If you like the sound of running your own business, but you’re not sure what you want to do or how to go about it, maybe you should give some thought to taking on a franchise business? Running a franchise business can be very successful and rewarding and because you will already be buying into an established company it means that you get to have your own business but don’t have the risks of going out on your own, unsure whether your idea will be a success.
No matter what franchise you choose to run, whether it is a branch of a Pizza Hut or a Senior Placement Franchise, there will already be a business structure in place and you will be able to operate under the banner of an already established business. You will be able to benefit from an already tried and tested brand, successful ideas, and operating techniques that work and can be implemented, again and again, so all you need to do is find the right franchise for you and a location to run it.
Another benefit of running a franchise is that you won’t need to try and build the brand of the business as it’s already been done for you and will have a steady stream of loyal customers to the brand. Often franchisors will also offer training schemes and support with things like the management of accounts, sales, and advertising, which can be invaluable when you’re just starting.
So, what else do you need to know about becoming a franchisee?
Everything About Your Contract
This can’t be one of those documents you just sign, you need to read your contract thoroughly and understand what it is that you are signing up for. Get someone to go through it with you and explain anything that you’re not familiar with. It’s important to know how long you are in the contract because franchises are often granted for a minimum of five years with no option of getting out of it unless you sell the business.
What Your Responsibilities Are
While your business is running under an already-established brand, you will still be responsible for certain things such as your staff. For example, you are accountable for their actions like if they abuse social networking sites to damage your brand not only can the franchisor terminate your contract but, you are often financially responsible for any damage caused.
What You Own
It’s important to know what’s yours and what’s not and do remember that you don’t own your customers. So, if you decide to open up a similar business with a different name, legally you won’t be able to take your customers with you. Also, things like your website design, while legally you will be paying for the work, the designer will own the content that it creates, so make sure that you create contracts for things like this so that you know who owns what.
