Is Starting a Franchise Right for You? Know Your Skills and Strengths
The skills and strengths you bring to a business can help determine if starting a franchise is right for you. We all have talents and abilities that stand out, and there are a core set of strengths that especially lend themselves to franchising. Having a firm handle on yours will help you make smart choices as you look at investments.
Consider the following questions to help assess your own skills and strengths:
What is your level of success in sales? Are you good at it? Do you enjoy it? Would doing business development sales 10 hours a day be torture for you, or would you enjoy being out in the community telling customers about the great value of the product or service your company offers?
How are your people-management skills? How do you feel about managing employees? Do you want any at all? Could you comfortably manage a small staff, or a large one? Do you want to be able to hire a manager to do that for you? Are you a strong communicator and a capable motivator? Is important to you to make a difference in your employees’ personal and professional grow while being part of your business?
What kind of business acumen do you bring to the table at the outset of your business? Do you have experience with and a knack for running multi-faceted business units? Are you a marketing whiz looking for a new challenge? Are you able to read a financial statement and understand it? Numbers are the language of business, and you’ll have an important skill going in if you’re already good at interpreting them.
What’s your comfort level with changing technology? Some terrific franchise opportunities come bundled with state of the art tech systems (and excellent training in how to use them). If you don’t have a natural aptitude for that kind of thing, are you trainable and willing to learn?
What kinds of personal and professional contacts and connections can you leverage to help build your business? Are you well-connected in your community and/or in the industry you are considering?
Do you have a particular skill that might lend itself to a franchise of interest? For example, are you a certified teacher looking to open a tutoring center? If so, that’s wonderful, but do you also have experience and skills compatible with running the business end of the franchise?
Remember that whatever your personal and professional defining characteristics, the right business model with a successful franchisor may be able to help leverage your skills and compensate for your weaknesses. Franchise systems are designed to help each investor succeed. The key is to clearly identify the areas where you’re likely to shine, and to flag those where you know you’re going to need extra support.
Want to learn more?
Let’s talk about it.
E-mail me at PGilfillan@FranChoice.com or call 855-904-7900.
Pete Gilfillan
Franchise Consultant and Author of HIRE YOURSELF
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What They’re All Saying
“Now is the best time to become an entrepreneur and franchise ownership makes it easier. If you want to be your own boss and live life on your terms you must read, study, and follow the path laid out in HIRE YOURSELF. It is clear Pete Gilfillan is on a mission to help people take control of their destiny through franchise business ownership.”
AMIT Y. KLEINBERGER
Chief Executive Officer, Menchies
“HIRE YOURSELF takes you by the hand and leads you from the initial stages of an idea about franchising to a successful investment and stellar startup. Pete provides real stories that you can relate to of others that have followed a similar path with practical resources to guide you through the entire process. A must read for anyone considering franchise ownership!”
BORIS KATSNELSON
President, SpeedPro Imaging
“Pete Gilfillan makes a compelling case for exercising your option to HIRE YOURSELF. With up-to-date facts and statistics, he reminds us of a new truth in industry: Loyalty isn’t what it used to be! The days of the employer based career are fading, and in its wake is a new career model that allows smart, ambitious, talented, middle-aged executives seeking a new path to control their own destiny through business/ franchise ownership.”
KURT LANDWEHR
Vice President, Franchise Development, Regis Corporation
“With its direct, engaging tone and ‘these-are-the-real-facts’ approach, HIRE YOURSELF makes a compelling case for the benefits of franchising and being an entrepreneur. Pete Gilfillan provides a unique perspective about the business model that seems perfectly poised to expand in nearly every industry.”
ROCCO FLORENTINO
President and CEO, Benetrends Financial
“For the right person who finds the right franchise concept, entrepreneurship is an amazing journey to success. In HIRE YOURSELF Pete Gilfillan shows you the steps to find the right franchise opportunity that will transform your unique talents into entrepreneurial success; to make a better life for you and your family.”
RICK CROSSLAND
Owner, A Player Advantage
“Pete Gilfillan has written a smart, savvy, eminently reliable step-by-step guide to choosing the right franchise for you. HIRE YOURSELF is loaded with great advice from the first page to the last.”
BOB MCQUILLAN
Vice President, Franchise Development,
Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa
“If you believe that owning your own franchised business is in your blood, first get a head start by reading HIRE YOURSELF. It offers solid, real world advice on making the very best choice for your goals and lifestyle.”
DOUG SCHADLE
CEO, Rhino 7 Franchising
“If you had opportunity to read only one book before investing in a franchise business, I would strongly recommend you read HIRE YOURSELF. Pete Gilfillan takes you on an exciting journey to not only learn if franchise ownership is right for you but how best to finance and structure your venture for long-term success.”
