Tips for Choosing the Right Franchise to Fit Your Lifestyle

Experts share how smart business owners take all aspects of life into account before choosing a brand

SPONSOREDUpdated 5:17PM • 03/29/16

Among the thousands of franchises to research and evaluate, a prospective business owner needs to consider the many facets of a company before making a selection. And beyond business logistics and finances, any savvy entrepreneur knows to pick the brand that best fits their day-to-day lifestyle.

Pittsburgh native Liz Szabo spent a whole summer craving a smoothie and couldn’t get a fix anywhere around her hometown. That’s when the 29-year-old decided to take matters into her own hands.

“The reason I chose to become a Smoothie King franchisee is because I am a problem solver by nature,” Szabo said. “I noticed that we had no smoothie options nearby and I thought Smoothie King made the most sense, especially since health and wellness trends are not going away.”

With a law degree focused on intellectual property and technology law from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law as well as a masters degree from Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Szabo’s end goal was always to own her own business. She was committed to working with a brand that would not only be financially successful, but would fit into her way of life.

“My advice to other entrepreneurs is to pick something that fits or solves a problem in your area,” Szabo said. “Working with a franchise means that you do not have to reinvent the wheel and you can still be innovative within the proven system.”

FranNet, North America’s most respected leader in matching individuals with franchise ownership opportunities, prides itself on using a strategic profiling and consultation process to help prospective business owners find the best franchise to match their lifestyles.

“The most important first step is to be completely honest with yourself about your strengths and what you enjoy doing,” said FranNet CEO Jania Bailey. “Don’t let an exciting product or service get in the way of identifying if a company will be a good fit for you.”

Bailey said that the company’s consultants work with potential franchisees to give them a realistic view of business ownership, even if it takes some convincing for clients to see their own strengths.

“No matter how good the franchise is, if it’s not a good fit for the potential business owner then they will struggle,” Bailey said. “We really try to dig into someone’s psyche and push the right buttons to get them to make the right choice.”

While most business owners listen to and rely on family and friends to help contemplate opportunities and find happiness, Joe Brenkus relied on the one person in charge of his wellness to present a new opportunity – his personal trainer.

While working out with his trainer, Brenkus learned about the Famous Toastery, a gourmet-better breakfast concept that has seen amazing growth over the past few years. He was blown away by what he learned about the food and atmosphere, and signed a franchise deal to bring the first-ever location to Florida.

“Anyone can make a living through an entrepreneurial opportunity,” Brenkus said. “But you have to have some connection to the franchise purpose. When selecting a franchise, you must understand the relevance of your service or product and how it connects to you.”