Managing Several Branches: What the Owner Should See

An owner with several branches needs one view across all of them, and the ability to drop into any single branch: leads and how fast each branch replies, students by stage, and income, costs and profit by branch. Each branch manager, in turn, should see only their own branch. Getting that split right matters more than any single report.

The multi-branch problem

When a consultancy opens a second or third branch, the owner can no longer walk around and see what's happening. Usually:

• each branch keeps its own sheet, in its own format
• money is mixed, so nobody knows what each branch really earns
• head office costs, such as ads or software, aren't shared out
• the owner hears about problems late, from a phone call

Set up access by branch and role

Start with who sees what:

• The owner sees every branch and can switch between them with one picker.
• A branch manager sees only their branch.
• Counselors see only the students assigned to them.
• An accountant can be set up for one branch or the whole company, and sees finance, not student files.

This keeps each branch focused, protects your student data, and stops branches comparing each other's numbers unless you want them to. See protecting your student list for the data side.

What the owner should see

Leads and follow-up, by branch

• how many leads each branch received and from which channels
• how quickly each branch replies to new enquiries. See following up leads faster.
• how many leads are going cold

Students, by branch and destination

• students at each stage, for each branch
• files stuck at documents or applications for too long

Money, by branch

• income, costs and profit by month, for each branch
• a branch comparison: the branches side by side
• receivables: what students and universities still owe each branch
• commissions outstanding. See tracking university commissions.

Keep each branch's money separate

Give each branch its own accounts, such as cash in hand and its bank account, so collections and expenses are recorded where they happen. Costs that belong to no single branch, such as head office rent, can be shown separately as head office or shared costs, rather than loaded onto one branch.

Close the books for each month once the numbers are final, so reported figures don't change later.

A weekly owner routine

1. Open the branch comparison and look for the outlier.
2. Drill into that branch: reply times, stuck files, receivables.
3. Call the branch manager with specific questions, not general ones.

Our list of weekly numbers for owners turns this into a short checklist.

Daily summaries help too

A short summary each morning and evening, sent to the owner and branch managers, means problems surface the same day. Money figures can go to the owner only.

Opening a new branch: set it up right from day one

A new branch is the easiest time to get the structure right, because nothing has to be cleaned up later:

1. Create the branch and give it its own money accounts, such as cash in hand and its bank account.
2. Appoint a branch manager and invite the staff, each with the right role.
3. Give the branch its own reception QR code, with a printed poster at the desk, so walk-ins land in the right branch.
4. Agree the reporting rhythm: what the owner checks weekly, and what the branch manager checks daily.

With that in place, the new branch shows up in your branch comparison from its first week, and you can see quickly whether it is on track.

How ConsultMarg helps

In ConsultMarg the owner switches between branches with one picker, a branch manager sees only their branch, and finance shows income, costs and profit by month, branch and destination, with a branch comparison. Owners and branch managers also get Telegram summaries at 8:30 in the morning and 7:00 in the evening. See branches and roles or see pricing.