People are Saying Goodbye to Corporate America and Finding Meaningful Work in Franchising
Have you ever searched for “career change ideas” on the Internet, hoping to find a better option than your current position? Many of my candidates do this before we start working together because they are ready to make a career change and don’t know where to start.
Last year, I had a great time working with a senior engineer in the oil and gas industry as his franchise consultant. He and his wife and their two children live in Houston, Texas. He’s in his mid-fifties and has worked in corporate America overseas, as well as in the U.S. for more than 25 years. When we started talking, he was very tired of corporate America. He had reached the maximum pay for his position and options for moving up at his age were limited in his industry. He was also starting to think more about retirement. It was too early to stop working altogether, and he wanted a new opportunity to own a business and make a difference. He was just ready to stop working for corporate America. It was time for a career change. At the end of the day, he wanted to feel good about his work and wanted to give back by helping his community.
A Career Change With Meaning
We talked about his goals, interests, dreams, and I learned he wanted to build his own business; and, he wanted to focus on an essential service business. Working through the recession and the pandemic made him realize an essential business was the only way to go. He was very interested in moving into a service-based business to help people in his local market and mentioned healthcare in our early consultations. Having a business that would “give back” was very important for him. Right away, I knew which industry would be perfect for him: senior care services.
The senior care services market is very lucrative because America is aging very quickly. There are almost 50 million senior citizens over the age of 65 in the United States. In a few years, that number is expected to double. Help at home is what many seniors need, even an hour or two a day helping with everyday tasks can make a huge difference and keep seniors from needing to move to an assisted living facility. Senior care services companies fill this need really well. Most clients are between the ages of 65 and 95 and require help with meal preparation, light housekeeping and running errands. Staying at home provides privacy, familiar surroundings, and independence. This segment of the healthcare industry is the fastest growing, according to the Department of Labor. Caregivers are in hot demand. An established senior care services brand that validated well and had a strong ROI made this industry a relatively easy choice for my candidate.
He was able to get all of his questions answered with the franchisor, meet other franchisees, and see financials to understand the short- and long-term success of other franchise owners. Most importantly, he was able to make a career change that enables him to provide a service that gives back and helps his community. Now, instead of being at the mercy of corporate America, he is in charge of his own destiny!