#jameshomeservices

Robert James, Founder James Home Services.  

 Every business involves a level of risk, a franchise business is perceived to be a “safer” option.

But it is a business in which you have to carry the reputation of another person from whom you have taken the franchise. That includes the good and bad.

 There are two parties involved in the business of franchising:

·         the franchiser and

·         the franchisee.

 Managing a franchise isn't the role for everyone, it takes a willingness to learn the system and ability to manage a franchise business from merchandising, marketing to staff management. Consider these aspects before you choose to buy a franchise business. 

 But with the proper planning, you can manage the business well and reap tremendous profits says Robert James as you have to carry on the brand reputation. You don't have to start from the top, it is al made you just have to maintain it.

 Few reasons for why you should consider franchising business

 Investigate different franchise opportunities

According to the view of Robert James, the founder of James Home Services, The Franchising sector will present you with various franchise opportunities, you have to for investigate to find the right opportunities for you.

You can choose from the abundance of options, see the market demand and choose from home services to fast food. Before starting anything, you have to do proper research of the market.

Robert James advisers to review the market needs and demands, never invest before analyzing the franchise business thoroughly. Talk to franchisees, both current and former franchisees. After analyzing the franchise offer, decide if a franchise is the best opportunity for you or maybe you better suited to start an independent business.

 Already built reputation

In the business of franchising, you will have the already built-in reputation. Good and bad the franchisors reputation will impact your business.

If the brand has a strong brand awareness, then a major part in the business is already accomplished. so, it becomes very easy for you to initiate the business. 

With franchising, businesspeople have the privilege of joining a good name that has previously built trustworthiness with consumers. You have to carry this positive reputation forward.

 A full support from the franchisor

According to the view of Robert James, Founder of James Home Services, you shouldn’t have to feel burdened in the early days of your business. The franchisor should support you at every step in the beginning of the business.

Get yourself geared up as you will witness full support from the peers.

You should have a network of companions going through the same things you are.

It’s a privilege and opportunity to correlate with other success franchisees to discover the keys to success in the business, says Robert James.

  Everyday Innovation:

In the growing franchise network business, you will witness everyday innovation.

If the franchisor has a long term in the industry, they have a big research team that are busy innovating the products or systems.

Every business has to evolve to survive. No business can grow or even sustain without innovation.

The struggle to achieve a balance between family and business life is not a new one. It’s very beautifully documented in one of the all-time great modern Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol, by one of the greatest storytellers of all time. A Christmas Carol is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published in London on 19 December 1843.

Robert James and James Home Services: A Christmas Carol tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge, and his transformation into a gentler, kindlier man. Ebenezer’s transformation begins with a visit from his former business partner Jacob Marley, followed by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. The novel has been made and remade many times into a movie by Hollywood.

That was 1843; we are now 174 years down the road into ‘yet to come’. The advances we have in technology today could never have been imagined back in Charles Dickens’s day. Those advances have certainly made our daily lives much easier and more comfortable. But the irony of it is, we still struggle with the daily decisions about where our priorities should be in order to get the right balance in our lives. (Maybe we need an app to make the decisions and help to measure where our focus is on an hourly basis. You could check on your phone to see if you should be playing with your kids, giving your partner a compliment, or perhaps doing a bit of work!)

Confronting your own ghosts

I have a challenge for you; it should be a bit of fun and create some self-awareness all in one. I want you to borrow from Charles Dickens and have a chat with your spirits of past, present and future. Imagine you are sitting down with your own self; do you have a message for you about your life balance? Don’t do it out loud where others can hear you; they might think you have lost the plot all together.

Let’s say your Spirit Past is you from five years ago. Your Spirit Past turns up at your office for a meeting, with an urgent message for you. What would your Spirit Past say to you? What would he/she warn you about? What would he/she congratulate you on? What limitations would he/she argue for? For example:

‘You were lucky to get this far.’

‘You are not really educated enough to have gotten as far as you have.’

‘How can you be a great parent? You can’t even look after your goldfish or potted plant – they always die.’

Write down the message in two or three paragraphs. Do it now. I mean right now – don’t read on until you do the exercise.

Next, pretend Spirit Present is your next appointment. Spirit Present is more up to date, and claims the message is even more vital and urgent. Again, what would your Spirit Presentsay to you? What would he/she warn you about? What would he/she congratulate you on? What limitations would he/she argue for? They could be different, or still some of the ‘old chestnuts’. But would he/she disagree withSpirit Past? Maybe Spirit Present believes you made your own luck and has evidence to prove it.

Again, write down the message in two or three paragraphs. Don’t read on until you do this. If you take time to challenge the spirits in your own head, it goes a long way to giving clarity on where your Spirit Future will lead you, your business and your family. Either way, your mind believes your imagination, so if you imagine a successful business and family life, your mind goes to work on making it happen. If Spirit Past still has the power to influence the decisions of today, it will take control of yourSpirit Future.

So, I know this is going to come as a shock, but your next appointment is with your Spirit Future. He/she says, ‘My message is the most import- ant; it’s what you now have the power to create.’ Spirit Future has a very positive and pragmatic attitude, and knows that without the other two, there is no Spirit Future.

He/she knows your job is to understand and learn from Spirit Past andSpirit Present. He/she also knows he/she doesn’t have to be limited by their opinions. He/she knows opinions can and will change with time. Again, what would your Spirit Future say to you? What would he/she warn you about? What would he/she congratulate you on? What limitations would he/she totally remove from your thinking? This time the message is co-authored, by you and your Spirit Future.

Write down the message in two or three paragraphs. Do it right now. Read on only after you have gone through this exercise.

