Is a Home-Based Franchise Right for You?

For many potential franchise owners, the option to own a home-based franchise is highly appealing. After all, the idea of working from home carries an aura of flexibility, convenience, and fun. But is that really what it’s like to own a home-based franchise? I can help you figure that out. If you’re drawn to home-based franchising, read on for the factors you’ll need to consider.

You won’t necessarily get to work from home all the time…

Home-based franchises are usually service businesses. Many of them involve providing services to people in their own homes or at their own businesses: pool cleaning, lawn maintenance, driveway repair, and so forth. So while your office may be in your home, these businesses require you to get up and out of the house regularly if you want to earn an income.

…but you might.

On the other hand, there are home-based franchises that allow you to work from home all the time. For instance, many moms with young children are purchasing franchises as specialized travel planners. They’re turning their own experiences as the family vacation planner into an income-earning opportunity. Other options include virtual interior design, fashion styling, life or wellness coaching, and more.

Operating a home-based franchise requires significant self-discipline…

Whether you’re working completely from home, or that’s just your base for an out-and-about service franchise, you need major self-discipline to be successful. Without the external structure of set business hours, you are responsible for filling your day with enough work to earn a living. On a sunny day, it can be very tempting to just drop everything and take the kids to the park. But if you don’t have any appointments or projects on the books for the next several days, you need to stay at your desk and drum up some business.

…but it also provides significant flexibility.

However, if business has been steady, you can take advantage of that sunny day. If 35 hours a week earns you the income you need, you don’t have to keep going just to fill a full 40 (or 50 or 60, if we’re making an honest comparison to a lot of corporate jobs). And as long as your customers can reach you when they need to, you don’t have to keep normal business hours. Want to run your errands mid-week to avoid the weekend crowds? Go for it. You can catch up on your work in the evening, or wake up a little earlier the next day.

Working from home erases the separation between your work and personal lives…

For some people, the lack of a hard separation between work and home is not, well, workable. Working from home means that your work is always nearby. It’s easy to keep going back to your desk to finish “just one more” task because your desk is only steps, not miles, away. On the flip side, working from home also means being vulnerable to distractions. The TV, housework or yard work, kids, and pets are all common culprits.

…but you can maintain balance by setting boundaries.

The most successful work-from-home franchise owners know how to create boundaries between their work and personal lives. There are many ways to do this, but the most common include:

• Have a separate home office or workspace away from main living areas of the house–and never put your desk in your bedroom.
• Set aside focused work hours (whatever times or amount works for you) and block them on your calendar if necessary. Don’t take personal calls, check personal email or social media, or schedule personal appointments during those times. If you need to, hire childcare, a petsitter, or a house cleaner to keep that time business-focused.
• When you get up in the morning, get ready for work, even if you’re not leaving the house that day. Take a shower, shave, make your hair presentable, and put on proper clothes. Ask yourself, “If I went out in public like this and bumped into a potential client, would I make a positive impression?”

If this sounds like an arrangement that’s right for you, book a call with me! I can help you explore the available home-based franchises and figure out which one is best for you and your family.