When it comes to what is needed to succeed in a home based business, there are many opinions that people have as to what the most important factor is. Some say that the state of the economy or of a specific market is the piece of the business puzzle that impacts things the most. Others say that success has everything to do with the company’s business model. Still others may say that it is all up to providence as to who will succeed and who will not. Frankly, all of these answers are true to some degree, but none is really the single most important factor in the success of a home home based business franchise; rather, the most valuable and profitable aspect of a business is, arguably, the character of its owner. If everything else is in place, but the franchise owner doesn’t have the right balance of character traits to both follow the franchisor and lead his own company, there is going to be a problem. So here are some characteristics that are invaluable for a franchisee to have.

Drive
Generally a type-A personality, the essence of a business owner is that he is driven; whatever he thinks to do, he does at full-throttle. For example, with a certain degree of single-mindedness, the good WSI Internet franchisee sets his sights on the goal of optimizing his client’s internet marketing and presses on through any problems with advertisers or technicians until the task is accomplished. The driven Vehicle Tracking Solutions franchisee goes from potential client to potential client, making his pitch (for the GPS tracking devices he sells to delivery companies) as many times as he has to in order to reach his sales goal.

Vision
This trait is closely tied to drive, because without vision, drive has no direction. Vision is the franchisee’s ability to look ahead toward both future trials and future success; it is his ability to see where he and his business are going. Without the forward thinking to see the eventual goal of 30 U-Turn vending machines all over town, the U-Turn franchisee would be unable to know what business steps to take now to get to that level of success. The best work at home entrepreneurs are able to see the end-goal from the beginning and reverse-engineer a plan to get there.

Cooperation
Unlike those who start their own businesses from scratch, franchisees have the special privilege of working with systems and structures that have already been tested and perfected by the franchise. This means that a truly functional franchisee has to have the attitude of a team player, because they are using someone else’s methods under someone else’s name, and they have to respect each by running the business as the franchisor wants it to be run. Good franchisees do make excellent business leaders in their own right, but the best ones are those who also work well in deference to the lead of the company.

Daring
No guts, no glory. It’s a simple phrase, but true nonetheless. Part of being a good business leader is being that person who is always willing to take a risk, to take that business path that others have been too afraid to step out and try. Sometimes this trait plays out when a large corporation’s CEO banks the entire company’s future on a new, untested product. Other times, the willingness to take a risk is demonstrated in something as simple as taking on a DVDNow franchise. It may not sound like a big risk to run a business of DVD rental machines, but because it is still a relatively rare and untested business model in the US, there is still a small degree of risk. But a good business owner knows that with higher risk comes higher payoff.

Consistency
While the good franchisee is not afraid of taking risks and running toward his goals at full speed, he has the long-term in mind and is faithful enough to his task to keep on it for the long haul. The TVME franchisee will see periods when the number of restaurants and pubs that purchase his computerized media units will dwindle. It could be three months into business, or it could be three years, but whenever it happens it does not stop his forward momentum toward his vision for the future. Even times of great success as an Air Advantage franchisee, making consistent money from new wireless internet clients, will not make a gifted business owner ease his pace or become complacent, because he is faithful to the further success of the business.

Of course, there are other traits that are helpful to the long-term success of a business, and success will indeed look different for every entrepreneur based on what else he brings to the table, but these characteristics are essential to fully taking advantage of business opportunities. It is important to know what it means to be a good business leader, because with that knowledge you can more easily determine if starting a home based franchise is right for you. If you fit that description, it may be time to take a calculated risk and go into business for yourself.


September 10, 2008