Kristin Flaherty had spent more than a decade building a career in health care when the stability she had counted on began to disappear. Over 18 months, her company went through five rounds of layoffs. Eventually, they eliminated her position, too. At 39, Flaherty started interviewing for other corporate roles, but the process made her question whether she wanted to return to the same environment.
“As I was interviewing, it sounded less and less appealing to continue down that corporate path,” Flaherty said. “I was in one interview and they explained they had to let two people go in order to open this role. I thought, I might be in the same position again in a year.”
Instead, she began exploring franchise ownership with Scott Thompson, founder of Your Future Franchise, who helped her narrow the options to a business that matched her goals, investment range and lifestyle.
“My role is to help people figure out whether franchising makes sense for them and, if it does, what kind of business might be the right fit,” Thompson said. “Kristin asked a lot of questions, talked to owners and really did her homework. In the end, she found something she felt good about and was willing to bet on herself.”
The idea of franchising had surfaced shortly before Flaherty lost her job. Over Christmas, her uncle told Flaherty and her husband, Sean, more about his experience owning a commercial cleaning franchise.
“He was giving us more detail than he ever had,” Flaherty said. “Hearing his journey and his success just really piqued our interest.”
After the layoff, her uncle recommended working with a franchise consultant and specifically referred her to Thompson, who has more than 25 years of experience in franchise development, operations and consulting. Flaherty soon discovered that her assumptions about franchising were limiting what she thought was possible. She had associated the industry primarily with restaurants, retail locations, high startup costs and long hours.
“I had a very narrow view of what franchising consisted of,” she said. “Learning about all the different successful business models and the different options, including businesses that protect your evenings and weekends, was genuinely eye-opening.”
Thompson introduced her to opportunities she likely would not have encountered on her own, including B2B service franchises with lower overhead and more flexible operating models.
Flaherty ultimately chose Surface Experts, a spot-repair franchise that repairs damage to countertops, cabinets, floors and appliances. The business was far removed from medical imaging, but that wasn't a problem.
Flaherty was looking for a service with continuing demand, recurring revenue potential and room to grow. The opportunity to build ongoing relationships with property managers and other commercial customers was especially appealing.
“I was thinking about what is AI-proof,” she said. “And what will stand the test of time. Rentals are continuing to grow. New properties are popping up all around my area. I wanted something with consistent demand and room to grow.”
Flaherty still had concerns about becoming a first-time business owner. One of the biggest was whether the support a franchise promised would actually be there once she signed. Validation calls with existing owners helped put that concern to rest.
“They all said the people in the business are collaborative,” she said. “They connect with each other, they share what they have learned, they actually help. That told me I would not be doing this alone.”
Thompson also encouraged her to investigate the challenges rather than focusing only on the benefits. He provided questions for her to ask franchisors and franchisees, connected her with resources for funding and corporate setup and recommended an attorney to review the franchise agreement.
“Scott does a very good job of showing you both sides of the coin,” Flaherty said. “He gave me a list of questions to validate with the franchisor, and that is really helpful because it gets to all the unknowns that create fear. He actually wants you to explore the hard stuff.”
Flaherty is now onboarding and preparing to open her business. While business ownership does not eliminate risk, she sees an important difference in having more control over the decisions affecting her future.
“You are really betting on yourself,” Flaherty said. “And I liked that. There is some risk. But I would rather take a risk that I am responsible for than sit back while somebody else makes decisions that shape my life.”
That is where Your Future Franchise aims to make a difference. Thompson helps candidates look beyond the franchise brands they already know, identify opportunities that fit their goals and resources and work through the questions that come with making a major career change.
“Kristin’s story is a great example of why I do this work,” Thompson said. “She wasn’t looking to buy just any business. She wanted something that gave her more control over her future and fit the life she wanted to build. My role was to help her understand the options, ask the right questions and ultimately find an opportunity she could believe in.”
To learn more about Your Future Franchise and begin your franchise search with clarity and confidence, visit https://1851franchise.com/your-future-franchise.
