Why August is your perfect time to mull over that franchise purchase.
The company you work for is a shambles. You could run it better with your eyes closed. You’ve had a crappy year and your boss is an idiot. Maybe you should just tell him to shove it. Or tell her to shove it. Or whatever non binary equivilants there are to shove it. All these things are running through your mind whilst you lay on your sunbed. Your partner is relaxed next to you and half way through the latest Cosmopolitan. Your kids are playing in the pool, you give them a nonshallant wave. No one seems to have a care in the world, but your mind is on your career isn’t it?
Thinking time for a franchise purchase.
Each year when August comes along a quarter of the population are on holiday at any one time. This is when you get your thinking time. The treadmill of your career doesn’t give you that luxury. The pressure of your role plus your family doesn’t give you that mental time.
Maybe it’s time to go it alone. But alone isn’t where you want to be because you don’t really know what business to do or how to do it. Even if you did know what business to do in the first place. What about your mortgage? Your posh job title? The company car and pension. What will the neighbours think if it doesn’t work? You might lose your money! You’ve got prestige, comfort, capital, a certain respect …. what’s the matter with you? You’re not happy – that’s what, and deep down you know it. Maybe starting your own business isn’t such a batshit crazy idea after all.
Dissatisfaction is bad for your health I’m convinced of it. So what’s holding YOU back? I’ll tell you what it is – it’s the fear of failure that’s what. The fear of failure is the single biggest stumbling block I have come across and I’ve met well over 10,000 potential entrepreneurs. Actually that’s a contradiction in terms – there’s probably no such thing as a potential entrepreneur, it’s as black and white as it gets. You either do it or you dont. Potential isn’t a starting point or even a stage in the process. However let’s stick with the term for the purposes of this article.
A franchise purchase makes sense.
The good news is there is a half step for all potential entrepreneurs and it’s called franchising.
In my world the fear of failure is mitigated to its lowest consideration when you look at a franchise. You see with a franchise purchase all you’ve got to do is match your personal skill set to the franchise opportunity and then copy it. Also do everything the franchisor suggests. That’s the lowest risk way there is and all of the available statistics back that up.
Franchising lowers the risk of your business startup – and by quite a margin too. 90% of franchises are at least marginally profitable. Half of “none franchised” businesses go under within 2 years. Franchising equals less risk.
Acknowledging the risk
Sure you’re still going to get some risk and pressure but provided you can manage it the franchise industry supports you, coaches you, and shows you the light. The lower risk you take can be transformational and the reduced sense of risk can become the impetus you need to perform and replicate that franchisors blueprint. That’s also what a franchise is – it’s a blueprint. You just concentrate on doing the doing. Your franchisor will guide you.
Finally don’t worry if you bottle it, or you deem that the timings not right (spoiler alert – it never is) there’s always January and a New Year resolution waiting for you. And if you miss that inspiring time, you can just wait till next August and mull your self employment plans over all again ….. and off you go again, dithering about ad infinitum.