Home Based Business Franchise

To Franchise Or Not To Franchise, That Is The Question...

Home Based Franchises

The good news is that there are home based business franchise opportunities around.  This does not necessarily mean that you work 24/7 at home.  It could mean that you are 'based' at home, but you have to travel to customers' residence to carry out your business.  

However, there are many 'management' homebased franchise business services, where you manage the business and you employ staff to carry out the work.  So you will literally be running the business from your home office.

Examples of a home based business franchise:

• House Cleaning
• Photography
• Handyman
• Plumbing/Electrical
• Interior Design

Any of these could be an independent or a management business.

A Franchise Overview

People have different views of franchise businesses.  Some people literally need to be taken by the hand and shown what to do and have the full support and back-up of their franchisors.  For these reasons they don’t mind paying the upfront and ongoing franchise fees.

However, some people feel that they can research and make a good go of their business venture themselves and simply won’t consider paying a large percentage of their gross profit to their franchisors.

In reality there isn’t any one big special secret to any small business success.  It really is just a matter of good sound business practices and techniques with a few tricks of the trade thrown in.  

That’s basically all you need to know to start.  You will eventually learn your own tips and tricks of your chosen business and develop your own unique practices as time progresses.  You’ll then feel that you have your own unique secrets to the trade!

Also, franchisors tend to be very territorial when it comes to franchisees using their marketing materials and adopting their business practices.  For this reason they will have a large agreement drawn up by a solicitor identifying what you can and cannot do as a franchisee. 

These rules and regulations leave you very limited in being ‘creative’ in your own business.  It is also a very intimidating contract to read and sign.  If you violate any of these rules they can cease trading your business.

Finally, you will get some franchisors that are really helpful and truly want their franchisees to succeed in a big way.  While other franchisors simply don’t have the support that’s in the best interests of the franchisees and are simply using their franchisees to ‘test’ their new products or business methods.  This does happen, even though I never understand it because if your franchisees are growing in business, then that surely means that the franchisors’ bank balance is growing too. 

Summary

So, the question is 'to franchise or not to franchise?'  Well, that is obviously up to you.  I have only given you my view on what a home based business franchise would entail, and I did not mean to sound too negative on writing this page.

I just wanted to get across the message what the good and the bad entails when considering joining a franchise business, whether it be home-based or not.

If you really don't think you have the business 'know-how' and need someone to point you in the right direction, then it is worth giving a franchise some serious thought.

But if you think you could learn and develop the 'know-how' of running a small home based business, then seriously think about giving it a go by yourself, there is still plenty of support for the small business person who doesn't belong to a franchise!



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