1. Get a mentor
2. Test your idea
3. Hire quality
4. Stay on your game
5. Focus on your mission
6. Develop partnerships
7. Plan for the future
8. Set goals
9. Stay focused
10. Protect your brand

Source: U.S. Small Business Association

Know of a business structure that has all 10 of these elements?

The answer is franchising.  As a franchise owner some of these tips are built into the franchise system.  The other items are available if you can follow their system to success.  Remember in a franchise you are working for yourself, but not by yourself!

Like to learn more about franchise opportunities please email tammy@yourfranchiseconnection.com

Put in the subject line “Top 10 Biz Tips” then provide your contact information. We are available to answer your questions about owning a franchise.



In an upscale restaurant in the good part of down town, in the soft glow of candle light with a jazz ensemble playing in the background, alone sits someone waiting for their blind date. They nibble on the bread, take a sip of water, look at the menu and look at their watch. At 15 minutes past the time the blind date was supposed to arrive, they check their phone for messages. They waive away the waiter. They debate if they should stay and wait, if they should order an appetizer or if they should just leave. At a half hour past the time their date was to arrive, they lay down the menu, fold their napkin and walk out of the restaurant. They are pretty sure they will not agree to another date.

This scenario is familiar in a dating environment, but it also can characterize many business situations as well.  For those individuals who are exploring franchise opportunities, their first meeting with the prospective franchisor is essentially like a first date. It is an opportunity to make either a glowing first impression or as in the vignette above an opportunity to ensure a second date doesn’t occur.

Given the amount of advertising spent by franchise companies seeking to attract potential franchisees, an outsider may assume if an individual shows up with cash in hand and a pulse, they will be awarded a franchise. With the more discerning franchise companies, this simply isn’t the case.

In any business venture between two parties, both parties are interviewing and evaluating each other. There is no difference in a franchise/franchisee relationship. For the franchise company to be successful and therefore a good investment for potential franchisees, a fair amount of vetting must be done not only by the potential franchisee, but also by the franchisor.

If a franchisor does not perform due diligence in getting to know and qualify a potential franchisee, the franchise system can be damaged by poor validation and by under performing franchisees.

A franchise company that creates a dynamic of a two way interview with both parties being engaged fully in getting to know each other and determining whether they should “go steady” is a healthy franchise concept and one worth serious consideration.

How then can a potential franchisee put on their best front when approaching a franchisor and how should they act throughout the “courting” process?

According to Mark Titcomb, VP of CertaPro Painting Company, part of the Franchise Company, he and the franchise development staff at his company look to see the attributes of their successful franchisees demonstrated throughout the investigation process.

“We look for those general characteristics that are in our successful franchisees. We look for those that are charismatic influencers,” Titcomb said. “We look for those people who are good with people and building relationships.”

Titcomb continued on by saying they also look for candidates who can lead and inspire people without micromanaging and who can demonstrate through the extensive conversations occurring throughout the investigation process, they have the ability to follow a program and to execute a proven process.

“It’s critical that our potential franchisees be on time for all phone appointments, that they return calls, are respectful of others and are assertive and decisive,” Titcomb added.

Titcomb says their thorough process of investigation gives their candidates both the confidence and the skill set that will likely make them successful franchise business owners. They gauge whether or not their candidate will be a self-starter, is motivated and will take initiative. “These are all characteristics that they will need to get out of the gate and get their business up and running.”

Part of the investigation process should help determine to both the potential franchisee and to the franchisor that the franchise is a good fit. It should be noted at any time during the investigation one or both parties have the ability to stop the investigation and declare that it’s not a good fit. This discourse is a critical process and ensures both parties are going forward into a business venture both feel confident has a large likelihood of being successful.

At the conclusion of the investigation there is typically a Discovery Day. This is intended to be the “final date” before each party commit to each other. The candidate will have the opportunity to see the corporate headquarters, meet the franchise staff and demonstrate to the franchise parent they are motivated, interested and ready to move forward in their decision.

Sabrina Wall, President of The Franchise Broker Association, an elite membership association in franchise consulting company, echoes Titcomb in her assertion that potential franchisees be prepared and can demonstrate they can conduct thoughtful research and are at a point where their timing and financial position allows them to make a decision to purchase a franchise when the investigation concludes.

