Guest post by Kate O’Connor, editor of FranchiseDirect.com
When considering franchising as a viable business alternative the two big benefits that crop up are “brand” and “established business model” which are very relevant but really its only when you get down to the “nitty-gritty” of the benefits of franchising that it becomes apparent why franchise opportunities can be great for women.
Of course, this all depends on your choice of franchise opportunity and with hundreds of opportunities available it is really important to do your groundwork before taking the plunge and committing some of your hard earned funds to a franchise investment.
Many franchise opportunities can be home-based which means that there’s no awful, soul destroying commute to and from the office – trying to juggle public transport, rush hour traffic and child care. Of course, if you have kids this is a huge bonus as you can lower or even eliminate your child care costs. Also, if you are offering a home service then you are close to your target market so even if you aren’t always working from home you don’t have long to travel to your customers’ homes.
An increasing amount of franchise opportunities are offering franchisees the opportunity to operate on a part-time basis which means that you can choose your own hours and therefore have more control over your work/life balance.
Also, if you are a full time mom considering returning to work after a few years taking care of your children and feeling a bit rusty and out of touch with the current market; then a franchise opportunity can be the answer to your prayers. Take into account the flexibility a franchise allows you and then consider the fact that almost all franchise opportunities offer you start-up training which will make sure that you are up speed with the current market as well as ongoing training and support when you are up and running.
There is such a huge variety of franchises available – the opportunities really are endless. You could find yourself running companies as far flung as children’s party organizer to web-based companies optimizing corporate clients’ online presence. You could find yourself thriving as an event planner or even at the helm of a business to business courier company.
