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“HORN IN" On Franchise / Business Ownership a monthly post with blurbs, links, and other words-of-wisdom regarding self-employment; career transition; and franchise / business ownership; as well as information for business owners who may be interested in franchising their business. April 2018 Franchise Opportunity Knocks Self-employment Beckons Start answering the call right here. News you can use to help you find The right franchise / business opportunity for you. JUMP! Three Reasons the Franchise Model Works! By Natalie Barnes, President, Business Alliance, Inc. You may be a natural entrepreneur or someone who has always dreamed of owning your own business. Either way, or somewhere in between, you owe it to yourself to jump in and review the franchise model. A franchise can benefit the high-risk tolerance person to the more conservative person who needs predictability and support. But not all franchises are created equal. The “best” model is based on your goals. Let’s review three key reasons why the franchise model can benefit you. 1. The Interdependent Relationship! The relationship between the franchisor (corporate office) and the franchisee is a “win-win”. The franchisor offers a proven system and supports the franchisee to be successful. And in return, the franchisor gets a percentage of that success in royalty fees. What the franchisee wants: support, predictability, proven system, and success! And of course, the franchisor wants the same thing. 2. A Proven System with Strong Support! I must address that the proven system is for established brands only! And this is huge. Imagine starting a company with the ability to have a realistic forecast of growth, group purchasing power, marketing, and site negotiation. In addition, you have support from other franchisees and the corporate office to help you maneuver through the ups and downs of business. Why? Because they have been there and it is beneficial for a brand to have all franchisees be successful. The more successful the franchisees, the stronger their brand becomes. 3. Funding Options and Availability! Buying any business, franchise or not, is expensive. When that business is a franchise, there often are more funding opportunities available to the buyer. The franchise may be an SBA Approved Registry brand, meaning the FDD has already been approved by the SBA which may shorten the loan processing time. And an SBA loan is just one of many options. There are companies that specialize in funding franchises. Depending on the person and the franchise will depend on the options they have to get a loan to buy the franchise company. What Do Franchisors Look For in a Prospect? Most people would answer financial qualifications. While having the necessary amount of liquid capital and net worth is a consideration, financial qualifications are secondary. Yes, the prospect must be financially qualified, but money alone is not the main qualifying factor. Having sufficient financial resources just indicates that the prospect has the “price of admission”. Franchisors look for prospects who are bright, enthusiastic, have entrepreneurial spirit, are willing to work hard / smart; and someone who has a good attitude towards teamwork and is willing to work within a collaborative working environment. Franchises are collaborative working environments and are in the people business. So, franchises get awarded to people based on their human characteristics. Often a Franchise Representative will ask a candidate, “What are you looking to achieve by owning your own business?” The purpose of the question is not to see if the candidate can articulate a “right answer”, but instead, to find out if the candidate is prepared and can intelligently explain why they want to be self-employed and what they are looking to accomplish through business ownership. Also, a Franchisor is looking for candidates who are decisive and can make a reasonable decision without having 100% of the information / facts. You might be wondering why this is important. Well, when you own a business, the majority of your time is spent making decisions, and most decisions will have to be made after receiving / reviewing about 60%- 75% of the information. Franchisors understand buying a franchise is a big step in a candidate’s life and he / she will want to be deliberate. But, a serious candidate always stays on task and works through the process in a reasonable amount of time. Candidates need to be willing to move through the due diligence / validation steps carefully, but without dragging their feet. Again, Franchisors are seeking candidates who can and will follow a system, and be able to make sound decisions within a reasonable time-frame. ********************************************************************************************* ENTREPRENEURSHIP Is Living A Few Years Of Your Life Like Most People Won’t, So That You Can Spend The Rest Of Your Life Like Most People Can’t. -Unknown **************************************************************************************** Outdoor Lighting… design…create…outdoors As the category founder, this concept stands alone as the world’s