Escaping the past can be tough

I have seen all too often how the ghosts of the past can take control of people’s futures. One of the most inspiring examples of beating those ‘Spirits Past’ is Denise. When I first meet Denise, she was 50 years of age, Mum to three beautiful teenage children, and married long-term to Gordon (an accountant). Denise had had a rewarding lifelong career in nursing, and she had a very friendly, caring and likeable nature.

Unfortunately, change was forced upon their family. Gordon, who had always been the main income earner, was made redundant. But instead of seeing this as a problem, they decided to take the opportunity to go into business together. Denise and Gordon became one of our very early regional master franchisees in James Home Services.

They had what seemed to be a very practical plan. Gordon would use his accountant background to manage the finances of the business and coach the franchisees. Denise clearly related beautifully with people, and she would start on an exciting new career as the salesperson in the business and also recruit the new franchisees. She had spent a lifetime dealing with people. How hard could it be? she though. James Home Services had very detailed, thorough, proven and professional recruitment processes for master franchisees to use to recruit new franchisees. The logic was that if Denise used the systems combined with her natural flair for dealing with people she would make an awesome success of her new role.

Well, things didn’t go to plan. Denise had lots of franchise enquiries, she knew the processes, she dressed in our uniform and looked the part, but no-one would join her team. Our sales manager John spent time with her. He observed her out with clients. He couldn’t help her to achieve any improvement. His only observation was that, ‘Denise just didn’t stop taking at all!’ Denise appeared to be very flushed and certainly didn’t project the confidence that was needed to lead new franchisees to join her business. And John’s involvement seemed to make her even worse.

Time progressed. Nothing improved. I took over the mentoring role with Denise. I felt with my experience perhaps I could work out why Denise was failing, but I too was bewildered about where the strong, positive woman I had first met had vanished to. I really couldn’t answer why she was transforming into this nervous, excessively talkative and at times vague person.

Over a series of coaching sessions, we found that the problem tracked back to two ‘Spirits’ of her past. Firstly, Denise saw herself as a nurse. She came from an environment where salespeople were dishonest, manipulative and uncaring. Denise was none of these things and was terrified about being thought of as such. Secondly, Gordon was always the main breadwinner. How could Denise bring in more income than her husband? It seemed to conflict with her work life expectations. The structure of her whole family was built around these beliefs.

These restricting beliefs from her past clearly were controlling her present results. These illogical beliefs were very much in play every day. People around her argued for the Denise of old. Friends confirmed that she was a nurse. Nurses are caring, friendly and nice people. ‘Sales- people’ were not, according to Denise’s friends. Denise just didn’t have what it took to be one of them! Unfortunately, my sales manager John believed the same. His recommendation was to move Denise and Gordon out of the system.

I personally didn’t agree, but it was now a year into the business and Denise’s results were still very poor. I had to consider that maybe Denise and Gordon should sell their business and move on. So, with their approval, I put the business on the market, and very quickly I found a potential buyer. It was a Friday afternoon. I rushed to their home with a signed agreement for the sale of their master franchise business. It was a good offer; they would have made a good profit. I was quite excited, thinking this was a good result for everyone concerned. I happily placed the offer in front of Denise and Gordon. I said, ‘I think it’s a good deal. What do you think?’ Gordon had the biggest smile I ever saw.

Robert James and James Home Services: I was thinking they would grab it with both hands and open a bottle of something to celebrate. (I think Gordon was already heading for the fridge.) To my surprise and Gordon’s shock, Denise answered, ‘I want to think about it over the weekend.’ At this moment, Gordon nearly passed out. I was lost for words, but I agreed to come back Monday morning.

Monday morning arrived. We met at their home to hear their decision. Denise said, ‘We don’t want to sell’. I was surprised – to say the least. I even pointed out that down the track if things didn’t improve there was no guarantee I could get an offer as good as the one on the table. They both understood that. The decision to persevere was made.

I asked Denise why she decided to reject the offer. In her answer came the ‘Empowering Spirit’ of her past. She answered, ‘I have never failed at anything in my life – this is not going to be the first time!’ And from that day on, everything changed for Denise. She became a true sales professional. She learnt everything she needed to learn, her skills developed, her attitude changed, and she got the results.

Denise was in that business for over 15 years. As a master franchisee she sold the most franchises in the history of the network. The family business got the kids through university and set them up for retirement. The ‘Positive Ghost’ reminding her that she never failed was right.

Success in one area of your past can fuel your future. Unfortunately, the Spirits Past with the scariest stories seem to have the loudest voices. But no matter how loud they are, it doesn’t mean you have to give them power.

You have to face up to any arguments or limitations from your Spirit Past before you sit down with your Spirit Future. Dealing with the ‘Spirits’, whether in demon or hero form, that float around in your head is a very real challenge, even though they only live in your imagination.

Okay, your business is flying! So you’ve decided to take another leap of faith. You’ve decided to push your business to the next level. You have got a clear goal in mind; systems that are proven and documented;  you have wins on the board; you know you can do this! Well, you think you can anyway, right?

Then your biggest enemy comes in—self-doubt, and boy does it take hold.

Robert James and James Home Services: You suddenly can’t think of anything but how hard it was getting things started with your business.  You have the gained loads of confidence from the success you’ve had up this this point but do you really want to take the risk of losing what you have already achieved?

Do you have the abilities to lead this show? Most likely at the moment the answer is no …

It may feel a little like getting a new Formula One race car at this stage. It is this amazing piece of machinery that can go as fast and as hard as any vehicle on the planet. This is as good as a car can get. Then you get handed the key and wait … you have to drive it?

