If you’ve been thinking about investing in a franchise and feel like you’re ready to dive in, step back for just a moment. Owning and operating a franchise can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but it’s important that you make sure that you’re ready to start a franchise. The following are five things that you should check off before you begin taking steps towards becoming a franchisee:

Check These Things Off Your List Before You Start a Franchise

1. Make Sure You’re in Good Financial Shape

Starting up a franchise will require liquidity. You’re going to need enough finances to cover your startup costs, which are going to include things like the franchise fee, rent costs, equipment costs, labor, and more.

2. Make Sure That Your Personal Life Is Steady

You’re going to want to focus on opening your new franchise location and getting it off the ground. If you’re going through a big life event—or are expecting a big life event, whether it’s a marriage, a divorce, the birth of a child, or any other such event, then adding a new franchise into the mix may be a lot.

As you are getting started on your business, you will need to have a rock solid foundation of support from your family and friends in order to work toward a good balance between your work life and personal life.

3. Make Sure You Have Your Family’s Support

It doesn’t matter how financially stable you are or how stable your personal life currently is, one of the most valuable assets you have the support of your family. It’s important that you get your whole family on board for your business venture.

Investing in a franchise is a big jump to take. The last thing you want to do is to make such a big decision yourself. Speak to your family about your desire to open a franchise, let them know what the benefits of doing so are, and get their full support.

4. Make Sure Your Personality Is Suited to Becoming a Franchisee

There are a few traits that are not necessary to have but definitely help in the long haul in franchising. Some of the traits we like to look for in our franchisees include:

• Optimism
• Dedication
• Hard work
• Resilience
• People skills

These are the traits of effective franchise owners.

5. Make Sure You’ve Chosen the Right Franchise

Do your research. Find out what types of franchises would do well and which franchise you would click best with. Learn about the franchise’s reputation and brand. You can even go above and beyond by speaking with current franchise owners to see what they think about the franchisor.

If you can check all five of these things off your to-do list, then you’re ready to start a franchise! For information about becoming a franchisee, be sure to contact us at Pretzelmaker today.