Owning your own business can be a fun and rewarding experience. Especially after you spent time working for another company, the freedom to be your own boss often feels like a breath of fresh air. But being a business owner still requires work, accountability and personal character that are even more important than when you were an employee. Business owners often share qualities that make them successful, and at Jani-King, we have noticed a few that are no doubt present in our top-performing franchise owners. Do you recognize any of them in yourself?
1. Resourcefulness
Successful Jani-King franchise owners make use of all the resources Jani-King has to offer as the largest and longest-standing commercial cleaning franchisor in the world. They do not waste time and money trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, these franchise owners have a “better together” attitude. Using the proven systems, equipment and mentorship available to them is not a shot to their ego or an admission of incapability, it is just part of enacting a winning strategy. By using Jani-King’s support, franchisees can accept large and complex accounts with confidence and grow their company as fast as they want to. If you watch sports, you often see high performing athletes lean in to hear what the coach has to say. Why? Because that athlete wants to get all the tools and information they can to help them win the game. Jani-King has the tools to help franchise owners win the game. Franchise owners that take advantage of them, run their businesses like a well-oiled machine.
2. Clarity
Franchisees that know exactly what they want to do with their business year-by-year are more likely to achieve their annual goals. Business goals can be as diverse as our Jani-King franchise owners. Some owners want to scale massively. Some want more time with their family. Some want to invest in other income streams using their Jani-King income. Some want to travel more. With proper planning, all of these goals are within reach.
Each year brings a new set of circumstances and possibilities. Jani-King franchise owners that do really well, make time annually to revisit the goals for their business and for their life. They look at what changed and what stayed the same. They look at current business opportunities and current challenges. Then they make updates to their goals where needed. By scheduling time to reevaluate, these franchise owners are always crystal clear on their purpose. They use their up-to-date goals to design each step they will take through the next year to make their vision a reality. Jani-King has tools that can assist franchise owners in the planning process.
3. Humility
As much as you might enjoy your newfound freedom as a business owner, you cannot use your authority to make up for any insecurities you might have developed as an employee. Many franchise owners talk about having to grow as a person. Part of their growth is learning to cultivate a humble spirit as a leader. They need to win employees’ respect by making themselves accessible and by encouraging them often. Successful franchisees are not too proud to work beside their employees when it makes sense. Jani-King franchise owners that lead by a humble example also have loyal, high-performing, teams that contribute to their success.
Mistakes can happen in any business, and there may be times when franchisees need to make things right with a customer. Pride cannot stand in the way of delivering five-star service that maintains client trust. Humility makes all the difference in keeping employees and clients.
4. Self-Motivation
Just like any business owner, Jani-King franchise owners that really flourish through the years are, at their core, self-motivated. They do not need someone else to kick them into gear each day. They look inside themselves for the courage to lead a team and interface with their clientele. Successful Jani-King franchisees have shared that owning a business was the next step after they reached a ceiling in their previous work. These individuals knew that they had more to offer and that internal drive led them to search for a top-notch franchise.
Self-driven Jani-King franchise owners meet and exceed their business and financial goals faster because they hold a growth mindset that propels them forward. Jani-King can supply franchisees with accounts, but because self-drivers enjoy creating their own growth, they go out and get their own business as well. These franchise owners get involved in their local chamber of commerce or other business groups where they spend time networking. And, they ask their happy clients for referrals.
If you’re exploring whether a Jani-King franchise is right for you, why not do a gut check for the four qualities listed above? Your next chapter, the one where you write your own success, could start now.