The first corner is terrifying, you doubt that you will even get past this point. The speed in the straight is beyond anything you have ever experienced. It is both exhilarating and petrifying. You suddenly come to the realisation that you are going to have to improve your skills in order to keep pace with the vehicle you have invested in, or you are likely going to crash and burn.

Growing with Your Business

Many business owners struggle with a fast-growing business because they are not open to learn the new skills needed to grow their businesses. Building the awesome machine that your business has become is only the start of your journey. The development of your own skills is vital to the management of your growing, successful business.

If you are using your systems effectively, you should begin moving yourself away from the day-to-day details of the individual jobs and into leadership and higher-level management skills. This may take some skills you don’t currently possess and that is perfectly normal.

I know for myself one my biggest challenges in the early days of my business was my own self-image.

I was a horse trainer who started a car cleaning business. Then at 27 years old, I was suddenly a franchisor. I even had trouble describing exactly what I did to get where I was … sometimes I still do …

I went from cleaning cars myself every day to sitting in an office. The way I dressed changed from a work uniform to shirt and tie and boy was it a culture shock. But my uniform change was a trigger that made me understand just how important it was that I grow along with the business. It was clear to me that to grow my business, I was going to have to learn some new skills—and quickly.  

The first thing I had to do was take a good, hard look in the mirror and figure out in what areas I was most lacking in order to achieve my grand plan.

Figuring Out the Skills You Need

What were the things I did not know enough about?Let’s start at the beginning:

·      Selling franchises

·      Marketing my business to a larger market

·      How to best utilize multiple forms of media

·      Business coaching

Oh boy … my list seemed very daunting—I was going to have to learn to do all of these things if I wanted my business to succeed. And, I was going to have to learn them pretty fast!

A daunting list of “lacking skills” is pretty scary and honestly, it may be enough to stop many business owners in their tracks.

It is really hard to take a look at yourself and be that honest about your shortcomings. Most people like to concentrate on the things they do well, not the things they don’t do so well.  

Here’s the thing, I had 100% bought into our mission. We were designing the best family-friendly home services franchise system in the country. I had already learned so much, why not learn more?  

Learn, Learn, and Learn Some More

Lucky for me I had always been an avid reader, I read every day. Books were the logical place to start, so that is exactly what I did—I started reading. In the early franchising years, I bought lots of books and read them all. I believe books are still the best education tool ever invited. There are experts on every single subject in the world and frankly, most of them love to write about what they are an expert in. Ummmm … kind of like I’m doing right now, I suppose.  Your willingness to learn new things will open up huge opportunities for you and your business in the years ahead

If you want to grow with your business, it is vital to be open to admitting to yourself that there are skills that you need to improve upon or perhaps things you know nothing about and need to learn from scratch.

Actively search out those who can educate you in those particular areas.  In today’s world the internet gives us a very powerful tool to access those who can educate us in every field imaginable. Use it to your advantage! While it is true that some self-proclaimed “Internet Gurus” out there have no real results so do your due diligence, investigate each one you are interested in and you will find the real deals.

The power of a good mentor is hard to match.

A mentor who has been there and done that (no matter what that may be) can take you and your business to unbelievable heights. This mentor could be a specialist in one particular field. I personally have had specialist mentors in public speaking, writing, blog content, internet marketing and branding, personal fitness, as well as business and business coaching.  Each individual educated me in their area of expertise and added great value to my skills.

Finding the Right Coach

Over the years I have met many individuals who refuse to grow with their business. They are usually caught up in their own delusional belief that they are “all good.” The only way to stop kidding yourself is to set your ego aside and honestly evaluate your own results. Take an honest look at what you are doing. Ask those around you for feedback. If you have areas where you are lacking you will figure them out pretty quickly.

When I first became a franchisor, I had absolutely no public speaking skills. I was terrified speaking in front of a group and had no idea what I was doing. Obviously, this was going to be a problem. I knew this, but every month I had to run a series of meetings, the business was growing at a rapid rate, the meetings were growing every month. I was getting very quickly out of my depth.

I needed help, so I went in search of a “presenting coach” and that’s when I found Rod. Rod is a professional speaker, and he is really good at what he does. He is honest, pragmatic and knows his stuff, perfect for a coach really. Rod and I did a road trip to all the meetings for a month. He gave me plenty of feedback, some good and some not so good of course. But everything he told me was right on target.

It is vital that you have mentors that give you honest feedback, there is no point having someone who keeps telling you how “great” you are when it is simply not true—you will not grow that way.  

Robert James and James Home Services: There are a lot of business coaches out there who believe they get paid to stock the egos of their business owners. Do yourself a favour and stay away from these Gurus, they are a total waste of your hard-earned money.

Rod also gave me a systematic structure to improve my presentation. He recommended I record all my presentations and listen to how I was performing. I truly hated this, I found my own presentations terrible. I couldn’t stand the sound of my own voice. But I did it for ten years and you know what? It worked, I really was my own toughest critic. Over the years, I improved my presentations and my delivery, I got truly comfortable speaking in front of a large group. I grew from being a terrified learner to a true professional, but it did take 10 years of evaluation, education, and implementation.

Invest in your personal grow and you will be able to keep pace with your business.

The success of your business will inevitably cause you some growing pains. It’s okay … it’s a good problem to have—when you realize your business is getting so successful that you can no longer fill all the gaps by yourself.  If you are lucky the success will pressure you to develop new skills that you thought you may never have been able to do. The personal skills you develop will be with you for life. If you want to learn more read Balance: How to Make Your Business and Family Life Work Together.

