Why our client failed to secure a franchise
- Irwin See
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
Probably one of the challenges we face when bringing Singapore brands overseas is when the brands feel that everyone should respect them on the premise that they are from Singapore. Or to put it plainly, a lack of respect and humility towards potential partners with a false sense of pride in thinking they are better than the brands in the region.
A client of ours a few years ago, with a chain of shops in Singapore, had built a strong brand with modern aesthetics, Instagram-worthy plating, and efficient operations. Encouraged by her success in Singapore and the rising middle-class appetite in Indonesia, she sought to expand through franchising in major cities including Jakarta and Surabaya.
On paper, the opportunity seemed ripe. Indonesian consumers are increasingly drawn to foreign brands, and Singapore carries a certain prestige. Initial meetings with potential franchisees showed genuine interest. However, things started to fall apart during negotiations.
From the outset, the client positioned herself as someone who believed she was doing Indonesians a favor by offering them the chance to franchise her brand. She expected her Singaporean success story to be enough to command respect and compliance. Her presentations emphasized how "well-run" things were in Singapore and how the franchisee should simply follow her systems “without question.”
Even when meeting Indonesian conglomerates, she brushed off concerns about adapting menu items to local palates. Her tone in meetings was authoritative, pushy, sometimes patronizing—at one point implying that Indonesian service standards were "not quite there yet" and needed her brand to "set the example."
It was not long before the potential franchisees started to disengage. What could have been a collaborative discussion became a lecture.
Instead of positioning her brand as an exciting partnership opportunity, she had made it feel like a one-sided arrangement: her rules, her standards, her pride.
What she failed to realize is that respect in Indonesia is earned through humility, relationship-building, and mutual understanding. Singapore’s system is strong and thus business dealings are transactional. The other South East Asia countries' systems are not strong and thus relationships are needed.
Even well-known international brands succeed in Indonesia because they take time to listen, adapt, and respect local nuances. Why would KFC and Macdonalds have rice and porridge on their menu?
This story serves as a cautionary tale: being from Singapore, or having a successful brand at home, does not entitle one to respect abroad. In cross-border business, especially in markets like Indonesia, cultural intelligence, humility, and empathy are often more important than systems and SOPs.
In the end, successful international franchising isn’t about exporting control—it’s about building trust.
About Us
Curt & Co Pte Ltd is a consulting company started amongst a group of business owners who were looking for a consulting company themselves for advice !
Our offices and our focus markets are in Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. With clients ranging from 1 man operating SMEs to listed companies, we are proud to have helped our clients across different industries gain market entry into the South East Asian region.
Contact us at marcus@curtconsult.com if you want to talk!
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