Franchise Advice


The


golden age


It doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old – franchising is for you, argues Nick Williams of Ashtons Franchise Consultants


S


o, you’re thinking of becoming a franchisee but naturally have some concerns? Maybe you’re


young and think franchisors won’t want you, or maybe you’re mature in years and worry that you’re ‘over the hill’. Relax! Franchising is inclusive, not exclusive!


Franchisors simply want franchisees who can do the job and follow the system. And remember, you are, after all, backing yourself with your own money, so it’s slightly different to a standard employer/employee dynamic. A couple of phrases spring to mind here. One is from an old manager of mine when I was starting my career in banking management: “You can be a fool at 15 or a fool at 50. Your age does not matter, your ability and your determination do.” Another is a classic: “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t.” The choice is yours. So, let’s think through some issues. In franchising, a company harnesses the abilities, experience and energy of others to realise its ambitions. Provided with training, tools, a licence and ongoing support, franchisees establish the franchisor’s brand in new markets and explore these markets indirectly on their behalf – the more competent the franchisee, the


more profitable the enterprise will be. So, straight away we see the potential for people to confuse energy with capability. A young person might seem ideal because they have more dynamism, but, on the other hand, an older franchisee is likely to be very qualified through their life experiences and past working environments, so their energy can be substituted for capability. Like with sports teams, it is often good to blend a mix of youth and experience, harnessing their respective attitudes for the greater good of the team. While young franchisees can bring energy, enthusiasm and malleability, they inevitably lack the experience, instincts, skills or business connections that older franchisees would have developed over the course of their careers. Being successful as a franchisee does not come simply from using energy by applying it wisely. If a franchisor can take a younger person with a mature outlook and give them support and skills to come forward, then they have every chance of being successful. Equally, however, older franchisees will be good at working cleverly – often requiring fewer instructions on basic business matters and less ongoing assistance, or needing less time to establish the business.


So, if we accept that a franchisor will be happy to talk with both young and old candidates from a variety of backgrounds, then there is an opportunity for everybody – but it’s still wise to try and match your skills and enthusiasms towards a brand that suits you. Some brands that have a very young client or customer base find themselves looking for franchisees who would serve those clients effectively, and they will often be of the same age group. On the other hand, if a business is in the consulting sector, for example, where business wisdom and experience matter to the client, then it is possible that a younger person would not be able to offer that approach. We are in an age where your actual age is unimportant. Older people rub shoulders quite happily with younger people in all sorts of social and working environments – the key is to keep an open mind and have enthusiasm. So, as we embrace 2019 with optimism, we wish you the best in your business journey! n


Nick Williams is a managing consultant at Ashtons Franchise Consultants


86 | The Franchise Magazine 2019


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