Thinking of a career change: Why not consider franchising?
How many of us wake up in the morning, raring to go and filled with excitement at the prospect of another day at work? While undoubtedly a proportion of lucky individuals happily jump out of bed, some – for whatever reason – would prefer to roll over and go back to sleep.
Ultimately, there comes a time when it might be a good idea to consider a career change, to find something that reinvigorates and interests you; something that allows you to use your skills, offers job satisfaction and enables you to regain that passion for work.
If that sounds like you, why not consider franchising?
The benefits of franchise opportunities
Something that many people dream about is being their own boss and running their own business – a dream that may come true if you become a franchisee. You could run your operation pretty much as you see fit within the franchise model’s system guidelines. You could employ the best staff, perhaps even go part-time with some franchises if you wished but ultimately, you are the owner.
You could find a franchise that allows you to do something you really love, maybe turning a life-long hobby into a profession. Rather than let your talent and experience go to waste behind a desk somewhere else, it could all be put to good use for your own franchise.
What’s more, unlike starting a business from scratch, a franchise business model is already set up and operating successfully. With a franchise, you are much less likely to experience the kind of financial uncertainty associated with creating a brand new company.
Franchising’s impact on the UK economy
The franchising sector is hugely important to the economy. In 2011, it contributed £13.4 billion to GDP – a not insignificant amount. Franchising is growing too, in the 2011 financial year, output was four per cent up on 2010.
It also employs nearly 600,000 people full-time. Around two-thirds of those that become franchisees were previously employed by another company, i.e. had not run their own business beforehand.
How to become a franchisee
The first step is to find a business that you’d like to run. There are plenty of franchise opportunities for sale; attending a franchise fair or researching online directories will reveal the huge range you could choose from. It’s best to choose one that you can be passionate about. It’s a good idea to do some research on the market and talk to other franchisees or professionals for advice before making a decision. Naturally, you need to bear your budget in mind and work out what sort of returns the franchise might deliver.
Of course there’s much more to becoming a franchisee and the franchise industry than this brief outline. However, if you think you’ve reached a crossroads with your career, why not find out a little bit more? Considering franchising could change your life.