1851

Let&rsquo;s face it &ndash; not everyone is cut out to be a franchisee. While there are countless benefits of becoming a franchisee, it is important to realize that the work will not be done for you. The person behind the brand is almost as important as the brand itself.

For this article, 1851 Franchise caught up with 5 franchisors to get the inside scoop on what makes someone a good franchisee, and what makes them an unhappy franchisee. If these 10 points sound like you, it&rsquo;s probably not a good idea to own a franchise.

1. I&rsquo;m not a hard worker

Just because a brand might be widely recognized, does not mean it will sell itself. All franchises require a lot of work from the franchisee. This is often overlooked by people who are looking to buy a franchise.

&ldquo;A lot of people don&rsquo;t realize early on what it actually takes to be a successful franchisee,&rdquo; said, Philip&nbsp;Schram, Chief Development Officer for&nbsp;<a href="http://ownabuffalo.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=1851-unhappy-franchisee-10-reasons-why-i-would-make-a-bad-franchisee-2705194" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings</a>. &ldquo;They need to be a hard worker and also have the ability to entertain and interact with people or they will not succeed.&rdquo;

2. I&rsquo;m not good with finances

This is a big one. It is important to remember that if you buy a franchise, you will be responsible for running a business.

&ldquo;A franchisee needs to be financially qualified to run a business,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Schram. &ldquo;They not only need to have the finances to support their franchise, but a good franchisee needs to be able to manage money well.&rdquo;

3. I don&rsquo;t follow rules very well

The support systems in place for franchises are not only there to help franchisees. These systems are in place because they represent a model for proven success. If you like to go completely rogue, being a franchisee might not be the best option.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not always about who has the most money, or who has the highest IQ, etc.,&rdquo; said Beth Caron, Director of Franchise Development for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.greatclipsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=1851-unhappy-franchisee-10-reasons-why-i-would-make-a-bad-franchisee-2705194" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Great Clips</a>. &ldquo;If you have the basic skills the franchisor requires, you are willing and able to follow a system, and you&rsquo;ve got grit (that power of passion and perseverance), I think there is nothing stopping you from being an incredible franchisee.&rdquo;

4. I don&rsquo;t work well with people

Whether you&rsquo;re working with customers or potential business partners, a good franchisee needs to be able to work with people.

&ldquo;You have to work hard, care and have pride for what you do, because attitude is important,&rdquo; said&nbsp;JAN-PRO&nbsp;Master Franchisor Stephen Brodack. &ldquo;The cleaning part is easy. Respect and responsibility are more important, because you can&rsquo;t fix a bad attitude. You can teach someone how to cook or clean, but you can&rsquo;t always teach someone be nice.&rdquo;

5. I don&rsquo;t have clear goals

It is important to set goals because they give you something to strive for. When someone finds success in franchising, expansion is very common. Not everyone ends up expanding &ndash; and there are plenty of single-unit franchisees &ndash; but if you have a goal of expanding eventually, it might make you more driven to find success in the present.

&ldquo;I have tremendous respect for franchisees who run a single unit of a franchise, but if I could change one thing, I would push people to be even more ambitious,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Schram, Chief Development Officer for Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings. &ldquo;I want more franchisees to have expansion on their minds. While it is extremely admirable to run a single unit of a franchise, I love working with franchisees who have a bigger goal in mind.&rdquo;

6. I&rsquo;m impatient

It is important to understand that brands aren&rsquo;t built and sold overnight.

&ldquo;The investment into a franchise goes way beyond the investment it takes to legally sell a franchise,&rdquo; said President of Relocator Service Inc. and&nbsp;Relocators Franchise Inc., Robert Esposito. &ldquo;Once you are legally allowed to sell a franchise is only the half way point at best. The marketing and development before you actually sell a franchise can go on for years, and cost much more than the legal development of the franchise itself.&rdquo;

7. I&rsquo;m not good at understanding my role

&ldquo;The most useful tip I&rsquo;ve learned so far &ndash; which I&rsquo;ll continue to share &ndash; is that I&rsquo;m no longer a spa owner, but instead I&rsquo;m a franchisor,&rdquo; said Founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.beautybyidolize.com/franchise-opportunity/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=1851-unhappy-franchisee-10-reasons-why-i-would-make-a-bad-franchisee-2705194" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Idolize</a>, Mo Pandoria. &ldquo;I can&#39;t spend most of my days resolving operational issues for my corporate locations. I should be spending most of my time developing the franchise and selling units.&rdquo;

8. I don&rsquo;t surround myself with the right people

&ldquo;Make sure you have the proper support team behind you consisting of motivated people that are looking to grow and can grow with the company,&rdquo; said Esposito. &ldquo;The key to growth is focus. What you water grows. Bringing in good people with a common goal who are focused and determined to achieve that goal is the best key for good growth. The most important factor is building a solid foundation.&rdquo;

9. I don&rsquo;t like to network

&ldquo;Networking is a huge key to growth,&rdquo; said Pandoria. &ldquo;Focus on meeting as many people as possible, and realize that so many of them can help you in some way, shape or form.&rdquo;

10. I&rsquo;m not very positive

&ldquo;You have to keep a positive attitude throughout the entire process,&rdquo; said Pandoria. &ldquo;Success doesn&rsquo;t come overnight, and there will be ups and downs. If you stay focused and positive, and surround yourself with the right people and support, you will find success.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

1851 Unhappy Franchisee: 10 Reasons Why I Would Make a Bad Franchisee

1851 Franchise

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

1851-unhappy-franchisee-10-reasons-why-i-would-make-a-bad-franchisee

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Good Day Columbus: Home Insurance Expert Reveals Why Central Ohio Premiums Are Rising and How to Combat Costs

rising-home-insurance-costs-ohio

CapitalSpring

Primetime Fitness Expands Crunch Portfolio With CapitalSpring’s Backing

primetime-fitness-expands-crunch-portfolio-with-capitalsprings-backing

Children's Lighthouse

How Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees Scale to Multiple Locations

how-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees-scale-to-multiple-locations

Express Employment Professionals

Betting on Himself: How Chris Brown Built an Express Employment Professionals Franchise From the Ground Up

betting-on-himself-how-chris-brown-built-an-express-employment-professionals-franchise-from-the-ground-up

Comfort Keepers

Comfort Keepers® Named One of America’s Best Home-Care Providers

comfort-keepers-named-one-of-americas-best-home-care-providers

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Technomic Releases Annual Ranking of the Top 15 Fast-Food Chains in the U.S.

technomic-releases-annual-ranking-of-the-top-15-fast-food-chains-in-the-us

"Come in, We're OPEN" sign against abstract background

Small Business Optimism Dips, Raising Concerns for Franchise Owners

small-business-optimism-dips-raising-concerns-for-franchise-owners

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

DevHub - Meet the Supplier - 1851 Franchise

DevHub: Scalable Digital Marketing for Franchises and Multi-Location Brands

devhub-meet-the-supplier

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

Design with school-aged child standing on pencil with text "Education Franchises" and "<$500K"

Top Education Franchises Under $500K To Explore in 2025

top-education-franchises-under-500k

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sparkle Squad logo

Sparkle Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sparkle-squad-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

1851 Unhappy Franchisee: 10 Reasons Why I Would Make a Bad Franchisee

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS