Ah, this weekend the British Summer Time will be officially over. Winter is approaching, the sun is setting, and the days are getting dark once again. Luckily, being a franchisee is something that has been proven to make people happier. And this is not just thanks to the financial side of things. Yes yes, according to the NatWest bfa Franchise Survey 2012, 91% of franchisees are making a profit…but there’s more to it than that. Being in the franchisee position brings emotional content.
Why Is Franchising So Cheery?
The most obvious reason for this is that you become your own boss. Being able to make your powerful decisions and see them result in success is extremely satisfying, tending to induce pride (and rightly so!). There is a feeling that you have the power to change the world, and to make a hell of a lot of money doing it. You might have to work longer hours at first to set it all up, but at least it’s YOUR work.
Being your own boss also means you have control over your lifestyle, over the hours you labour, and how flexible your schedule is. Your destiny no longer relies on whether or not your boss happens to be good or bad and if your working conditions happen to be decent. Plus there is variety – you are doing something new and exciting on a daily basis, and usually learning new skills. Binder and Coad studied the British populace in ‘Life satisfaction and self-employment: a matching approach’, and found that the self-employed are three time more likely to be happier with their job than when they were employees.
But let’s be fair; we won’t ignore the challenges that the self-employed traditionally face. What about the risk of starting up your own business completely from scratch, not knowing if it shall succeed? What if you are unpractised in managing, budgeting and accounting? Ah-ha, well that is the advantage of being a franchisee; you are still self-employed, but when it comes to these difficulties you are not alone. The experienced are there to show you how to flourish.
A happy franchisee is more likely to be a successful one.
The Funner Franchises
While every franchise is a business to which one needs to be seriously dedicated, there are, of course, some industries that would be considered more light-hearted and fun:
Fitness: what a perfect way to combine business and pleasure. If sports are your hobby or interest, there are tens of franchises available out there for you to play with. It’s not always hands-on so you don’t always need to be fit; you just need to have a passion for the field (so to speak), whether it’s golf, training, swimming or other, and act the manager.
Pets: some people will always have a soft spot for cat and dogs, and working with animals will cheer them up.
Home-based: next time other workers are commuting to and from work in the dark, seeing sunshine only through the office windows, you may well be typing away on your laptop out in the back garden! Or if that’s not your style, you can always stay in bed and answer email in your pyjamas.
Gardening: embrace freedom and work outside in the fresh air. Talk about brightening up your day.