I recently spoke with a past candidate I had placed into a franchise earlier this year. I really enjoy staying connected to those I help find the perfect franchise as they are building the business. He told me his stories of all the pitfalls, challenges, the ups and downs of opening his first store fill with the delayed permitting and the extended construction time. All of which is pretty typical of someone doing all of this for the first time. However, hearing this sounded pretty daunting.
Then he says, “I also wanted to let you know that I’m expanding my territories to two additional stores, and this is why. I understand the vision for where this company is going and the direction our industry segment is taking, and I cannot wait to own and control my entire market.” WOW, what a pivot! He showed me the importance of having a vision for the future and the confidence in those around you to bring your dream to reality.
In September, I had the opportunity to support my wife on her President’s Club trip. At one of the evening gatherings, we heard the CEO speak. He was talking about his journey as CEO and how 15 years ago, he decided to take this CEO role of a small company in the HR space. He, too, shared the stories of the pitfalls and tribulations of growing that company into a high-growth, exciting tech company today. He went on to describe in detail how proud he was of all the high performers in the room and how their contribution to the growth of the company had created the success they were seeing now.
In both cases, the key to vision and expansion is the quality of people. The focus is always on taking care of people. Success is about recognizing and valuing those that are walking along with you toward a common goal. As the business owner you get to be the one driving the culture, direction and growth; you also get to be the one to benefit from all that is built.
Is business ownership something you have considered? I have found that many think about this frequently but often take little to no action toward this goal. Many times it is because they don’t know where to start. I have helped hundreds of folks start, and some have actually become the business owner they dreamed to be. The key to success in business is always about the people. Business owners that surround themselves with high quality people have the most fun!
David Weaver is the Founder of Franchise Your Freedom and a senior consultant with FranChoice, the premier national network of franchise consultants. David helps people all over the country find the right franchise fit by sharing his personal experience and philosophy on how to select the right brand. He shares proven strategies and over a decade of experience growing franchise companies for himself with those that are doing it for the first time. You can learn more about David at FranchiseYourFreedom.
