Veterans and Franchising Make the Perfect Combination

Lori Merrall, the Vice President of Franchise Sales of Woodhouse Spa — the 84-unit, high-end, luxury day spa franchise — and Sola Salons, has specialized in the wellness-and-beauty franchise industry for over 17 years. Because of her work with countless veterans, she believes this group often makes incredibly successful franchisees.

1851 Franchise spoke with Merrall about what makes veterans successful franchisees, distinct qualities they have that make them stand out and how their experience guides them toward success in business ownership. 

What Makes Veterans Excellent Franchisees

According to Merrall, veterans tend to make exceptional franchisees for two reasons: innate qualities that drew them to serve their country and the experiences gained while doing so. She believes veterans often innately value teamwork and dedication, and are keen to work together to accomplish a common goal.

“They really know how to work as a team, which is really important, and a lot of them have been leaders and they know how to build teams,” explained Merrall.

Working in teams and building teams is vitally important as a franchisee. A business owner is responsible for creating a culture among employees and encouraging collaboration that leads to the best results for the company and all those involved.

Beyond teamwork, Merrall believes that veterans tend to be excellent at following instructions and adhering to a plan.

“People who go into the military are very geared toward a ‘mission mindset,’” explained Merrall. “They understand following a system and how important that is to getting where you need to be. That's exactly what franchising is. The franchisors who've created brands have created systems that are easily duplicatable.”

Veterans have gained experience in diligently applying instructions and closely following a plan. Not only does this lead to success in the franchising world, but it also makes for a smooth transition for veterans re-entering the civilian world. 

A Smooth Transition To Civilian Life

Franchising allows veterans to apply their experience in the civilian world and see positive results. The process of using a tried-and-true model that they believe in feels familiar to those who have served and carried out missions.

“People who come out of the military find comfort in being entrepreneurs, but also being able to follow a system and not having to reinvent the wheel and use the experience of the franchise system in which they've invested,” said Merrall.

While veterans, of course, have a range of interests and passions and so can find success in a variety of industries, veterans may resonate with service-based concepts because the concept of serving others is so deeply ingrained in them.

“We do see a lot of veterans in home services, health care and in fitness,” explained Merrall. 

Serving the community can take many forms. Merrall explained that Woodhouse Spa has many veteran franchisees who are attracted to the idea of serving their community by offering wellness-and-health services. 

Perks for Veterans

Not only is franchising a great opportunity for veterans, but it offers a great opportunity to franchisors seeking candidates who are likely to succeed. This mutually beneficial relationship is often acknowledged by franchisors, so it is advisable for veterans to list their military experience at the top of their resume. In fact, many brands offer veterans a discounted franchise fee as both an incentive to join their brand and as a thank you for serving our country.