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Erik McGregor | Getty Images <\/p>\n Erik McGregor | Getty Images <\/p>\n
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Greg Flynn<\/a> is the heavyweight champion of franchising<\/a>. Starting with eight Applebee\u2019s<\/a> locations in 1999, he\u2019s built Flynn Group into the largest franchise operation in the world, with more than 3,000 restaurants and fitness clubs, roughly $5 billion in annual sales, and 78,000 employees, according to Franchising.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n So how did he do it? At the recent Multi-Unit Franchising Conference, Flynn laid out the rules. The first: scale was never the goal. It was the byproduct of discipline.<\/p>\n Rule two is brand selection. Flynn only invests in what he calls \u201cpremier brands,\u201d those in large, growing categories with proven systems and strong franchise economics. That filter built a portfolio spanning Applebee\u2019s, Taco Bell, Panera, Arby\u2019s, Pizza Hut, Wendy\u2019s, Planet Fitness and 7 Brew.<\/p>\n Rule three is how he runs it. Flynn compares his company to a fleet of ships, with corporate providing support while operators keep autonomy over local decisions. He also gives them profit-sharing and equity. His final rule for anyone chasing growth: think big, but never lose sight of the single unit, where the business is won or lost.<\/p>\n