Ready, Set, Go! Taking the

Ready, Set, Go! Taking the

Plunge to Business Ownership

Working as a franchise coach for countless people, I have learned what is required to take the plunge into business ownership. From management consultants to business executives to corporate refugees, I have helped them navigate through the next chapter in their lives through franchise investment. While every client is different, they each face the same fears: the fear of the unknown. Leaving what most people consider the safety and security of the familiar and walking straight into the unknown feels scary. What are the stressors? What are the risks? Do I have what it takes? These questions run through the minds of most of us when we are consid

ering a drastic change in career path.

Am I ready for a change? Most of us try to make the best of where we are. We rationalize that it “isn’t that bad” while talking continually about the things that drag us down in our jobs, wishing for the weekend and dreading Monday. Does this sound familiar? Does this sound like a person happy in her career? A wonderful career is so much more than the money it brings. I believe, in fact, that it is about those things that money cannot buy – time spent on hobbies and interests, freedom to spend an afternoon at the playground with your daughter, independence from the rat-race of ever more possessions. So here is the question: how much are you willing to compromise before you are ready to forge your own path? Are you ready for a change? As a former telecom executive, I am very familiar with the comfort and perks of a corporate career – the bonuses, the raises, the 401k. I also know the deep frustrations of feeling that you are under someone else’s thumb, attending endless and unproductive meetings, being buried under organizational bureaucracy, and getting caught up in interpersonal politics. Below, I share the 5 questions I ask all my clients. Answering these questions will help you as you embark on your personal journey from the familiar to the unknown.

What is most important to me?

What am I most afraid of? Deciding to become an entrepreneur can feel so empowering – but at the same time, terrifying. What is your biggest fear? Is it reasonable or is it exaggerated? Looking back at your life, have your greatest fears been realized? Or have you managed them? Have you been able to overcome most of the things that scared you? This is important to understand because it could be the very thing holding you back. Isn’t not doing anything scarier than taking the chance? Do I have to do it alone? Franchising is the best way to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself. It allows you to surround yourself with like-minded people who share the same goals, values and determination as you. As you move forward, continually analyze who you have surrounded yourself with and make sure they are supportive. Sometimes, when you’re going through a major life change, a life or business coach can be invaluable. A trained professional can help you clarify your motives and values (your whys), and your skills and strengths (your hows) to help uncover the perfect-fit business for you! So consider whether an experienced coach can help you take your first and second and third steps toward your goal of owning your perfect-fit business. What action can I take to move me closer to fulfillment? As Nike famously said “just do it”! I do not say this lightly or flippantly – this is a monumental decision in your life. But think back to a time when you had no choice – when you were fired or laid off or not making your bills. It may have felt insurmountable, but you did something to change it. This is no different. The first step is the most difficult, but each successive step gets easier and easier. So consider the possibilities and ask yourself, what is the first step I can take? Identifying the “why” of what you are doing is critical. Simon Sinek in his seminal book “Start With Why” says that most people don’t know why they do what they do. Conversely, customers are not attracted to your business because of what you do, but why you do it. Make sense? What motivated you in your career up to now? Money? Responsibility? Aligning your passion and your purpose is not only possible, it is key in finding fulfillment in your career and in your life. Because really, those two things are one in the same. And it is possible. I am living proof. So ask yourself, what is most important to you?

Faizun Kamal is a nationally-renowned public speaker and career strategist. As CEO of The Franchise Pros, Faizun coaches people nationwide on making the transition from employee to entrepreneur. She provides guidance to embrace chaos, fear, insecurity and uncertainty as doorways of opportunity to help individuals find their “perfect fit” business based on an assessment of their personal, lifestyle and income goals. She guides clients to move beyond career burnout to build a sustainable career that they love! Email Faizun at faizun@thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com or call 443-604-6276.