One of the best ways to get into business for yourself is with a franchise. But the advantages of a franchise can go right out the window if you start to tinker with its time-tested system. Are you ready for a franchise?
As many people will tell you, if you're going to buy a franchise, you have to follow the system, a veritable operating manual you get with your purchase. The whole beauty of a franchise is the training and ongoing support you get with the system that has led dozens before you to long-term success. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. That's the whole point.
Related: Ready For A Franchise? Maximize Your Success By Making The Right Choice!
If you're the type of person who likes to create your own systems, a franchise might not be for you. Whatever you do, you should figure this out at the start of your process. See for yourself if a franchise can be your ticket to a new career. Answer just five easy questions.
The 5-Question Test To Know If A Franchise Is Right For You:
1. Can you call for assistance when needed?
One of the criteria you use to choose a good franchise is the quality of their training and support. A good franchisor will help you through the start-up process, provide lots of suggestions and hold your hand along the way. Take full advantage of what you're paying for. You must be willing to ask for advice. Then take it.
2. Can you accept paying franchisor royalties and other specified fees?
Successful franchisees consider the franchise fees more than a fair price for what they get: back-room expertise, a national brand, marketing and advertising, as well as ongoing support. If you're going to resent paying royalty down the road, don't buy a franchise!
3. Can you accept the franchisor's advice?
A franchise requires you to accept a fully-vetted system designed to work a certain way. If you think you would prefer to create your own business based on your unique vision, you don't want a franchise.
4. Do you want to be a part of a larger organization?
With a franchise, you join a team, and the franchisor requires each franchisee to present a consistent image to the public. You will need to follow the rules. Just as you will want other franchise owners to also follow established national branding.
5. Can you see yourself following the system? Is it a good fit for you?
If you don't like the system exactly as it's presented to you, don't buy it. You can't start tinkering with it later. Not only will it break the terms of your contract, but it may also reduce your chances of success. Not all systems will suit every person. You might find another franchise system that works better for you.
If you say yes to each question, you're ready to begin your research to find the best franchise to match your skills, experience and interests.
Making a good match requires a willingness to do your homework. But, then again, so does running your own business. The good news is that when it's your business, you get to reap the full rewards of your hard work.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a Work It Daily-approved expert.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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