For 20+ years, I’ve been helping people achieve their goal of business ownership through franchising.

Most were first-time business owners who decided to leave the 9-5 rat race and become their own boss. And most have soared as franchisees, building thriving, profitable businesses.

Some even started their franchise journey in their 40s or 50s, kind of a second chapter in their career.

I’ve noticed three things in common for these high performers. And the result is a blueprint for how to succeed in franchising.

#1 Be ambitious but humble.

Ever heard the saying, “Stay hungry. Stay humble?” It sums up a winning mindset.

First, ambition. High performers have fire in their bellies to build wealth and create an amazing lifestyle that they can’t get by remaining in their day jobs. They don’t have a “Big Idea,” so they turn to franchising.

Here’s where it gets interesting. For these high performers, it’s about much more than just the money. There’s something else very personal driving them, in addition to their desire for wealth.

Their “why” is as much about lifestyle and liberation as it is about money. They’re looking for these results:

•  building a thriving operation that runs like clockwork without their full-time involvement

•  spending more time with their family

•  achieving a lifestyle that enables them to do what they want when they want.

Ok, now for the humble piece.

They become students of the business, embrace it, and execute like crazy.

They master the unit franchise model by learning from the franchisor and other high-performing franchisees in the system.

They have no need to be the smartest person in the room. Rather, they figure out ways to get into the room with people they can learn from. And many times these “smarter” people are other high-performing franchise owners within their system who have already walked the walk.

Humility helps them be avid learners. They check their ego at the door, ask for help, get opinions, learn from others, and implement what they learn. That’s how they figure out what it takes to be a star operator.

#2 Build a strong team.

High performers channel their humility and ambition into building a strong team. Their team likes them, respects them, and wants to be a part of what they’re building.

These high performers show their team a path for growth and engage them to become a part of something fun and rewarding.

They know how to “get it done.” So, their team believes in them, follows the path, and gets it done.

These high performers remove obstacles, empower their people to be great at their jobs, and hold them accountable. Together they make it happen and stunning results follow.

#3 Buy a business, not a passion.

You may be nodding along and thinking this is all common sense until you get to #3. Here’s what may surprise you: high performers figure out the right franchise to invest in. They want a business, not a passion or a hobby. They know that buying into the right franchise will actually enable them to enjoy their passions and hobbies in their spare time.

Most high performers end up investing in a franchise

• they’d never thought about

• they’d never heard of

• in an industry where they have zero experience

They keep an open mind and analyze the numbers, systems, and leadership team for each potential franchise. These are what matter. Any “passion” (or not) for the specific service the franchise provides is pretty much irrelevant.

For example, you’d be surprised how many men I know who own successful hair salon franchises...or women who aren't handy who thrive in home repair businesses...

These high performers want to swim downstream and roll with the trends (not blaze their own trail and reinvent the wheel). And buying the right franchise makes it a lot easier to build the business and lifestyle they want.

Final thoughts

Most of these high-performers had a burning desire to build their own successful business so they could create the lifestyle and income they wanted on their terms. And so they worked hard to find the right franchise. After they found it, they worked hard to build it.

Thinking about starting a business and curious if there's a franchise out there that's the right fit? Schedule a call with me.