When becoming a franchisee, it’s a good idea to look at what skills you have, as well as what skills you want use in the future. Or, in other words, what do you enjoy doing? What tasks make you sing for joy? Which ones have you down in the dumps, wishing to never take on again? Ever?
Even if you’re highly skills at X or Y doesn’t mean you want to do it for the rest of your life. And that’s ok – admitting it now will help you create happiness for your business in the future.
Just because you have certain skills, of course, doesn’t mean they revolve around the career for you. To plan for your best level of success, you should determine the tasks that you enjoy most. What excites you on a daily basis? What gets you going? By focusing on that which fulfills you most, you can lessen your chance of “burning out” in an industry, as well as your willingness to work hard and long at making your franchise a success. When work doesn’t feel like work, you’ll spend more time striving each day.
Pairing those same skills and interests with a franchise is one of your initial key factors in creating a strong foundation for longevity and sustainability.
How to Narrow Down Your Franchising Skills
First of all, it’s a good idea to look at your professional background. What have you done? What jobs have you held? And in what industries? Out of these, which did you succeed at most? In which area do you have the most experience?
Cross-reference with where your expertise sits with what you flat-out like doing. Wherever those two sections connect, that’s where you should focus your time and energy. 1) Because you’re qualified and will be a great addition to this franchising category. With background data going in, you can feel well prepared that you can hit the ground running, vs. having to learn an entire industry from day one. 2) As this category interests you, you won’t have to “force” yourself to work. You will already remain gung-ho about the subject matter, and therefore, be more likely to work harder, dive deeper, and plan for longer days.
Work will feel far less like a chore or a burden when it’s what makes you happy. That same passion will shine through to your employees, to your customers, and to everyone you come in contact with. They will see you have a drive for what you do, and it’s a quality that simply can’t be faked. It’s also something that, when is present, will help you grow leaps and bounds through that personal spark so many others seem to lack.
Narrowing Down Business Styles with Your Franchise
It’s also a good idea to look at business models when signing on to purchase a franchise. Various styles will appeal to each personality. Find a model that makes sense to you. Working through a setup where you have to stop and say, “Huh?” or “Ehhh I get it,” will delay your everyday process. Instead of saying, “Yes let’s go,” you’ll be slowing down and figuring out the basics.
In contrast, when working through a model that just clicks with your personality, you can hit the ground running. Explore various franchising models in your research stages. Look at each industry as a whole, then narrow by how they do day-to-day business. This can greatly help you whittle down your search process. It can also save you much time by elimination possible business options before you ever have a chance to reach out or read about them more thoroughly.
Finding a Franchise That Meets Your Personality
Finally, it’s a good idea to look at how each franchise company stacks up with you personally. What do their morals look like? How do they appear to the public? How do they respond to customer inquiries? What happens in the event of a public faux pas? All of these aspects help you to determine the morality and overall feel for a company and what’s important to them as a whole.
If you don’t like what you see, that trend is likely to continue in the future. And, in contrast, should you agree every step of the way, you’re more likely to be on board with what they have to offer as a whole. Not only as an industry, a franchising model, but as people.
Each of these steps is important when narrowing down the perfect franchise to fit your skills. While it’s important to know your job and enjoy it, it’s also important to be working with a company with whom you have the same ideals.