Who is suited to it?
An interest in computers, technology and the internet is essential if you want to make a living in this field. The internet excites a lot of people, but are you really convinced that you want to be involved in such a rapidly evolving area.
You will need to be the type of person who enjoys learning, as there are new products being launched every week which could reshape your business.
However, you don’t necessarily need a high level of IT skills to compete in this sector. For many internet franchises, and there is a huge amount of diversity, just basic IT skills will be fine.
“Some of the most successful franchisees I have met don’t have any IT experience,” says Mark Lloyd who runs a WSI franchise in Hampshire.
“They are just business people who have, for instance, run restaurants before they came to WSI.”
Lloyd points out that you are running a business and that you will need to be prepared to take on a wide variety of different roles.
“It is like any business where you have to take into account marketing, operations and administration as a part of the day to day running,” he says.
So, even if you don’t feel that your web skills will ever be cutting edge you still might be able to find a business model which allows you to play to your strengths.
Some franchisees involve selling and former sales people are often well-suited to the challenges of franchising.
Karen Holmes, who owns a The Best Of franchise in Newbury, previously worked in IT sales.
She says that this has helped her but that she doesn’t feel it is essential to her success.
“As long as you can communicate with people, I think you can do it,” she says.
“You could be an accountant and still do this job as the product sells itself really.”
