Deciding to start your own franchise is just one of the first steps to getting started. Buying a franchise is a lot like dating. You and the company have to be a good fit. The company you are considering starting a franchise with must fit your needs, and you must meet the guidelines they have set up.
You may be thinking, "I have the money, I will just sign up and get started." It's just not that easy. The companies want to make sure you will be successful and a large part of that will come in the form of discussions, questions, paperwork, and if you're still both attracted to each other ? FINAL APPROVAL!
Chances are if you're a true entrepreneurial spirit, your nature won't be right for most franchisors. Franchisors want you to be able to follow a system that they have proven to be successful. A good example of this is "the golden arches". You won't ever go into one that doesn't follow the rules and guidelines set down by the franchisors. They may for a little while, but they will and can lose their franchise license. There isn't room for innovation in franchise companies. They don't want someone to cause any trouble and rock the boat on their proven business systems. A great place to get some tips on Franchise Start ups is at startupsmarts.info.
If you're capable of following a PROVEN system for business success you will be a good franchise owner though. There will still be thousands of questions and they are looking for a specific type of person.
The franchisors want someone with an entrepreneurial spirit to be self sufficient, but with out enough free spirit to re-invent the wheel. The companies usually prefer you to have some management experience or extensive experience in the field.
Your personality is the next thing that will be reviewed on your "date" with the franchise company. If your wishy-washy and don't know what you want, you can probably count on this being your last date with that company.
Just like when you meet a new prospective person to date, you check out their outfits, car, etc... You don't want to end up dating a beach bum right? Well the franchisors don't want to be dating someone who doesn't meet their financial guidelines. If you're planning on borrowing the funds to start the franchise, you may have a rude awakening. Even if your credit is good, and you qualify for a home equity loan, you may find the bank will not lend it to you for starting a business.
Make sure you have your finances in order. Prepare a financial statement that includes your net worth, and what assets are able to be turned into cash in a decent amount of time. Franchisors are going to home in on your net worth and liquidity before anything else. Having cash on hand is much more important that having the ability to borrow funds. Financing debt on other debt is not attractive to many franchisors.
The franchisors will also look at your marketing skills, and your ability to work the schedule the franchise takes to run. If you are used to working a normal 8 to 4 job and suddenly find yourself having to be at "work" 7 days a week it WILL affect your life. Can you make that type of change?
You can find more information on Franchise Financing at: http://www.finance-franchise.info and place like http://www.entrepreneur.com/
Edward Charkow is the administrator for http://www.nichebiz.info and grants reprint rights for this article as long as this resource box remains intact.
professional maid services Glencoe ..CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR INTERN: Specify the number of hours the... Read More
There are both fixed and mobile detailers. Consumers often will... Read More
Do You Really Need a Toll-Free Number for Your Business?... Read More
In your small business debt collection laws will eventually become... Read More
In general, all of us know how to accomplish the... Read More
If you really want to earn more money with your... Read More
Q: After years of dreaming about starting my own business,... Read More
Which questions do you need to ask to even get... Read More
There is a Batting Cages Business for those people who... Read More
What are the 5 best ways to gain new contacts?There... Read More
So there I was ? sitting in the audience of... Read More
There are no "rules of thumb" in the pursuit of... Read More
In the first part of this article I put forward... Read More
Do you have a Business Plan? Congratulations, but you are... Read More
You know your prospects need what you sell. You know... Read More
The Operations Plan is a critical component of any business... Read More
If you are a small business you know that you... Read More
Many investors and business ethics professionals are calling for more... Read More
1. Don't Spend Too Much Time PlanningWhen you are entering... Read More
Cash flow. To stay in business, you've got to keep... Read More
Hi, Charles...here, Your Cap and t-shirt guy From Texas. How... Read More
Outsourcing is the strategic use of outside resources to perform... Read More
A lot of business owners I've spoken with lately have... Read More
Microfiber cleaning towels have been around for about ten years... Read More
Are you a motivational speaker who consistently gets rave reviews... Read More
last minute cleaning help Lincolnshire ..The way you manage your money is one of the... Read More
Remember the training programs, seminars, and workshops you had to... Read More
My clients and many of my readers are small and... Read More
Many people ask how many graphs or charts they should... Read More
Motivational author and speaker Jim Rohn says that for a... Read More
As an Investment Representative you've worked hard to build trust... Read More
So what exactly is a "Small Business Lone Ranger?" A... Read More
For many small businesses, the "S" corporation is the business... Read More
How many hours do you work a week? When was... Read More
There is a continual trend we are seeing which I... Read More
Obtaining a business credit card enables the small business owner... Read More
-- The One Pager Shortcut Series --People do business with... Read More
Washing the exterior of a truck. Sounds easy right? Well,... Read More
A cherished business doctrine is that growth must be a... Read More
Contrary to popular belief, small businesses can survive a crazy... Read More
If you run a pressure washing company in a rural... Read More
Remember those drawings from science class of how a lever... Read More
You're pretty proud of yourself! After all, only four months... Read More
To wash an airplane there are many items you will... Read More
The employer / employee relations environment has been constantly evolving... Read More
Many job applicants want a job but often do not... Read More
Most business owners know when they need an accountant, but... Read More
Franchising has made the world look really small. The well... Read More
What is the Big Race all about when it comes... Read More
One of the great challenges for independent professionals and small... Read More
Small Business |