Mrs. Wall added the Discovery Day that candidates are invited to attend at or near the end of the franchise investigation process should be attended by the candidate only when they are actually prepared to make a decision. “They should be able to demonstrate to the franchisor that they are ready to go, their research is done and they are prepared to make a decision.”

Candidates investigating franchises should also be able and willing to demonstrate their credit worthiness. Being prepared to disclose items such as net worth, cash on hand to investigate and a willingness to submit to a credit check demonstrates to the franchisor they are a serious candidate worth consideration. In highly competitive markets, franchisors often will evaluate several candidates and make their decision to award a particular territory not only based on the candidate’s attitude and actions in the investigation, but by their ability to qualify for all financial obligations involved in purchasing a franchise. Franchisors want to ensure their new franchisee has enough capital to successfully participate in required marketing efforts, can purchase inventory and equipment, pay rent, insurance and other business related expenses for at least the first six months to a year. Candidates should be prepared to have an honest and forthright conversation regarding their actual financial position and ability to qualify for financing the franchisor may require for purchasing the franchise and any and all required capital equipment.

In the best situations, both parties show up to the restaurant, dressed to impress, are on time, engage in lively discussion and discover they are a perfect match. Individuals considering a franchise purchase, should put on their best interviewing/dating face and treat the investigation as the beginning of a long and productive relationship.

Most Wanted Franchisee Candidate Attributes:

1.    Being on time for meetings
2.    Being prepared and engaged in investigation
3.    Forthright and assertive communication
4.    Demonstrated ability to build relationships
5.    Understanding of general business concepts
6.    Respectful communication
7.    Ability to make a decision
8.    Ability to stay on track throughout the investigation process
9.    Can come to a decision within a reasonable period of time (generally 30-60 days)
10.    Can demonstrate a solid financial position and credit worthiness
11.    Demonstrated enthusiasm and interest in the concept
12.    General interest in employee management and development
13.    Ability to follow processes and proven franchise system

How Much Money Can I Make?

This is the question that is at the front of your brain while researching a franchise to purchase. It’s incredibly important. You need to know what to expect to determine if the franchise is a reasonable venture for you. The challenge you face is that 60% of franchises do not offer a Financial Performance Representation. This is a disclosure in the FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) that indicates what Franchisees have earned within a franchise system. The fact is most Franchisors will not give you financial projections or financial information. How then can you proceed with any level of confidence?

As our client, we help you around this conundrum. You can obtain all sorts of financial information from the Franchisees. We have tools to help you draw out the financial information that will allow you to calculate your costs and earnings based on what other Franchisees have achieved. These tools include financial calculation spreadsheets and a list of quality questions directed at this aim to the Franchisee.

Remember, Franchisors can always give you information on cost and expenses. They just cannot provide financial information if it is not clearly stated in the Item 19 of the FDD.

We provide support tools and services to you free of charge. We are here to protect you during this selection process and to ensure you are seeing the whole picture, not just a piece of it.

Call us to request these valuable support tools.

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.”

Wall Street Journal- Small Business

By JONNELLE MARTE

This is a youth movement brewing in the franchising world.

The Journal Report 

Usually, franchisers don’t want to gamble on young entrepreneurs—they prefer seasoned managers who have built up lots of savings to plow into the venture. Now a host of companies are rethinking that logic. They’re aggressively recruiting twentysomethings through franchise brokers, marketing themselves in youth-friendly venues like Facebook, and in some cases offering financial lures to get young people on board—such as deep discounts on franchise fees, which many beginners can’t afford.

 A Foot in the Door

Why the big change? For one thing, many boomer franchisees are retiring, leaving room for newcomers. And many franchisers say that today’s crop of twentysomethings are much better prepared to run a business than earlier generations of youngsters, since more colleges are offering strong training in entrepreneurship.

Then there’s attitude. “Sometimes the younger people have more drive and are willing to put in more time and maybe are hungrier than a corporate person who has other commitments,” says P. Meyer, a senior consultant for Toronto-based MatchPoint Franchise Consulting Network, which helps companies recruit franchisees. “Younger people are able to get things moving faster in some cases.”

