Confidence is Key in Business. Here are Nine Ways Franchise Owners Can Package Themselves for Success.
The most successful franchise business owners are passionate, resilient, comfortable with risk, and always looking for business opportunities. But the trait that distinguishes stellar business owners from the rest is confidence. Nobody will want to be part of your business as a customer or as an employee if you are unsure of yourself and your business.
Whether you are leading your team, making critical business decisions, or engaging with clients, you must show confidence in everything you do. You have to believe in yourself if you want others to believe in you and your business.
Here are some confidence tips that will help you as a franchise business owner.
Look the Part
Looking the part will add immensely to your confidence. Taking care of your appearance proves to others that you are put together, competent and knowledgeable. This can go a long way in business and will give the appearance of being confident even when you may not feel it.
Communicate Like a Leader
Your nonverbals say a lot about you. Confident leaders make eye contact, stand tall and speak clearly. Bad posture or mumbling can make you come off as disinterested and insecure. To improve your posture, make sure you roll your shoulders back, elongate your spine and keep your chin up with your head in a neutral position.
Manage Your Fear and Worry Less
There’s a lot to worry about as a business owner. If you aren’t careful, you can become paralyzed by the fear of failure. But there are ways to alleviate these fears. First, acknowledge that it is there. It doesn’t matter if the fear is irrational. Franchising fundamentally reduces your risk of failure as it is based on a proven system. You can always ask your franchisor for help and take advantage of the franchisor’s support. Fear may never go away, but some business owners can use it as a motivator to make their business even better.
Focus on the Future
While business owners can be caught up in the mundanity of the daily operation of their business, they have to keep the bigger picture in mind. Take the time to focus on your goals, which can help to refocus on what’s best for your business. This can include having an exit strategy. For example, you can sell the business to an existing franchise owner, engage in a franchise resale, or sell the business back to the franchisor. Keep your eye on the prize and think about long-term goals.
Align with Fellow Franchise Owners for Shared Knowledge
A great aspect of franchising is that you can connect with other franchise owners in the system. To benefit from the shared knowledge, speak with them regularly and attend company-wide events and conferences to share best practices. With more knowledge, you’ll gain more confidence.
Engage With Your Community
A great part of franchise ownership is the ability to give back to your community. You can create a scholarship program, donate to nonprofit organizations, and host fundraisers. This will help establish the business in your community and allow you to make a real difference at the same time — two things that will make you feel accomplished and more confident.
Seek the Help of Your Franchisor’s Support Team
A truly confident person asks for help when they need it. Asking for help can be difficult, but a franchisor’s support team is there for a reason. In business, it’s almost more important to acknowledge what you don’t know than it is to focus only on what you do know. Any small accomplishment outside of the business can also be the confidence boost that you need. For example, you can take an online course to learn a new skill and do well in the class. That confidence will transfer to your business.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Confident business owners know they will make mistakes at some point. Don’t obsess over every blunder. Turn the page and move on. If you failed with a customer, the best thing to do is apologize, fix the error, and learn from it.
Learn to Delegate
As a franchise business owner, you can easily put in 60-80 hours a week. Learn to delegate so you can scale your business and take time to do things you enjoy. Invest in yourself with interests and hobbies outside of work. This will make you feel happier and more confident in all you do.
Confidence is a critical part of franchise ownership. A little confidence most definitely goes a long way.