Have you ever wondered what it would take to leave the corporate world behind and own your own business? Are you tired of being the go-to girl, a small fish in a big sea, earning money for someone else? Is it time to take charge of your future and really be in control of your destiny?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then you’ve thought about business ownership – but something has stopped you from moving forward. Was it lack of experience? Couldn’t think of a unique concept that would compete with established brands? Fear of the unknown? If so, you are not alone.

That’s why so many people have turned to franchising – and a record number of those franchise owners have been women. When you buy a franchise, you have help setting up and running your business. The concept and brand name are established and recognizable by the public. And there are experts to “hold your hand” and answer any questions along the way.

In the United States the number of women-owned businesses grew at twice the national rate for all privately held companies from the period of 1997 to 2002, according to census data. One reason may be that business ownership is a way for women to crack through that proverbial glass ceiling. Another reason is that it can give a woman more flexibility, something greatly desired by those with a home and children to manage.

For many women, owning a franchise can be the easiest way to achieve their dream of business ownership. No one claims that every franchisee is successful; however your comfort level will be greatly increased if you follow a tried-and-true system instead of building something from scratch.

Here are some of the ways a franchisor may help their franchisees:

• Build-out/Site Selection. From the look and layout of your store to the location to the signage, a franchisor knows what works to draw customers. Most franchisors will offer guidance in these areas and some even have employees who will work one-on-one with a franchisee to accomplish each of these tasks.

• Marketing. Most franchisors have a marketing strategy that takes into account the demographics of the franchisee’s territory and the best way to get business. Many also require the franchisee to contribute to a national marketing fund, which buys national advertising. A national TV ad, for example, will increase brand awareness and the buying power of many contributors will allow greater penetration into markets.

• Proprietary Software. If your business will rely on technology, many franchisors have specifically designed software to keep track of customer lists, inventory, accounting, or whatever is needed to keep the business running smoothly.

• Employees. When a business has many open locations, they have significant data to draw upon. This can be of great help when you need to hire, manage and retain employees. A franchisor can tell you what type of person to hire, where to advertise for employees and may even provide employee manuals and other resources.

• Buying Power. A major advantage of being a franchisee over being on your own is having the buying power of a large business. Whether your product consists of bread or batteries, or your service is house painting or dry cleaning, you will benefit from the greatly reduced prices you pay for supplies and inventory because of the quantity purchased by the franchisor.

• Training. Say you want to own a window tinting business but you don’t know a Cavalier from a Camry. No problem. A franchisor will train you in most everything you need to know to run your business – including how to hire the people who do know their way around cars. You will still need to have innate business skills and a great work ethic to succeed in your business but most specific parts of the business can be learned.

This is the safety net a franchise provides: a tried and proven concept with operations, marking, distribution, accounting, technical support, brand, etc. all in place, tested, retested and ready for a sharp, hard working entrepreneur to join the team. Growing a business through franchising obviously works. U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that franchising accounts for approximately one trillion dollars a year in sales and is increasing at a rate of about 8% per year. For a woman who is preparing to run her own business for the first time, it can be the best of both worlds. A franchise provides the help and guidance of a big company along with the control and flexibility of a small business.

If you’ve been thinking about owning your own business, buying a franchise may provide you with the security you need to make the commitment. A good franchisor will provide you with training, support and continuing help – after all, they don’t succeed until you do. With over 1,600 franchise concepts in the US today, there’s never been a better time or a better place to follow your dream of business ownership and you will find lots of company – women populate all areas and all sectors of franchising.

Kim Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.

• 1 Comments

  

Comments

It is so cute to learn all these tips. Nice presentation of ideas!.
Thanks.

 Posted by: startup plans at January 11, 2008 8:52 AM

 Add your own comments

Name:

Email Address:

URL:
Remember Me? YesNo

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)

What next?

 Digg it

 Save This Page

 Subscribe to GetEntrepreneurial.com

 Leave a comment

Next Article: Are They Kidding With That Offer? »

Previous Article: Selling the Customer What the Customer Needs - Not What You Want »

Kimberly Ellis is a GE Network Expert. View Kimberly Ellis's profile or read more articles from Kimberly Ellis. Learn more about the GE Experts Network.

Have an expert opinion on issues entrepreneurs and small business owners face everyday? Join the GetEntrepreneurial.com Experts Network and share your expertise with the community!

The new GE Experts Network is inviting seasoned entrepreneurs and small business owners to come on board and contribute small business advice to our community of aspiring entrepreneurs. If you have an effective way of generating sales or you know how to use social networking to connect with your customers, join us in providing wider entrepreneurial content that would benefit small business owners worldwide.

Click Here to Learn More >>

Related Articles

 Calendar Marketing » Calgoo In-Calendar Marketing is a new, permission-based marketing platform to promote time-sensitive products and services to your customers. This new marketing concept enables...

 uWink Interactive Restaurant » Springwise: At the prototype uWink restaurant in Woodland Hills, California, customers use tabletop touch-screen terminals with a proprietary user interface to self-order...

 Happy Socks » TrendCentral: This Swedish hosiery company, Happy Socks, makes us want to never wear plain black socks again. Offering a literal rainbow of...

 Planet Phone Design » Hallyu Tech: LG Japan hosted a Mobile Design Contest and with the winners announced the phones were put on display at a Tokyo...

Need more brand new promising business ideas and innovations around the world you wish you'd thought of? Visit CoolBusinessIdeas.com now!

Ever wanted to be the CEO of your very own Starbucks or Amazon.com? Fire your boss and be your own boss? Now you can, with BIZNESS! - the free biweekly business newsletter about new business ideas, opportunities and innovations from around the world. More than just new business trends, BIZNESS! helps the aspiring entrepreneur (you!) with small business advice, business tips, and entrepreneur resources and opportunities.

   Subscribe for free now!    

---