Is there such a thing as a family friendly franchise?

Have you been considering part-time work or going back to your old job post baby? It’s often a heart-wrenching decision to make.

I spoke to Abby Bletchford, who’s baby is 14 months old, for her experience.

“I was finding that I really missed working, the money of course, but also the company of others. I felt that I wanted to do something stimulating and crank my brain up a bit. But then I started thinking about the difficulty of leaving for work early in the morning and having to wake and dress Sonia and take her to childcare. I realised that I just couldn’t do it. The money wasn’t that important in the greater scheme.”

Abby wondered if instead of a conventional job maybe a family friendly franchise could work for her? She had no small business experience so didn’t want to start her own business but thought that a proven franchise could work.

But what does a family franchise look like and how do you find one?

Franchising is just like any other type of business, in that there are different industries within the franchising industry so it’s important to work out just what industry interests you. There are franchises in nearly every area of business, so there’s lots of choice.

Why franchising, as opposed to starting your own business? The right franchise can save you from you re-inventing the wheel and making costly mistakes, but finding the right franchise is crucial.

So what are the best tips for finding a family friendly franchise?

·        If you have young children, you need a flexible business where you can choose when you work and how many hours you want to work. Some franchises have KPI’s (key performance indicators) enforcing you to perform at a prescribed level. Not an ideal situation with young children.

·        A great franchise system will provide a comprehensive ‘how to’ system so a well-proven system is vital.

·        If you have young children you may find that a children’s activity business will suit you best. It’s easy to relate to the business activities and clients when it’s an area of interest to you.

·        Find a franchise that can adapt to your changing family situation. You may want to start small in business if you have a baby but have the opportunity to expand your business as your child grows.

·        A family friendly franchise will allow you to enjoy the camaraderie of other franchisees in your situation.

·        Hear it from the horse’s mouth – speak to other franchisees about their experiences.

·        Find a franchise that you can feel passionate about. Then ‘work’ will be a constant pleasure.

·        A strong brand and culture is attractive for clients and makes it easier for you to build your own franchise within the brand. 

A home based small business can be a lonely place.

You’re on your own – but in the right franchise you will have support from day one.

Franchisees should never be considered as competitors, they are comrades with whom you can share challenges, triumphs and a common love of your business activities. A great franchise network of similarly minded franchisees is priceless.

There are a multitude of websites that have franchises listed for sale. Some of them list home based franchises and children’s services franchises so check them out.

Franchising can be very family friendly so be sure to ask the right questions and perform due diligence to make sure you’re finding the right franchise for you and your family.

Have you considered buying your own franchise? Share with us below.

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