Robert James

You want to be your own boss; you are sick of working for someone else and just barely getting by" you get paid the same every week no matter how hard you work?

Or maybe you fear that that you could lose your job at any time? Perhaps you feel like it’s time to make a change and take control of your future?

There is one major problem: you don’t have a lot of money to invest in a business.

Robert James and James Home Services: You are in a position where you need to get a positive income quickly. You do have to feed yourself and/or your family, there are bills to pay each week, and you just can’t wait months to get money coming in the door. So, you believe a “service” business is the best match to you and your family—it’s relatively low-risk and offers positive cash flow reasonably quickly.

So, you decide to investigate the service franchise systems that are in your marketplace.

Many have proven systems, are well-known brand names, and have been around for over 25 years. They certainly should be able to fast track the growth of your business. They should have the ability to market your business, grow your customer base, and even educate you on how to be a successful business owner. Their systems have stood the test of time and you should be able to take advantage of that.

In most cases, the franchisors know what it takes to make your business work and, just as importantly, what will make your business fail. A good franchisor has years of experience in their business, great documented systems, a proven record as a franchisor, a strong support structure, and solid plans for future growth. Becoming a franchisee in one of these networks may be a perfect fit for you,..

There is a still one very big problem: you will need between $25,000 and $50,000 to invest in a quality system.Some franchisors offer what’s called “vendor financing.” This is when the franchisor loans the business owner the money to purchase into their franchise. These are a very dangerous trap for franchisees. You can find yourself relying on the franchisor to supply you with work, while at the same time owing them huge repayments. This is a recipe for disaster and I recommend steering clear of these situations.

The ideal situation would be the best of both worlds:

Have access to the knowledge and systems of the proven franchise network.

The freedom of the independent service business.

That is exactly what you can learn from Balance Enterprises.

You can learn the trade secrets of a national service franchise directly from the founding franchisor of James Home Services. I personally turned my one-man band car cleaning business into a national network of 400 franchisees. We were servicing approximately $20 millions in home services each year. That is a lot of clean houses, mowed lawns, washed dogs, and detailed cars; and it all started with just one car client.

Over the course of 25 years, we helped more than 2000 families launch and sustain successful home service businesses.Our franchisees operated across many different services. These secrets have a proven track record that is second to none. If you follow these steps and develop them to suit your “service of choice” they will work.

The next challenge is deciding what you really want from your business.

This can be very difficult at this stage and may seem too tough to answer because of all the uncertainty that surrounds the possible outcomes of your new venture. Believe me, I get it!

When we started a new franchisee, this was one of the first coaching questions we would ask. Understandably, many found this goal setting quite confronting. If setting specific goals is a new experience it can be quite unnerving. But, it is vital to the success of your business no matter the field.

“You get what you plan to get. If you plan nothing then that is what you will get, Nothing”.

Robert James and James Home Services

I recommend you look at this on three levels:

The Long-term final “Finished” business goals (5 to 10 years)

The Mid-range goals (1 to 2 years)

The NOW goals. (1 month to 1 year)

Let’s start with the Long-term Plan.

What does your long-term, final, finished business look like? In the “big” picture give yourself the opportunity to dream big. Given the time and motivation, the principles you will learn can take your business to any level you choose. I should also say that these are your goals and it is totally up to you to what you want your business to look like. It doesn’t matter if you plan to build a national home services network or a weekend business that can help fund your semi-retirement.

Take the time to write down what business you plan to build. Document your personal goals and the business goals. Address your financial targets as well as your personal targets.

The Mid-Range Plan

These goals are the signs that you are heading to the right direction. These may be your first “reward” goals. Perhaps a holiday you’ve always dreamed of, a new car, or the deposit for your new home. They might be growth goals such as new employees, or personal goals like picking up your kids from school every day. Give yourself clear targets and outcomes so you know when you have hit the mark.

The NOW Plan.

What do you have to do right now? This plan is all about survival. If you don’t survive until the 12-month mark, everything else is irrelevant. It is very true that you have to have money to pay the bills, feed yourself and just get by.

We are starting this business understanding that you don’t have huge funds to “wait” to get things happening. You do need a “NOW Plan” and you need it right now.

The “Now Plan” may not be as inspiring as the Mid-Range and Finished Business goals. But they can be even more motivating. The fear of failure can certainly give you motivation to get yourself going.

The first thing you need in your NOW Plan is your break-even point. How much income do you need to be in a neutral cash flow position? How much turnover will be needed so you can hold your current position? Reaching the break-even point as quickly as possible is vital. That will give you the time needed to develop your business and your own skill level needed to grow to the long-term business.

If you survive you can learn to thrive.

The principles you will learn will give you the tools to build an extraordinary home services business. Take the first step and decide what you want from your business. Everyone has different goals and will design their own interpretation of the home service business model.

All of our 400 franchisees had exactly the same business system that we helped put in place. But, each one built a different business that reflected their own personal needs and achievements.

The Gold:

Home service business is a great business to start if don’t have a lot of money to invest in a business. You need to get a positive income quickly.

You can learn the trade secrets of a national service franchise directly from the franchisor of James Home Services.

Decide what you really want from your business.

You get what you plan to get. If you plan nothing then that is what your will get, nothing.

If you survive you can learn to thrive.

Want to learn more, read my Amazon Best Seller Balance:How to Make Your Business and Family Life Work Together.

Need professional help to get started? Balance Enterprises can point you in the right direction.

You have decided to start your own business or may have already done so. However, you likely have no idea how to make it look like a professional brand.

Maybe you are not even convinced that you need to brand your business?

