Photo by Terry Johnston

Owning a franchise is the easiest way to start your business fast. The business name has (hopefully) been well-marketed. People have already experienced the franchise elsewhere in the their travels. You already have suppliers lined up, a well-considered marketing strategy pre-authored, marketing materials – everything to make owning a business turnkey. So what’s the downside?

Franchises are a two-way street. You get the benefit of experience, mentoring, and training. But you also get the restrictions of ensuring compliance with the franchise branding regulations. For example, you may have to sell products that you don’t want to, open hours that are inconvenient, use more-expensive suppliers, and spend more on advertising that you can afford. It also limits your creativity – you must operate within others’ rules or risk losing your franchise (and your investment).  Your franchise must reflect well on all the other franchises – since your image can potentially tarnish other franchises – the parent company will spend time and money policing your business.

Franchises require a large initial investment. The companies selling franchises want their money up-front (that’s one of the ways they make their money). The investment is for their best practice training and consultations which can be a great education if you haven’t already done your homework on how to own a business.

If you don’t have the funds, but you have the desire to start a franchise-like business, then get a mentor. Learn everything you can before you open the door for customers. Develop a marketing plan that will attract your ideal customers and that positions your business as distinct from any existing or future (especially franchise) businesses.

Photo by Mike Baird

We spend our lives in search of success. But what does success look like? It depends on who you listen to.

If you listen to our capitalistic society, success is all about how you look to others: your house, your car, your clothing, your partner, your vacations, your purchases, and the company you keep. The road to success is easy: buy more (fancy) stuff. Since there’s always something newer/fancier to buy, businesses are happy to satisfy your need for success. And it’s an endless cycle – you can never achieve success because success is a mirage. As you get closer to it, you find it’s still shimmering on the horizon. And if you manage to achieve some level of “success”, you spend endless hours trying to maintain the image. There isn’t a finish line to success – it’s simply an illusionary moment in time.

Instead, imagine yourself already successful. In this world, success is having meaningful purpose in your life, meaningful friendships, and appreciation for what you already have. The good news about this definition of success is that you don’t have to buy anything. You don’t have to prove anything. You don’t have to look a certain way. Instead, you have to be willing to creating meaning in your life. You have to be willing to ignore the external “buy me” noise and instead focus on the inner “wisdom” voice.

Need some instructions on finding your success? Read Martin Seligman’s Authentic Happiness : Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment.