everything and that often, great ideas come from others!
An open mind to business is what we as the franchisor of Raring2go! strive to achieve. This means engaging with our network of franchisees, listening to them and properly evaluating all suggestions they make. I’ve no idea what they’ll come up with next but I’m always up for another Big Mac Moment.
