Veterans Have Edge In Franchising Efforts

Sarasota Herald-Tribune:

Jumping out of airplanes or searching along roadsides for improvised explosive devices in Iraq are not among the prerequisite skills for starting a small business. Yet soldiers returning from war and retired veterans are targeted by franchisee operators for employment and by franchisors as prospective franchise buyers.

In part it is because military discipline is a good match-up for “successful franchises that operate via set processes and procedures,” Ethan Grefe says.

He is a spokesman for Sarasota-based Military Stars, a company that helps veterans find jobs. They host networking career expositions to help veterans meet prospective employers. Grefe says that franchises such as Snap-On Tools, Glass Doctor, Stratus Building Solutions and Domino’s Pizza are regularly represented at his company’s networking events.

Unlike traditional small businesses, franchises operate within a prescribed system. Success depends upon franchisees and their staff following a detailed manual and not innovating ways around the proven formula. Consequently, maverick entrepreneurs who prefer to do things their own way may not be suitable for franchising.

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