Robert James and James Home Services: Many service providers get so caught up with doing the “work” that they think it is all that matters to their clients. You may honestly believe it is all about mowing lawns, cleaning houses, washing dogs, fixing computers, making burgers or delivering coffee.

It’s not .

It is true that you must deliver your service to a high level to keep your clients coming back. But—first, you have to get the clients; beat out the competition, if you will.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression!

I know we’ve all heard this many, many times. It is just as true in the small business world as it is anywhere else; perhaps even more so. Many small, family businesses ignore the need to make the BEST first impression to get in front of a potential new client to give a quote, much less earn their business.

The Pro Marketer however, knows it is all about the first impression.

That is how you get the client to contact you to begin with.

When there are other people providing the same service, how do you stand out?

In the beginning, it doesn’t matter who provides a better service, it’s about who is better at getting their attention.

This is one of the biggest advantages the franchise networks have on the independent operator. In most franchise networks, the branding is professional and reflects a professional service that a client expects from the service provider.

If your branding promises professional friendly service, then the client expects professional and friendly. If your branding looks amateur or cheap, or worse, looks like you couldn’t even bother to make an attempt—what message are you sending?

If you were a potential new client, looking for the service you are providing, would you call you?

So, how can you as an independent small business owner create the image that will position you favourably against the larger, more well-known brands?  It is vital that you invest in the branding of your business from day one. Each day you then reinforce the brand in your marketplace.

If you can believe it, it takes anywhere from three to six exposures to your brand for the average person to recall it.  And do not worry about overexposure—there is no such thing.

The investment in your branding is as vital as the equipment you need to run your business. You can’t run a successful dog washing business without a dog bath or without professional branding.

How do you decide what it should look like? Where do you start?

I’ve outlined some simple, proven steps to get you going:

1)   Choose a Clear, Descriptive Name that Attracts Your Target Clients

At James Home Services we were a "Home Services"business, not just a cleaning business; offering a wide range of home services. If you want home services done just call “James.”The image of the butler then connected to the image of James the Butler, which became part of the customer’s collective subconscious. My surname being “James” certainly did make it somewhat easier.

The business name should say what you do. It should be what your clients would search for when they are looking for your services.   If you are a “commercial cleaning business” be sure to make that very clear. If you claim to be a "home cleaning business" and chase both markets, it can be very confusing. Marketing towards home clients is very different than marketing to commercial cleaning clients. Make up your mind in the beginning and name your business that way.

Be creative with your name and make it easy to remember. If you work in a particular geographical area it is fine to put that in your name. That can be an advantage to gaining local clients but could work against you if you plan to expand to a wider territory.

As an Example - Mooloolaba Home Cleaning Services is perfect if you plan to build your business of cleaning homes in Mooloolaba. It is nearly the perfect word search for your business. Sea Breeze Home Services is perfect for a Coastal home services Market.

Ninja Computer Solutions is great for the guy who can fix those annoying computer issues. Everyone ends their personal “Computer Ninja” who can just turn up and take down those computer demons.

2)   Decide on “The Look" You Want for Your Business.

Take the time to brainstorm on it. What is the overall style that you are after?  The colours, the feel, and the image? Are you going for an upscale, mid-range, or lower-end image?This will likely depend on your target market. It is a “look” that you personally can take ownership of?  It is the logo that will be on your uniforms, business cards, website, and all of your signage. Be sure you love it as you are going to have to live with it—hopefully, for a very long time.

The "look” should be relatable to your target clients. If you are marketing to the top-end market, then design a top-end look. Use colours and images that reflect the premium market you are aiming for. Once you decide on "The Look," it is vital to be consistent in everything you do in your business.

3)  A Professional Logo is a Big Advantage

Create a clever "logo” for your business. The Logo image is what will stick in the minds of your clients. Think about all the businesses that come to mind, you will likely remember the image as the business. It is very hard to even imagine "McDonalds"without thinking of the Golden Arches, don’t you think?

Your logo should flow into your business name. We were James Home Services and the image of James the “friendly butler” clearly flows with it.

If you’re anything like me, you probably can't draw. I'm about to give you a "Family Business Life Hack.” It is called the "Upwork”. I absolutely love Upwork (www.upwork.com). With Upwork you can hire professionals from all around the world to get your idea transformed into reality. No matter your need, you can find help on Upwork.

4)   A “Tagline” that tells the story

At James Home Services our first tagline was, “Prompt, Professional, Friendly Service.” It told our story, it was exactly what we offered and exactly what our clients expected.

As we grew and our marketing evolved, we positioned ourselves directly against our main competitors. Our service was more upmarket. We invested in a professional spokesperson, champion swimmer Tracey Wickham (Olympian, World Record holder and Commonwealth Games gold medallist).

We evolved our tagline to “Gold Medal Service” which served us for over 15 years. Over the years, our spokesperson changed to Steven Bradbury, the last man standing speed skater, (Winter Olympian and Australians first winter Olympics gold medallist); but our tagline stayed the same—it continued to tell our story.

Tell your own story with your tagline.

5)  Feedback from Focus Groups

If you have doubts about the images for your business, ask a group of your target market the questions—a focus group. Always give the possible alternatives and get them to rate them from best to worst. And then, be sure to invest the time to get very clear on what your business will look like when it is done.

Most family-run business don't do these secrets. Many larger organisations even attempt to ignore these marketing realities. It just doesn't work.The business owner must have a clear, consistent look for their business. If there is no clarity, then the client will get confused and go elsewhere. Built to a professional standard and correctly implemented, your brand will become the most valuable intellectual property asset that you ever own.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression. A professional business owner makes it count!

