by Richard Pope
The economy has affected many of us in negative ways, from loss of retirement funds in a declining stock market to loss of a job as a result of corporate downsizing or worse yet, corporate failure. Perhaps this describes you or someone close to you that is also suffering through this recessionary period of uncertainty.
How people react to negative events in their lives tell us a lot about those people. For some people it can be devastating and they have great difficulty coping with the fact that society has let them down. For some people it is a matter of withdrawal and denial, “I got laid off by my company but next year they’ll call me back and in the meantime, I’ll just live on my unemployment compensation and my nest egg.” We’ve all heard the saying, “the lord helps those who help themselves” and nothing could be more applicable than a person who has recently lost their job and don’t know what to do about it or the bills that seem to start piling up almost immediately.
If you haven’t experienced a personal financial crisis, chances are that you have a close friend or family member who has and your first inclination was to reach out and offer a helping hand in the way of advice and counsel or direction or just offering a shoulder to lean on. Sympathy and empathy are wonderful and a person who suffers a loss needs both but neither will pay the bills and put food on the table. One can wallow in their bad luck and sorrow or they can regroup and do something about it.
Many people who are down on their luck consider it to be some sort of bad sign or precursor of bad times ahead but it doesn’t have to be that way. Those who succeed in life don’t dwell on the negative aspects of job loss; they get busy and do something about it. In fact, job loss creates opportunity for many and moves them in a direction that they might never have ventured into had it not been for a twist of fate. Unexpected events and yes, even tragedies in your life can propel you into areas of the unknown that were it not for those unexpected events, you would never have considered. Becoming an entrepreneur late in life is a very positive reaction to negative stimulus. One day you have a great job in corporate America and the next day you find yourself looking for a job. When that happens something deep inside rises up and tells you that there is no longer job security in corporate America and if you do find a new job the same thing could happen to you again. It is at that moment that becoming an entrepreneur sounds intriguing and enticing to you. That’s when you decide to take your future into your own hands and become a small business owner.
Small business ownership offers a viable alternative to a long, protracted search in a depleted jobs market. During periods of economic recession, small business growth flourishes, particularly in the area of franchising. Franchise business ownership offers a very viable alternative to the continuing pursuit of a job or being locked in a job that you don’t like.
Okay, you’ve decided to look into small business ownership and then it hits you – you have always been involved in one small aspect of business, sheltered layers deep in a corporate structure. You have NO REAL TALENT OR EXPERIENCE? You can’t cook so the restaurant business is out of the question, you don’t know anything about cars so the automotive business is out of the question and you actually start to wallow in your sorrow again because you suddenly realize that you have no experience running a business and you “don’t really know how to do anything.” Well, relax, that’s why franchising is such a viable alternative because franchising is all about training, systems and support. With a franchise, “you are in business for yourself but not by yourself.”
A franchise is method of providing goods or services to the consumer within a tried and proven framework. A franchise offers a readily duplicatable system with emphasis on training to create consistency from franchise location to franchise location and from franchisee to franchisee. Governed by the franchise and trademark agreement, the franchise opportunity requires mutual obligations from both the franchisee and franchisor. Franchising is a long-term commitment or as I like to say, it’s a marriage, not a date and emphasis must be placed on the fact-finding and franchise company investigation process to insure that there are no surprises and the expectations of both parties can be met.
Franchising is not for everyone. There are those who are simply better off staying in the workforce while still others have difficulty working within a system. Franchising provides training in all the tried and proven elements of the operation of a particular business model and allows for either single or multiple unit development. Most franchise companies prefer that their new franchisees have little or no experience running a business of their type because they are not hampered by preconceived notions and unlearning bad habits.
With over 3000 franchise companies available in the marketplace today, one needs an experienced franchise consultant to help guide them through the franchising business search and investigation process. Whether you are a seasoned business owner or a novice, a franchise consultant can help you find the business that is right for you.
At FranChoice, helping people find their piece of the American Dream is what we do. FranChoice provides consulting services FREE OF CHARGE, WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED, for those interested in exploring this viable alternative. Through a simple 3-step process the FranChoice consultant will take you through a process designed to help you find your perfect match in a franchise company.
As one who has experienced unemployment through corporate downsizing, I know what it’s like and I know there are many others who have or are experiencing the same thing. It may not be you personally but a member of your family that is struggling to find new employment opportunities. I would like to help.
For more information, please visit my web page at http://RPope.FranChoice.com.