Franchises have advantages and disadvantages as opposed to starting your own company. You need to think carefully about what you are personally looking for. The key is to think long term, i.e., five years out.
Advantages are (or at least should be): 1) business setup, legalities, training; 2) marketing; and 3) a sense that there is someone there to whom you can speak with openly without fear of educating a competitor.
Disadvantages are costs and lack of freedom.
1) First, determine whether you are self-employment material. Accept the fact that not everyone is cut out to be self-employed. To find out if you are ready for self-employment, you might read the book titled "The E-Myth: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It" by Michael E. Gerber. This is one of the best books to help explain the phenomenon of self-employment. Most people get into a business because they have a hobby that they enjoy. The idea is "why not do what I enjoy all the time?" This makes sense until you think of the dark side of self-employment: paperwork, deadbeat clients, nonexistent clients, the feeling that the job never goes away, et cetera.
2) Make sure your family is on board. Self-employment will affect them just as much as it will you. You need to have frank, heart-to-heart discussions. Don't allow them to give you a quick, supportive answer. They need to have a vision of the pain and toil involved. This is especially true of your spouse and kids. Getting bat calls at 2:00 a.m. is fun for a while, until you start working 12-hour days because you know if you don't you will starve in the winter.
3) If you are still interested in getting into self-employment, follow these steps:
* Read all the material and links from this page Getting Started as a Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator.
* Follow the instructions. Visit with someone in the business (outside of your area) for a few days to get a sense of what the business entails. Offer to pay for this advice.
* Check out other franchises, if you still think franchises are for you. Talk to past franchisees and present franchisees to get a feel for the quality of the franchise. You want to know the good, the bad, and the ugly.
For additional information, see FAQ #9903, "What things do I need to consider about buying a franchise?"
