1. Be Prepared to Work Hard

Hard work is never easy, and that’ll definitely be true in your first year of business. Many things will be completely new, from the work itself and the best processes in place to building a name for yourself among your customer base and learning how to upsell your product. While the mind thrives on being challenged, having too many things going at once can be tough, so be prepared for a lot of mental and physical work.

However, a lot of that work will get easier as processes become more familiar. It’s not that you’ll have less work, it’s that you’ll get fitter and better at it, understanding the quickest and best way of performing a task or being able to understand customers better. The hard work you put in in the first year will pay off as your career moves forward.

2. Get Ready to Meet Some People

Depending on the industry you’re coming from, you may or may not have had a lot of customer contact. But, as a franchisee, you definitely will. You’re going to be the face of your business, and the one customers want to hear on the other end of the phone, helping them finalize their plans and putting them into action. This can seem challenging and maybe a bit draining at the start, but you also get to see the joy and gratitude when you deliver a great product or service for people at the end of the day.

3. Always Factor in Admin

When calculating your daily or hourly rate, it can be easy to simply include time spent meeting clients, traveling to or doing a job. However, one of the biggest and most unexpected time sinks for a first-year franchisee is doing administrative work, and you have to factor that in everywhere. It can also be a steep learning curve for many; sorting out files, applications, tax returns, or rebates, but it’s an unavoidable part of the job.

It will get better though, a whole evening spent trying to figure out how to fill out a single grant application is knowledge-banked, and next time it’ll take thirty minutes. It’s a process all new owners experience, and it’s what you can expect during the first year in business.

4. Success Won’t Come Easy

When setting out on a franchise journey, it’s hard not to get carried away with how many jobs you’ll be able to do and how much revenue you’ll turn in your first year. While setting goals is healthy, it can also get disheartening if you don’t seem to be hitting them. Stories of first-year wonders are rare, and most fellow franchisees will tell you that their first year brought them down to earth with a thump.

A better idea for planning what to expect in the first year is to set two or three levels of expectation: minimum, happy, and excellent. For every year after that, when you know your customer base and work capacity better, you’ll be able to set expectations from the previous year, but for the first one, being realistic at the start means being happier by the year’s end.

5. Your Time is What You Make It

Being in total control of your schedule can feel like relief and fear at the same time. Nobody tells you what to do or where to be, what time to clock out, or whether you should work Saturday; that’s all on you. Putting in extra hours can be essential to grow your young business, but you also have the freedom to spend time doing the most important things to you.

Creating a work-life balance that gives you the best of everything takes time, and you won’t always feel you get it right, but the freedom to make those choices in the first place is a powerful personal benefit.

6. You’re Not Alone

Even though you are your own boss, it doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel on everything. Being part of the franchise system also means you have a great support network to lean on in your franchisor. They want you to do well and make a huge success of your franchise, so they will be there for you, and they’ve also seen nearly every situation to come at new franchisees, so don’t be afraid to get that knowledge.

Not only that but meeting and networking with other new or experienced franchisees at training or corporate events is a great opportunity to share tips and experiences about your paths to a successful franchise.

Conclusion

Having a clear idea of what to expect in the first year of your new franchise means that you are better able to prepare for the challenges and not get overwhelmed by them. Becoming a franchisee offers many advantages over being an employee in terms of freedom and potential income but also means more responsibility. However, one of the biggest pluses about being a franchisee is having the support and mentorship of head office to help guide you through that difficult first year.

Screenmobile offers just that with a highly successful product that you can get on the road within 8-12 weeks. Our franchise renewal rate of 99% shows how well we look after our franchise family, helping them get the independence and rewards they deserve for their hard work.To find out more about becoming a Screenmobile franchisee and everything it offers, you can take your first steps right here.