When a franchisor opens a new store, the result is there for everyone to see.
What remains unseen is everything that made it possible. At 3io, that’s exactly where we work: at the stage when a client isn’t opening stores yet, but building the structure needed to do it right.
Clients usually come to us when they realise that finding the right partners is harder than expected.
Sometimes promotional activities fail to attract the candidates they hoped for, or the tools they have invested in simply don’t speak the language of the market.
That’s when we make one thing clear: there’s only one way forward — work methodically and do the groundwork.
For an established and proven format, launching a franchised unit takes an average of 6 to 12 months.
The process involves recruiting and selecting the franchisee, onboarding, contract negotiations, location scouting and validation, backward planning, and execution monitoring. Then comes ongoing support, both during and after launch.
If the format still needs to be developed, or the company has never embarked on an expansion journey before, the timeline becomes longer.
The opening is simply the visible outcome of work that began long before.
For us, Strategy made SMART means not selling consulting hours, but supporting businesses every step of the way, with a phased, sustainable approach that keeps the journey moving forward without adding unnecessary complexity.
In practical terms, we bring into non-food what we’ve seen work in food. We learn from our mistakes so our clients don’t have to repeat them. And we help them choose the right suppliers, legal advisors, technical experts and IT partners for their size and specific needs.
The same applies, even more so, to international expansion.
We have been part of Franchise Pool International since 2015, a network celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, giving us access to more than 48 countries. Very few Italian competitors can say the same.
When helping an Italian brand expand beyond its borders, having established, trusted networks already in place makes everything move faster.
On top of that, we bring more than 25 years of experience in international markets, along with the relationships and expertise we put at our clients’ disposal.
International expansion is not simply about exporting or selling a franchise licence.
We select local partners with the same methodological rigour we apply in Italy, with a few additional considerations along the way.
The goal is not just to open stores, but to keep them running, grow the network and establish a genuine presence in the market.
We don’t chase numbers. We build them, one right opening at a time.
If you’re thinking about growing your network, in Italy or abroad, let’s talk before the work becomes visible.