First, I have to say, if I knew about Franchise Brokers before I invested in a franchise, I would definitely had one help me, and that is why I started the business I’m in now. I believe franchises are a great opportunity for so many reasons. But, you have to find the right one that works for you. That is the difficult part.
Scouring the internet, listening to family and friends, thinking of what I could see myself doing was confusing, time consuming, and overwhelming. Going to search engines only gave me the big names, not knowing there was thousands of other options. I spent probably a year and a half filtering through everything. Not to mention working full time in the Army managing the Casualty Assistance and Notification Program for the Army National Guard. Then I was mobilized for Afghanistan in 2008 so the search was put on hold.
When I returned, I began my search again. My Dad was a big influence at this point and was helping me look. We looked at food, fitness, lawn care, printing, coffee shops but he kept coming back to education. That’s when I found a franchise resale of an educational franchise.
My search would have been shorter, and I would have seen options I never thought of if I had a Franchise Broker. It’s easy to get excited and possibly skip some steps or not do all the proper due diligence. I feel like that process help train me for the job I do now. If you’re looking for a franchise, I recommend getting in touch with one, or just call me since you’re reading my blog.
There are so many similarities in franchising when coming from the Army. There is a set structure and guidelines to stay in just like the Army. Ver outside the lines and you could find yourself in trouble. There’s a system in place, there’s manuals, guides, training, marketing, business coaches assigned to you. All of those things take years to develop if you’re in a business by yourself. The franchise does things for a reason, they didn’t become successful for nothing.
Everything I’ve done in business can be compared to the Army. I had to re-established a rank and structure from me, down to my directors, to my part time employees. Drive and determination were also key factors, we never want to quit. Planning, just like in the Army, I analyzed and created a course of action, even did AAR’s afterwards with my directors. I still had ups and downs of a small business but being in a franchise helped me manage those ebbs and flows.
I remember countless amounts of times when parents came in and complained about other tutoring companies. We looked and acted professional, and we had a structured plan for their child.
When I went into Special Forces I learned the 3 rules.
Rule 1, Always look cool. Again my franchise looked and acted professional, from the sign out front, marketing, the presentation, to how we dressed for work.
Rule number 2, Never get lost. We had a structured educational plan, a process and a road map for each student so we wouldn’t get lost.
Rule number 3, If you get lost, look cool. The constant training, and knowing about the original plan and roadmap allowed us to still look cool if something did go wrong. I made sure nobody ever knew we almost got lost. Without the franchise I couldn’t have done that. Our competition on the other hand got lost all the time and didn’t look cool.
One of the best parts of a franchise is there is other franchisees doing the same thing. Collaborating with them and getting their lessons learned was invaluable. In a franchise you’re not alone, you can seek more information and advice from seasoned franchisees, or the franchisor. Remember they’re successful when you’re successful. In the Army there was always someone above you willing to advise you, from a squad leader, a platoon sergeant, team sergeant, sergeant major, commander, etc.
Not only did going into a franchise help me transition into business but I was able to learn more about owning and operating a business. After 10 years, I now find myself passing on the knowledge and helping others do the same, and I love what I do.
