Someone recently asked me why I had employed them as a franchisee. The individual in question was experiencing some challenges in operating their franchise and, filled with self-doubt, was now wondering why they’d been hired, believing most employers wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole. I replied that I did not employ any franchisees: they work for themselves.
From the freedom to earn more than what normal jobs pay to the liberty of planning your schedule, running your own business has many benefits. However, no matter if it’s a big or small business, you are personally responsible for your success. Being self-employed means you can’t bring in a dodgy fit note to your boss because you know just how untrue it is. Employing yourself forces you to confront the harsh reality of your own laziness and that you are the only person that will suffer from it.
And remember that the mindset required to be a good employee is very different from that needed to become successfully self-employed. Workers don’t have to worry about how the company performs. Instead they can focus solely on the task given by their boss. This person will make all the important decisions and all the worrying. However, unless you change your way of thinking when you become your own boss from dependence to independence, things will go horribly wrong. So, in very basic terms, you’ll need to start thinking like a businessperson to enjoy the results of having a successful business.
Albert Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is to do the same things over and over and expect a different result. That is certainly true in franchising. So, rather than repeating all the same old mistakes, isn’t it better to enter into a franchise agreement and take the opportunity to do something different, especially if that includes the chance to follow tried and proven methods that can propel you towards franchising glory?
Take a look around in your franchise network. What do you see? I’m willing to bet that you’ll notice that the majority of franchisees are in the middle, some are just ‘okay’ and a select few are doing exceptionally well. Your chance of becoming a member of the last category largely depends on your attitude, energy and the way you think.
But recognising this fact leaves us with the question of how you can change the way you think. In essence it’s very much like dieting: the same way junk food tends to make us overweight, feeding our minds with rubbish and negatives can paralyse our creativity, passion, excitement and purpose. Once you realise this, you’ll hopefully start to look out for better influences. If you desire to fail, keep associating with losers. If you want to succeed, mix with successful businesspeople and follow their proven methods. Emulating their positive outlook can only enrich your own future.
That being said, the truth is that success isn’t the result of only one life-changing experience but is made up of many little things. Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day. Similarly, failure is simply the result of repeating a few errors of judgement every day. It is the accumulative effect of this that leads to our success or failure.
All change is gradual. However, we do have a choice in the way we react to every positive or negative situation we encounter. By making more positive decisions and avoiding any temptation to be side-tracked by annoying challenges, we find the way people react to us will change too.
Remember, businesses don’t fail but people do. Counterproductive as it might sound, the trick to being successful is to work less on your franchise and put more effort towards bettering yourself. Focusing solely on your business and not on yourself could result in” your company outgrowing your ability to manage and control it. Many potentially successful businesses have failed because they were bigger than their owners. So focus on yourself and watch as your business becomes a reflection of your qualities, ultimately leading to it thriving.
You are the most crucial ingredient when it comes to cooking up your own success. Your thoughts determine your actions. This means you must dare to think big, think positively and act decisively. No matter what franchise you operate in, remember that every franchisee has been hand-picked by their franchisor. Nevertheless, this wonderful opportunity to succeed will only be realised if you take advantage of every resource at your disposal, including your franchisor, other successful franchisees and most importantly, yourself.
I explained all this to the franchisee who was suffering from self-doubt. The results have been remarkable: the franchisee’s attitude in operating their business has changed significantly and has led to improved student enrolments. So free your mind and the rest will follow. 