oldest and largest outdoor lighting franchise company. Has custom-designed and installed Eco-friendly low voltage exterior and landscape lighting at more than 70,000 homes and businesses since our inception. Provides rigorous training, proven sales, support and marketing systems that enable our franchisees to sell, design and install professional outdoor lighting systems – with unparalleled service and attention to detail. With attractive gross profit margins and a sales closing ratio of over 65%, this is a strong choice for franchise candidates seeking a home-based business with few employees, low overhead, recurring revenue and great growth potential. Also works tremendously well as an add-on to an existing business. We specialize in the design, installation, and service of landscape and architectural lighting systems for both commercial and residential customers. We also sell and install lighting control automation for interior and exterior lighting applications. In 2010 added a holiday lighting program creating a "three businesses in one" approach, helping our franchise owner's extended their selling season with a unique opportunity. 3 Businesses in 1: Residential Landscape Lighting Commercial Lighting (Retrofit for huge energy (Green) savings) Holiday Lighting for Home Owners and Businesses Strong Profit Margins Excellent Annual Recurring Revenue Low Investment Superior Marketing and Lead Generation Exceptional Cross-selling opportunities Strong customer Referrals Ideal Candidate: Enjoys meeting and working with new customers, has a strong commitment to service and enjoys creative and/or visual thinking. Sales and marketing skills are a plus, but not mandatory due to our extensive training program. The typical profile of a franchisee: Man or woman, could be a husband and wife team 35-50 years of age College educated, usually with a four-year degree Background in business management, customer service, high-end premium retail, marketing or sales are preferred; Evidence of leadership success in career and/or community, ideally with hiring and firing responsibility and budget unit P&L responsibility Project management experience preferred Strong desire to build and manage a strong business versus a “boutique business” or “sole proprietorship” Above average acumen, skill and comfort with computers and technology Creative and/or interested in design and/or architecture would be a plus Often a “corporate refugee” seeking increased control and financial independence Motivated by an environment of not being trapped in an office or retail store Very motivated to be own boss and have control over schedule Understands and is comfortable with the ideal of relationship building to develop long-term trade alliance partners in the local market Flexibility to learn to sell to residential clients, including via nighttime demos, and through a long-term, technical sales cycle required for commercial accounts Investment: $143,000 Please call if you have questions, or desire additional information. ********************************************************************************* If you are seeking top-quality financial / investment advice, I highly recommend Teamwork Financial Group and Doug Moe...Texas Ex. Doug is the CEO of Teamwork Financial Group in San Antonio. He is an attorney and CPA. He has provided valuable insight to me and my wife regarding investment / financial advice, including guidance on having a Will vs. Revocable Living Trust, re-balancing our investment portfolio, as well as assisting us move a portion of our IRA investments into Fixed Asset Annuities. Over the past several months, I have had a number of very enjoyable meetings with Doug, since we have a tendency to spend time talking sports, as well as financial / investment stuff. Doug played basketball at UT in the 80s and is the son of Doug Moe, the former coach of the San Antonio Spurs. And, a great guy. ********************************************************************************* Do You Need Furniture Repaired... If so and in the San Antonio area, CALL Pat Bonney...Texas Ex... Owner of a Guardsman Furniture Pro. franchise...The Most Trusted Name in Furniture Repair. Pat was on the UT baseball team in the early 70s. I have used Pat's service multiple times for a variety of furniture repairs in my business and home. Great guy and fantastic service. 210-849-9663 Email: gfpsa@sbcglobal.net Don't Just Change Your Curtains... Change Your View. I Did. My Story 2017 newsletters; as well as copies of 2016 and 2015 newsletters can be viewed by going to the Franchise Quest Website. Click on the Website link below, or go to: www.franchise-quest.com Resource Center > Newsletter Small / medium size business owners: Would you like to grow your business by franchising. $1,000 Referral Bonus $1,000 Additional Information Is Available at Franchise Quest If you would like to visit, please don’t be shy about reaching out: I’m a coach, not a sales person. Hook 'em.

