Two years ago, Ram Prakash Misra from Kanpur decided to quit his job in a multinational company and start his own business. But, due to a lack of experience in starting something new from the scratch, he decided to consult with an old colleague who was thriving as a franchise owner of a popular food chain.
After a quick meeting with him, Ram Prakash Mishra decided to get into the franchising business, too. After four months, he says his career change has been a profitable one. He now spends his time cleaning the ducts of air conditioning and heating systems. So, though Ram Prakash Mishra is happy cleaning air conditioners, it is not for everyone.
But, if you want to get into a franchise business, you are in luck. There are thousands of different types of franchise businesses that you can buy into at various levels of investment of both time and money. But, how would you determine which franchise business should you invest in?
Here is our ultimate guide to choosing a franchise business.
1. Choose the Right Franchise By Knowing yourself
Before you decide to jump on any franchise business opportunity, you need to first understand yourself. You will need to take more than just a step back to analyze your interests, requirements, and many other aspects of your personality. Be brutally honest and introspective about what you are trying to accomplish by buying this business.
2. Ask yourself what do you want out of a franchise business
People buy a franchise for multiple reasons. Ask yourself is this something you want to do out of the hobby? Will you want to make it a primary source of income? Are you looking to build equity? Would you eventually want to buy more than one franchise?
These questions might appear simple, but the type of business you eventually pick is the result of what you are trying to accomplish.
3. How much you are willing to invest?
You might have an idea or you might be contemplating on what type of business you want to get into, but calculating how much capital you are ready to invest will give you a clearer idea and a realistic sense of franchise opportunities that are possible for your budget.
Like any other business, you should not expect that your business will be profitable since day one. Also, loans will not be easy to come by. So make sure that you have enough money to live off while you get off the ground.
4. What is your exit strategy?
This is a common yet the most neglected question that potential entrepreneurs fail to ask themselves. It is important, to be honest about how long you would want to continue it. Is this something you would want to do for 4-5 years? Or is this something you will continue as a legacy? Having a clear answer is very important because different franchisors have different restrictions on selling to other franchisers.
5. How much risk are you willing to assume?
This is one of the most important questions; you must ask yourself before investing in a franchise business. Once you have reviewed your financials, you can probably get a sense of how much risk you can take. Some well-established franchises are working for many years and have a great record of franchising success, but they are not exactly on the cutting edge anymore. Similarly, many new companies are riskier, but they can potentially offer higher returns. By keeping your risk-taking abilities into your consideration, decide on investing in a franchise business.
A franchise business is a wonderful option for those who want to start their own business, but don`t want to begin from scratch. To decide and choose a franchise, you will need to evaluate the pros and cons of both of them. Hope the above-mentioned questions will help you discover and select the best franchise business.
The idea of managing a business is easier said than done and we completely agree with you. This is why to help you move forward with your business goals, we at Bada Business offer an exclusive Business Coaching Program that comes with Foundation courses, specialized courses, and value-added courses.