Franchise for Moms

Be in business for yourself, but not by yourself. That is the slogan most used for franchising. And its true. Franchising gives you the opportunity to be your own boss and have your own business without needing to come up with the idea, the systems or the strategy. Plus, you have the training and support of the franchisor.

We are seeing more and more women enter the world of franchising, but I think its especially appealing for a mom entrepreneur. With so many families needing two incomes, franchising gives moms the opportunity to make money and still have the flexibility to be with their family. Certainly, the amount of work and flexibility depend on the franchise you purchase.

Franchising is simply a method of distributing a product or service. It is a great way for the franchisor to expand his or her business, and for the franchisee to take advantage of a proven business model. Most people think of expensive brick-and-mortar businesses like Basking-Robbins and McDonalds when they think of franchises. But there are lots of low-cost and home-based franchise opportunities. Thousands of stay-at-home moms are bringing in steady paychecks while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood and home. In fact, check out Entrepreneurs listings of top 10 low-cost franchises and top 10 home-based franchises.

So why is a franchise good for a working mom?

You dont have to reinvent the wheel. Moms are busy, and although we are full of ideas, its great to have a guide to success. A good franchise will have training and operations manuals to walk you through how to run your business.

As franchisor Heidi Ganahl, founder of Camp Bow Wow, puts it: "Franchising in general is good for moms because it takes a lot of the school of hard knocks out of the process of starting a business. Everything is all figured out for you when you open a franchise. ... This in itself is very necessary when you have kids, because it eliminates a great deal of time that would have otherwise been spent building the business from scratch."

Franchises have a higher rate of success. Taking risks is hard for everyone, but even harder for a mom who has family on the line. A 1999 U.S. Chamber of Commerce study found that franchised businesses have a 97 percent success rate within five years of opening compared with a 48 percent rate for non franchised businesses.

You are the boss. Without a doubt, one of the hardest things for a working mom is balancing work and motherhood. Its agonizing to handle sick kids, school plays and holidays along with a traditional work schedule. As a franchise owner, you are the boss. You can set your own hours and dont have to ask anyones permission for time off.

You get the support. All moms need support. A good franchise will have a support team to help you succeed in your business. It connects you with a network of other franchisees, so you are truly part of a community.

With any business, its important to find the right one. Find a business that you are passionate about, but also one that will fit with your desired life as a mom. Talk to other franchisees to find out whether the company is truly supportive of motherhood and a flexible lifestyle. Will you be able to work from home? How many hours a week will you need to work?

Work from home does not mean youre not working. Just as any mom knows that motherhood is full-time work, any franchise will be work, too. As with most things, you will get out of it what you put into it. Many will not require full-time traditional hours, but all take dedicated work time to grow and support the business.

Balancing work and motherhood is tough. But its also exciting and full of opportunity. Kids benefit greatly from seeing their mom as an entrepreneur. They grow along with your business. I think mommy business owners are amazing role models for their kids. I have always said that our franchisees have my dream job -- a business that can be run in just a few hours a day and that puts motherhood first.

The mom who needs to make extra money to supplement incomes may indeed look upon franchising as the way to accomplish that task; however, many high ticket franchises are expensive to buy, and if that mom is looking to spend more time with the family, and less time at the job, then certainly there should be some deep research in that area.

Franchise alternatives could be the solution for the busy working mom to pursue. To learn more, just click any of the links found in this article.