Tweet

Roll Up Your Sleeves As A Small Business Owner-Operator

Written by: Candice Clem

Article Overview: Not everyone wants to work in a corner office while others do the hard labor. If you like to run business and operate it, here are some great business opportunities designed for people like you.

Roll Up Your Sleeves As A Small Business Owner-Operator

In business, there are often two very different kinds of people: those who manage and those who execute. Franchisors look for the former when approached by prospective franchisees. They need to ensure that the person requesting to take control of one of their franchises has the business skill and leadership ability to make a business run. All the while, those who excel at execution find their way to subordinate positions in which they are given orders and allowed to do what they do best: make the business cogs spin.

There are those, however, that excel at both business management and daily execution, and taking away either the responsibility of general oversight or the hands-on involvement in the work is a neglect of their natural abilities and in some ways, a disappointment to them personally. It’s like telling a tri-athlete he must choose swimming, running, or biking to the exclusion of the other two.

Fortunately for those who carry both business talents, there are business opportunities perfectly suited to such a person, such as an owner-operator franchise. Unlike many other businesses, an owner-operator franchise can generally be run from a home office or vehicle, which bypasses rental costs, and they come with much more flexible schedules than management franchises, all because they rely only on one person. Operations are far simplified because the person marketing the name, amassing clientele, and making the business plan is also the one interacting with clients on an ongoing basis and doing the hard work that the business is built on; in other words, he knows exactly what is going on in all corners of the business at all times. And most owner-operators wouldn’t trade that balance of management and labor for the world.

If keeping that kind of a simple and tight ship is an appealing opportunity that sounds like a match for your skills and work style, then running a business as an owner-operator may be just what you’re looking for. Here are a few business opportunities to start off on your search for the right small business endeavor.

National Property Inspections
It is estimated that 7 million homes are sold in the US every year, and with roughly 80% of those being checked by a home inspector first, the inspection business is booming. National Property Inspections is a respected name in the inspection market that is looking for hardworking franchisees to expand the influence of their name even further, and turn a profit in the process. Provided with initial training, a complete packet of necessary inspection tools, reporting software, and much more, franchisees have all they need to work at home and work in the field every day.

Real Property Management
With the housing market in shambles, more and more people are turning their gazes to using their properties as rentals. And when they do, they need others to manage those properties. With 20 years of management and franchising experience under their belts, there is no better business to join than Real Property Management. This entirely turnkey operation comes complete with territory rights, a custom website, necessary advertising tools, national vendor accounts, and a well recognized brand that all make this franchise business a perfect opportunity for someone interested in real estate and running their own operation.

PortraitEFX
Many people have the desire to start a photography business, but few have the photographic skill, business knack, and successful business plan to make that happen. For the right owner-operator, PortraitEFX can bring the business plan to the table, requiring only the other two components from the franchisee. They can have such a person up and serving schools, churches, sports leagues, and event planners in no time, and in this home based business there is always franchisor help along the way.

SuperCoups
This turnkey operation is the perfect opportunity for a good salesman who can also run a business. Selling coupon space in a weekly mailer, franchisees build business relationships with business owners in their area by offering the opportunity to increase sales. As franchisees work with clients to make successful coupons, ensure satisfaction, and provide billing services, the central SuperCoups staff works hard to print and mail flyers.

Furniture Medic
A part of the ServiceMaster family of franchises, Furniture Medic is the largest furniture repair and wood restoration business in the world, with more than 600 franchises currently in operation. As owners of a van-based, work from home business, franchisees work with all variety of homeowners, business owners, hotel managers, furniture retailers, and property managers to ensure that their furniture looks as good as it possibly can. And with a well made marketing plan designed especially for each individual territory, among a wide scope of other helpful services, the franchisor is invested in the success of every franchisee.

American Franchise Consultant Network
With franchising on the rise, this home business offers the opportunity to get in on a multi-billion-dollar industry. As a franchise consultant, a franchisee uses the franchise database provided by American Franchise Consultant Network to match clients with the business opportunity that best suits them. As owner and operator, the franchisee has the freedom to take any clients, work with any franchises, put in any number of hours, and ultimately make whatever annual income he wishes.

Owning a franchise doesn’t at all mean that you have to spend your days behind a desk, overseeing the work of others. If directing the course of an operation while also getting your hands dirty in daily responsibilities is what you want out of your franchise business, then an owner-operator franchise is exactly what you’re looking for.

Related Articles
  Leaders: Get Off Your Butts
  Essential Elements of a Good Business Plan for Growing Companies
  You Know What You Want to Do With Your Business – So How Do You Do Achieve It?
  Why your great idea will work
  What Everybody Should Know About Starting a Unique Business Opportunity

Article Tags: business management, business opportunities, business plan, business skill, business talents, clientele, cogs, disappointment, flexible schedules, leadership ability, natural abilities, neglect, owner operator, owner operators, person operations, prospective franchisees, running a business, tight ship, very different kinds, work style



Related Forum Posts
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
These maybe the coldest franchises out there: - Here are the worst 15 performing franchises in regards to having the highest Small Business Administration (SBA) loan failure rates. The list is dotted with sub sandwich shops, fitness centers and car shops. WORST FRANCHISE LOAN FAILURES Failure % 1 OBEE'S SOUP SALAD SUBS 55.56% 2 LADY OF AMERICA 41.94% 3 COUNTRY CLUTTER (BED & BREAKFAST) 41.18% 4 COPY CLUB 36.36% 5 ALL TUNE AND LUBE 35.71% 6 PICKERMAN'S 35.71% 7 PHILLY CONNECTION 35.59% 8 ROLY POLY ROLLED SANDWICHES 34.78% 9 COTTMAN TRANSMISSION 34.48% 10 HAIR COLOR EXPRESS 33.33% 11 LEE MYLES AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS 33.33% 12 GODFATHER'S PIZZA 33.33% 13 SMOOTHIE FACTORY 33.33% 14 BLIMPIE 31.39% 15 GOLF U.S.A. (RETAIL GOLF EQUIP.) 30.77% Source: Small Business Administration, SBA Loan Performance Within Franchise Code for the Period of FY 2001 - 2005
Exclusive: Interview with Results - Hi Forum Members, I'm helping start up a Business Coaching and Consulting company here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (a Subsidiary of RSC Business in Los Angeles). As a Research and Development Intern I am required to practice my listening and interview skills by surveying Small and Medium Businesses on thier Business. This Survey is designed by RSC Business to also assist the Business being interviewed more insight into their own business. I am looking to interview about 30 businesses across North America over the span of 3 months. At the end of these interviews I will be publishing a report of the results and they will be made available for free to the Interviewees. The Report data will include responses from a minimum of 100 interviews. I would like to extend this opportunity to members of the Forum. If you would like to have this short 20-30 minute interview conducted on your Business and you reside in North America please send me an email or PM. Please contact me at andy[at]jvprosperity[dot]com to arrange our interview and to get free access to the results when they are published.
Re: Biz Plan Competition - i just wanted to say that posting Small Business Events on CanadaOne is a great resource. Thanks Julie!
New Small Business Topic - Hello everyone, I'm on the lookout for new topics to add to my site. We just launched a Franchising section and are planning Human Resources section. Do you have any thoughts for a new section? Here's a list of what we currently have: Angel Investors Branding Bank Loans Business Coaching Business Plan Franchises (New) Insurance Legal Marketing Public Relations Sales Small Biz Loans Venture Capital


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Your Local Small Business Online Marketing Funnel

Improve E-mail: Avoid the Quicksand

LEARNING TO HAVE FUN – EVERYDAY!

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.