“HORN†In On Franchise / Business Ownership …a monthly post with blurbs, links, and other words-of-wisdom regarding self-employment; career transition; and franchise / business ownership; as well as information for business owners who may be interested in franchising their business. April 2017 Franchise Opportunity Knocks Self-employment Beckons Start answering the call right here. News you can use to help you find The right franchise / business opportunity for you. March Newsletter is available for viewing by clicking on the link below: FranchiseQuestLibraryMarch2017.pdf The Importance of Following the Franchisor’s System Note: This month's newsletter; 2017 newsletters; as well as copies of 2016 and 2015 newsletters can be viewed by going to the Franchise Quest Website. Click on the Website link below, or go to: www.franchise-quest.com Resource Center > Newsletter What I Learned From Complete Burnout At Work By Tomasz Tunguz During my first few weeks at Google, I read through the internal resumes of my new colleagues, which detailed their work and promotion paths. Google promoted people quickly. Some college graduates who had distinguished themselves had been promoted every quarter for more than a year, and were managers, senior managers, even directors. And I wanted the same type of trajectory. So I resolved to work as much as possible to achieve it. At the outset, I began to take on other projects. Small things like an extra research project. Or helping a friend with a presentation. One day, when I thought we needed a basic CRM for our team, I stayed up late into the morning building one, called Toothpaste. Pretty soon, the extra work began to consume a lot more time. I began to sleep less, going to bed on consistently after midnight, sometimes sleeping only a few hours. I doubled down on productivity tools looking to do more in less time. I began to focus on reducing interruptions and tallied each time someone interrupted me. Amidst the growing workload, I wanted to keep up an exercise regimen similar to the one I had on the crew team at school. The earliest San Francisco to Mountain View bus arrived too late to work out for more than an hour to be in the office before 730. So when I happened to meet Marty, who ran the Google bus program, I asked if there might be an earlier shuttle. The next week, a bus began arriving at my Google bus stop around 4am. I would climb aboard and fall asleep in the back row. Somewhere along the way, we would stop to pick up one of the Google chefs, rising early to prepare breakfast. I might arrive around 5, workout for about 90-120 minutes and then back to my desk. Weekends I tried to catch up on sleep, but often, I worked most of Saturday and Sunday too. I was a flywheel spinning out of control. On Christmas Eve 2005, my family admitted me to the emergency room. Bacterial pneumonia. Everyone told me my lifestyle was unsustainable and it had to change. Especially my manager. This was the fourth time in four quarters that I had been to the ER. Since then, I’ve learned a few things about how to avoid burnout: I am responsible for setting boundaries. Work time, sleep time, family time, you time. If I don’t set them properly, things get unbalanced very quickly. Being productive isn’t about doing more and more in the same amount of time. It’s about doing only the most important things well. And either saying no to the other things or finding another way for them to get done. I can’t win a marathon by thinking of it as 26 mile long sprints, or a week as 5 day-long sprints. Loved ones are good judges of when things are in and out of balance, and in my case, my wife helped me find more balance. Taking time off is essential. Vacations, yes, but also nights and weekends. At the beginning of each year, I try to remember that feeling of being out of balance, of being in the hospital with pneumonia, to reflect on how I should be spending time this year. Which are the most important things I need to do well in 2017? And which things just aren’t? Does Your Life In Corporate America Seem Like You Are Standing On The Ledge? If So, Step Back And Move Your Work-Life In A New Direction... This is what I do… My role is to challenge your thinking which may enable you to chart a new path to greater freedom, independence and personal fulfillment. If you are ready to leave your comfort zone and explore business ownership options, let’s talk. I provide professional consulting and coaching to those who wish to invest in a franchise / business opportunity, and would like a fresh perspective. My services are at no cost to you and will provide you information to help you better understand your franchising / business opportunity options. My free, no-obligation services can assist you: · To determine if self-employment / business ownership is the right career / personal option for you, · Find quality opportunities that are not widely advertised….the right franchise / business opportunity for you, may be one that you have never heard of and wouldn’t even guess, · Gain access to an extensive inventory of franchise, business opportunities [biz ops], and low-cost-of entry home-based businesses, · Avoid costly and / or time consuming mistakes, · Identify options that best fit your goals, lifestyle and business objectives, · Understand how you can use you 401K or IRA funds tax deferred and penalty / interest free to fund a business start-up. