I know you want to.
I understand.
I know that Google is The Place for information.
But, it’s not the place for you. Please don’t use Google to search for a franchise to buy.
Let me explain why.
TMI On Franchise Opportunities
There’s way too much information about franchises on Google.
It’s too easy to get lost.
Think about it; how many times have you sat down in front of your monitor and searched for something on Google-only to find that one and a half hours had gone by. (And you couldn’t even remember what the heck you were searching for?)
If you choose to use Google…or Bing, (right out of the gate) to search for a franchise to buy, your roommate, family members… whoever it is that usually knows your whereabouts, will have to contact the Authorities to report you
You will quickly become lost.
You’ll be lost in a sea of franchise opportunities with no way out.
That’s because there are thousands of franchises to choose from.
And, you don’t know what you’re looking for.
This Guy Is Wrong
Nick Friedman, the co-founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk, just wrote a post with a very enticing headline over at Forbes.com.
The Headline:
3 Ways To Avoid Getting Stuck With The Wrong Franchise
He leads his post off with this:
“Google is a great place to start for your preliminary research. You can spend hours looking into different opportunities, reading about how a company is doing and what clients think of those companies.”
Sorry, Nick.
Using Google for “preliminary research” is the
to do it.
Don’t Use Google To Search For A Franchise
You really need to avoid Google or Bing.
At least for a while.
Using Google for a preliminary search-as Nick suggests, will not help you avoid “getting stuck” with the wrong franchise.
As a matter of fact, using a search engine to help you find the right franchise (early on) can go a long way in screwing up your dream of owning your own business.
You need to start your franchise search in your head.
And, on a notepad.
Start writing down all of your top professional skills. Think about what you’re best at. Are you good at sales? Are you a great manager of people or data? Are you an operations person?
Write down everything that you’re good at.
You also need to write down your dominant personal traits. Are you shy, or are you more of an outgoing person? Are you a leader? Are you competitive? Do you prefer to be in the limelight or in the background?
Now, you have a starting point.
Now, you can use Google to look for franchises that will allow you to utilize your top skills.
Now, you can start honing in on opportunities that fit you…and your unique personal traits.
Does that make sense?
More
I’m full of…
Tips.
I have tons of proven, useful tips for you…if you’re thinking of buying a franchise someday.
As a matter of fact, the tip I just gave you-on where to start your search for a franchise to buy, comes from a post I wrote titled, “The Top 10 Ways To Lower Your Risk When Buying A Franchise.”
One more thing…before you check out the franchise blog post I linked to above.
Nick (in his Forbes.com post) was right about the other two things that all franchise buyers need to do.
Image #1 courtesy of Pulis Saklolo, on Flickr
Image #2 courtesy of CarbonNYC, on Flickr