The American Dream: work hard to create a better life for yourself and your posterity. For many people, the way to the American Dream is not through working in a corporate setting for decades on end, furthering someone else's business goals. Rather, for the innovative hard workers out there, owning a business and building a legacy to pass onto their children is the way to see the American Dream become a reality.
But how do you prepare to leave a steady corporate job to branch out on your own? Owning a business can be tough, and stepping out into the unknown waters of being your own boss requires a little bit of preparation.
At Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, we know a thing or two about owning a business. Many of our franchise owners have left their comfortable corporate jobs to work for themselves and have never looked back. Take a look at these strategies to convert from a corporate worker to a business owner, and start thinking about the next step in your career.
#1 Consider Investing in a Franchise
Investing in a franchise is a way to work for yourself without starting a business from scratch. Franchises already have products and services, branding, and infrastructure in place to make the process go smoothly. In addition, a franchise is already proven to work in a variety of communities with different owners. That's not to say that investing in a franchise does not require hard work; in order for your business to succeed - whether you start your own business or invest in a franchise concept - you will need to put in a lot of time and effort.
#2 Get Ready to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
You've heard the expression, "think outside the box." As a business owner, there is no box because everything is entirely up to you. Working for yourself will mean that you have to go outside your comfort zone to build your business.
In many cases, this can mean learning new skills that are necessary to owning a business, such as accounting or marketing. Regardless of your existing skills and experience, there will undoubtedly be some challenges as a business owner, but if you are willing to put in the work and try new things, you will be surprised at what you can accomplish.
#3 Keep an Eye on the Big Picture
As an employee, you probably had a handful of skills and responsibilities that were integral to the larger business goal. These responsibilities were no doubt important, but they were a small part of the whole. As an owner, you will need to think about the small parts and the big picture at the same time. As you go about your day to day actions, always keep in mind the end goal of your business.
Many successful business owners set goals for different time frames to keep their thoughts on the present and the future. Set monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals, and evaluate them frequently to ensure you are staying on track.
#4 Learn from a Mentor
As you prepare to strike out on your own, take the time to learn everything you can about owning your own business and what it takes. One of the best ways to do this is by learning from an expert - someone who has been there before. You can read books, follow blogs, and download articles with information about your industry, your strengths, your weaknesses, and everything in between. In addition to becoming well read about your field, you should also network and build dynamic relationships with other people who can advise you.
Investing in a franchise gives you an advantage in finding a mentor, because you automatically have a network of people who are having similar experiences as you. There is usually an existing network where you can turn for advice, as well as a family of fellow franchisees who have been where you are now. You can learn from these people and benefit from their past experiences, making your business even stronger.
Taking the leap to own your own business can be intimidating, but it is incredibly worthwhile to see all the hard work you have put into your business pay off. You cannot put a value on building a career that you are proud of, so what are you waiting for?
Want more information about franchising? Check out Pillar to Post's franchise opportunity and see how it fits your dream of owning your own business.