It may seem surprising but, compared to typical entrepreneurship, many opportunities in franchising offer work-life balance. Franchisees can own a business without many of the added stressors a typical entrepreneur faces. Benefits include a proven successful business model to follow as well as extensive support in multiple areas including. Franchisees get support in general business training, marketing, and technology. In addition, they have access to the franchisor’s and fellow franchisees’ expertise.
“The franchise model attracts entrepreneurs seeking financial security and schedule flexibility, which is often challenging to find in corporate America.” ~Michelle Rowan, Franchise Business Review
So how long will it take you to be able to leave work to coach your kids’ sports team, enjoy long lunches, work half days, and take vacations several times a year if you become a franchisee? Well, it will depend on your goals and the type of franchise you select.
“The franchise model attracts entrepreneurs seeking financial security and schedule flexibility, which is often challenging to find in corporate America,” says Michelle Rowan, President of Franchise Business Review. “It’s important, however, to understand that although franchisees enjoy a tremendous amount of support from their franchisor and fellow franchisees, their success as a franchisee will be based on how they work their business and flexibility will depend largely on the business model they select.”
Every franchise model will require you to invest time and money to establish your business. Most necessitate building a team of employees you can rely on before you can start removing yourself from doing the day-to-day operations to working on your business. Those that designate store hours will have less schedule flexibility, at least initially, than those that do not require a storefront.
“I work from home, which means if my son has a sporting event, doctor appointment, or another activity I want to attend, I can schedule my hours around it.” ~Andrea Joyce, Dream Vacations
Be sure to understand how many hours franchisees work in general at franchises you’re interested in as well as what days they typically work. Franchise Business Review offers so many resources – just look at our Top 200 List of Franchises to get information about each one. Even if running your franchise is time-intensive, you’ll likely be able to structure your time around your own needs.
“I work from home, which means if my son has a sporting event, doctor appointment, or another activity I want to attend, I can schedule my hours around it,” says Andrea Joyce, who owns a Dream Vacations franchise in Somers, New York. “On weekends when I have plans, I try not to do any work, but I always find time to field some emails and let clients know when I will be available. Balance is difficult but important.”
Some franchises offer a tremendous amount of flexibility from day one.
“Kona Ice is a mobile shaved ice truck so it allows franchisees to set their own hours. A franchisee can be as busy as they want,” says Tony Lamb, CEO of Kona Ice. “The seasonality of the business also helps franchisees catch their breath after the busy summer months. The winter months give our franchisees time to regroup, plan the year ahead, make new contacts, and spend time with family and friends.”
“Women desire quality of life and relationships, while still pursuing their professional dreams,” says Rhea Lana, Founder and CEO of Rhea Lana’s. “Rhea Lana’s is a community event based business with each of our franchisees holding two children’s consignment events per year. Our franchisees work part time on their own schedule with more focused time spent leading up to their community events.” Check out our list of Top Franchises for Women.
5 Ways to Achieve Work/Life Balance in Franchising
It’s easy to get pulled into working too much and living too little. Below are some tips to keep help you maintain a healthy work/life balance.
- Set work/life objectives. Outline your vision of the ideal work-life balance. Is it working a set number of hours? Not working weekends or only working until a certain time each night? Or, is it taking several vacations each year? Define what the balance is for you.
- Make a plan. Once you know what your work/life objectives are, figure out what you need to do to achieve them. This might include setting hours for yourself, hiring staff, prioritizing, planning ahead, or setting budgets. “I make a lot of lists and prioritize my day,” says Michelle Spitzer, who owns four MaidPro franchises in Florida. “Also, delegating things to my team allows me to get more things accomplished.”
- Stay focused. You need to keep your work/life balance goals in mind in order to make sure that you don’t ruin your chance of achieving them. For example, what happens if you said you wouldn’t work on a Sunday and then get a call from a potential client? Ideally, you can postpone the meeting until the work week if you are not desperate for the work. Stick to your priorities.
- Tap into your network. Find others to rely on in the event you’re out of your depth. A fellow franchisee may have already faced the same issue and found a solution to it. Additionally, ask for help with coverage like Victoria Schafer, who owns a TSS Photography in Southern Ohio, did. “I had the opportunity to cover a big sporting event, but was going to be away on vacation. So, I reached out to a fellow franchisee who is about an hour and a half away. He covered the job for me and everything worked out great. “
- Value happiness – yours and others. Work should be an aspect of your life, not your whole life. If you are working when you said you wouldn’t, it’s time to evaluate. If you start valuing your happiness and that of those you care about most, you’ll be more likely to take the steps outlined above.
When researching franchise opportunities, ask the tough questions. Franchising offers work life balance in a way traditional entrepreneurship doesn’t. Yet, only if you’re willing to set your boundaries and prioritize what’s most important.
