If you’ve ever considered opening a business from scratch or becoming a franchise owner, you may have already weighed some of the advantages of each, and how each opportunity may fit into your life and help you achieve your goals. Whether you’re interested in becoming a business owner strictly for the financial potential, to diversify your portfolio, or to become your own boss, it’s best to conduct thorough research related to every possible opportunity so you’ll feel confident in your decision.
What is Required of a Franchise Owner?
Making the decision to become a franchise owner is the first step of many to get started in establishing your business. After you’ve reviewed thoroughly and signed the franchise agreement, which is the legal, written contract between the franchisor and franchisee outlining the responsibilities of each party, you’ll be ready to start on some of the specifics in starting your franchise.
The corporate team at The UPS Store provides a lot of support to new retail owners, assisting you with tasks like selecting your site and helping with construction, negotiating a lease, securing financing for your location, learning how to run your The UPS Store location, and networking with other franchisees.
Franchise owners are ultimately responsible for operations and growing the business location, so we also help set our franchisees up for success through a comprehensive training program that is completed before franchise owners open their doors. This program includes over 200 hours of combined web-based training, in-store training, a university business course and print services training, along with more in-store experience. The UPS Store team is available every step of the way, offering IT support, ongoing product education, co-op communications, and marketing support.
While a great amount of support is available to franchise owners, it’s also an expectation that the owner take responsibility for their business. Franchising does provide advantages over starting a business from scratch, but it still requires a lot of hard work, time, and dedication to build the business and community relationships.
Can You Own a Franchise and Not Work There?
Owning a franchise brings with it a certain amount of flexibility, both in your schedule and in financial terms. Being your own boss can be quite satisfying, making your own schedule and having the freedom to take off when needed. While all franchise opportunities are different and carry varying degrees of risk and reward, they do require a commitment from the franchise owner.
When you become a franchise owner, you gain access to a proven operational structure along with comprehensive guidelines on how to do many other business activities like using the brand name, providing products and services, sourcing materials, marketing, building relationships in the community, and others. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a simple process that runs on its own.
Building your franchise business requires a commitment, especially in the early phase of opening, to ensure that all specifics of the franchise agreement are followed and that the franchise location is operating as it should. Part of the responsibility of owning the business also includes building the team working there. Taking the time and putting in the effort required to build a high-quality team is certainly more likely to pay off in the long run. Hiring quickly or without consideration for the future of your business can lead to decreased team morale, higher turnover, and could affect the quality of service your customers receive.
Once you have built your team and established trust in knowing they are equipped to provide the best customer experience, it can be more convenient or offer more peace of mind to the franchise owner, to step away or take time off. Again, since the owner is ultimately responsible for the franchise business, it’s their decision on how much work to dedicate to the business to support its growth.
Advantages of Franchise Ownership
Franchising gives you the advantage of owning your own business, along with the added support of a recognized brand name and established method of operating the business.
The UPS Store has established strong brand recognition, which helps attract both customers and owners to the franchise. A powerful brand name is also a differentiator, making it stand out in the crowd and keeping it top-of-mind when potential customers seek out products and services.
Finding a brand with a stable, yet innovative, business model, a proven track record of providing exceptional customer service, and a reputation for being a leader in the franchising space as well as in its industry can be challenging. When you become a retail owner with The UPS Store, though, these advantages help you build your business while enjoying the perks of entrepreneurship.
Year after year, The UPS Store is recognized for excellence both as a franchise business as well as a leader in the postal and business services category. With accolades and recognition from Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Direct, Franchise Gator, Franchising.com, and Franchise Times, franchisees continue to choose The UPS Store for its exceptional customer service and focus on supporting small businesses throughout the communities in which we operate.
Another advantage of franchise ownership is the advertising and marketing support available from the franchise system. At The UPS Store, we support local store marketing and growth on multiple levels. National advertising campaigns build and maintain excellent larger-scale brand awareness, co-op communications activate the power of The UPS Store brand at a local level and complement national communications, and local store marketing activities are implemented by the store owner and drive traffic and improve loyalty at a store level.
Learn more about franchising opportunities with The UPS Store by contacting our franchise development team. Discuss the possibility of owning your own retail location and becoming a valuable part of The UPS Store network.
