It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I bet you thought I was talking about the holiday season, but you guessed wrong. It is time for back to school. By the end of the summer most parents are ready to get their children back into a routine and most children are ready to see their friends and thrive on structure. This is the perfect time to start focusing on yourself and a career in franchising.

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be your own boss or set your own hours? To have the flexibility to drop your kids off at school or walk them to the bus stop in the morning. Owning a Franchise is just the beginning to a freedom most people only dream of. The ability to set your own schedule and be present in your family, friends, and children’s lives is why most people search for a franchise opportunity.

Just like Leibniz’s Law states no two things exactly resemble each other, no two franchises are the same. When searching for the right franchise opportunity for you there are many things to consider. Here are a few general items to consider……

• Do you want a brick & mortar franchise, which will contain real estate and higher overhead costs…or perhaps a more mobile franchise that doesn’t require a brick & mortar location, but might require a van, equipment, and a few employees. Or perhaps you want a virtual business with lower investment and low overhead.
• What do you want your lifestyle to be like? Do you want a business where you will be the owner operator? Or perhaps a business where you will manage employees. Some franchises require full time owner operators where others allow the franchisee to manage employees.
• Think about what’s important to you in a franchise model. Established Brand? Niche Business? Recession Resistant? Virtual? Few Employees Needed? No Employees Needed? Quick Ramp Up?
• How should I fund the business? There are many reputable franchise lenders that can help you access capital via SBA loans, term loans, lines of credit, or even the opportunity to access retirement funds to launch your business.

You might feel excited and confident to tackle this search on your own, and you certainly can. There are great resources such as the International Franchise Association. Their site is www.franchise.org and they have a wealth of great information to get you started on your journey.

If you feel you might need a guide, there are wonderful franchise coaching organizations that can assess your background and skillsets and match you with businesses that could be a good fit.

If you are interested in learning more about the Patrice & Associates franchise, we have a fantastic discovery process that will give you all the information you need to make an informed decision. It’s a fun, safe space, to see if this opportunity is the right venture for you! There is no better time to get started!