Żabka is collaborating with the Faculty of Management at the Warsaw University of Technology to launch a certification programme for franchisees.
Żabka has initiated a programme known as the “Strategic Education Project,” the purpose of which is to improve the franchisees’ business skills and to fulfil the educational requirements they have identified. It is also intended to improve the competence of the training partners and trainers that the abka employs so that they can play the role of internal educators in a methodical and contemporary manner. The project is being carried out as part of a Strategic Partnership between the Faculty of Management at the Warsaw University of Technology and Monika Ferreira. Ferreira is the author of the Franczyza 2.0 project as well as a methodology for the construction of network systems, and she is a Founding Partner in the strategic consulting practise known as I’GS In Good Strategy. The rollout of the programme is an element of the Responsibility Strategy developed by the Żabka Group, which has as one of its primary goals the improvement of franchisees’ levels of contentment with their working relationship with the chain.
Żabka desires to cultivate the skills of its franchisees and certify their progress in the following three primary areas: the development of store running skills, the development of team management competence, and the development of entrepreneurial skills. It is about supplying knowledge and enhancing the skills necessary to run a store, and in the subsequent stage, it will also assist in the development of business and entrepreneurialism. The chain’s efforts are concentrated on providing a setting conducive to both individual and professional growth, with the end goal of assisting franchisees in increasing the size of their businesses and enhancing their financial performance.
More than 7600 Polish businesspeople have already been given the opportunity to develop their own companies thanks to the franchise-based business model employed by Żabka. Because we place a high priority on the business education of franchisees and the development of managerial skills, we offer extensive training and development programmes for business owners who operate Żabka stores. These programmes, such as the one that was developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Management at the Warsaw University of Technology and franchise market experts, are designed to help franchisees run successful businesses. According to Adam Manikowski, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Abka Polska, “We believe that a franchise model based on franchisee-centricity, supported by education and a focus on the development of franchisees, will strengthen both our strategy and the sustainability of the chain. It will also guarantee greater capabilities and the achievement of even better business performance to the franchisees themselves.”
At the Warsaw University of Technology, we run a number of educational and development programmes designed specifically for the franchising industry. These programmes are geared toward the cultivation of entrepreneurial skills. It gives us great pleasure to be able to lend our expertise to the implementation of Żabka’s “Strategic Education Project.” The mission of this project is to methodically and thoughtfully transfer to the chain’s franchisees the business knowledge and skills required of a contemporary entrepreneur. According to Eryk Godziski, Ph.D., University Professor, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Management at the Warsaw University of Technology, “We believe that the development of franchisees through education, the competent preparation of trainers and sales partners for their roles, is a way to a well thought out, scalable business model.” Godziski is a member of the faculty at the Warsaw University of Technology.
ŻAbka is able to compete extremely well in the market as a result of the implementation and improvement of modern work tools, innovative solutions that facilitate the management of stores, effective communication both within the company and with customers, and the use of artificial intelligence in the process of making business decisions. According to Monika Ferreira, author of the Franczyza 2.0 project and Founding Partner and Strategic Advisor in the practise of strategic advice I’GS In Good Strategy, the chain, by implementing the “Strategic Education Project,” despite the enormous scale of its activity, wants to focus on the individual and unlock her or his enterprise and together with franchisees build added value for the business. This is despite the fact that the “Strategic Education Project” is being implemented.
Increasing one’s capabilities while also providing the chance for promotion
October marked the beginning of the program’s testing phase. The event is being attended by nearly thirty new franchisees, all of whom signed agreements of cooperation in August and September of this year. It consists of three training courses that can be completed online as well as three training courses that can be completed on-site and are all led by experts from the Management Department of the Warsaw University of Technology. The meetings are also attended by mentors, also known as training partners, who, once they have obtained certification, will be able to independently conduct training for franchisees beginning in the year 2023 while being supervised by experts from the University.
At this time, prospective franchisees and new business owners are the target audience for the programme. In the end, it will also include current franchisees, who will receive training in various aspects of human resource management. The acquisition of a certificate provides franchisees with the opportunity to advance their standing within the structures of the chain, allowing them to take on roles such as training partners or franchisees for trainers.
Żabka as a franchise partner
More than 8,900 Żabka stores can be found across the entirety of the country. As of right now, there are over 7600 business owners who operate their establishments under the green label. In order for any candidate to become a part of the chain, they must first finish the stage of recruitment and training, in addition to making their contribution, which amounts to approximately 5,000 PLN at the moment. The franchisees are given a store that has been completely outfitted and furnished, and the location of the store is chosen based, among other considerations, on the anticipated volume of clientele. They will also gain the expertise and capability to conduct business under a brand name that is widely recognised. They are able to rely on receiving either training, technical support, or service support. a place is rented for them by abka, and she pays for both the rent and the gas. Entrepreneurs who work with the chain are also protected in the event that their businesses fail, as they are able to make use of a policy known as the “Business Policy.” This is a type of specialised insurance that allows the entrepreneur to avoid terminating their cooperation with the chain with a negative balance. In the event that losses do occur, TUW PZUW will cover a significant portion of those losses.
