By Bill McPherson
The daily grind. Someone else controlling your future, making money for other people.
These are all terms people use to describe the corporate world. Ironically, they all also speak to the fact that working in this environment could leave you less fulfilled, stressed and overworked.
In fact, a recent Deloitte survey revealed that 70% of corporate executives are considering leaving their jobs to look for one that better supports their well-being.
But with inflation still high and an uncertain future on the horizon, most people can’t just leave their job without having another way to earn a living.
Enter the franchising model.
Hundreds of former C-suite managers have found that the skills they learned running someone else’s business can be used to successfully run their own. In franchising, they can become their own boss by following a proven business model that increases their chances of success.
Transferable Skills
Whether you have worked as an executive leader or a division manager for a company, you have learned what it takes to effectively motivate your team and know how to delegate responsibilities.
From establishing clear goals to building a positive work environment for your employees, your position in corporate management has given you the experience you need to run a successful franchise.
In addition to your people skills, you more than likely had to build some financial acumen as a manager. As a franchisee, you’ll also need to know how to create a budget that allows you to pay employees and other expenses while forecasting revenue so that your cash flow isn’t jeopardized.
But beyond managing budgets and employees, you have developed other proficiencies along your professional journey that you can use to be successful in franchising. The critical thinking skills you’ve acquired during your time as a corporate manager can help you identify problems and develop solutions. You are probably also adept at making sales and marketing decisions to attract customers while building a winning customer experience.
Gateway to Independence
As a corporate manager, you may feel like the endless meetings and office politics keep you from building the kind of company that produces satisfied employees and happy customers. You want to be in more control and build something you can be proud to call your business.
But you’re also concerned about the risk involved in starting your own company and how you can forego your paycheck and benefits while getting your own business off the ground.
Becoming a franchise owner can help you become the boss you’ve always wanted to be while still providing you with far less risks than doing a non-franchise start up business.
Franchises work because the franchisor has built a series of successful policies and procedures that can be replicated at locations throughout the country to maintain brand consistency, operational efficiencies and more.
Once you have followed the overall framework of the franchise model, your franchise has your stamp on it. You have autonomy in who you hire, your day-to-day operations and how you invest in growth.
Franchising is the balance many corporate managers need to make the transition from the boardroom to the showroom. You have the comfort of knowing you can leverage an established brand while still maintaining control over your own business.
With a franchise, your initial investment and ongoing fees allow you access to a proven business model and access to the professional marketing teams, training and technology you likely couldn’t afford as an independent business owner. You are essentially working for yourself, but just not by yourself.
Make the Move
Daydreaming about being your boss is a common thought for successful people. But it takes more than just a dream to make sure you’re ready to transition to franchise ownership.
Take some time to reflect on your skills and corporate experience and how they can help you succeed in a franchise business. You should also consider the skills you don’t have and the types of employees you’ll need to hire to complement you and your franchised business.
Then do your research. Whether you hire a franchise consultant or make inquiries on your own, you need to come prepared by creating a transition plan.
There are more than 820,000 franchise establishments in the United States, according to the 2024 Franchising Economic Outlook, and that number will continue to expand. That means you have thousands of options to consider that match your budget, your leadership style and your cultural preferences.
While you may be looking forward to leaving your corporate position, you don’t want to jump into franchise ownership too soon. Take the time to ask detailed questions of any future franchise partner and be prepared to commit to the business and the journey.
Most franchisors provide discovery days that give you the opportunity to meet with their corporate team and ask questions. If the franchise you’re considering isn’t transparent or won’t answer your questions, they may not be the right fit for your business acumen.
Leaving corporate America may be something you’ve long wanted to do, but it can be scary if that’s all you’ve known for the past 20 or 30 years.
Franchising can be your greatest opportunity to leave the corporate world, but it isn’t a step to take lightly.
Once you’ve settled on a franchise that suits your skill sets, meets your financial perimeters and offers the type of company culture you could thrive in, it may be time to ditch your corporate persona and become the business owner you’ve always dreamed you could be.
Bill McPherson is regional vice president of retail network development for AlphaGraphics, a leading franchisor of printing and marketing solutions, PostNet, a global leader in high-quality printing and shipping solutions and World Options, a global leader of freight and logistics solutions.. With more than 28 years of franchise leadership, he has led franchise development and real estate for B2B, B2C, retail, and in-home senior care concepts.
For more information, visit https://www.alphagraphics.com/.
About Fortidia
Fortidia is the brand identity of MBE Worldwide S.p.A. – a privately-owned company headquartered in Italy – and its affiliates. Fortidia is a global commerce enabler for SMBs and consumers thanks to its platform including brands providing e-commerce, fulfillment, shipping, marketing and print solutions: PrestaShop, Mail Boxes Etc. (outside the U.S. and Canada.), PostNet, PACK & SEND, World Options, AlphaGraphics, Multicopy, Print Speak, GEL Proximity, and Spedingo. In 2023, the combination of its physical platform – including 3,200 Business Solutions Centers in 60 countries with 14,000 associates – with its PrestaShop e-commerce platform served 1.1 mln business customers worldwide generating €1.4 bln (US$1.5 bln) of System-wide Gross Revenue and €22 bln (US$23.8 bln) of Gross Merchandise Value.
For more information, visit the Fortidia Group websites:
www.fortidia.com – www.prestashop.com/en – www.mbeglobal.com – www.mbe.it – www.mbe.es – www.mbe.de – www.mbefrance.fr – www.mbe.pl – www.mbe.pt – www.mbe.co.uk – www.postnet.com – www.packsend.com.au – www.packsend.co.uk – www.worldoptions.com – www.alphagraphics.com – www.multicopy.nl – www.printspeak.com – www.gelproximity.com/en – www.spedingo.com/en