Every entrepreneur dreams of one day opening up their own successful business. However, starting your own business is not as easy as many people think. From deciding what type of business to create to choosing a place to have it built, marketing, and everything in between, the entire process can be quite a hassle. Not to mention it can be very costly and difficult to get a loan approved for the project. Should your business fail to succeed you would have wasted a lot of time, money, and resources. In today’s tight economy starting your own business is often times not worth the risk. A better and safer alternative is to purchase a franchise. Here are some of the top reasons to own your own franchise.
1. It’s easier to get Financing
Getting approved for financing is much easier if you are trying to purchase a franchise versus trying to open your own business. Banks put more trust and faith in individuals looking to own a franchise of an already established and successful company. In contrast, when you open your own business you have no way of knowing whether or not it will be a success. It’s hard to place faith and give financial support to such a risky endeavor, especially in a bad economy.
2. You will gain Valuable Business Experience
If you’re new to the business world you should look for ways to gain experience before launching your own business. What better way is there to gain experience than through owning your own franchise? You will be responsible for hiring and firing employees, marketing your business, and running most major operations. The success of the business depends highly on you. However, you will still have a basic structure put into place ahead of time from the corporate headquarters. Owning a franchise will give you the feel of owning a business, without all of the risks attached to it.
3. You will have more Support
As a franchise owner, you will be responsible for running your franchise as if it were your own small business. However, you aren’t completely alone with running a franchise like you would be if you had your own business. Many companies offer extensive training to new franchise owners to help them get started. In addition, you can always contact someone from the company’s headquarters should you find that you need more assistance down the road.
4. You will have Marketing and Branding Advantages
Most small businesses fail because they cannot attract enough customers and clients. Marketing a new business can be very difficult especially for new business owners who lack marketing experience. The great thing about franchises is that they are a small part of a bigger whole. Many top franchises such as Huntington Learning Center are well known and highly marketed online, through television, and in print ads. While marketing your own individual franchise is still highly encouraged, you will still be able to attract a number of customers and clients to your business simply because you will be the owner of a franchise for a company many people are already familiar with.
5. You will have the ability to grow
Many times franchise owners start off as hourly employees for their chosen company. They choose to become a franchise owner because they love what they do and are passionate about the company and the company’s vision. However, growing with a company doesn’t end when you become the franchise owner of one location. Instead, you can continue to grow by becoming the owner of multiple franchises. Start off with one and see how it goes. If you enjoy it and have success, consider taking on more than one franchise. You may even want to talk to your corporation about the possibility of owning a line of franchises for one specific region or area. This will help you to earn a name and place in the business world and can especially help you later in life if you do decide to open your own business.
As you can see, becoming a franchise owner has many benefits. If you’re considering purchasing a franchise of your own be sure to do thorough research in advance to make sure you pick a franchise that best suits your interests and that has been proven to perform well. Never be afraid to ask questions or request additional information and training. The more you learn the better you’ll be able to perform and increase your chance at success.