Lets Talk Franchising is your go-to source if you’re considering franchising your business, working to sell more franchises, or simply want to master the franchise space. Each episode delivers actionable insights, expert advice, and real-world strategies to help you grow, sell, and succeed in franchising - avoiding common pitfalls along the way.
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#20: Why More Franchise Leads Don’t Always Mean More Franchise Sales with Taylor Fielding
Are more franchise leads really the answer, or do you simply need better ones?
In this episode of Let’s Talk Franchising, Susana Hands sits down with Taylor Fielding, CEO of TFM Marketing, to unpack what effective franchise marketing looks like from both the franchisor and franchisee perspective.
With experience helping more than 30 to 40 franchise groups grow their networks and strengthen local area marketing, Taylor brings a unique perspective. He has also been a franchisee himself, giving him firsthand experience of what happens on both sides of the franchise relationship.
Taylor and Susana explore why franchise marketing shouldn’t begin with a simple “submit a lead” ad. Instead, prospective franchisees need to understand the brand, its values, the opportunity, and whether it aligns with what they want before they ever speak with the franchise sales team.
They also discuss the balance between head office marketing and local area marketing, why authentic human content can outperform generic creative, how to nurture franchise prospects over a longer buying journey, and why generating hundreds of leads means very little if your sales team doesn’t have the capacity to follow them up properly.
Whether you're an emerging franchisor building your first marketing strategy or an established brand looking to improve lead quality, this episode offers practical insights into creating a marketing system that supports the entire franchise sales journey.
In This Episode
Taylor’s journey from agency marketing to founding TFM Marketing
What Taylor learned from becoming a franchisee himself
The marketing responsibilities of head office versus individual franchisees
Why local area marketing still matters in a digital-first world
Giving franchisees the tools to market within brand guidelines
About Our Guest
Taylor Fielding is the CEO of TFM Marketing, an agency built with a strong focus on helping franchise brands grow.
Before founding TFM Marketing, Taylor worked with larger Australian agencies and brands, gaining experience connecting national brands with local communities. Over the past six years, TFM Marketing has worked with approximately 30 to 40 franchise groups, supporting both franchise recruitment and local area marketing for franchisees.
📌 Connect with Susana Hands
Learn more about franchising and working with Susana:Websites: https://susanahands.com.au/ and https://franiqbiz.com/
Connect with Susana on socials:
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-hands-the-franchise-lady
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suz.hands
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanahands_/
3 Oct 2026
#19: Selling a Franchise? What Every Franchisee Needs to Know About the Resale Process
Selling a franchise isn’t as simple as finding a buyer and agreeing on a price.
In this solo episode of Let’s Talk Franchising, Susana Hands breaks down the franchise resale process in Australia and explains the moving parts that franchisees, franchisors, buyers, and business brokers need to understand before a sale can move forward.
From working with business brokers and navigating the franchisor’s approval process to contracts, disclosure documents, training, handovers, and legal requirements, Susana explains why franchise resales require much more coordination than selling an independent business. Even when a broker finds a buyer and negotiates a price, the incoming franchisee still needs to go through the franchisor’s sales and approval process.
Susana also explores what buyers should consider when they come across a franchise resale that looks like a bargain, why proper due diligence matters, and why franchisees thinking about selling should involve their franchisor from the beginning.
Whether you’re looking to sell your franchise, considering buying an existing franchise, or managing resales within a franchise network, this episode provides a practical look at how the process works and what you need to consider along the way.
In This Episode
What a franchise resale actually involves
The role of a business broker in selling an existing franchise
Why choosing a reputable and appropriately qualified business broker matters
Why finding a buyer doesn’t automatically mean the franchise sale is approved
Why incoming buyers still need to go through the franchisor’s sales and approval process
About Our Guest
Taylor Fielding is the CEO of TFM Marketing, an agency built with a strong focus on helping franchise brands grow.
Before founding TFM Marketing, Taylor worked with larger Australian agencies and brands, gaining experience connecting national brands with local communities. Over the past six years, TFM Marketing has worked with approximately 30 to 40 franchise groups, supporting both franchise recruitment and local area marketing for franchisees.
📌 Connect with Susana Hands
Learn more about franchising and working with Susana:Websites: https://susanahands.com.au/ and https://franiqbiz.com/
Connect with Susana on socials:
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-hands-the-franchise-lady
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suz.hands
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanahands_/
27 Sept 2026
#18: What 10 Years of Franchising Taught City Cave Founder Tim Butters
What does a decade in franchising really teach you about growth, people, money, and knowing when to say no?
In this episode of Let’s Talk Franchising, Susana Hands sits down with Tim Butters, co-founder of City Cave, to look back at the lessons behind building one of Australia’s growing wellness franchise brands.
Founded in 2016, City Cave has evolved from a small float centre into a network of around 70 locations, offering flotation therapy, infrared sauna, and massage. But as Tim shares, scaling the brand wasn’t simply about opening more locations. It meant refining the model, choosing the right franchise partners, strengthening unit economics, investing in better systems, and sometimes deliberately slowing growth to get the foundations right.
Tim also shares a story he’s never told publicly before about returning a $60,000 franchise fee when he realised the prospective franchisee wasn’t the right fit, despite City Cave having only around $2,000 in the bank at the time. It became an early lesson in why protecting the franchise network matters more than making another sale.
In This Episode
How Tim and Jeremy started City Cave and refined the original business model
Growing City Cave from a float centre into a 70-location franchise network
Why franchisors should say no more often than they say yes
The $60,000 franchise fee Tim returned when a prospect showed early red flags
Why the first franchisees can have such a significant impact on a brand
📌 Connect with Susana Hands
Learn more about franchising and working with Susana:Websites: https://susanahands.com.au/ and https://franiqbiz.com/
Connect with Susana on socials:
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susana-hands-the-franchise-lady
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suz.hands
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanahands_/
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