3 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Franchise Career

Maybe you are burnt out in your corporate career. Maybe you are deciding to come out of retirement. Whatever the case, you’ve decided to look into possibly owning a franchise.

Having done so before, I have compiled some basic information that you may find helpful in your search.

Consider the Alternatives

Buying an existing business is intimidating. You never know what you are taking on in terms of client relationships (good and bad) and what types of issues the existing business has yet to resolve. Starting a business from scratch is equally intimidating. The risk is so high and most new businesses don’t see a profit until months, sometimes years, go by. Becoming a franchisee is the other alternative to becoming a business owner.

Some franchises, including Office Pride, offer a Fast Start Program where the dedicated Area Developer helps develop new franchisees so that they are set out on a direct path to success. Franchisors want their franchisees to succeed, so they typically create some sort of ramp-up strategy to ensure the ease into their franchisee's new career is seamless and enjoyable.

Listen to Your Brain

You’ve heard many times throughout your life that there are creatives and there are numbers people. If you're left-brained, you think in terms of logic and you like organization and order. Math and science are easy for you and you like to get things done in an orderly fashion. Right-brained thinkers are the opposite. They are usually unorganized, are great at sales, and are creative. Being a franchisee involves being organized, giving much attention to detail, and keeping a pretty tight and orderly schedule. If you’ve been told before that you are left-brained, consider becoming a franchisee.

Another group who tend to be great franchisees are Veterans. Veterans are use to structure and organization and they take pride in team effort, among many other characteristics. In fact, Office Pride offers a special program for Veterans who wish to become Office Pride franchisees and they’ve been listed by The Military Times as one of the top contenders for their Best for Vets Franchises list.

Research Your Options

If you’ve decided that becoming a franchise owner is a great option for you, research your options. Be sure to take into consideration the demographics and clientele that your business looks for and make sure it’s consistent with the audience in your surrounding area.

For example, even if there was a very successful franchise operation based out of Alaska, a business that makes its money selling very warm fur jackets, you would not be successful opening this franchise in Florida or anywhere else with warm weather. Be sure to research your demographics and get a good understanding of what services are needed in your area. Choose something that everyone needs, such as janitorial services, or another service that almost every business or home can’t do without. Knowing that there are thousands of companies in the Louisville area is exactly why I decided to own an Office Pride franchise and it was the best decision I ever made for my career.

I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have about becoming a franchise owner. Reach out to me at [email protected].