Getting laid off can force a professional reset, but for some experienced corporate employees, that reset also creates an opportunity. Peter Eberly, vice president of brand development at Strategic Franchising Systems (SFS), said he has seen more candidates entering franchise discovery after layoffs and other unexpected career transitions. Rather than immediately searching for another corporate role, some are using the moment to explore entrepreneurship for the first time.
“We’ve seen a lot of people coming into the system recently after getting laid off,” Eberly said. “It’s a good time to sit back and really think about what you want to do professionally, and sometimes there is severance involved there as well. Entrepreneurship can be the answer for what you want to do next. What do you want your professional life to look like? The trigger itself helps people take a look at entrepreneurship.”
For those candidates, franchising can offer a middle ground between returning to corporate America and building an independent company entirely from scratch.
One of the first questions prospective franchisees often ask is whether they have the right experience to own a particular business. According to Eberly, the better question is often whether they have the skills to lead one.
“The things that you learn in a corporate environment absolutely transfer to business ownership,” he said. “If you think through our brands, with Fresh Coat you don’t have to know how to paint or with Pet Wants you don’t have to know how to groom a dog. But what you do need to know is how to manage people, how to network, how to manage a P&L, etc. The corporate skills transfer pretty well to business ownership.”
That distinction can open the door for professionals who have spent years managing teams, budgets, projects, processes or client relationships but have never thought of themselves as entrepreneurs.
SFS’ portfolio includes service-based concepts such as Fresh Coat Painters, TruBlue Home Service Ally,and Pet Wants. Across those businesses, franchisees can bring transferable leadership and management experience while learning the industry-specific elements through the franchise system.
“Franchising can be a smart second act as well because you are given the systems and get to enjoy the benefits of a proven, established model,” Eberly said. “You get training, support and access to other franchisees in the system. All of that is helpful if you are starting your own business.”
Patrick Dew knows what that transition looks like firsthand. Before becoming a Fresh Coat Painters franchisee in Southeast Texas, Dew worked in manufacturing, holding positions ranging from support roles to management. As a continuous improvement manager, he focused on cutting costs, implementing automation, reducing waste and improving processes.
“In 2023, just six weeks after my daughter was born, I was laid off from my job,” Dew said. “Shortly after, I received an email that introduced me to the concept of franchise ownership.”
At the time, Dew's understanding of franchising was limited primarily to restaurants. Exploring the industry showed him how many service businesses could be franchised and gave him a chance to compare different models with his own skills and goals.
“I only thought of franchising as fast food chains. I didn’t even realize there were franchises of every business,” Dew said. “This realization opened up the opportunity to ask questions and identify the franchise that was the right fit for me.”
Fresh Coat Painters ultimately stood out because its model closely aligned with the skills Dew had already developed throughout his corporate career. “My previous career revolved around establishing processes that others could follow, and this franchise has a thorough process already laid out,” he said. “The roadmap is clear; all I need to do is bring my willingness to learn and follow the system.”
There is also a more personal reason some laid-off professionals begin considering ownership. Losing a job can expose the limits of an employee's control over their career, even after years of strong performance.
“Sometimes that event really triggers the realization that you don’t want to work hard at a place where you can get laid off based on how the company is doing,” Eberly said. “That can be a real draw to franchising for people who have been laid off.”
Ownership does not eliminate risk. In many ways, it introduces new forms of it. Franchisees are responsible for generating sales, managing employees, controlling expenses and executing the business model. But it does give the owner greater agency over the decisions that shape the business.
“The focus wasn’t on selling me a franchise; it was about introducing me to a lifestyle,” Dew said. “In this role, I call my own shots, and my earnings are up to me. The franchisor isn’t responsible for my success. They provide all the necessary tools.”
A layoff may be the catalyst for exploring entrepreneurship, but Eberly stresses that candidates still need to approach franchise ownership deliberately. Severance, savings or access to financing may provide the means to invest, but having available capital does not automatically mean someone should put it into a franchise.
Dew says asking questions was one of the most important parts of his own transition. “It’s a journey of knowledge and figuring out what the best fit is for you,” he said. “For those considering franchising, asking questions is crucial. There’s no harm in exploring to determine which franchise suits you best.”
Instead of asking only, “Where should I work next?” Eberly encourages candidates to consider a bigger question: What do I actually want the next stage of my professional life to look like?
For some, the answer may be another corporate position. For others, the systems, support and established framework of franchising can provide a path toward turning years of corporate experience into business ownership.
To learn more about Strategic Franchising Systems and its portfolio of franchise opportunities, visit https://1851franchise.com/strategicfranchising.
