Work/life balance is a frequent topic of conversation when I am talking to someone about buying a franchise.
But what does work/life balance mean? Is it more time with your family? Is it the freedom to build your own schedule? Or is it just the freedom to make your own decisions and to do things your own way? It is important to figure out just what you mean by work/life balance when buying a franchise because not all franchise systems will provide you the balance you want.
When I bought my franchise I knew I wanted more time at home with my family. I also wanted independence, freedom, and the ability to build something meaningful through my own efforts. Our i9 Sports business is a work from home business, so not having a commute gave me time back and insured me that I would see our daughter every day. It also gave me the flexibility to be involved in activities during the week. What I didn’t understand when first buying my franchise was the quality of life I and my family would have once the business was established. Because the i9 Sports model is built around utilizing staff for day to day business operations, I have been able to remove myself from the daily operations of the business over-time, giving me more and more freedom. For the past two years we have taken two-week family vacations, which is something I was NEVER able to do when working for somebody else. I can also take time to be involved in my daughter’s school and more of my family’s lives. Do I still work hard? Yes I do. But, I work on things I want to work on and things that will grow my business. I am able to earn at the level I want, while having freedom and independence that I didn’t think was possible.
If you’re buying a franchise and work/life balance is important to you, I strongly encourage you to look at franchise models that allow you to step away from the grind of the business to work on your business. The best franchise systems can give you this freedom.