The Gold:

·      Your business needs a “brand.”

·      Most family businesses fall into the trap of ignoring the necessity of making the BEST first impression.

·      Be creative with your name and make it easy to remember.

·      Decide on “the look” you want for your business.

·      Create a clever “logo.” The logo image is what will stick in the minds of your clients.

·      Tell your story in your tagline.

·      When in doubt of any of your images ask a group of your target market for their opinion.

Robert James and James Home Services,

20 year franchisor, Best Selling Author,

Franchise and Family Business Coaching Specialist .

It is impossible to grow a success and have a balanced family life?

Okay, it’s time to bust some key myths about the balance between family and business. I want to show you that having a true handle on your ‘business to family’ balance is,

in fact,it is not as hard to achieve as you may think, and is also the quickest way to fast track your business growth.

MYTH BUSTING TIME

So, let’s have a look …

Myth #1: The ‘100% in’ attitude

‘I got this far by putting in 100%.’

‘ The harder you work, the luckier you get.’

‘It’s all or nothing; you can’t be a part-time business owner or parent.’

‘If I take my eye o the ball, the ball will drop.’

There is an element of truth to these. All the above attitudes can be very helpful for a successful business owner. There is no doubt they have helped the growth of many businesses from start up.

Robert James and James Home Services: But problems occur when we become too focused on any one area — it will be to the detriment of other areas. If you spend all of your time focusing on only one aspect of your life, it is only a matter of time before other parts will start hitting you when you are not looking.

Myth #2: The sea of denial — ‘I’m all good.’

‘I’m doing awesome. I’m very successful.’

‘My partner is used to me answering the phone at home.’

‘The kids don’t mind if I don’t make it to their soccer games.’

‘My daughter understands that I can’t get to her dance recital.’

‘I only work 60 hours a week. Everyone is cool with it.’

Interestingly, again there are elements of truth in all the above statements. Your pattern has become your reality, and your reality has become the reality of those around you. But here’s a tip for you: your children’s special days will live in your memory long an er you have forgotten that ‘important’ sales appointment.

While these attitudes might seem like they bene t you in the short term, they are not a recipe for good long-term life balance.

‘I’M ALL GOOD’ – I’VE BEEN THERE MYSELF

I can very clearly remember my ‘I’m all good’ period. I was 29 years old, a battling horse trainer, turned car cleaner, turned franchisor. James Home Services had gone from an idea in my head to a state-wide network in just three years.

We had over 85 franchisees across Queensland. We had completely taken over the market leaders that had been in place for a decade before us.

I was leading the fastest growing franchise group in the country. I thought I was ‘the man!’, and I had plenty of evidence to back up my cockiness.

But even then I knew that I was doing all this for my kids.

I always spent plenty of time with them. I would happily do the night feeds and sing to them sleep. Playing football or basketball or riding horses with my children was always more important than the business and the commercial demands that ma have been on me at the time.

My family got time in my diary before any other commitments.

So, now that I’ve challenged the most likely rationalisations blocking your path, let’s move forward.

It all starts with you

First of all, it’s about you as the leader of the business. Everything in your business reflects your approach and attitudes to business and to life, and if your life is out of balance and you’re unhappy personally or professionally, your business will suffer.

From the very beginning, I was very clear that my business had to work for my family. I wanted to be an inspiration to my children, to show them that if they were brave enough to chase their dreams they can come true.

And even if you don’t get there, its better to have a go than live with the regret of not ever trying.

I always had a true commitment to my role as a Dad. I was blessed to have a Dad and Mum who always believed in us, always encouraging us to have a go at our dreams. Even when you fell, it was about dusting yourself of , getting back on the horse and trying again.

I felt it was my responsibility to walk the talk for my children. I started franchising when I was only 27 years of age, and I already had three kids. I would not have ‘shot for the stars’ without those little people in my life.

Next, it is about the culture that grows around you

A business that is there to support your family is also there to support other families. We were in the service industry, and our franchisee support staff was over 80% women, the majority of whom had young families.

Our boardroom would become a “pop-up”childcare centre

Our boardroom would constantly turn into a ‘pop up’ childcare centre.

If there was a sick child or a school holiday and there was no-one available to care for their kids, the children would come to work. My own kids also frequently came to work with Dad. This was done without even thinking about it, and this attitude helped to build a very positive culture that created a family friendly environment.

Our home service providers were all self-employed franchisees. The greatest asset that any service provider is selling is their time. Our systems were designed to make their businesses as time efficient as possible.

We coached our franchisees to build a business that valued both their work and their family time.

If your franchisees or employees are reaching their goals for their families, they become even more motivated.

The outcome: more long-term, successful franchisees and employees, happily delivering high-quality service to even more regular clients.

‘Like’ attracts ‘like’!

Robert James and James Home Services: In today’s employment market, it is vital for your business growth to attract employees who have similar core values to you. Good employees have options, and motivated employees are also struggling with the family and work balance.

If your business is constantly demonstrating it’s understanding of that struggle, you will attract quality, motivated people who are also dedicated to the same values.

Clarity lights the way for everybody

If you know where you want your journey to end, the road will become clearer.

One of the first questions I ask any business owner I have coached is,

‘What do you want your business to look like when it’s finished?’

When you build a new house, it’s a massive project. You hunt for the block of land, spend hours on the design, and consider each and every little thing — what you want or don’t want. Your family’s current and future needs (and wants) are priorities.

But, most people don’t bother to put the same level of focus on what their business will finally look like when it’s done. Once you take the time to get a handle on your whole business picture, everything becomes clearer. Your decision process is more effective.

