Żabka franchisees with Entrepreneurship Academy certificates
Nearly 70 franchisees running Żabka stores received a special certificate for completing the Entrepreneurship Academy, which the chain, together with the Faculty of Management at Warsaw University of Technology and experts from the franchise market, inaugurated in March 2023. Thanks to the project, franchisees expanded their knowledge of issues related to entrepreneurship, running their own business and store under Żabka banner – including finance, organization, and management of the outlet, and human resources. Due to the extremely positive reception of the Entrepreneurship Academy, it will become an important part of the training series dedicated to franchisees. The certificate presentation ceremony took place on September 22 at the Warsaw University of Technology.
The goal of the Entrepreneurship Academy is to improve the skills of entrepreneurs operating in Żabka chain and candidates for franchisees in the field of store management, and team management, as well as gaining sales competence. The training cycle allows for self-realization and personal development. It provides new business knowledge and helps develop specific skills. The initiative is led by Żabka as part of its Strategic Partnership with the Faculty of Management at the Warsaw University of Technology and franchise market experts.
– The Faculty of Management at the Warsaw University of Technology, together with its partner I’GS In Good Strategy, has confirmed that the Entrepreneurship Academy educational and development program is conducted following the Franchise 2.0 model. This is the result of many months of joint work when we audited the entrepreneurship learning system so far offered to franchisees by Żabka chain, and built and implemented a new model for raising the competence of franchisees. During the certificate presentation ceremony, we received many warm words from franchisees about the Entrepreneurship Academy, its usefulness in running a business, and its importance in personal development. The certificate is subject to renewal every year to ensure the high quality of the program and its transformative nature –says Eryk Głodziński, Ph.D., Professor of the Academy and deputy Dean of the Faculty of Management at Warsaw University of Technology.
As part of the 1st edition of the initiative, a total of nearly 200 classroom trainings and over 60 online trainings were conducted. The certification program included 3 desktop meetings (6 h) on Effective Management of a Small Team, Conscious Leadership, Shaping Organizational Culture, and Entrepreneurial Finances, as well as 3 online meetings (3 h) on topics such as Entrepreneurial Mindset and Ownership Approach, Processes in an Organization and Information and Communication Technologies. More than 1,400 franchise candidates were trained in „Entrepreneurial Basics.“ Open training sessions of the Entrepreneurship Academy, in turn, were attended by nearly 800 entrepreneurs in total.
– Participation in such a project is not only an opportunity to strengthen or develop skills in the areas of human resources management, organizational culture, or finance. It’s also a chance to exchange insights and share knowledge among franchisees. For me, as a franchisee and a training trainer at the same time, it’s a chance to broaden my horizons and gain knowledge, which I share with more franchisee candidates. It is extremely important that Żabka invests in such ventures. After all, people with different backgrounds and needs start businesses with the chain – thanks to the training offered by Żabka, including the Entrepreneurship Academy, they get a good start in their development in franchising – says Beata Świerczyńska, a franchisee of Żabka store from Warsaw and a training trainer.
To receive a certificate of completion of the Entrepreneurship Academy’s education and development program, it was necessary to pass all the training courses available in the program, culminating in a final test, as well as to develop an individual entrepreneurial development proposal for their franchise (the so-called Entrepreneurship Development Map). Nearly 70 franchisees were certified. – Preparing a development map for the business allowed me to reflect on my current competencies and think about the ones I would like to develop. This task allowed me to look at my business from a broader perspective and contributed to setting goals that I would like to achieve – adds Beata Świerczyńska.
To improve the program and further address the expectations of franchisees and candidates for the role, the chain regularly conducts satisfaction surveys and interviews participants, in which they present their expectations and preferences regarding the form and scope of training. Positive opinions about the Entrepreneurship Academy and the desire to further improve the competence of franchisees influenced Żabka’s decision to extend the initiative to all new entrepreneurs joining the chain.
Żabka focuses on franchisee education
Prospective franchisees already undergo a 15-day training course at a coaching store in their or a nearby location as part of the recruitment process. It is tailored to the individual needs and business knowledge of the candidate. During the training, issues of HR, sales, finance and taxes, management, and customer service are addressed.
Since starting cooperation with Żabka chain, entrepreneurs can use a special educational platform. It includes, among other things: a knowledge base about the chain, news from the life of Żabka, as well as a series of training courses and webinars, which are updated and expanded on an ongoing basis. Employees employed by franchisees also have access to it.
The free training is just one element of the support offered by the chain to candidates and then franchisees to help them develop their businesses. They receive an equipped and stocked store at the start and further benefit from technological innovations, logistical, IT, or service support, as well as special „Business Policy“ insurance.
Read more at https://www.franczyza.zabka.pl
ESG-Bericht 2023