Your Future Franchise
SPONSORED
After layoffs ended her medical imaging career, Kristin Flaherty worked with consultant Scott Thompson to trade corporate uncertainty for a business she owns.
Kristin Flaherty had spent more than a decade building a career in health care when the stability she had counted on began to disappear. Over 18 months, her company went through five rounds of layoffs. Eventually, they eliminated her position, too. At 39, Flaherty started interviewing for other corporate roles, but the process made her question whether she wanted to return to the same environment.
“As I was interviewing, it sounded less and less appealing to continue down that corporate path,” Flaherty said. “I was in one interview and they explained they had to let two people go in order to open this role. I thought, I might be in the same position again in a year.”
Instead, she began exploring franchise ownership with Scott Thompson, founder of Your Future Franchise, who helped her narrow the options to a business that matched her goals, investment range and lifestyle.
“My role is to help people figure out whether franchising makes sense for them and, if it does, what kind of business might be the right fit,” Thompson said. “Kristin asked a lot of questions, talked to owners and really did her homework. In the end, she found something she felt good about and was willing to bet on herself.”
The idea of franchising had surfaced shortly before Flaherty lost her job. Over Christmas, her uncle told Flaherty and her husband, Sean, more about his experience owning a commercial cleaning franchise.
“He was giving us more detail than he ever had,” Flaherty said. “Hearing his journey and his success just really piqued our interest.”
After the layoff, her uncle recommended working with a franchise consultant and specifically referred her to Thompson, who has more than 25 years of experience in franchise development, operations and consulting. Flaherty soon discovered that her assumptions about franchising were limiting what she thought was possible. She had associated the industry primarily with restaurants, retail locations, high startup costs and long hours.
“I had a very narrow view of what franchising consisted of,” she said. “Learning about all the different successful business models and the different options, including businesses that protect your evenings and weekends, was genuinely eye-opening.”
Thompson introduced her to opportunities she likely would not have encountered on her own, including B2B service franchises with lower overhead and more flexible operating models.
Flaherty ultimately chose Surface Experts, a spot-repair franchise that repairs damage to countertops, cabinets, floors and appliances. The business was far removed from medical imaging, but that wasn't a problem.
Flaherty was looking for a service with continuing demand, recurring revenue potential and room to grow. The opportunity to build ongoing relationships with property managers and other commercial customers was especially appealing.
“I was thinking about what is AI-proof,” she said. “And what will stand the test of time. Rentals are continuing to grow. New properties are popping up all around my area. I wanted something with consistent demand and room to grow.”
Flaherty still had concerns about becoming a first-time business owner. One of the biggest was whether the support a franchise promised would actually be there once she signed. Validation calls with existing owners helped put that concern to rest.
“They all said the people in the business are collaborative,” she said. “They connect with each other, they share what they have learned, they actually help. That told me I would not be doing this alone.”
Thompson also encouraged her to investigate the challenges rather than focusing only on the benefits. He provided questions for her to ask franchisors and franchisees, connected her with resources for funding and corporate setup and recommended an attorney to review the franchise agreement.
“Scott does a very good job of showing you both sides of the coin,” Flaherty said. “He gave me a list of questions to validate with the franchisor, and that is really helpful because it gets to all the unknowns that create fear. He actually wants you to explore the hard stuff.”
Flaherty is now onboarding and preparing to open her business. While business ownership does not eliminate risk, she sees an important difference in having more control over the decisions affecting her future.
“You are really betting on yourself,” Flaherty said. “And I liked that. There is some risk. But I would rather take a risk that I am responsible for than sit back while somebody else makes decisions that shape my life.”
That is where Your Future Franchise aims to make a difference. Thompson helps candidates look beyond the franchise brands they already know, identify opportunities that fit their goals and resources and work through the questions that come with making a major career change.
“Kristin’s story is a great example of why I do this work,” Thompson said. “She wasn’t looking to buy just any business. She wanted something that gave her more control over her future and fit the life she wanted to build. My role was to help her understand the options, ask the right questions and ultimately find an opportunity she could believe in.”
To learn more about Your Future Franchise and begin your franchise search with clarity and confidence, visit https://1851franchise.com/your-future-franchise.
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