Who’s Your Franchising Hero?

We have many heroes in life, whether or not we name them as such. Role models, those we look up to, inspirations – whatever you want to call them, they are people you met or figuratively followed who helped you get where you want to be, even if they didn’t know they hold a role in your life. Watching their steps helped you as a new business owner (or will help you) understand the meaning of success. You can see what others did and whether it did or didn’t work; use that knowledge to do the same, or avoid what didn’t pan out. 

That’s just smart business ownership. Market research and making decisions from real data.

But what about inspiration? Someone who just did it and did it great, and helped you become the business owner (or potential business owner) that you are today. Who is that person? Are they another franchisee? A mogul? A personal friend? Maybe a family member, teacher, friend, or someone else altogether?

That person has more say on your life, and on your business decisions, than you might realize. Their influence can help bring success, it can help you be more creative, and it came help you make the difficult decisions that are going to benefit you and your brand in the long run.

It doesn’t so much matter who they are, so long as they exist. This person is a necessary part of your franchising journey. From day one they provided influence, even if you were using it on a subconscious level.

Ask yourself what brands you follow, who do you ask for advice? What programs do you watch or listen to in order to gain business insight? The same is true for learning strategy, market base, and more. It’s likely that this person already exists for you, but you simply might not know it. Make a conscious decision to follow this person (or even a few of them) to gain as much information as possible. Of course, you can always put your own spin on things or ignore their advice altogether. However, knowing what you’re ignoring in the first place leaves you as a better informed business owner in every decision that you make.

If this person is in a position to give public advice, take it. Read their interviews, listen to their podcasts, follow them on social media, and more. Big business success stories often hand out little nuggets of wisdom, and it’s in your best interest to absorb as much of it as possible. This is true of even local big business persons; if they’re a big name, chances are there’s much to be found.

On a smaller scale, you can watch what your hero does with their work. What has allowed them to grow? What has been out of the ordinary? What have they might have skipped that you expected them to do?

Finally, on heroes with whom you have a personal relationship, pick their brain as often as possible. Meet them for coffee, ask for advice, develop a scenario in which you can regularly talk. It’s best if you have something to give, too, if they don’t need your professional insight, perhaps you can introduce them to a trusted contact. Or, at the very least, you can buy the coffee.

Over time, it will become easier to soak in all that this success story has to offer. Remain on the lookout for their advice to easily benefit from others who have been there first. This is a great way to grow your brand and your professional knowledge, but without making timely and costly mistakes.

Determining who your franchising hero is can help bring you a wealth of information. Remember to follow them, and others, for a well-rounded approach to running your business from a tactical standpoint and beyond.

To learn more about franchising, contact a franchise company from our website today.