During this edition of FranNet’s blog, we have a question for you. Once you fulfill your entrepreneurial promise, what will you do with your new found flexibility? Trust us when we say that flexibility is one of the biggest attributes to becoming your own boss. And admittedly, it’s probably going to take some getting used to. For our discussion, we’ll focus on two kinds of flexibility. The first is managing your time at the helm of your own day-to-day franchise business. The second involves the much more laid back semi-absentee franchise business model.
If you’ve left the drone colony located squarely in Corporate America, where taking orders from a superior is a way of life, the sudden freedom of franchise ownership can almost be overwhelming. All of the sudden, it’s you at the helm, making the minute by minute decisions of how best to spend your time in maximizing productivity. This is not to say that you will be all on your own, however. Franchises pride themselves on programs and initiatives designed to guide you through the transition and mindset of becoming your own boss.
It’s also highly likely that you can expect a good deal of on the job training to help you decide just how much flexibility you’ll have to work with. Each franchise opportunity comes with its own set of rules and regulations designed to keep you on the right track. Some franchises even require training in remote locations that lasts several weeks. But by the end of it, you should have a pretty good idea of how you’ll be spending the new version of your 40-hour work week. Of course, that’s not to say you can’t put in any extra hours to ensure you get off on the right foot. With franchising, the maximum front-loading of time and effort usually occurs in the first few months of operation.
Once you have your franchise operating smoothly, you can then begin to transition into a more flexible scenario. Just think about it. By then, your crack staff will be trained to handle operations and everyone will have settled into their role. At that time, if things look good, you can then look into enjoying one of the prime benefits of franchise ownership. The ability to call your own shots. Need an afternoon off to run a couple of crucial errands? It’s not like you have a boss looking over your shoulder or a time-clock to punch.
Franchisees who purposefully choose the semi-absentee model for their business have it even better. The entire concept of semi-absenteeism holds that you install a manager to manage your business. Make it a point to find a good one, because the manager will be your go-to guy for keeping up with the day-to-day elements of your business. Protecting the profitability of your investment is job number one for semi-absentee owners.
The purpose of this particular blog was to get you thinking about the positive changes you’ll experience in your personal life if you choose to go the franchising route. Franchises are designed to run smoothly. And once they do, the owner is afforded an amount of flexibility not experienced when working for others. Like we said, it’s one of our prime selling points.
So if and when you decide to go into franchising for yourself, what will you do with your new found flexibility? It could be more time with family. It could be more time with friends. It could be more time spent on the activities that bring you fulfillment as a person. If you’d like to know of a few more examples, we happen to have a few additional ideas we’d be more than happy to share…
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Let’s chat! There’s a local FranNet consultant right in your market who knows that market inside and out – knows the personality of the market – knows the competitive landscape. FranNet has a great track record of assisting individuals on their path to entrepreneurship, and one of our franchise experts would love to provide you with guidance free of charge. Sound like something you might be interested in? Get started here and find your local consultant right now!