For the first 15 years of my career, I was like many “successful” people. I had a good education, I had a job that I was good at, and I was climbing the career ladder. But I wasn’t happy. I was frustrated with corporate bureaucracy and politics. I was tired of the Monday to Friday grind with conference calls at all hours, and I wanted more freedom. I also wanted my work to have more impact in the real world.
I wanted a change, but what? I could go to another company, but I’d end up back in the same place in a few years, frustrated and burned out. I could leverage my tech background to do a startup, but that requires 60+ hours per week and most startups fail. I had always wanted to run my own business, but I didn’t have any business experience.
I decided to explore franchise ownership because they provide a proven business model, training and support, and centralized operations. This makes it possible to run a successful business without any prior industry or business experience. You’re copying an existing business that’s already successful in other locations, so you don’t have to invent and do everything yourself. Ultimately, franchises have a higher success rate than self-started independent businesses.
I worked with a FranNet franchise consultant, explored several business opportunities in detail, and decided to go with a massage franchise. Why that business? Because it met my financial and lifestyle goals: It was a business that I could believe in, helping people feel better. It was a growth industry with good profit potential. And it was a semi-absentee business model, where I could hire a manager and focus on an executive role in the business. I explored a number of options with FranNet, but ultimately this was the best business for me at that time.
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The franchise taught me what I needed to run the business. They had guides and checklists for everything from finding a location to hiring employees to operations procedures. I had a business coach and a network of other owners that I could reach out to anytime that I needed help. Plus I listened to business audiobooks on my own, on topics like marketing and customer service, to take the business to the next level.
Since I wanted a semi-absentee business where I didn’t have to be there every day, I hired a manager to run the day-to-day operations. She helped me grow the business much faster than I could on my own. We followed the franchise playbook for hiring and training employees, built out a great team, and quickly grew the business to be #1 on Yelp.
One of my favorite aspects about being a business owner is the freedom. Instead of having a Monday to Friday grind, I can work on my own schedule, do the work I like the most, and delegate the rest. I only had to go into the business a couple times a week to check on things, and get a free massage of course! I took at least one vacation a month, traveling to places all around the world. I’m always able to keep up with the business through the internet and email.
Owning a business isn’t without challenges, as things often go differently than expected. But it’s a great opportunity for personal growth, and I learned to overcome each challenge and grow my comfort zone. I grew from an employee mindset to become an entrepreneur and CEO! I even took it one step farther, to leverage the business to create the life I had always wanted as an Easy Entrepreneur!
It took an upfront investment to get started, but I grew the business to be profitable, and joined a second franchise as a consultant to help other people grow their businesses. With these, I was able to fully replace the income from my tech job, while working part time! There are also many tax benefits to business ownership, so I got to keep even more of my money.
This was the semi-retired lifestyle that I had always dreamed of! I traveled all over the world, had more time to spend with my family, and learned new hobbies like writing and music. I had the freedom to work where and when I wanted, and my businesses provided enough income and gave me direction.
I’ve since sold both these businesses, and started a couple of other ones. I’ve also become a FranNet franchise consultant myself, and help other people find their dream business opportunity.
Let’s chat if you’d like to learn more about business ownership for yourself!
I love to share my experience with others, learn about you, and help you learn about your best options for business ownership. There’s no cost and no obligation, so let’s set this up today!
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