FI R E YOU R BOSS! “No regrets at all,”
says FASTSIGNS owner Sarosh Nayar, “not even one.” So began my interview with this highly successful franchise owner, who ten years ago left an outstanding career in Corporate America to pursue his desire for ’something more.’
Educated through two Ivy League schools, Sarosh landed a job with Philip Morris Inc. in NYC, and progressed his marketing career through American Express and PepsiCo. The position with PepsiCo brought him to Dallas, where he started to think beyond life in Corporate America. “I can’t say it was the best time to think about leaving Corporate America. It was 2009, and the economy was in a recession. My wife Karin and I were expecting our first child. However, I was tired of the politics, tired of the limitations, and tired of not being excited,” explained Sarosh. He had an opportunity to purchase an independent, non-franchise sign shop – that didn’t work out. Looking back, he is grateful it didn’t go through – and the statistics support it is a good thing it didn’t. Having a franchisor’s
support and proven business models at your fingertips does make it more likely for success. About.com says, “Studies show that franchises have a success rate of approximately 90% as compared to only about 15% for businesses that are started independently.” There is considerable support on the benefits of franchise ownership over independent ownership. Sarosh continued to explore sign businesses, and FASTSIGNS was the perfect opportunity for him. He followed their system while applying the skills he had acquired throughout his career – and it paid off well. Today his Dallas location is ranked in the top five of all FASTSIGNS in the world. I asked him what he liked most about his business, and his reply was filled with excitement and passion: “We value our employees, and they feel it. We create a culture of happiness in the workplace. We make a difference in people’s lives and our community. It feels more like a family than a staff, and yes, I admit, the financial rewards great as well. Probably far greater than I would have made in Corporate America.”
Sarosh Nayar, Karin Nayar and COO Joey Carrasco
The final question I asked Sarosh for our interview was this: What advice would you give someone who was thinking of firing their boss and becoming a franchise owner? Sarosh didn’t hesitate for a moment: “There is life outside of Corporate America. Sure, it’s not for everyone, so take a good, hard look at being a franchise owner, but be sure to take the blinkers off when you do. Be open to possibilities. I heard something years ago that has always stayed with me: ’Fortune favors the bold.’ I am proof of that. I never thought I’d be in the sign business, but leaving Corporate America and becoming a FASTSIGNS owner has given me a much, much better life and future!” To learn more about FASTSIGNS visit www.fastsigns.com. – Alesia Visconti
Note from our publisher, Alesia Visconti: Before delving into the franchise space, my background was in the careers industry. Certified as both a career transition coach, and as a life coach, I worked with many people who were miserable in Corporate America – they felt trapped, they felt unappreciated, and yearned for a change – but they also feared to break free and to leave. I launched this column to highlight fabulous people who moved forward despite their fear, fired their boss, and pursued their dreams of business ownership through franchising.
