Why Women Make Great Franchise Business Owners
Females interested in business ownership through franchising shouldn’t limit their selection to typical “female-centric” industries like child care and window blinds. Women have proven to be successful in any franchise industry they tackle, including quick service restaurants, finance, and automotive opportunities. NOVUS Glass, a franchise business serving communities with auto glass repair and replacement, has a number of women franchise owners, both those who have partners and those who helm their businesses solo. The key to success as a NOVUS franchisee is not prior automotive industry knowledge. Success comes from skills in time management, networking, customer service, and marketing – skills innate to so many women (and men!). The actual glass replacement is something that can be learned and/or a position you can hire for.
An online article from Franchise Direct (Why is Franchising a Good Business Venture for Women?) quotes from Iain Murphy in his book, The Franchising Handbook: The complete Guide to Choosing a Franchise.
- Women are often skilled activity and people coordinators; women franchisees are thus often naturally inclined to manage their chosen franchise opportunity even more productively and profitably.
- Women are often skilled with setting priorities; this skill complements the franchising industry along with planning, staffing, financing, and people management responsibilities.
- Women usually strive to work toward common goals and enjoy networking; female franchise operators aim to make their franchise a success, working well with the entire team, and ensure effective communication between franchisee and franchisor.
The same article quotes Dina Dwyer-Owens, Chairwoman and CEO of The Dwyer Group, “I think women bring so much value to franchising because we’re big collaborators. We don’t mind meeting with a group and saying ‘what’s the best way to do this.’ And when you’re with a franchising community you need to listen to those franchisees— they’re out there doing it on the frontline doing it day in and day out. You need to be willing to sit down and hear what they have to say and [figure out] how do we make this better than we already have. So, I think women are a natural fit for franchising.”
Another recent article on women in franchising (from Franchise Direct), Ten Key Points Potential Female Franchisees Should consider, quotes several female franchisor executives on pointers for future female franchisees. Some of the best suggestions include:
- Potential women franchisees must be able to network: with industry leaders, other franchisees and of course, the franchisor.
- Women entering into a particular franchise industry for the first time must learn as much as possible about the industry before going into it. This will give women the best possible advantage of succeeding as a franchisee.
- Potential women franchisees must not be afraid of failure because you learn more that way.
- Know your financial limits and investigate the options you may have in obtaining funds and the amount you can estimate having for the investment.
The bottom line is that in choosing a franchise business, the type of franchise is not as important as the training and ongoing support offered by the franchisor. NOVUS provides intensive training on all aspects of the business, such as marketing, operations, sourcing materials, and the actual glass repair and replacement. With over 1,300 locations world-wide, NOVUS has the brand recognition and referral networks to help you grow quickly. NOVUS Glass invites women interested in business ownership to take a look at the NOVUS opportunity.
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