Page 20 - Print21 magazine Sep-Oct 2022

Print Profile
Franchise pro snaps into place
Glenn Jarrett, the new Snap CEO, was not hired for his in-depth knowledge of printing. He admits to being on a steep learning curve about commercial print, but he comes to the role with a stellar history of transforming nationwide franchise operations. Now in charge of the largest print franchise in the country, he talks to Patrick Howard about his plans and strategies.
At first glance there may seem little in common between pizzas and printing, but both industries are prime candidates to be structured and run as successful franchise operations.
While there are many more
pizza shops than printers across
the country, both businesses
have a presence in almost every community. Both rely for success on the enthusiasm and hard work of individual owner operators, backed by structural brand marketing.
Both rely on retaining customer loyalty through providing consistent quality and service. Both are the archetypical small business, even while enjoying the profile and status of being part of a much larger, and geographically diverse, group.
Glenn Jarrett, new CEO of Snap Franchising, is deeply familiar with this franchise business profile. Brought in to revamp the industry’s largest print franchise, he arrives from a successful tenure running and reviving the Pizza Hut franchise, second only after Dominos in the QSR (quick service restaurant) sector.
Previously he had revamped
the Midas Muffler group, taking
it out of liquidation and remaking
it as Midas Automotive Services.
He believes that although the products and culture in the different franchises may be different, the basic challenges to reboot the system remain the same.
“With most organisations, band-aids have been applied over the years and band-aids fall off. The challenge is to take the layers off, to peel it back to the core foundations.” – Glenn Jarrett
level of anxiety and insecurity. “They wonder, what’s this lunatic likely to do?” he laughs.
Speaking after two months in the chair, in laying out his priorities
for the 120-plus store franchise,
he ranks the status of the different levels in the organisation. At the top he places the franchisees, the people who own and run the Snap stores. These are the people he has made a priority of getting to know in a very short time. He’s been on the road and the telephone during his first 45 days in the job, and reckons he’s contacted about 40 per cent of the franchisees.
“I’ve been out and about in NSW, met a lot of people, and spoken by telephone to many more,” he said.
Then he nominates the suppliers to the chain, the equipment
and consumable providers. Not surprising he’s found a warm welcome there. After that he nominates his operational managers, the field staff, “the front line.”
These are the interface between the franchise group and the stores, the skilled personnel who solve problems and improve processes.
Finally there is his own HQ staff at the office in North Ryde in Sydney. These are the people he spends most time with and who know him best. He declares a pleasant surprise at the way they have positively responded to his changes.
“Normally in a corporation, we in the head office are at the top of the pyramid. The franchisees are seen as a means to an end. My way is that I invert that pyramid. I believe we’re
a support office; everything we do must benefit the franchisees and enable them to deliver the product to a customer.
“That’s all that matters. Snap is about to learn the pyramid can be inverted. We’re at the bottom of the pyramid with the franchisees at the top; suppliers and our partnership with them are second. Then you have the operations and field team. They’re all above us.
...continued on page 22
Familiarity with franchises: Glenn Jarrett, new CEO, Snap
“Executives can often feel overwhelmed when faced with
the challenge of turning a culture around. With most organisations, band-aids have been applied over the years and band-aids fall off. The challenge is to take the layers off, to peel it back to the core foundations. It takes about three years,” he said.
With a Sydney-based HQ and a staff of 27, he accepts that while his people, franchisees and facilitators alike, know change is coming and that change is needed, there is still a
20 Print21 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022