Learn more read Robert James’ Balance: How to Make Your Business and Family Life Work Together

Once you have clarity on your ‘personal true north,’ everything becomes clear.

The internet has made the “Master Franchisor’ obsolete. The rapid growth of online technology removed the need for the “middle management “role of Master Franchise in Australia. Simply, The Internet is “Killing Off “the Master Franchisor!

In the modern day, how has the internet made master franchisors redundant in Australia franchising?

Answer:Everything that a master franchisor did bring to the table a decade ago, can now be accessed on line for a fraction of the cost that the extra management level of a Master Franchise/Franchisor requires.

What is a Master Franchisor or Master Franchisee?

Robert James and James Home Services: They are the same thing, the changes in the Franchise laws in Australia in recent years have made most systems now call them “Franchisors” to make it clear to franchisees who is responsible and to protect the “Franchisor” from any breeches of the Franchise Code of Conduct by the “Master Franchisor”.

The “Master Franchisor” buys the rights form the “Franchisor” to sell and develop “Franchises’ in a partial system for a set geographical area.

In Australia, we have a huge number of “regional master franchisors”, this adds an extra level and extra costs to the franchise system. The “Masters’ can have the “State Rights” or the “Regional Rights” or in some international systems the “National Rights.  

Historically, in the 1980, 1990s and early 2000s,

The main reason for this extra level management was the vastness of our geography. We truly live in the big country. It is a long, long drive from Sydney to Perth. Even within Queensland there is 1682 km between Brisbane and Cairns.

The other factor was franchisee wanted and needed “local” support, training and marketing.

Franchisees’ in 1990s felt they had to meet and connect with people in their local area.

The local marketing did require a local person (Master Franchisor) to manage it. Mobile phones were just taking off as the “Master Franchise” concept started to took hold in Australia.

Even in the late 90s to early 00s, Franchisees’ wanted a “local “phone number in their region. Franchisees claimed “No one wants to ring those 1800 numbers!

Regional television had taken hold with the now 3 commercial channels throughout regional Australia and the same as the new radio networks took footholds.

Franchisee’s wanted one on one personal contact.

People didn’t trust the internet as yet and rarely reached out to some random person online. They needed educating close too hand, the required face to face business training. They wanted a “mowing trainer” to actually be there to show them how to get the edges straight.

Then of course they required ongoing support. They wanted a local master who could “fix “their problems. What we did in “James Home Services”, we actually taught our Master Franchisors to be business coaches.

The business coaching was systemised, and it worked. Our Masters were some of the first “business coaches” used in Franchising in Australia. This professional level “business coaching system gave our franchisee a clear advantage on their competitors that the time.

At the time the “Master Franchisors” were a great idea that allowed rapid growth of franchise systems throughout the country.

In the early 2000s, the systems with “Master Franchisors” had a clear advantage on the systems without them.

The key was that in the early 2000’s they offered great value to the franchisee’s business.

Then, the internet changed the world we live in

and the way we perceive it!

#1 People in the year 2018 prefer to talk on line.

We still live in the “Big Country’ but we now live in a “Small World’.

We all now connect with people across the planet daily with the mobile phone that once was considered a novelty. We are more likely to talk to someone a thousand kilometres away on Facebook before we say “Hi” to the person sitting next to us that the coffee shop.

#2 Google now knows everything!

We only have to ask Siri and she will help us work it out if Google can’t. YouTube can teach you everything, these edges or how to clean a house or how to make a great pizza.

Some things haven’t changed new Franchisees or new small business owners still need Support, training and marketing. But these days they are turning to the internet for that direction.

New Business owners actually understand the “business coach” on line knows more than the “regional master’. They know you can get a Facebook Marketing Specialist online for a fraction of the cost of joining a Master Franchise.

#3 The Internet gave “Potential Franchisees” more Effective options.

The option available to new small business owners are infinite. If you want to start a business on 2018, there are a lot more options out there online, than just franchises.

No matter what business you are interested in, there is a business coach, training courses and training videos that cover everything.

You can get apps, podcasts and blogs that will keep you up to date every day on what is happening in your industry.

The “new age” small business systems available online are more cost effective, better functioning and more successful than the “Old School” Master Franchisor” systems.

More Australian’s than ever are starting home based businesses, but they are choosing to get their support, training and marketing from experts online.

#4 The Master Franchisor systems are way too top heavy, expensive and cumbersome to compete with the Slick Internet Based Businesses.

Master Franchisors, like most middle management become a speed bump that slows the changes, the sharing of idea’s and the necessary changes to keep up with the fast-paced changes in technology. Franchise systems with master in place can’t move as quickly as the growth of the industry online.

How can Australian franchise systems afford the extra middle manager level of the “Master” and competed with the online services now available to small business owners?

Alternatively ,The McDonald’s franchise model is a flat effective system.

They have one “BRAND”.

There is one corporate Franchisor and only franchisees.

If a Franchisee performs , they are given the opportunity to became a “Multi Site” Franchisee.

This the only model that is in the position to survive and thrive into the next ten years.

Is it even possible for a franchise networks with “Master Franchisors” in place to structurally remove them? What happens if it becomes a necessity to cut the cost ,so their franchisees businesses can become financially viability?

In most systems 80% of the franchisees initial fees go to the Master Franchisor, that means the average franchise pays $24,000 to the master franchise. That is on top of the business set up, the master pockets this as a profit before the franchisee even starts.

The ongoing fees paid by the franchisees are 70% to 90% retained by the Master Franchisor.

