It’s a dead end, the pay is dismal, you’re subject to someone else’s whims — and franchising offers a better path
- From FranNet.com.
You should quit your job. Seriously.
You probably won’t. But you should.
Most of us hate our jobs. Well, OK, maybe we don’t hate them. But a lot of us find our jobs dull and dissatisfying, like a relationship that ran its course months or years ago but keeps hanging on from sheer force of habit.
Don’t we all deserve better? So why do we hang onto our crummy jobs?
A tech entrepreneur named Daniel Gulati recently wrote about this on the Harvard Business Review blog, and his conclusions were pretty interesting. It’s not so much that people unhappy in their jobs are afraid of unemployment, he writes; it’s more a complex mix of conditioning, fear of ridicule in a new venture (amplified by social media) and “premature optimization,” the tendency to be satisfied with small, accessible gains instead of throwing caution to the wind and going for the big payoff. (In other words, they’re afraid of unemployment.)
There’s another way, though, one that thousands of American workers are taking toward fulfilling and lucrative careers: franchise ownership.
Franchising is growing steadily, even in a lousy economy. The recent Franchise Business Economic Outlook for 2012, prepared for the International Franchise Association by IHS Global Insight, projects the number of U.S. franchise establishments to increase by 13,928 and for the number of jobs to grow by about 168,000. Franchising’s economic output is expected to grow by five percent, from $745 billion to $782 billion. That’s astonishing growth.
Entrepreneurs are discovering how diverse franchising is, too; it goes way beyond food and hotels! The IFA report predicts strong increases from personal services (6.2 percent increase) and retail products and services (6.1 percent), and business services the highest in projected job growth at 3.6 percent. Driven professionals with a wide range of skills can thrive in franchising instead of stagnating in a dead-end corporate job.
For 25 years, FranNet has helped people realize their entrepreneurial dreams by matching them with the right franchise opportunities. FranNet, an international network of franchise consultants, plays franchise matchmaker by carefully evaluating our clients’ interests and goals and connecting them to top-rated franchises we’ve worked with for years.
Interested in learning more about how you can broaden your career options through franchise ownership? Visit us at www.frannet.com.
[...] (from FranNet.com) [...]
Interesting, but, IMO, the growth of franchising and rising profits lies in the franchisor, not the franchisee. Traditional franchises such as the various fast food outlets, are good for people who have lost their job, have some capital and want to follow someone else’s instructions. It is a great way of purchasing a job for yourself. I distinguish franchises from MLM, which do not require much capital, have extremely low overhead and require the entrepreneur to find his or her markets, rather than hanging up the sign and waiting for the public to come to them.
Thank you for commenting. I appreciate your taking time to read and share your thoughts. I would like to provide a bit of information.
Solid reputable franchisors only experience growth and profit if their individually owned franchises are successful. Each of us defines success differently but be assured that there are franchise owners who are extremely successful in meeting their own goals. With more than 3200 franchises available, generalizations are difficult. My role as an owner of FranNet Lousiana, a franchise, is to act almost like an “e-harmony for franchises” – matching clients with a franchise that meets the individuals goals, budget, and skill set.’ 91% of our clients who went through our process are still in business. We are franchise experts who do things a bit differently than business brokers or other consultants. We help clients address career option FIRST to determine whether business ownership is right for the client at this time. We also provide personalized face-to-face attention and guidance throughout the process. Our services are free to our clients. Good franchisors are happy to pay for our services as we refer well informed qualified candidates to them. Many of those who are referred by FranNet are so well matched and qualified that they become top performers for their franchisor. Longterm successful franchise owners are the only way that a franchisor succeeds.
There are franchises in all price ranges covering every sector of business including B2B services, consumer services, education, technology, manufacturing, retail, and food concepts. We guide clients through a proven process to empower them to get the facts to make an informed decision. We continually remind clients that “no” is a very acceptable answer if they don’t find a fit for their own business model. No one should invest in any type of business without becoming an expert and getting the facts. For many, a quality franchise, with strong management, thorough training, solid operational systems, sophisticating marketing, the right technologies, ongoing support, and colleagues to share best practices, is a great choice.
Finally, no successful business can hang up a sign and expect to experience success. Franchise owners are business leaders who work ON their business building equity. The franchisors who we represent are not looking for people who want to buy a job. Some franchises are well established with tightly defined systems. Others franchise concepts are fast growing and seeking skilled entrepreneurs to help them dominate their markets. There is no one size fits all.
Once again, than you Ira S. for taking time to share your thoughts.