In the world of franchising, there are rules to follow

Investing in a franchise business can be extremely rewarding, but it isn’t for everyone either. It’s important to understand that franchise businesses are completely different than independent entities.

For example, you might want to open a coffee shop that allows cats. Assuming you jumped through all of the necessary legal and regulatory hoops, you could potentially do that. However, with a franchise business, if you wanted to promote your own sale, or tweak the logo to your liking, it wouldn’t be possible. Corporate requires you to follow certain rules and guidelines. Without a structure of some sort, a franchise entity could do whatever they wanted, and that wouldn’t be much of a franchise.

Because franchising does require a significant amount of money down, it’s important to know what you’re getting into. Depending on your personality, you may determine that you’re better off entering the world of business on your own.

Do your homework. What kind of franchise business are you thinking about investing in? What is their corporate structure like? Are other franchise owners happy with their investment? What are common problems that franchise owners are having? Ask yourself important questions like these. The internet is full of forums and websites that can provide helpful information that will give you a comprehensive picture of what each and every franchise business entails.

Consider your personality type. Do you take instructions from others well? Did you quit your last job because you were tired of having to do things a particular way? If so, a franchise business probably isn’t right for you. Franchise businesses are structured in a very specific way, and all franchisees are required to follow certain rules, regulations and expectations.

Keep a cool head. What’s your attitude like? If you have a tendency to blow-up or be stubborn, it’s probably best to forge a path on your own. Franchise owners need to be able to play nice with corporate management as well as other franchise owners. Sharing knowledge and resources is part of the deal.

This isn’t meant to turn you off of franchising, but it is intended to help you think about your options. A happy franchise owner is a successful franchise owner. Good luck!