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“Get someone who can teach you the ropes” Lucy Long, franchisee atWPA Healthcare Partners When I started my franchisee business 15 years ago, starting out with zero customers was the biggest challenge. The help now available for new franchisees is phenomenal. For example, WPA Healthcare Partners now has an academy to teach new-joiners. Get someone experienced like me to teach you the ropes or buy an existing portfolio (as we all hope to retire eventually) and listen to advice. Within our franchise, it’s typical that there will be an agreement to stay on for a year with the new franchisee to help with the handover. People buy from people in the financial advice arena, especially in health insurance, and I believe encouraging a wider range of people to become franchisees is better for the customer. Currently, my Trustpilot rating is consistently five stars and I’ve had more than 100+ reviews in the past year, which I’m very proud of. However, moving forward, I’d like to semi-retire to celebrate time following my cancer recovery and work with other franchisees to help them avoid common pitfalls. “Don’t think you have to know it all” Nicola Adams, franchisor at Full of Beans Fitness My children were very young when I created the Full of Beans model and a lot of the people around me thought it would be a “fun job while the children are young and at school”. I was actually asked by one of the dad’s at school if I’d got a “proper” job yet when I bumped into him a couple of years ago and was delighted to tell him how far we had come, how many children we support, and how many areas of the UK he could find Full of Beans franchises. I think the biggest challenge as a smaller business owner is mastering so many of areas yourself, as you can’t afford to pay external people initially. I enrolled on many courses in the run up to starting the business so I knew I could master the basics and then I’ve honestly never stop learning because things change so quickly, especially with technology. Don’t think you have to know it all - take all the support and advice you can get. Don’t worry if you make a mistake, these are lessons to learn from along the way, we have all made them - you will improve. “Your business should be something that excites you” Caron Kelly, franchisee at Little Voices, West Kent The motherhood and career juggling act is really difficult and it’s frustrating that the expectation to do and be everything is on us. I started my business in September with three after-school clubs and my centre is continuing to grow. I have gone from six students to 60 children accessing a variety of Little Voices Classes, so I’m pretty proud of that. However, juggling full time work around my new business has been a challenge so I’ve decided to leave full time teaching and concentrate on my business from April. Now the goal is to grow my business and live life on my terms. Your career should be fulfilling and not just pay the bills. I’m so grateful I’ve found something I love and get to see children flourish. I think working for yourself gives you the motivation to succeed, I have such a supportive network in Little Voices. Go and find the right network for you. Your business should be something that excites you and that passion and consistency will get you the results you want. “Look at the steps you need to take to get to your goal” Rebecca Lomax, franchisee at Puddle Ducks, Norfolk and Suffolk Before expanding my business, I had imposter syndrome, which affected my confidence when it came to running Puddle Ducks, Norfolk and Suffolk. However, I didn’t let that stop me. I proactively sought mindset coaching along with the support of Puddle Ducks’ Head Office and my team, so I was able to pursue my expansion dreams. There will always be obstacles in life, but it’s how we approach them and overcome them that matters. If you have a goal you want to achieve, look at the steps you need to take to get there and don’t be afraid to ask for support if you need it. That’s the beauty of joining a franchise, you’ll always have the backing and support of the franchisor who will be there to guide you to success - whether that’s through training and resources, or often just a phone call to talk something through. WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 43