Win/lose/draw the master franchisor is in front and the franchisee is paying a loan off in most cases.

This just doesn’t add up.

Franchisees are paying. The Franchisee have to get business loans and keep pay every week to a master franchisor who has no responsibility or ability to invest to the development of business systems into the modern format.

Franchisors must directly take control of the evolution of their systems.

If franchisors remove the “middleman” Master Franchisor:

The cost of franchise fees can be reduced.

Marketing funds can be spent on directly increasing sales in each franchisee’s business using “modern” marketing tools. More franchisee profits.

Franchisors have to add more value to their franchisees. Franchisors can build a” “Elite Vital Support Team” that is more professionally skilled, relevant and easily adapted as the business environment changes.

Franchising in Australia is in a rapid decline, while home based family businesses are on the rise.

But many Franchisors are running systems that were becoming outdated in the early 2000s.

If you are considering investing in any franchise or starting your own independent business?

Stay away from any system that has Master Franchisors”.

Investigate the options on line that can give you Support, Training and Marketing.

Chase your dream and start your own business. Nothing is more rewarding then running an success business.

Australian Franchisor have to wake up to the fact they are competing against the “Online Vital Business Expertise”.

We still live in a “Big Country” but we are now also living in a “Small World”.

“Successful family businesses are the backbone to our culture. It feels like in is time for franchisors to reminder that the families that run their businesses are their business”. Robert James and James Home Services

You running your own business and it is actually succeeding,Now what?

You have done the start up hard yards and things are really happening.

Robert James and James Home Services: You have got this game nailed or have you?

You probably know what you know, and you may even know about some things that you don’t know.

But the real problem when trying to manage your business and your family is usually what you don’t realise that you don’t know!

With this in mind, it’s time to think about some of the most common ‘traps’ for new players in the game of growing a successful business and successfully growing your family. I am attempting to raise your awareness of some of the possible traps (and I mean just some of the possible traps).

So, let’s get into it.

Some of the common traps for new players are:

Thinking you have already arrived: At 29. I was ‘the man’. It is only a matter of time before this one jumps up and bites you. The danger is that this attitude stops you from going any further. It blinds you to opportunities and threats.

I’m the master of my universe, right?

Not accepting there will be growing pains: Growth requires change, and change can be painful to accept both on the business and on the family front. A growing business requires change, but so does a growing family. Not accepting the reality of this can sneak up on you.

Are you still pretending?

Not buying into the big dream: If you truly haven’t bought into the plans to take your business to the next level, or the idea of truly balancing your family commitments, you haven’t fully bought into your ‘big dream’. You will be undermining yourself.

Do you really believe it will happen?

Listening to the wrong people: In the uncertainty of growth and change, you have to be pragmatic enough to understand that not everyone wants you to have a happy ending. So, be careful whose advice you take, but be patient with those who give it. Listen for the intent. Some family members, lawyers, anyone selling advertising and some accountants have their own ‘axe to grind’.

Do your advisers really have your long-term best interests at heart?

Understanding your own self-image: The day I became a Dad was the most amazing awakening of my life. I really love being a Dad. From that day on, I saw this as ‘the basis of how I saw me’,everything else came after my role as a Dad.

I have had to change my own self-image on a ‘business front’ on many occasions, and each and every time it is a challenge.

Strangely, other people seem to want to ‘keep me in a box’ of what they think I should be. Ignore those who are arguing for the old-school you. I have learnt to understand the change, and to embrace the new self-image on all fronts.

How do you see yourself?

Staying in your own comfort zones: We all get comfortable doing things a particular way, but you are in an ever-changing environment, both with your business and your family! It’s time to get uncomfortable.

Focus on one of your ‘comfort zones’.

Does it have value to you? What is that value?

Underrating the journey: On the business front, this is underrating what resources will be needed to take your business to the next level.

On the family front, being a parent is the only job you work 24/7 with no pay, have no holidays, and rarely hear ‘thank you’!

Any person attempting to do both can feel very overwhelmed.

If you are felling that way, maybe it’s time to take a timeout?

Overrating the journey: It is very easy to become caught up in the potential problems. No-one said it would be easy, but sometimes the problems are all we can see, so we just stay the same.

Robert James and James Home Services: Many people delay starting their family because they are waiting for the ‘right time’ – but anytime is the right time. You will adapt.

If you get too caught up in all the challenges, you freeze and do nothing! Does it all seem overwhelming to you?

Not investing in your own education: The single most important investment you will ever make is in your education. Become a professional student; it is the only way to become a master.

The parenting gig is the same: children don’t come with manuals. No two kids are the same. Being a parent is a work in progress, and your spouse’s job is just as demanding as yours. When I first started down this road as a 27 year old, I was given some very pragmatic advice: ‘All you have to do is improve half a percent every week, and you can be anywhere you want in just five years.’

Are you investing enough in your education?

Not knowing what you don’t know: This is the stuff you can’t see coming. If you have no awareness, you just can’t deal with it. This can blindside you at 11.28 am on a very ordinary Saturday morning.

Are you prepared?

There are countless issues in life that we are unaware of, and it can be impossible to really know what the future holds. We should all slow down and evaluate whether or not we have stumbled into any of these traps.

I have worked with over 2000 small business owners over the last 25 years. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that in most cases issues that need dealing with are straightforward.

The solution could be more marketing, an improved sales process, or increasing profitability per sale.

The biggest challenges in business and life are actually the ones you could never possibly have dreamed would happen to you.

Both good and bad!

It’s the things you don’t know, you don’t know, that  usually get you !

If you want to learn more? Read Balance: How to make your business and family life work together.