Strategic Franchising
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Peter Eberly, vice president of brand development at Strategic Franchising Systems, discusses how laid-off professionals can use their skills to pursue franchise ownership.
Getting laid off can force a professional reset, but for some experienced corporate employees, that reset also creates an opportunity. Peter Eberly, vice president of brand development at Strategic Franchising Systems (SFS), said he has seen more candidates entering franchise discovery after layoffs and other unexpected career transitions. Rather than immediately searching for another corporate role, some are using the moment to explore entrepreneurship for the first time.
“We’ve seen a lot of people coming into the system recently after getting laid off,” Eberly said. “It’s a good time to sit back and really think about what you want to do professionally, and sometimes there is severance involved there as well. Entrepreneurship can be the answer for what you want to do next. What do you want your professional life to look like? The trigger itself helps people take a look at entrepreneurship.”
For those candidates, franchising can offer a middle ground between returning to corporate America and building an independent company entirely from scratch.
One of the first questions prospective franchisees often ask is whether they have the right experience to own a particular business. According to Eberly, the better question is often whether they have the skills to lead one.
“The things that you learn in a corporate environment absolutely transfer to business ownership,” he said. “If you think through our brands, with Fresh Coat you don’t have to know how to paint or with Pet Wants you don’t have to know how to groom a dog. But what you do need to know is how to manage people, how to network, how to manage a P&L, etc. The corporate skills transfer pretty well to business ownership.”
That distinction can open the door for professionals who have spent years managing teams, budgets, projects, processes or client relationships but have never thought of themselves as entrepreneurs.
SFS’ portfolio includes service-based concepts such as Fresh Coat Painters, TruBlue Home Service Ally,and Pet Wants. Across those businesses, franchisees can bring transferable leadership and management experience while learning the industry-specific elements through the franchise system.
“Franchising can be a smart second act as well because you are given the systems and get to enjoy the benefits of a proven, established model,” Eberly said. “You get training, support and access to other franchisees in the system. All of that is helpful if you are starting your own business.”
Patrick Dew knows what that transition looks like firsthand. Before becoming a Fresh Coat Painters franchisee in Southeast Texas, Dew worked in manufacturing, holding positions ranging from support roles to management. As a continuous improvement manager, he focused on cutting costs, implementing automation, reducing waste and improving processes.
“In 2023, just six weeks after my daughter was born, I was laid off from my job,” Dew said. “Shortly after, I received an email that introduced me to the concept of franchise ownership.”
At the time, Dew's understanding of franchising was limited primarily to restaurants. Exploring the industry showed him how many service businesses could be franchised and gave him a chance to compare different models with his own skills and goals.
“I only thought of franchising as fast food chains. I didn’t even realize there were franchises of every business,” Dew said. “This realization opened up the opportunity to ask questions and identify the franchise that was the right fit for me.”
Fresh Coat Painters ultimately stood out because its model closely aligned with the skills Dew had already developed throughout his corporate career. “My previous career revolved around establishing processes that others could follow, and this franchise has a thorough process already laid out,” he said. “The roadmap is clear; all I need to do is bring my willingness to learn and follow the system.”
There is also a more personal reason some laid-off professionals begin considering ownership. Losing a job can expose the limits of an employee's control over their career, even after years of strong performance.
“Sometimes that event really triggers the realization that you don’t want to work hard at a place where you can get laid off based on how the company is doing,” Eberly said. “That can be a real draw to franchising for people who have been laid off.”
Ownership does not eliminate risk. In many ways, it introduces new forms of it. Franchisees are responsible for generating sales, managing employees, controlling expenses and executing the business model. But it does give the owner greater agency over the decisions that shape the business.
“The focus wasn’t on selling me a franchise; it was about introducing me to a lifestyle,” Dew said. “In this role, I call my own shots, and my earnings are up to me. The franchisor isn’t responsible for my success. They provide all the necessary tools.”
A layoff may be the catalyst for exploring entrepreneurship, but Eberly stresses that candidates still need to approach franchise ownership deliberately. Severance, savings or access to financing may provide the means to invest, but having available capital does not automatically mean someone should put it into a franchise.
Dew says asking questions was one of the most important parts of his own transition. “It’s a journey of knowledge and figuring out what the best fit is for you,” he said. “For those considering franchising, asking questions is crucial. There’s no harm in exploring to determine which franchise suits you best.”
Instead of asking only, “Where should I work next?” Eberly encourages candidates to consider a bigger question: What do I actually want the next stage of my professional life to look like?
For some, the answer may be another corporate position. For others, the systems, support and established framework of franchising can provide a path toward turning years of corporate experience into business ownership.
To learn more about Strategic Franchising Systems and its portfolio of franchise opportunities, visit https://1851franchise.com/strategicfranchising.
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