As baby boomers retire, franchisers are aggressively recruiting a much younger crowd like 23-year-old Nicholas Hernandez. If he hits his sales targets, he’ll get a break on the fee for opening a franchise. WSJ’s Jonnelle Marte reports.

Of course, in these tough times, franchisers are offering lots of people discounts to get them to buy into the business, not just twentysomethings. But many franchisers and brokers say they’re making a particular effort to bring in young people. Several franchise companies, for instance, say they have joined the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, known as VetFran, in order to attract young veterans. The program, created by The International Franchise Association and promoted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the nonprofit Veterans Corporation and the U.S. Small Business Administration, aims to help veterans of all ages by giving them a discount off initial franchise fees of member companies—usually between 10% and 15%.

Other companies are using different incentives to get twentysomethings on board. Consider Valpak Direct Marketing Systems Inc., a direct-mailing company in Largo, Fla., owned by a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc. Last year, Valpak created the Entrepreneurship Award Program in an effort to recruit young people who could open new franchises or take over existing ones as owners prepare to retire. The potential franchisees sign on with the company as salespeople, and if they hit certain goals they get a discount on their franchise fee. Along the way, they get to know the business and the company gets a sense of how they perform.

One hopeful is Nicholas Hernandez. At 23, he has already opened—and closed down—his first start-up, a music-promotion company. He wants to run a franchise, but for now, short on cash and experience, he’s a salesman.  

If Mr. Hernandez hits sales targets, he’ll get a break on the fee for opening a franchise, thanks to a Valpak program for young entrepreneurs.

If he brings in $1.1 million in three years—the average sales raked in by the top third of the company’s performers over the past three years—Mr. Hernandez becomes eligible for one of three things: $50,000 toward the fees for one of Valpak’s dormant territories, which start around $43,000 but range higher as the market size increases; $10,000 toward the franchise fee of an International Franchise Association member company; or $10,000 toward an M.B.A. or other advanced degree.

“Quite frankly, sharp people coming out of school have choices, and so we’re trying to give them a reason to at least consider us,” says Joe Bourdow, president of Valpak, which has about 170 franchises in the U.S. and Canada. He started the program after visiting colleges and finding himself impressed by the students he met.

Hunting for Talent

Another company aggressively looking for young people is WSI, an Internet-marketing franchiser with 1,500 franchisees in 87 countries. In 2007, the company launched the Young Entrepreneur Scholarship Program, which awards franchises—minus the initial fee—to people between 21 and 31 years old. Candidates must propose a business plan for how they would run the franchise and are also judged on their community involvement, education and personality.

Company executives say they need tech-savvy franchisees who can help the company stay on top of the latest technology. “If we can help capture some of the young talent and bring them to WSI franchising, then we’re really meeting the needs…of bringing in the innovation needed to develop the business,” says Maribel Guiste, vice president of franchise operations for WSI.

So far, only one WSI scholarship has been awarded—in Latin America—but the company plans to select two recipients in North America by the end of September 2010. Overall, 13% of the Toronto-based company’s franchisees are younger than 30, up from 2% in 2006.

Other companies aren’t offering inducements but are still pushing heavily to land young entrepreneurs. For instance, many companies are telling their franchise brokers to pursue the demographic. David O., a franchise broker in Plano, Texas, says about a third of the 200 companies he works with have stopped giving age ranges for their target franchisee and are changing their marketing materials to minimize jargon and depict franchisees of all ages. “It’s quite a departure from the traditional mentality of who to recruit and how to recruit for new franchisees,” says Mr. Omholt.

Rich Wilson, chief operating officer of CertaPro Painters, an Oaks, Pa., painting franchiser with over 300 locations in the U.S. and Canada, had a similar chat with his franchise brokers earlier this year. Mr. Wilson also joined VetFran, in an effort to recruit young veterans who may have saved some money while they were deployed. “We have people [ages] 25, 26 and 30 coming in and earning better numbers than our more mature franchisees,” says Mr. Wilson, adding that about 15% of the franchisees CertaPro recruited recently are younger than 35, up from 10% six years ago.

