Is Franchising Feasible as a Secondary Job?
Can you do it all? That is one of the biggest questions of potential franchisees. They want to know if they can start a new business without leaving their current job. This comes up for many reasons – fear, health or financial benefits, the security of a steady income, or even just backlash from others who aren’t well versed in self employment. There are also those who need multiple projects to be going on at all times, too.
Different personalities create different reservations, and they have different expectations with their goals. No matter what those might be, we approach the logistics of franchising.
Can you open a business while holding a full-time job? Can you “do it all”? Our philosophy is that anything is possible. When there’s a will, there’s a way. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything. These mantras might be clichéd, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t true. Anyone who is dedicated and hard working can absolutely have two jobs.
They simply have to find a way to manage it all.
How Can I Franchise with a Career?
First things first, you have to make sure your current job is on board. If you have no intentions of quitting, it’s best to be open and honest about your professional goals. Ask about company policy and once you clear your franchising endeavors with your boss, give them an estimation of your timeline and commitment in the sake of transparency.
Next, it’s time to hustle. On weekends, evenings or early mornings, whatever days off you might have, get to work on your franchise business. This is the time you have to dedicate to your new project and it’s important to utilize these hours wisely. Of course you might become tired or burned out, but when your dream is starting your own business, suddenly work doesn’t feel so work-like. You’ll find that you enjoy the franchising tasks and that the excitement will allow you to work longer hours than you would have thought possible.
Then again, you might have that personality where you can grind for hours, days, and months on end. In either case, put your nose to the keyboard and keep working hard and diligently.
In the beginning stages especially, you’ll truck along with this pattern. You can research your franchising brand and decide which platform is the best fit, what industry suits you best, etc. You can interview with brands, sign contracts, set up dates, and learn programs – all while still working your full-time job.
Then things get tricky. As you get closer to your company’s opening day, you’ll learn that you’re spread quite thin. Suddenly you will need to be here and there all at the same time.
In order to get it all done successfully – finish your tasks at your current job while opening a franchise, you have a few choices. You can use your vacation time or take a leave of absence at work – this will depend on your company policy, of course. (Again, talk with your current employer about this process.) Or you can take a less active role in the franchise and its physical tasks. Perhaps you’re better suited to be an investor or a partner, while working with an active partner who has more availability.
If you’re unable to take time off from your current career and wish to stay, this is a conversation you should have with franchising brands from the beginning. Let them know your situation and find a way to work around it. They might be able to point you in the right direction, or even help you get set up with the right folks.
The most important take-away is that nothing is impossible. Franchising isn’t a business practice that’s set in stone, and neither is your current career. Folks do both every day. They find creative ways to work in the jobs they want, without giving up on their dreams. Don’t let an assumption or the idea that something will be hard keep you from going after your goals of starting your own business.