The 10 Best Pieces of Advice About Franchising We Gained from 2019’s Young Ones To Watch

In our modern times, things change quickly, and the world of franchising is no exception. In December, 1851 profiled a number of up-and-comers in the space for its annual Young Ones To Watch series, learning a great deal along the way. These under-40 entrepreneurs—ranging from multi-unit franchisees to franchise development executives and brand founders—bestowed some seriously valuable nuggets of knowledge; here are 10 of the top highlights from this year’s series.

1. Never stop learning. 

“Remain a lifetime student. Seek help and create opportunities to network and learn. I said ‘create’ because they don't just come knocking. You do not know everything. We are very young and there are so many more experienced, knowledgeable people in this industry. The more you can learn from those people and soak up every nugget of information they will give you and apply it to your business, the better off you will be. The second you stop learning, stop seeking to know more, you're in trouble.” — Austin Evans of Lean Kitchen Company

2. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. 

“Go hard and fast and don’t overthink it, because at the end of the day, you are going to screw up and there is a lot to learn. You don’t need to know everything before you get started but do your due diligence, listen to your intuition and follow what you think is right. “ — Devan Kline of Burn Boot Camp

3. Learn your business from top to bottom. 

“My main advice would be to learn absolutely everything about the specific business model and study it from top to bottom. The more familiar one is with the concept and the franchising opportunity, the better they will be at driving innovation and efficiency.” — Justin Gordon of Amramp

4. Approach every opportunity with tenacity and grit.  

“Rock and roll, at its best, is a really grinding and gritty business. That determination and resiliency are really what stands out. It comes into play even when we’re looking at talent. If I can find an individual who has tenacity and grit, we can teach them the skills—it's tenacity and grit that’s hard to come by. When we find people like that, we’re able to move quickly and grow quickly.”  — Jerry DePizzo of rock band O.A.R. and franchise Big Mamma’s Burritos

5. Be patient. 

“I would tell my younger self to be more patient and not be so hard on my staff and myself. There is no need to rush to a goal. As I get older, I’m starting to learn that the slow build is the best build because it is sturdy.” — Anthony Pisani of Lemon Tree Family Salons

6. Don’t underestimate Gen Z. 

“The opportunity and excitement for the future come from today’s young professionals. I’ve been working directly with millennials and am starting to work with Gen Z. They’re extremely capable and intelligent, and their drive and passion will lead to amazing feats. As we’ve already seen at Mathnasium*, many will become franchisees at very young ages and drive improvements at a greater speed, taking our brands to new heights.” — Shant Assarian of Mathnasium

7. Perform your due diligence. 

“When you first come across a brand, it’s easy to get really excited about it, which is good, but I think it’s very important to take a step back and perform your due diligence surrounding it. Think about all the aspects of the business and how/if you are going to be able to make it work. Being excited about the opportunity is good, but you have to understand how each aspect of how your business is going to work in order to be successful.” — Elliot Smith of Take 5 Oil Change

8. Dream big—it’s what got you here.

“There are always going to be certain people who desire to do something beyond a typical office job. There is unlimited potential for virtually everyone out there, from all walks of life. It doesn’t matter if you’re coming straight out of school, or at the end of a 50-year career—the potential in franchising is virtually limitless.” — Jonathan Weathington of Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar

9. Take a risk. 

“I would encourage you to be innovative, never settle and always think about new ways to promote the brand and drive franchisee success—the rest will follow. If you are working for a company that has great opportunity and potential ahead, continue to work hard and embrace every opportunity to grow within it.” — Alyson Ginesta of The Learning Experience 

10. Build your business with the client in mind. 

“Don’t just come up with a concept and hope that it’s going to work. To build something out of nothing, you have to understand your clients’ habits, likes, dislikes—and basically everything—from a 360 perspective so that you can design your concept around that person. There are business concepts that are smoke and mirrors, and then there are ones that will last. Designing around your client usually leads to concepts that will last.” — Shama Patel of AIR® Studio and Clean Your Dirty Face®