Be your own boss: Is a work from home franchise right for you?

When you consider how advanced the internet and the related technology are, then it should be no surprise that employees are moving away from the traditional nine-to-five office job

Perhaps you’ve marvelled at those who have embraced work from home jobs. Now you’re thinking about whether a work from home franchise in the UK would be a lucrative and fulfilling career.

If you’re wondering if a work from home franchise is right for you, then read on. In this article, we’ll discuss what it takes to become your own boss and be successful.

What exactly is a work from home franchise?
Before we address what it takes to have a job at a work from home franchise, let’s first define what this is.

These operate very similarly to how a regular franchise works. There are several branches available under the same name.

The key difference is the operations are home-based instead of brick-and-mortar based. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be stuck at home; many companies are mobile, meaning you can travel from client to client.

What are the main benefits of a work from home vs a traditional job? Read on to find out.

Lower costs
Because you don’t have to rent retail space and pay for all the overhead associated with it, this can greatly cut your costs. It’s easy to set up, not to mention it doesn’t take much to either. Plus, instead of having a whole team of employees, usually, it’s just yourself and maybe one other person.

In the grand scheme of things, it takes a lot less to operate a work from home franchise, especially since you were already home and regularly paying utility bills anyway. This makes it highly attractive to people who don’t have much capital to work with.

Flexible hours
One of the biggest benefits of a work from home franchise is the hours tend to be more flexible than an office job. You still have to put hard work in, but you can make it work around your schedule.

For instance, if you’re a single mother, you may find it difficult to go to work from nine to five, as you’ll have to put your kids in daycare or find a childminder. This can have added costs, and it takes time away from bonding with your children.

A work from home franchise allows you to be at home to work while still taking care of and interacting with your kids. You won’t have to spend hours each day commuting to and from the office anymore.

What it takes to be successful at a work from home franchise

It may sound wonderful to work from home. After all, you don’t have to change clothes, commute, or deal with coworkers or customers face-to-face.

However, not everyone is cut out to do remote work. There are many traits you must have to be successful. Otherwise, you won’t feel fulfiled with your new career and may end up wanting to return to the job you left in the first place.

To determine whether or not work from home is right for you, we’ve compiled a helpful list. Read below to find out what it takes to be successful at a work from home franchise.

Organisation and attention to detail
When you work from home, you’re responsible for everything. Sure, you might have an accountant that takes care of bookkeeping for you, but ultimately, it’s up to you to get the right paperwork into him. You have to make sure it’s all submitted correctly and on time as well.

You need to also be able to keep track of everything you need to run the franchise. This is especially true if you have an employee or two, as you’ll need to be on top of their hours and paycheques.

Scheduling is incredibly important as well; not just for your employees, but for your clients as well. If you can’t remember if you booked someone on Monday for 2:00 pm, you might accidentally double (or even triple!) book that timeslot. You need to be able to handle all the small details to ensure you run your franchise without a hiccup.

Also, you’re representing a brand name. Because of this, you need to make sure you pay good attention to detail and follow all their branding guidelines. Otherwise, you risk losing the rights to the franchise.

Ability to multitask
Remember how we said you need to be organised and pay attention to detail? This won’t be possible unless you’re good at multitasking. Otherwise, you’ll spend an excessive amount of time trying to handle everything.

Even if you hire employees to delegate vital tasks to, you’ll still have to oversee their work and double-check that everything is right.

Self-discipline and motivation
You’re your own boss, which is fantastic in itself. But if you’re someone who’s used to having a higher-up tell you what to do, and when to do it, you may struggle at first.

Considering you’re at home, you’re in the space where you usually relax and unwind. It can be highly tempting to switch on the telly to watch some Doctor Who. The next thing you know, a few hours have gone by, and you’ve done nothing for work.

The reality is, as a work from home franchisee, if you don’t do the work, you won’t get paid. You need to have an incredible amount of self-discipline and motivation to get things done on a daily basis.

It may be helpful to designate a certain area in your home (such as the study) as your office, where only work is done. This can put you in a better mindset to throw yourself into work and leave the rest of your home as your relaxing space.

Resilience
Working from home can give you a break from the busy work environment and overstimulation from coworker interactions. This can be especially helpful if you’re an introvert.

But as human beings, we crave interactions, and when working from home, you’ll be in isolation most of the time. Without social activity, this can have an effect on your mental well-being.

Even if you’re staying home with your children, this isn’t the same as having adult conversations and interactions. If you’re not used to going days without speaking to another adult, this may have a detrimental effect on you.

This can easily be remedied by putting aside some time to meet with friends, such as a lunch date or weekend get-together. There’s certainly a learning curve when it comes to adjusting to working from home. But once you figure it out, you can mitigate the isolating effects of it and lead a happy and normal life still.

Companies that enable you to work from home

Now that you’ve gone through the checklist of what it takes to work in home-based franchises, maybe you’ve realised that it’d be the perfect opportunity for you. But where do you even start to look for the right job?

Here at What Franchise, we’re here to help point you in the right direction so you have a great start on your new career. Below are some companies that allow you to work from home:

- Not Just Travel
- Debonair
- Speaking Roses

We have tonnes more resources for you, which means there’s bound to be an industry and business that speaks to you. The available opportunities are just as diverse as those in brick-and-mortar jobs, so if you know where to look, you can definitely find a work from home franchise that you’d enjoy working for.

Start a job at a work from home franchise today

Spending more of your time at your traditional nine-to-five job can really chip away at you. After reading about employment at a work from home franchise, it may sound completely ideal to you.

In that case, use our resources from above to reach out and find some chances at your new career. It may take a little bit of research and time to set up your new venture, but once you do, it’ll be worth all the effort. When you can be your own boss, spend more time with your family, and release the shackles of the confining traditional work life, it’ll vastly improve your quality of life for years to come.

If you’re looking for home franchise opportunities in the UK, then browse the franchises in your local area. We have plenty of free online franchise opportunities available to you.