The American Dream is the national ethos of the United States, in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success:
The chance to make your Life better, richer and fuller, with opportunity for each according to their ability and achievement, regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.
The American Dream is achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.
— Various Sources.
Most Veterans spend a large portion of their adult life ensuring that the rest of us can safely live the American dream. An occupational consequence of military service is that service members are forced to retire from service often in the prime years of their life. Almost two thirds of veterans and active duty members start a second career after leaving the military. After retirement, many go on to achieve wonderful things in the private sector while others never get the break they need.
Often, service members going into retirement underestimate their ability and worth in the private sector as they believe they are not qualified to take on positions for which they are not trained, and have no experience, and believe that they lack knowhow and experience to go into business for themselves. However, while this may be true for job seekers it is NOT necessarily true for those seeking business ownership, through franchising.
There are many reasons why Veterans should NOT assume their lack of business and industry experience should exclude them from business ownership after retirement, but I would like to focus in on two core reasons as I perceive them:
- Military training, which inadvertently creates the foundation for potentially ideal Franchisee’s.
- The franchising business model, which allows people without industry or business ownership experience, but with the right leadership skills, personality, and the ability to follow a proven system, to become successful business owners.
So, let’s look at military training. Regardless of the specific division you serve in, and your specific role, you are taught the following principles:
Servant Leadership;
Teamwork & Trust;
How to follow a system;
Discipline to follow a system;
To put the mission and the team before yourself.
Not only do you learn these skills but you practice them daily in the military, often under extreme conditions. It is the way of life.
Now let’s look at the typical Franchise business model:
- The Franchise company provides:
- A proven business format / model
- Training (aspects of leading and operating the business)
- Support (marketing / personnel / management advice and so on)
- Systems
- The Franchise company expects their Franchisees to have:
- Servant Leadership capability
- The willingness to build a business
- The ability to build a team and work as a team
- The ability and discipline to follow a proven system
- Willingness to network and market their business
Of course there is a lot more to military training and to the franchise business model than I have depicted above, but I have highlighted key elements in each case and, as you can see, there is a significant overlap between what you learn in the military and what the Franchisor expects (typically) of you as the Franchisee. You can also see that what the Franchisor provides you, as the Franchisee, fills in the gaps!
Yes, everyone is unique, and we cannot assume that all Veterans are cut from the same cloth. I am not saying here that Franchising is for every Veteran. I am also not saying that Franchising is an easy way out. Being a successful Franchisee requires smart, hard work. What I am saying is that there are Veterans out there that do have the personality, have the talent and who are able to apply their military training to become outstanding Franchisees, but they don’t necessarily see it. This message is for them.
Statistics back us up – one out of every seven franchises in the U.S. is owned by a Veteran, generating more than $41billion annually, as found by a study conducted by the International Franchise Association (IFA). Franchise companies overwhelmingly recognize value in Veterans as Franchisees. Most Franchises offer franchise fee discounts to Veterans who purchase franchises. In some cases, they may even offer reduced royalties or lending programs to Veterans.
Lastly, many people think of franchising as being synonymous with fast food. This is NOT true. Fast food is only one of the plethora of industries that have an overwhelming franchise presence. Click on our website link https://www.franalign.com/branded-industries/ to get an idea of some of the industries that are available in the franchising arena. There is something for everyone!
I represent over 300 franchise companies in many different industries that offer Veteran incentives. My goal includes helping you build a secure future for you and your family. My proven process is designed to provide you with Veteran-friendly franchise opportunities that align with your financial, lifestyle and personal goals. My services to you, the Veteran aspiring to own a franchise, are free.
Click on the link below to set up a free consultation. There is no better way for me to say “Thank you” to our veterans.
https://calendly.com/craig-franalign/15-minute-meeting
A review posted by one of my veteran clients:
Just wanted to give a shout out! I worked with Craig from day one. What a pleasure he was, helping me choose a franchise , knowing the right people to talk to in the franchise. Craig was really in the know and helped give me the confidence to finally go all in!! Thanks Craig. I will keep you posted!
And thanks for always checking up on me throughout the process of opening my first franchise!