From Lay Off to Pay Off: Transitioning from Unemployment to Franchising

With the national unemployment rate at 9.8%, thousands of Americans are out of work and looking for a steady career and income. Oklahoma City-based Express Employment Professionals, one of the nation’s largest staffing companies, predicts stronger employment numbers in the first quarter of 2011 with the staffing industry growing by 10% over last year. While this is great news for the unemployed, Express also notes franchise ownership as an alternative to those who are out of work.

“To increase the chances of success in owning a business, consider a franchise with a strong record of helping professionals make the switch to ownership,” said David Lewis, executive director of franchising at Express Employment Professionals. “The desire for business ownership and the ability to follow a proven system, along with strong sales and management skills learned in the corporate world are often the right ingredients for successful franchise ownership.”

WSI franchisee Paul DeBernardi agrees that franchise ownership offers beneficial support. Working in software sales and marketing since the early ’80s, DeBerardi found himself laid off from two different Internet security companies within a year. As a result, he opened his business in the summer of 2010 as one of 149 new WSI franchisees throughout the year. As the world’s leading provider of digital marketing solutions to small-and medium-size businesses all over the world, Ontario-based WSI plans to add 210 franchisees in 2011.

“I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny and not be at the whim of a corporate layoff, continually starting over and trying to prove myself in new organizations,” said DeBernardi. “Franchising made sense to me for all the obvious reasons when compared to starting a business from scratch.”