Franchise Director, Jochen Pollotzek, talking about the successful Kamps concepts and the future perspectives available to Kamps partners.

Why did you set up the Kamps Academy?

The main reason for setting up the Kamps Academy was to select and train new franchise partners. It’s important for us and for potential partners that we make the right decision. We’re convinced that the better our choices are and the more effectively we prepare our franchise partners to run their own business, the more successful we will both be.

The academy also provides on-going training to our existing franchise partners because we believe that even very good and experienced partners should also have and take advantage of the opportunity to develop their skills.

What kind of things do you look for in a potential Kamps franchise partner?

Our franchise partners have to possess the following qualities:

• Retail experience
• Commitment to success
• Management skills
• Planning skills
• A knowledge of business management

Potential franchise partners don’t necessarily need a bakery background and even newcomers to the bakery trade can be successful with the support of our system. We believe it is essential that potential franchisees are customer and service oriented and can identify with Kamps.

How can I become a Kamps franchise partner?

First of all we need a written application on our standard application form, which is also available online. After the initial analysis of the application documents, we call the potential candidate. If this phone call goes well, we invite the applicant to the first interview. This interview gives us the opportunity to present our system and to assess the candidate’s experience and personal competencies. The trial days at the Kamps bakery or Kamps Backstube are another decision factor. They soon show us whether the applicant enjoys selling our products and has the necessary customer skills plus – more importantly – whether he or she has the necessary stamina.

How long does the training at the Kamps Academy take?

Kamps franchise partner training takes four weeks in total: three weeks of on-the-job training at one of our training bakeries and one week of theoretical training at the central Kamps academy.
We don't leave our franchise partners to fend for themselves once they have taken over their own Kamps bakery either. In the first few weeks they are coached by a franchise trainer and, later on, our partners receive intensive support from our sales consultants.

What training courses does the academy offer? 

We offer a wide range of regional courses to our franchise partners. These include staff management, business management, employment law and, obviously, sales training courses. This year we have planned 70 days of training involving around 600 participants. The training courses aren’t associated with any costs for our franchise partners. They are very popular with participants and we’ve received some very positive feedback from them.

When I’ve completed all the training, how long will it take before I get my own Kamps bakery?

Generally not longer than two to three months. Sometimes faster. It depends on whether Kamps has the type of bakery available that the franchise partner would like to take on. In the investment franchise sector, where a bank loan is necessary, this process takes an average of six months.

Can a franchise partner choose the location of their Kamps bakery?

Yes and no. We naturally initially ask potential franchise partners how mobile they are and whether they have any specific location preferences. Some of them are keen to have a small bakery in an inner city location with a lot of impulse buying while others prefer to have a small bakery with cafe in the suburbs and a lot of regular customers. Obviously, we can't always fully satisfy our franchise partners’ requirements – it all depends on whether a suitable bakery is available.

What does Kamps offer as a franchisor?

One advantage of our system is that the franchisees can set up their own business with relatively low initial outlay and practically no risk. Our system is a soft franchising concept, which means the franchisees don’t have to make any investment in the fittings and equipment at their Kamps bakery or make any long-term lease payments. All these things are covered by our monthly charges. So they can start earning money from day one!

Another advantage is the comprehensive package that we offer: a diverse, high quality range of bakery products, a strong and well-known brand, attractive promotions, comprehensive quality management, intensive support and many other things… It’s not exactly a ‘no-worries package’ , but we do provide an excellent platform for our franchise partners’ commercial success!

How satisfied are you with your franchise partners?

We are currently implementing another independent survey to evaluate our partners’ satisfaction. The results of the surveys in previous years are very positive and they show that our franchise partners’ satisfaction level is above average compared with other systems. Over 80% of the franchisees are proud to be a Kamps partner. Naturally, there are some areas where we can still make improvements and it’s to be expected that there will be some dissatisfaction in such a large system – after all, we are one of the top ten German franchise systems. I believe that you have to work together, not against or alongside each other, in a successful franchise partnership. Our franchise partners also believe that and almost 90 percent of them are so satisfied that they’re planning a long-term future with Kamps.