Source: CourierPress.com, February 7, 2011
One of the thing that our franchise consultants hear over and over is that people want to take that step to self-employment. The problem is obvious though…unknown waters.
This article on CourierPress.com tells a familiar story in the franchising world. Mike Haley had been working for years in an industry that he really no longer enjoyed, food service.
He was not only looking for a change in industry, but a change to something he could do with his wife.
After researching several business concepts online, he came across a company called Bark Busters, a dog training company based in Australia. He liked everything he saw and heard after meeting with company executives as well as franchisees.
In 2006 the Haley’s officially became franchisees for Bark Busters. In this system, individuals called franchisees, pay a company (the franchiser) for the right to do business using the company name and business plan which keeps new business from guessing as to what ‘works’.
After paying an up front fee, ten percent of their revenue goes back to Bark Busters. Though most often associated with fast food (McDonalds, Wendy’s, etc), this concept now spans multiple business and industries.
Is it worth it? Absolutely – Mike found that the biggest plus of being a franchisee is the support network. There is even a franchisee-only website where franchisees can interact with each other, which comes in handy when they have questions or difficult situations.
However, don’t assume the model is guaranteed success. For Mike and his Bark Busters business, it has been a slow go. Repeat business is low because when a dog’s behavior has turned around and the owner is happy, there is little reason to return to Bark Busters. This means Mike has to find new business. Add this trend to the fact that their is currently little to no name recognition among pet owners and little ‘national’ advertising support by the company…Mike is not sure he’s going to renew for another year.
The idea is the same with all franchise operations and many are extremely proven success stories. The franchise agreements state the procedures and restrictions about how an owner can run his business so it may not be for everyone, especially if an owner feels ‘creative’ when business is down.
However, for the right owner in the right franchise, it really does mean being in business for yourself but not necessarily by yourself.
If you would like to speak with one of our franchise consultants today, please don’t hesitate to call (706) 356-5637!