There is no doubt that outstanding results are possible when franchisors and franchisees work together. I believe that is one of the strengths of franchising and that’s very much the approach we’ve taken to developing and growing Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisers as a franchise group.

The franchisor/franchisee relationship should be built on the idea that the success of one is dependent upon the success of the other. As a franchisor, our business philosophy from day one has been that we don’t succeed unless our franchisees succeed – and this remains core to our business today.

That was the driver in developing our high-support model; we believe that by giving our franchisees the tools, systems and processes to build a successful business, everyone in the group will benefit accordingly.

This approach has been rewarded in many ways over the past 11 years, including our ranking as the number one franchise system in Australia by Topfranchise.com.au and research firm 10 Thousand Feet on three occasions in 2009 and 2010.

In the latest survey results, released earlier this year, our franchisees ranked Smartline as number one or two in six of the seven categories surveyed, including lifestyle, passion, support and rewards.

But what I am most proud of is the amazing team culture that exists within the group. Business is hard enough so having a positive team culture makes it much easier and more rewarding.

There is a strong level of trust and support within our group and that has certainly benefited our franchisees and driven the success of Smartline.

Franchisors can build a great relationship with franchisees by understanding that trust comes from communication and consultation, and from delivering on promises. Trust breaks down when there are inconsistencies between what is said and what is done, and through lack of communication and transparency.

And it is very much a two-way street. Just as the franchisor needs to build trust with the franchisee, it works just as much in reverse. From a franchisee perspective, it is about entering the partnership with honesty and transparency, and being willing to work together for success.

When both franchisors and franchisees are committed to win-win outcomes, much can be achieved for the benefit of all.