A Risky Bet?

Still, this new focus on youth carries some risks, particularly when incentive programs are involved. Some franchise consultants warn that these programs might attract franchisees who don’t fight as hard because they’re not investing as much of their own money or who might not have the finances to cover regular business expenses.

“The real risk is that you end up bringing on a marginal franchisee that is going to cost you more and return less,” says Mark Siebert, chief executive officer of iFranchise Group Inc., a franchise-consulting company based in Homewood, Ill.

Some experts worry that a younger person buying a franchise might have a hard time hiring, managing and firing employees—difficult tasks for even seasoned businesspeople. But some of these programs, like Valpak’s, address that issue by allowing for a test run of sorts, where the candidate and company get to know each other.

At Valpak, Mr. Hernandez sits down once a week with his boss and mentor, Bobby Coco, to decide what neighborhoods to target and what companies to follow up with. Mr. Coco also shares what he’s learned in 35 years of running Valpak franchises. How to meet press deadlines and set realistic goals. How to approach potential clients. How to convert that burning desire into success.

Mr. Hernandez, who graduated last year from William Paterson University in Wayne, N.J., says the structure and financial help the program offers make his entrepreneurship goals much more achievable.

“Having to deal with my own business and having to set up my own reputation, my own brand name—it’s very difficult,” he says.

Mr. Coco says programs like this were unheard of when he opened his first franchise at age 21—a move he could afford only because he convinced the owner at the time to give him a payment plan. “We really weren’t handed the opportunity; we had to stick it out ourselves,” he says. “We’re at least giving them the opportunity, but they still have to earn it.”

The International Franchise Association created, and runs, the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative, which aims to help veterans start franchises. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that VetFran was created by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the nonprofit Veterans Corporation and the Small Business Administration, which promote the program.

–Ms. Marte is a staff reporter of The Wall Street Journal in South Brunswick, N.J. She can be reached at jonnelle.marte@wsj.com.

*** Article:  Being Laid Off — Is it a Sacred Opportunity? ***

————————————————————————————————————

 Have you ever noticed that “good” things often come out of “bad” things? Events or situations we see as disasters in our life can actually change our life in profound and wonderful ways.

I believe layoffs offer many individuals a sacred opportunity to re-examine their lives. For many of us, something as serious as a layoff is required before we will pay attention to thoughts and feelings that have been plaguing us for months, years, or even decades. Thoughts like: What am I doing in this job? Where is my passion? What is the purpose of my life anyway? Is this really all there is to life?

We may have ignored and stuffed concerns like these for so long that they have begun to show up in our bodies as disease — a physical manifestation of the disease of our souls. But if physical illness doesn’t get our attention, a layoff quite often does.

Many of us expend huge amounts of energy and time rearranging our lives so that we feel the sense of growth and wonder we crave. Yet we haven’t really created anything new, and our relief is short-lived. We may feel safe simply rearranging the box we live in, but our life force does not want to be contained in this way. Our life force wants to experience, grow, and expand. Our life force wants us to take the lid off of our box and explore new territories which beckon to us. Enter the layoff — a perfect opportunity for self-examination, self-expansion, and self-realization.

As you look now to re-enter the workforce, I invite you to consider the following questions:

1. “What is the most important thing to you in your life today? What do you find personally meaningful?” Take some time to really ponder your answers. When you started your career, your answers may have been very different. Allow this layoff to be your opportunity to “catch up” with all the changes you have undergone during your previous years of employment.

2. “When you were growing up, what were you most interested in doing?” Also consider if there was anything you were told as a child you could not do in the area of occupation or career. What were you told would be “best” for you? Now, as an adult with many years of experience under your belt, take a second look at your interests and the advice you received. Determine if the advice is serving you today, and how you can expand your parameters for success and personal fulfillment.

3. “What fears played a part in shaping your previous career? Which of those fears can you throw away now?”

4. “What part of your potential have you been resisting?”

5. “What possibilities — that you didn’t allow yourself to consider before — may be open to you today?”

