Franchise Article

If we’re really honest with ourselves, no matter how prepared and composed we can be when engaging change, everyone feels at least a little trepidation at the thought of taking life into our own hands.  Therefore, it’s no surprise that a person entering the franchising world should get to feeling nervous for one reason or another.  So it’s important, when you think about franchising, to ask what scares you.

One common answer is the thought that instead of overseeing a profitable business from the comfort of your own home office, you’re going to wind up driving the van and sweeping chimneys with your own two hands for the rest of your living days—a chilling prophecy.  If that’s what the annoying little voice of pessimism in the back of your head is constantly chanting, go ahead and tell it to shut up, because you’re not alone.

If there’s any franchise field where that is a very real fear for a new franchisee, lawn-care is it.  Though a good small-business owner isn’t afraid of a good, hard day’s work, no one who has invested time and money into making a franchise grow wants to see it stagnate—particularly at the stage in which the owner is also the sole employee.  And the thought of such a terminal outcome can be intimidating.  We recently talked with the new owner of a Myhome Lawn Cutting and Care franchise who voiced that he too had experienced such thoughts when going into his new business.  Fortunately, though, his experience with the Myhome franchisor bolstered his courage and proved his fears unfounded.  In fact, the very first thing he told us was that “One of the greatest aspects of the Myhome… franchise is the freedom that it gives me.  The model is set up in such a way that I don't work in the business; I work on the business.”

Though they don’t require new employees to demonstrate a deep knowledge of gardening from day one, Myhome does instill and expect—eventually—a degree of yard-care expertise that allows them to call their employees “turf experts.”  Simply the title implies a certain seriousness over the quality of work, and quality—both its development and practice—takes time, time that can only reasonably go to one goal: either doing the work or building the business, but not both.

And that is where the support of a Myhome franchisor’s previous franchise experience and success comes into play.  Our interviewee’s praise of the Myhome system more than speaks for itself:

I was amazed with how easy it was to get from being an employee with my previous job, to being a Myhome Lawn Cutting and Care business owner, even though I had no prior knowledge of business in general, or the trade we are in. Because of the structure to the franchise the whole process went very smoothly.

That’s really the blessing of Myhome: what you don’t know, the curveballs that come at you unexpectedly, and the general stresses of owning a business are no shock to the franchisor who has already been around the block and faced all of what a new franchisee encounters.  It’s like having a cheat-sheet on an exam.  And better than a mere cheat-sheet, every Myhome franchisor gives what a simple tool can’t: the moral support of an actual human being.

Even non-business matters can be addressed with the Myhome support personnel.  Our interviewee commented that, “getting used to balancing my time, for me, was the biggest challenge, as I had always had someone over me in the past.  With the help of Myhome and their training I overcame this quite quickly.”

When asked what he would say to anyone looking into starting a franchise, he summed up his experience of support with his new franchisor by advising simply, “The Franchisor is there to help you!  The right franchisor will be there for you every step of the way; don't be afraid to ask, that's what they are there for.”  However, not every franchisor is going to provide what every franchisee is going to need to succeed; our guy recommended further: “Choose the franchise partner carefully! There are always going to be nerves about any new business, but when you find the right people for you, you will know it immediately.”

Getting into a new business is no easy matter—with Myhome or anyone else—but with the safeguards put in place by a good franchisor, it doesn’t have to be intimidating.  Remember: your success is their success, so it is as much their goal that you work on the business instead of in it as it is your goal.  They’re on your side.