As with any other organization, franchisors need to look for certain characteristics in applicants to determine if he is indeed right for the job.  Candidates for priesthood must generally show their willingness to do away with the desires of the flesh.  Army ranger candidates on the same line of reasoning must also show the correct amount of discipline, health and strength the job entails. For this reason, applicants of the franchise system must also show certain characteristics in order to be qualified family members of the organization.

First and most important characteristic is the capability of the applicant to be good follower.  As a franchise system is built upon the foundation of consistent and homogenous products and services, so must the applicant show the proper attitude needed to maintain these essential factors.  As a franchisee, you must be ready to view your business as an automated money making machine, doing what its supposed to do with you acting as its maintenance man.  Because of this, franchisors generally avoid free thinkers and opinionated people like the plague.  After all, if you want to change so much of their proven system, why bother them at all when you are more than welcome to make your own?

Franchisees must also be able to lead the people under them in the business.  This means that while on one hand, the franchisee must possess sufficient charm and personality to engage the customers and the employees; he must be ready to discipline and control the bad attitudes and bad performance of his employees.  Franchisees must show sufficient people skills as meeting and negotiating with people will be an integral part of being a franchisee.  Not only will he be dealing with customers and employees, he will also need to meet with the other franchisees in his area or the franchisor to discuss and find solutions for any problems that he might be having with his business.

Lastly, franchisees must show sufficient initiative and desire to make the business work and profits.  Because of this, you must be the type of person who is a doer and likes to get things done as efficiently as possible.  This criterion is not just for your own good but for theirs too.  Franchisees’ going bankrupt is bad publicity for your franchisor not just because it hurts the company image as seen by the public but also because you make the statistics on franchise success rate look bad for other potential franchisees.

So if you think you are a nice fit to the franchisee mold, go ahead and try your luck in the franchising business.

Article courtesy of the Franchise Guide.