Self-discovery is a continual process. You will not be able to complete it in an hour or two, but it is a process that is well worth starting. Once you take the first few steps, I think you might actually find that you enjoy it!

A layoff is a significant event in your life. Though it may not seem so on the surface, I believe there is something sacred in such a life event. I invite you to allow this sacred pause into your life. Use it as fuel for creating a life that supports you in experiencing joy and fulfilling your true potential.

As a Franchisee Recruiter/Coach, I would find it difficult not to end this article by reminding you that self-employment is always available to you. Yes, it takes money to make money.  However there are multiple ways to fund a new business venture.  Examples: tax-free retirement money roll over, franchise company in-house financing, these are just a few options.  A Franchise Coach is a team player who helps you answer these type questions.  Now is a great time to ask Tammy (a true franchise professional that has over 20 years experience of owning businesses) to help you determine if, in fact, self-employment is good option for you.

 Confirm if you are a good candidate to elevate your career and life as a Franchisee. Franchise opportunities exist today in recession proof industries. Franchises offer the least amount of risk, quickest return on investment IF you can follow a proven business model.  Tammy calls this model a “Business-In-A-Box”. As a Franchise Owner, you purchase the box, lift the lid off of your box and re-create your life leveraging the success of the Franchisor. 

It can be the most exciting and rewarding event you ever do in your professional journey!  Hindsight is always 20-20.  So what are you waiting for? 

 Tammy Dias, Founder & CEO

 The Franchise Connection

 Email me at: info@yourfranchiseconnection.com

Home-Based Franchising Is On the Rise

The franchising industry is the doorway to a world of opportunity. Thousands of franchises offer countless concepts, all with varying startup costs. And while many require a storefront and overhead expenses, a large number of them – ranging from commercial cleaning to dance fitness lessons to windshield repair services – can be operated right from home. Home-based franchises are becoming viable options for business ownership, enabling many new franchisors to grow their businesses more effectively and many more franchisees to get involved in the franchise industry.

The popularity of home-based businesses has been growing for a while now. Home-based entrepreneurship has become so common, in fact, that those running businesses from home have earned their own title, “homepreneurs,” and have become significant pillars in the economy. According to a recent survey conducted by Small Business Success Index and analyzed by Emergent Research, there are currently about 6.6 million home businesses nationwide that generate at least 50 percent of the owner’s household income. These businesses employ over 13 million people; 35 percent of them generate more than $125,000 in revenue, and 8 percent generate more than $500,000.

So what’s driving this trend? There are many factors, one of which is the struggling economy. “Home-based franchising is alive and well and, in this down economy, thriving,” explains Harold Kestenbaum, a franchise attorney who has worked with more than 100 franchise concepts. “More franchise companies have gone to the home-based model, when possible, since the tightness of the credit market has made selling the big-box franchises very difficult. The home-based model opens up the opportunities for prospects with lower budgets, which is a good thing.”

Additionally, as technology becomes more sophisticated, it’s easier than ever to operate a business from home and still portray a professional image. “As technology continues to offer more and more communications abilities, such as Web conferencing and seamless communication systems, home-based franchising will continue to be a viable option for many companies looking for qualified buyers and for buyers who wish to have the flexibility of working at a home base,” says Alisa Harrison, Vice President of Communications and Marketing at the International Franchise Association.

Finally, the once somewhat negative stigma associated with working from home is dissipating as the entire image of the traditional workplace is undergoing a metamorphosis. According to data released in January from the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people who worked at home increased from about 9.5 million in 1999 to about 11.3 million in 2005. Furthermore, nearly half of these home-based workers had college degrees, and nearly half of them earned $75,000 a year or more. As the whole concept of working from home becomes more common, so does the idea of running a franchise from home.

The flexibility and freedom of running a business from home helps franchisees realize their dream of starting a business, but it also enables franchisors to introduce new concepts and grow their businesses. When Daniel J. Praz started franchising his floor refinishing franchise, Mr. Sandless Wood Floor Refinishing, in 2006, he offered it as a home-based opportunity. Now, there are 184 franchise units being run by 102 franchise owners and the franchise has expanded to Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Ninety percent of these franchisees operate their businesses from their home. The company is now established enough to attract more affluent investors who are choosing to run their franchises from a retail outlet or office; however, offering a home-based option has helped Praz grow his company to where it is today. “One in five candidates mentions to us that this is appealing to them,” says Praz. “It absolutely is a [factor in] our success.”

