January 05, 2008 – Mesa, AZ – US Franchise News. If you’re considering buying a franchise, you’ll want to do your research to learn everything you can about the company. You’ll also benefit from knowing what specific attributes, skills, and background the company looks for in potential franchisees. Both you and the franchising company share the same goal: to help you become a successful franchisee. The health of the company depends on you running your business well and making a profit.

“Every franchisor looks for someone who has a good grasp of the company’s franchise concept and the ability to methodically follow the system without trying to reinvent the wheel”, explains Gary Lynch from FranConsultant, a full-service franchise consulting firm assisting would-be entrepreneurs. He further states, “When buying a franchise you don’t necessarily need to have a strong business background, but a basic understanding of how to run a business certainly helps. A willingness to learn, a drive to succeed, and a readiness to work hard often can make up for any lack of business experience.”

When asked what he looks for in a successful franchisee, Leo Kats, president of Instant Imprints Franchising, a leader in the promotional advertising industry, replied, “A good communicator, an outgoing personality, someone who can manage other people and themselves, has a desire to be involved in the local community, is self-motivated, organized, and willing to work hard.” Kats also feels that being a college graduate is helpful, but not required. He notes that it’s important to have proper working capital and to understand that this is a full-time, hands-on business.

Some companies offer several different opportunities for franchisees, each one requiring a unique set of skills. Daryl Dollinger, executive VP of franchise sales and development for Raving Brands, explains that, “As Raving Brands is a franchise portfolio company, we look for different attributes for franchisees across concepts.” These franchise concepts include a kids’ party and play place called Monkey Joe’s, a coffee house called PJ’s Coffee, a smoothie café called Planet Smoothie, and a fast-casual restaurant called Shane’s Rib Shack.

For Monkey Joe’s, Dollinger says, “As with every concept we franchise, we look for people who have good management experience. People who have worked with children in the past, are parents, or have an education background are also a plus.” The Planet Smoothie concept seeks a franchisee willing to serve as a hands-on owner/operator, while Shane’s Rib Shack works well for someone with prior restaurant experience.

Decor&You, an interior decorating franchise celebrating its tenth year in business, offers three different franchise models. The Territory Director multi-unit model looks for candidates who are management-oriented and have a successful background in marketing or management. The DecorDesigner home-based model seeks candidates with a passion for decorating who enjoy networking and serving a growing portfolio of clients. The Regional Developer model requires someone who is a senior or executive-level sales management pro.

Karen Powell, founder and CEO of Decor&You, sums up well the requirement for anyone interested in buying a franchise and becoming a successful franchisee: “Running your own business requires more than a full-time commitment. It requires a full commitment to oneself to succeed. While that might seem intangible, it translates readily into a willingness to invest all the time, talent, and resources needed to make the system work.”

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FranConsultant, a nationwide full-service franchise consulting firm, provides consumers with free guidance and counsel to assist in the selection of franchise opportunities that best fit their individual wants, needs, desires and overall financial qualifications. FranConsultant has pre-screened franchisors in a diverse assortment of industries operating as a direct liaison between the client and the franchisor for a successful outcome in the best interest of both parties. www.franconsultant.com

USFranchiseNews, a division of Proven Business System and a privately held company, operates as an integral website presence representing the franchise industry for the purpose of educating and enlightening its viewers while also providing them with additional key information to further investigate their franchise of interest. For membership inquiries please contact director@usfranchisenews.com

Staffwriter: Graciela Sholander

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