Throughout the years the economy has evolved and developed its processes to adapt to the necessities and wants of the consumer.
In fact franchises were born out of a changing necessity; people wanted the same product and service from a specific brand available in other parts of the country. The need for consistency and expectation was in demand, so the economy responded.
Nowadays, people want immediate results and they do not want to work for it. It may be considered an unfortunate characteristic for humanity to express, but it is reality and businesses have to adjust to the ever growing demands of the consumer.
Mobile franchises are the after effect of a changing and fast paced American lifestyle. Most family members are working, commuting and parenting without enough time to run errands. We could all use a milkman nowadays, but realistically, that whole process is not economically feasible.
Franchises are being packed into a four wheeled area and able to move from location to location. Such a set up allows franchisees to create their own schedule, move about as they please and create a very specific work and life balance.
Though mobile services used to be limited, they have now reached a whole other level of expertise, with a variety of franchises looking into these types of services.
One of the biggest benefits of mobile businesses is the limited start up costs. There is no structure or building or construction before the opening of doors. Once franchisees are trained, they can start their business as soon as possible, without any construction delays or mishap. The startup can be clean, quick and immediate.
However, franchisees should be aware that they may have to be very involved in the day to day business at first. In order to get the business off the ground, a franchisee may find it easier and more cost efficient to run the whole show themselves. As profit rolls in and business takes off, an owner can hire staff to better balance their work and life.
There are many different mobile franchises and we will consider a few, along with the pros and cons of each.
Computer Technology and Repairs
The internet is no longer a luxury. In our country it is almost a necessity in order to function. It’s part of people’s work life, social life and a vital part of communication. When something goes wrong, people used to have to pack up their computer, find the proper shop and wait for it to be fixed.
Our dependency on the internet and worldwide communication has changed consumer’s demands and wants when it comes to computer function. We do not have the time or ability to wait for our computers to be up and running, it has to be fixed as soon as possible.
Mobile franchises can come to your home and complete immediate repairs for customers to continue on with their life. Since most American households have a computer, there is a wide population of consumers in this industry. 84 percent of adults use the internet, while in 2015, 71 percent owned a desktop or laptop in the country.
One of the downfalls of computer technology is understanding the process. It can be technical and though sometimes franchisees can function without an understanding of the task at hand, it is very important to know all aspects of a mobile business.
For those uninterested in technology, this may not be a smart investment. Though it produces a plethora of guaranteed clients, a passion for computers is important.
Bike Repairs
Sometimes we consider mobile businesses to offer typical services, but as mentioned earlier, the economy is ever progressing.
Slowly but surely a new mobile service has been born. The bike repair service allows people to come to the consumer to repair bikes. Beforehand, people would have to bring their bike to the shop, leave it for a long time and wait and business were usually bombarded all at once.
Now people can schedule an appointment, and franchisees can conveniently show up at the customer’s own residence and get the bike back on the road in no time.
More and more people are using their bikes to commute and for recreational activity. Businesses are delivering a variety of goods and services with bikes, to dodge crazy traffic jams.
Over 47 million Americans were riding their bikes throughout the year in 2008, which increased to over 67 million in 2014. There are a lot of bikers pending on repair throughout the country.
The great news about this type of mobile service, franchisees can work on their own schedule. Though consumers would prefer immediate service, for the most part, they do not mind booking by appointment for their bike repair.
A very important limitation is location. Of all those millions of bike owners, it’s safe to assume that more people are riding bikes in the populated and high traffic areas and locations with yearlong great weather. A state with long and brutal winters, would really limit a customer population throughout the year.
Lawn and Gardening Services
This type of franchise is obviously mobile. The product to be serviced is literally at your doorstep.
People used to be responsible for their own yard work but nowadays time is limited and the average householder is dependent on mobile services to keep up with the Jones.
The benefit of a lawn care franchise is the training and expectation. Lawn care can easily be learned and adapted, making the skill set easily understood.
This would also be an easily employable job, if the franchisee wanted to pay for the service to be preformed.
The downfall is saturated competition. Not only is the franchise rivaling local businesses but also working against homeowners who can perform the job themselves.
However, some lawn care mobile services offer much more than the average garden clean up and provide professional service, as well as a variety of tasks.
On some levels mobile services could be considered extremely convenient. You create your own schedule, you are dependent on yourself, no massive clean up or service bills or giant staff to cater.
However, it can be demanding on the other side of the business. Sometimes a franchisee may have to adhere to the many demands of the customers. The job may become monotonous and they may come to discover they do not have passion for the field.
It’s important for those interested in mobile franchising to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. It’s a very independently run business that would take a strong discipline to be run successfully.
Some franchise offer more than just services and provide products at customers doorsteps. This process can create more profit and franchisees should see if this is an option when researching different mobile businesses.
The world is always changing and consumers can be fickle, but they know what they want. The mobile franchise was birthed by the direct demands of the changing economy. For those that would truly like to be their own boss, a mobile business should be considered. Plus, it’s no longer limited to mail delivery, it can be a pet groomer, or computer whiz or hairstylist. Think of a business and it can likely become mobile; it just depends on whether or not you want to be behind the wheel.
Look out for our next special feature: CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS Franchising
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: After receiving an English Degree, followed by a Journalism Diploma, Gina Gill became a freelance journalist in 2008. She has worked as a reporter and in communications, focusing on social media. She currently works as a community information officer with Epilepsy Society, while pursuing her writing career at the same time.