With home-based franchising becoming more widespread, those searching for a franchise may not have to roam too far from home to find – and start – a business of their own.    

To learn more about franchise ownership opportunities;

Email:  info@yourfranchiseconnection.com 

Overcoming the Obstacles to Midlife Career Change

Midlife is a lot like being a teenager again—only with more wisdom. We may not stay out all night and run with a wild crowd, but many in their 40′s and 50′s experience the same restlessness and yearning for change. We’re still asking questions about what we want to be when we grow up, but the questions are deeper, more profound. This time we don’t settle for less than what makes us truly happy.

This is especially true for the work we do. Yes, we want to pay the bills, support a family, save for old age. But, many of us now want our work to be meaningful and make a difference. We ask ourselves if not now, then when? What better time to act on those unfulfilled dreams? Work is one of the most profound ways we live our true selves, and now is the time to start doing that.

Yet, it can seem as if there’s a chasm between the knowing and the doing. We know something’s not right with our job or career path, but we tell ourselves to live with it. We set goals but feel too overwhelmed with daily life to try something new. We worry that to make a change to follow a dream would be selfish, especially if it means a loss of income, or upsets our family and friends.

In fact, every person living out his or her dreams gives a gift to the world—a gift because it inspires others to do the same.

“We often hesitate to follow our hearts, to grow, because of perceived barriers,” writes Carole Kanchier in Dare to Change Your Job—and Your Life.

Breaking Down the Barriers

Her book is one of many resources that help break down those barriers, the two biggest of which are fear and confusion.

Fear. We think: I’m too old to change. If I switch jobs now, I’ll have to start over at the bottom. What if I fail, then what? Fear is normal, and it’s important to acknowledge it. There are numerous tactics to help you through the fear. The most powerful may be looking to others who’ve gone through life/career changes.

Confusion. Many of us are clearer about what we don’t want than what we actually do want. We may have lived out others’ expectations of us for so long we’re not even sure what actually makes us happy. Or we’re not certain how to turn our many talents and skills into meaningful work.

Coaches are an excellent resource to help you ask the right questions to sharpen your focus and goals. The Franchise Connection can guide you to imagine and create a real self-employment opportunity through a targeted match with a franchise company that isn’t just a job, but a whole new life in an “equity” position as a business owner.

Whether it’s a new career or small shifts in how you work, making a change in midlife can bring new energy and joy for life. Like being a teenager again—only better.

Top 10 Steps to Achieve SMART Goals

Making a SMART goal—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound—is just the first step in making your goal a reality. It’s what you do after that can make or break your objective. Below are 10 essential steps to achieving your SMART goals.

1. Make sure your goal passes the SMART test. To the letter.

2. Align your goals with your values. Without values alignment, you are likely to struggle—if not fail—to implement them.

3. Share your goals with three to five key people to become more accountable. Don’t sabotage yourself: choose people who are supportive and positive.

4. Identify the resources you need to make your goal happen. For example, if your goal is to develop a website for your business, you’ll need to find a designer.

5. Identify ways to save time. Take only the short-cuts that can accelerate your progress and support your goal.

6. Detect potential obstacles. From poor work habits to limiting self-beliefs to too much on your plate—take action to clear these hurdles.

7. Pinpoint at least one daily action. The little things you do everyday are what propel you towards your goal.

8. Establish a support structure. Who or what can provide you with encouragement, advice, healthy feedback or a willing ear?

9. Identify rewards. A soak in the hot springs, a new outfit, or dinner out. Little rewards along the way make achieving your goal more fun.

10. Identify an action you will take right now, after you finish this blog. Do it.

Breaking Down the Barriers Her book is one of many resources that help break down those barriers, the two biggest of which are fear and confusion.

If you enjoyed this article please let Tammy know. Email her: info@yourfranchiseconnection.com Thank you.