Achieving The Ultimate Work / Life Balance As A Franchisee

Franchises offer entrepreneurs a unique opportunity to become their own boss whilst enjoying the benefits of an established business with a proven track record of success. But for all the advantages that come with being a franchisee, it’s hard work and requires dedication and commitment.

Starting Your Own Franchise

Many people dream of leaving their mundane nine to five job and trading it in for the life of flexibility and freedom that owning a franchise can give. This dream can be a reality, but you need to choose the right type of franchise opportunity. Luckily you can choose to invest in a part time franchise, a home-based franchise or a van based franchise, all of which will give you the independence you desire.

So, whatever kind of franchise you choose, here are some tips to help you achieve the ultimate work / life balance.

Have a vision

Start a Home-based Franchise

When you start your franchising journey, have a vision in mind for what you want to achieve. If you only want to work certain days a week so that you can limit the amount of money spent on childcare, then you need to be clear about these from the outset. Investing in a home-based franchise may give you the flexibility to only work whilst your children are in school, for example.

Start a Seasonal Franchise

You may decide that you only want to work certain months of the year to allow you to pursue other interests. This is where a seasonal franchise could be considered. Imagine the flexibility of running an ice-cream business in the summer months, whilst enjoying lengthy skiing holidays when the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Anything is possible if you do your homework and buy the franchise that is best suited for you. Achieving a good work-life balance should increase your overall happiness and mean you are less stressed. A happy franchisee is usually a profitable one too.

Don’t lose sight of your vision

Once you’ve started your franchise, it can be easy to become so involved in the day to day running of your new business, that you realise that the vision you once had has disappeared. This may lead to you resenting your business as it has not led to the work / life balance that you desire.

Remember Why You Started Your Franchise

If you hated your old job because you had to work weekends, then make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of putting your franchise before your family on a Saturday and Sunday. This can happen particularly if you’re running a home-based franchise as it can be difficult to separate work and home.

It may take some time to get right, but if you’re strict with yourself and establish specific hours for work and the rest for play, you will be able to achieve a good balance.

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Advantages of Franchising

One of the main benefits of investing in a franchise rather than starting an independent business is that someone has already built an established brand and operating system on your behalf. The franchisor has done much of the groundwork that goes into making a franchise a success, and so there are less responsibilities for you to undertake.

Enjoy the fact that you can turn to the franchisor if you have any problems that you need help with. There’s no need to suffer in silence and work long hours to try and overcome any challenges that you’re faced with. Draw on experience, not only from the franchisor, but also from other franchisees within your network. Chances are, someone else will have already had the same concerns as you and worked out a solution.

Be in Control

Do not allow yourself to become overworked. As a franchisee dedicated to making your business a success, you may not realise that you’ve compromised your work / life balance, and therefore your happiness, until it’s too late.

If you started a part time franchise because you only wanted to work a certain number of hours a week, then remember the reasons why this was so important to you. It’s easy to take on more than we originally planned because we don’t like to say no to either the franchisor or customers, but this can be detrimental to your overall vision.

It’s like a vicious circle; the more work we do, the more accustomed we become to working at that pace, and so it becomes difficult to go back to that part time franchise dream. The best way to overcome this is to be aware of your own limits when it comes to your work and tackle any problems before they get out of control.

Expanding Your Franchise

When you imagine starting a van-based franchise, you probably visualise driving around your territory, meeting your customers and being in control of when and where you work. Also, one of the perks enticing you to a home-based franchise is probably the fact that you won’t have to tackle the dreaded commute to and from work anymore.

The problem is, that if you become a successful franchisee, the franchisor may want you to grow your business. This could mean it’s more difficult to keep both yourself and your franchisor happy.

Balancing a Work/Life Balance with Expanding Your Franchise

This is an obvious next step for many franchisees who want to expand their business empire, but if this puts your work / life balance out of line, then it may not be worth it. It depends on what your end goal is for your franchise.

If you want to become a multi van franchise, for example, then you may need to take more of a managerial role in your franchise rather than being out on the road. If this works for you and you still manage to achieve your personal goals, then everyone is happy.

Remember that no matter how big or successful your franchise becomes you should never neglect your happiness. Make sure that working to be the best franchisee you can be doesn’t leave you ignoring your role as a parent, spouse or friend.

Enjoy a night at the cinema, take trips to the beach on the weekend and make dinner plans with friends. After all, being able to live your life to the full was the reason you started a franchise in the first place.

If you do want to improve your work/life balance through becoming a franchisee, check out some of our best van-based franchise opportunities below.

Best Van-based Franchise Opportunities in the UK

Countrywide Signs

Tempted by a van franchise? Look no further than Countrywide Signs: the sign management specialists that manage For Sale and To Let boards. The unique franchise opportunity involves the erection and removal of boards up and down the UK.

Founded in 1998, the franchise is dedicated to supporting and protecting its franchisees and doing all it can do help them succeed. This demonstrated by the fact that Countrywide Signs is a full member of the bfa.

But what else has Countrywide Signs got to offer potential franchisees?

Well, the franchise has established technological systems that make operational processes as simple as possible. It also has over half a century worth of experience and a tried and tested business resales programme if you have a change of heart and want to sell up.

To find out more about the opportunity and the support you will receive, click here. You will need to have around £15,000 to invest in this franchise. Don’t forget to consider how you will achieve the ultimate work/life balance too.

FiltaFry

This is one franchise you probably wouldn’t have thought of. FiltaFry’s innovative business concept has resulted in it being a world leader in complete fryer management thanks to its micro-filtration of cooking oil and vacuum based deep clean of fryers. The ambitious brand is looking to expand its UK presence through the franchise model.

What are the perks of using FiltaFry’s services for the customer? There is a huge potential customer base for this franchise’s services. Anything that has a fryer, including hotels, schools, hospitals, stadiums, offices, takeaways, pubs and service stations can make the most what FiltaFry has to offer. To name but a few perks, its services reduce risks to health and safety, improves quality of food and keeps fryers hygienic.

Franchisees are supported every step of the way, initially through an extensive two-week training programme and through ongoing support hotlines that are dedicated to business, sales and technical issues. To discover the benefits of becoming a FiltaFry franchisee, click here.

Metro Plumb

This van-based franchise opportunity involves being the nation’s trusty local plumber. Providing you have experience in the industry or relevant qualifications in plumbing, Metro Rod will provide you with all the expertise you need to run your own successful business.

If you are able to meet the minimum investment of £17,000 and the maximum investment of £25,000, register your interest by clicking here.