For  Happinest Brands , the large, multi-brand home services franchisor, the start of the relationship with a franchisee is just as important as the life cycle of the franchisees’ business. The team prioritizes an honest, realistic approach to due diligence, ensuring prospective owners get a real idea of what ownership will look like, rather than a flashy sales pitch that could lead to a suboptimal franchise partnership. “We are an outcomes-focused franchisor. If there’s one thing I believe in, at my core, it’s that things tend to end how they begin,” said  Eric Martin , senior vice president of franchise development. “Things tend to go how the expectations are set. For me and my team, there’s a lot of value in franchising, and we want to educate individuals on that. But we make certain that they understand what the business they want will actually look like for them.” It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint, and the Demands of Business Ownership Ripple The Happinest team does not shy away from sharing the uncomfortable truths of franchise ownership with prospective owners. Rather than presenting only the positive sides of ownership, the team gives a thorough, honest picture of what it will look like. “We need franchisees to know: You’re going to work harder on this for the next couple of years than you ever have before to put yourself in a position, ideally, to get somewhere you could not have gotten in corporate America,” Martin said. “This is a marathon. You have to come into it with that mentality and a really strong vision and ‘why.’ If someone is just looking to replace an income quickly and not do as much work as they did in a previous role, it’s not going to work out.” Martin makes it clear that, while the franchisee is the business owner, the choice to invest impacts more than just them. “It’s the family, too,” he said. “If you have a spouse, that’s a decision you both need to make. You can’t have one person on board and one person not on board — that’s not going to work.” A Thorough Approach To Support the Long-Term Health of the Franchisee and the System Having these potentially hard discussions early on in the research process contributes to the team’s ability to identify the right partners — those who are truly prepared for the journey. “Business ownership is like climbing Everest,” Martin said. “You have to acclimate at different base camps. You don’t just go right up Everest on day one. That’s like being a business owner. We can’t pull along and say, ‘Let’s drag you to the peak.’ We will give you guidance and support, but franchisees must realize that ‘reaching the top’ takes time, and they have to be ready to acclimate to life as an entrepreneur.” As Happinest has grown as a franchisor, the team has honed its strategy for having these communications and painting a picture for prospective franchisees. “Telling the uncomfortable truths can scare some people off,” Martin said. “There are a lot of people who have a bad day and think about how they’re unhappy or unfulfilled in their current roles. They think, ‘I want to be employed by myself and do my own thing.’ That’s a starting point, but when the curtain opens wider and you figure out what it takes to be a successful business owner, I truly think a lot of people figure out that they don’t want to work that hard. They don’t want to put that much time and effort into it.” “A lot of people start researching and think, ‘This is really exciting! This sounds really good! I can be a business owner!’” said  Pam Murdoch , franchise development support manager. “They really need to look inside themselves to see whether they have  it . We can see what they’re presenting to us, but we can’t know for certain whether they’re self-motivating or able to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Having truly transparent conversations with prospective franchisees gives them the information they need to make accurate self-assessments. And while these conversations and the resulting introspection may lead to prospective franchisees turning away, this can ultimately be viewed as a positive.  This transparency ensures that only franchisees who are truly ready for the opportunity progress in the process. Having skilled, dedicated owners as a part of the Happinest group benefits owners throughout the system thanks to shared knowledge and mutual support. And avoiding the onboarding of an unprepared franchisee supports the health of the system while also guiding that person away from an unfulfilling or unfit investment. A Legacy of Integrity “Certain people in my role will tell you what they think you want to hear,” Martin said. “I’m going to tell you what you need to hear.” Happinest has built a legacy not only on numbers but on the true success of its franchisees, which begins with an honest, transparent development process. By developing a partnership on the foundation of mutual understanding and a shared vision, Happinest has built, and continues to grow, a highly successful, very healthy system. “The brand is what the customer and franchisees say it is today. That’s the reality,” Martin said. “As we think about how to create that reality, we think through the whole situation to make sure we’re bringing on the right individuals who have the right work ethic, mindset, a good north star, a why, a vision and a long-term mindset.” For more information on Happinest Brands and its franchise opportunities, please visit  https://happinest.com/ .