There are both disadvantages and advantages to working in any role and in any industry, that’s a given. I have learned a lot in the years that I became my own boss, lessons that I can guarantee cannot be taught or told, but rather, learned through experience. Despite speaking with countless business owners and franchisees, no two stories are ever the same. Sure, there are always similarities but the beauty of learning of individual experiences is that you, in fact, learn something new every time. So, if you’re on the fence about whether or not to take the plunge of going into business for yourself, I hope this helps convince you that it’s well worth the risk.
· You will never work so hard in your life. I thought I gave my other jobs 110%, so I must be giving myself 150%! The truth is that there really isn’t much that you wouldn’t do for the success for your own company. The whole experience is completely different. You’re not worried about upsetting your boss or not making a quota, instead, your focus is on the success of your company, employees and doing right by your clients/customers. It’s a very liberating feeling knowing that the triumphs and failures of your company all come back to the effort that you put in. You will also quickly realize that there is no such thing as “hours”, you work however long that you have to in order to ensure the job is done. The best part of this is that it really doesn’t feel like work at all.
· You will really learn what “sacrifice” is. When you own your own business you will quickly learn that just about everything else will take the backburner, until you are well on your feet. The best way to handle this is to always show appreciation and really ramp up your communication skills to explain to your friends and family that this is only temporary and how grateful you are of their continued support. I am not going to lie, it’s going to be hard at first to adjust to your seemingly never-ending work hours, but I can guarantee that it is so worth it in the end!
· You will learn how to effectively manage your time or else it will kill you. There’s an equal balance with everything. Do your best to establish what that means for you as soon as you possibly can as this balance will dictate your success or failure. Also when learning the very important lesson of time management, make sure you budget in time for yourself, your friends and family. As much as they understand that you’re extremely busy, you need to also do your best to make them feel like they are as important to you as your company.
· You will learn not to sweat the small stuff. It’s almost laughable about what I would “freak out” over in the first weeks, months and years of running my company. The biggest and most relieving lesson I have learned is don’t let the little things get to you, and trust me, most of it is small stuff. You have to put everything into perspective and understand that everything typically does happen for a reason, it might not seem or feel like it at the time, but everything does have an odd way of working itself out in the end.
· You are stronger than you know. Being your own boss makes you a hundred things, but it also makes you incredibly strong. If every day, you are doing something that makes you uncomfortable, challenges you, or even scares you, you’re making unbelievable progress in the right direction. Being a business owner is not easy, but nothing worthwhile in life ever is. When things get hard, you owe to yourself to keep on going.
For every single lesson that I never learned working for someone else, right off the bat, taking the leap into being a business owner has been extremely rewarding and worth it. It’s definitely not for those who want an “easy paycheck” or think that it will be a walk in the park every day— it’s for those who have worked for others and never were quite satisfied or who often thought, “I can do this so much better.” If this sounds like you and you’re interested in franchising with us, give us a call at 1-855-GYM-GUYZ and let’s start one of the most important conversations you will ever have.