GEOFF SEIBER
CEO, FranFund, Inc.
“HIRE YOURSELF is a fantastic resource for anyone who’s feeling fed up or burned out with the corporate world. Pete Gilfillan makes a compelling case for taking one giant leap into entrepreneurship to cure what ails you.”
KIM DALY
Senior Consultant, FranChoice
“I got my start in franchising as a client of the process that Pete uses to match people with the right franchise concept. Having gone through this process myself, I can tell you that he has covered everything you need to know in evaluating and succeeding in a franchise business. If you are ready to take control of your destiny, HIRE YOURSELF needs to be the next book you read!”
RANDY CROSS
President of the Franchisor,
Fish Window Cleaning and a franchise owner with Fish
“HIRE YOURSELF gives newcomers and experienced entrepreneurs alike an astute and insightful look at each step in the process of franchise investment. The step-by-step process that Pete has outlined is like getting the expert CliffsNotes to the hard learned lessons of not just starting a franchise, but also what you need to know before beginning any business venture! I wish that a decade and a half ago someone would have handed me HIRE YOURSELF as I would have entered into the world of being an entrepreneur and franchisor with the knowledge base needed to be years ahead of where I started from. HIRE YOURSELF will be a must read for all of our new franchise locations and should be for anyone contemplating being their own boss.”
DAWNYEL SMINK
President, Canyon Lands Insurance/ CLI Select Agencies
“The knowledge and insight Pete Gilfillan delivers can help transform anyone’s hard work for someone else into a dream-come-true franchise of their own. With the know-how in HIRE YOURSELF, get ready to design your own destiny.”
P. ALLAN YOUNG JR.
CEO & Co-Founder, ShelfGenie Franchise Systems
“When we think of entrepreneurship, we tend to get caught up in a traditional path, starting a business from scratch. HIRE YOURSELF illustrates that exploring the world of franchise ownership may finally be the answer to the often asked question, ‘How do I realize my dreams and goals of a successful career?’ Be surprised as you learn the realities of controlling your own destiny with the best kept secret, franchise ownership.”
NICKI ANDERSON
President/CEO, Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce
“Starting your own business can be intimidating and lonely. HIRE YOURSELF makes you feel like you’ve got a stand-up guy who knows the process inside and out in your corner, offering equal measures of reassurance and good advice. Before you consider your next business opportunity, you should read and learn from this excellent resource.”
DON MARKS
Chief Executive Officer, POP-A-Lock and Temperature Pro
“HIRE YOURSELF offers a thoughtful and affirmative look at the potential of franchising for those who’ve had their fi ll of corporate politics, job insecurity, and an ever-dwindling appreciation of the corporate loyalty that was once a linchpin of the executive career. He makes a compelling case for entrepreneurship that most need, given the intense struggle which exists between a person’s Dragon (F.E.A.R.) and the dream that started the prospective franchisee out on their adventure to begin with.”
MARK A. TIT COMB, II
Sr. VP of Franchise Recruitment, CertaPro Painters
“Pete Gilfillan has “walked this road” And, this book leverages his experience to help others honestly assess their purpose for work and to make an informed choice that will best serve them and their family.”
WES KIMES
Vice President, Executive Services,
Right Management Chicago, IL
“You have the choice to either work toward your goals or someone else’s so why not be your own boss. HIRE YOURSELF is THE best tool you can have when taking that step in your franchise investment.”
ROBERT HUDGENS
Entrepreneur, success coach and self-made millionaire
“HIRE YOURSELF looks at franchising as a means to an end – a bridge from corporate dependence to self-sufficiency.”
DAN FIELDS
Senior Vice President, FocalPoint Coaching
“HIRE YOURSELF doesn’t put you on the road being a successful franchise owner, it puts you on the Autobahn in a Ferrari! Pete Gilfillan’s revolutionary book has taken the guesswork out of owning a thriving business.”
JEFF HERR
CEO / President, St. Gregory Development Group
“Pete Gilfillan’s passion to make a difference in other’s life is demonstrated in HIRE YOURSELF. He shares his personal journey and insights on how to transition from being employee to becoming an entrepreneur. If you are tired of working for a boss or unsatisfied in your current job, then you need to read HIRE YOURSELF.”
JOHN HENNESSY
President, Hennessy’s Riverview Ford
“HIRE YOURSELF is an absolutely, positively must-read guide to getting into franchising and making it work.”
DENNIS CAR TER, PT, MPT
Physical Therapist and Clinic Director,
ATI Naperville South
