Is a franchise for life or just for Christmas?

Once you move into franchising, can you ever look back? Rebecca Newenham looks at whether it is possible to transition in and out of franchising.

Is a franchise for life or just for Christmas?

Once you move into franchising, can you ever look back? Rebecca Newenham looks at whether it is possible to transition in and out of franchising.

Buying a franchise is a big decision, particularly if you are giving up a corporate career to jump ship and run your own business. It could be a chance to wave goodbye to the constraints of employed life and the realisation of a life-long dream to run your own business, or it might be a short-term solution to work flexibly around other commitments. The great news is that whatever your motivation for moving into franchising, you can have the career you want. 

For some people, franchising becomes a way of life. They never look back to the world of employment or life before their franchise. Some go on to expand their territories or buy new units. Build large teams offering multiple services. Others simply manage to create a working life that suits them perfectly, being in direct control of their destiny. Whether your franchise is just you, or you’re running a significantly sized business, you might decide that franchising is right for the rest of your working career.

For other people, franchising is a solution that works at the time, but not forever. They decide further down the line they want to move back into employment and they manage the transition perfectly successfully. Because the good news is that franchising can work in all different ways. Some franchisees realise they have found their niche and stay in franchising for life, whilst others move in and out of franchising when it suits them. 

For example, one of my Get Ahead franchisees was employed until the birth of her children. She then decided to run a franchise to work more flexibly when her children were younger. As they grew up and started school, she decided to move back into an employed role, able to devote the consistent full-time hours to an employer. Then as she moved into her fifties, the appeal of franchising came alive again, to enable her to work flexibly around the needs of ageing parents, as well as give herself some more control over her working life. 

If you are thinking about a move into franchising, I encourage you to think about questions like ‘What if it doesn’t work out for me?’ ‘What if I want to go back to being employed at some point? Will anyone have me?’ as part of your due diligence. They are important questions to take time to consider, so you truly understand the consequences of your decision. Seek reassurance from others that franchising is a great opportunity for the next step in your career. Like buying a property, franchising doesn’t have to be your forever home. It can be the one that best suits your needs at the time.

Every role in your working career, be it in an employed role or running a franchise gives you skills, as an individual and a professional. The key is identifying those skills and applying them to your next transition, demonstrating why they have equipped you so well for your next career choice. It could be gaining professional skills, business skills or life skills. 

Draw on the benefits of each working experience. Find and recognise your purpose. With the right mindset, you can create the career you want, whether you choose franchising for life, or just for Christmas.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Newenham
Rebecca Newenham
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