Franchise Success vs Entrepreneurial Spirit in a Super Smackdown Event

You're all the things a good entrepreneur should be: driven, disciplined, confident and focused. Business problems that send others running for cover are simply the fuel that feeds your ambition. You prepare and prioritize like a paratrooper and you're as independent and steadfast as a bull taunted by fluttering scarlet silk. If you opt to buy a franchise, prepare for a smackdown.

Buying a franchise requires many of the same characteristics starting a business from scratch demands, but tempered in a way that allows the franchisee to integrate into a network. A successful franchise owner should be a good leader, but one who can listen to and take advice from peers and colleagues - and a franchisor.

Learning the franchise system means going back to school - as the student. Good franchisors must have the patience and tolerance to learn, understand and implement an already established system, leaving little room to do things their own way. Are you prepared to accept the franchisor's way of doing things - whether you like them or not, whether you agree with them or not? Your franchise agreement will require it.

Die-hard entrepreneurs are willing to take risks few people can stomach. But buying a franchise involves much less risk than building a business from the ground up, which is the very thing that attracts many franchisees in the first place. They like the idea of being a part of something that's already established. If this idea excites you, you're franchisee material. If, instead, you hear the faint hiss of your spirit deflating, perhaps you should consider another option.

Be honest: do you work well with others? Are you the kid who just couldn't follow the teacher's directions for your science project because you were convinced you knew a better way? Do you merge with traffic or would you prefer to direct it? Being a successful franchisee will require you to work together with the franchisor as well as other franchisees for optimal results. Some people live for collaboration, some prefer to do things their own way and own the results, good or bad. There's no doubt you'll own the results of your franchise endeavor. But any chance of success requires that you be the type of leader who is willing to follow an established course.

Committing to a business venture is like committing to a relationship. It requires plenty of consideration, honest self-assessment and ownership of your actions and the resulting consequences. Choose well, and you can look forward to many challenging yet blissful years of contentment. Choose poorly, and you're in for a major smackdown.

Lisa Hoffmann is chief copywriter for PRstore, a full-service retail marketing franchise with 41 stores in 18 states. PRstore makes professional marketing accessible to small- to medium-sized businesses by offering affordable marketing solutions and eliminating the pricey retainers often required by traditional marketing agencies. For more information about becoming a part of this dynamic franchise, visit PRstoreFranchise.com.

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Posted by mbuhlah, Saturday, March 29, 2008 1:07 AM

3 Comments:
Nice post. I'll have to keep this in mind, because I plan on running my own business soon. I've normally thought about starting a business from scratch, but lately I've been thinking about buying one instead. I'm not sure what kind I would want to do. Does anyone have any suggestions? Advice? Thanks.
@Rebecca -- If you plan on buying a business, make sure to do your due diligence! It is especially so in times like these. That being said, there are sites where you can gauge what's available in your area. There's one called BizTrader.com, which is this online global marketplace where you can buy or sell a business. You can also use it to find a lender, broker, or buy a franchise. I also suggest looking into your local small business groups. They should have a good idea on what's going on in your neighborhood.
or you can open the bar, Free Drink Recipes you can find some recipes for free in that. some coffe bucks, or etc.

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