Imagine the opening day of your own store.

Imagine the excitement and satisfaction of seeing the first customer coming in to your store.

The owner of a newly opened golf shop said nothing could be more rewarding than that.

At the same time, however, opening the shop required an enormous amount of paperwork and much trial and error, especially for a small business owner who has never walked the field of business before.

There is a way to experience the joy of opening day without too much hassle -- just follow a ready-made plan.

"We both are new to business. Buying a franchise, we figured that we don't have to reinvent the wheel," said Gerry Fajardo, owner of the Golf USA franchise on Guam. "You just have to follow the program that is already developed and proven successful."

He and his wife, Leslie Fajardo, said choosing the franchise route to business ownership has been a big help, especially because most of their time was needed for their primary jobs and family.

Leslie Fajardo said they would have been lost if they prepared everything for their business venture by themselves.

"Opening a franchise is definitely easier. ... Representatives of the franchise consulted us with what types of equipment we should buy. They made the layout of the store for us. And, they came in here and checked out what this store needed," Gerry Fajardo said.

"We also gave our ideas because they are not from Guam. We communicated quite a bit and came up with the best plan for the store to meet the demands of golfers on Guam."

Leslie Fajardo said buying a franchise eliminates the guesswork in the process of starting a business.

"I have a relative who opened up a business. They started trying to do something and slammed into a wall, finding out that they can't do that first. They have to do something else first," she said. "So the franchise takes guesswork out of it. They let us know this is due by this time. You need to get a business license by this time. And your inventory has to come in by this time."

If you want to buy a franchise because you don't have much knowledge about how to run a business, how do you choose one from a number of franchises available?

Gerry Fajardo said you should look at three factors when choosing a franchise that is right for you: royalty fee, franchise fee and support service. And, among those three factors, he said support service is the most important factor.

Support important

If you buy a franchise that does not provide adequate support, he said, "you might as well start your own business. The support is a big thing."

With about 50 years of experience in the golf business and more than 100 stores all over the world, Gerry Fajardo said, Golf USA has an established credibility and proven business theories.

Since opening the store last December, Gerry said he still keeps in touch with a franchise representative every morning online.

"It's interesting. Sunglasses were not selling at first when we opened the store. When I talked to the franchise (representative) about it, he told me to move things around and see what happens," he said. "When we moved the sunglasses stand to the front, it started selling. It's just a little thing. I wouldn't have noticed that by myself."

With the help from the franchise, Gerry Fajardo said the store is reaching its sales goal every month.

With an area to try out a new golf club, the Fajardos' Golf USA shop has attracted a lot of regular customers who come to the store every day just to hang around or practice.

And the couple already is planning for an expansion to provide club-repair service. Gerry said he is also planning to purchase a swing analyzer, a computerized device that detects a swing pattern and ball flight tendency.

Gerry Fajardo said this new side business has become more interesting than his main job as an airplane technician.

"If it wasn't for a franchise, we've been lost a long time ago," Gerry Fajardo laughed. "If you are new at it, you might as well follow somebody else's footstep. In that sense, franchise is a big help."

If you are going into business, Gerry Fajardo suggested that you get help from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Guam Small Business Development Center.

"They will put you onto the right spot," he said, adding that the Guam SBDC's Frank Crisostomo-Kaaihue, business counselor and training program coordinator, was one of the first people to whom they talked about their plan to open up a business.

"We are still keeping in touch with him," he said.

Click Here For More Information On Golf USA

Source: Pacific Daily News