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving.†Are you allowing your professional life to wander aimlessly, or stand still? Perhaps you are in career transition and have always dreamed about being self-employed? Would this scenario be of interest and value to you …a process where you receive assistance to help you better identify your goals, financial requirements, lifestyle needs and what you would like for your work-life to look like; then provided information on self-employment options and guidance on exploring these opportunities within the confines of a safe and no-obligation environment. Remember, a window of opportunity won’t open itself… If you are ready, let’s discuss a methodical approach (not a one-time event) and an informative journey through the exploration / discovery process. ********************************************************************************************************************* Are you in career transition, or contemplating making a change? Would you like a "sounding-board"? As a former Human Resources executive and now a Franchise Coach / Consultant, I have over three (3) decades of assisting folks with career transition. Plus, I have personally walked down that path a couple times myself. If you would like to visit about career transition in general, entering self-employment via a franchise or business opportunity and / or UT sports, please call me at your convenience… 210-479-2491, or if outside San Antonio, 888-479-2491. Or shoot me an email with your phone number and a good day(s) / time(s) to call you. I will gladly provide complimentary advice and counsel. And, remember, I'm a coach, not a sales person. Have a job you don’t like? Seek other employment…I call that “Changing Your Curtainsâ€. Perhaps, you prefer a bolder approach which may provide a new and invigorating work-life…I refer to that as “Changing Your Viewâ€. In 2001, I decided to “Change My Viewâ€. If you are ready…Let’s Talk. I can help you “Change Your View†too… Don't Just Change Your Curtains... Change Your View. I Did. My Story ********************************************************************************************* Looking for Texas Hill Country Property… House, storage building, workshop, ponds, water well, and septic on 165 acres. 30 miles northwest of San Antonio / 9 miles southeast of Bandera. ******************************************************************************************** If you are seeking top-quality financial / investment advice, I highly recommend Teamwork Financial Group and Doug Moe...Texas Ex. Doug is the CEO of Teamwork Financial Group in San Antonio. He is an attorney and CPA. He has provided valuable insight to me and my wife regarding investment / financial advice, including guidance on having a â€Will†vs. “Revocable Living Trustâ€, re-balancing our investment portfolio, as well as assisting us move a portion of our IRA investments into Fixed Asset Annuities. Over the past several months, I have had a number of very enjoyable meetings with Doug, since we have a tendency to spend time talking sports, as well as financial / investment stuff. Doug played basketball at UT in the 80s and is the son of Doug Moe, the former coach of the San Antonio Spurs. And, a great guy. ********************************************************************************************* Do You Need Furniture Repaired... If so and in the San Antonio area, CALL Pat Bonney...Texas Ex... Owner of a Guardsman Furniture Pro. franchise...The Most Trusted Name in Furniture Repair. Pat was on the UT baseball team in the early 70s. I have used Pat's service multiple times for a variety of furniture repairs in my business and home. Great guy and fantastic service. 210-849-9663 Email: gfpsa@sbcglobal.net ********************************************************************************************* Home Services and Remodeling Franchise... One of the hottest new home service franchise opportunities in the U.S. 14 year proven business model offering new franchise options. Fast start up. Provides the opportunity to customize your business from basic home repair to full-scale remodeling. Primary focus is on area development franchise options for the San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth and Houston, Texas markets. Single unit franchise territories are also available for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Home-based with minimal investment, fewer operating restrictions and on-going costs. Investment: $58,000 - $120,000…single unit. ********************************************************************************************* ENTREPRENEURSHIP Is Living A Few Years Of Your Life Like Most People Won’t, So That You Can Spend The Rest Of Your Life Like Most People Can’t. -Unknown- Small / medium size business owners: Would you like to grow your business by franchising. $1,000 Referral Bonus $1,000 Additional Information Is Available at Franchise Quest If you would like to visit, please don’t be shy about reaching out… I’m a coach, not a sales person. Hook 'em. Larry S. Powell Franchise Quest 210-479-2491 Outside San Antonio: 888-479-2491 franchisequest@sbcglobal.net Skype: franchisequest