If anyone tells you that building a business is all about luck, please put them right. Yes, there can be lucky times if you perhaps find yourself in a sector that then suddenly takes off because of some external factor, and it is true that there can be some fortuitous things that happen along the way. However, what really generates success in business and life is hard graft. There is no substitute, or anything as powerful, as a combination of drive and determination.
Here at Aspray, we know our franchisees differ from each other in many respects, but the common denominators for those who build thriving businesses within their territories are clear to see. We very much look for what we call ‘haves’ rather than ‘have nots’ and what we want them to ‘have’ are the 2Ds – the drive and determination we’ve already mentioned. That’s what all of our successful franchisees display.
So, what do these rather nebulous qualities actually mean in practice? To define that, we’ve come up with 10 facets that we think distinguish the driven and determined.
- Focus
Successful business owners know what they want, work out how to get it and then make sure they do just that, overcoming any obstacle that gets in their way and not being seduced by distractions. Their tunnel vision enables them to focus on the end-game and they will make up as many plans as necessary, to ensure they achieve their goal.
- Flexibility
Despite being focused, great franchisees and business owners have the capacity to adapt, to suit new scenarios that need to be tackled in pursuit of the goal. They can evolve plans to suit a changing situation, whilst still staying steadfast and committed to what they want to accomplish.
- Work-Centricity
Business achievers have a huge work ethic and know that putting in the hours will pay off. They are doers and never go missing when there’s something to be done that could bring in extra work, or build up their business in other ways. Their work ethic is truly inspiring and you will never find them watching the clock, believing the working day ends at 5pm.
- Self-Confidence
Business owners do not need to have big egos, or necessarily have enormous amounts of self-confidence in themselves in general, but what they all have is confidence in their own ability to do the job they do. They are buoyed up by their own knowledge of their skills and experience and exude confidence when asked to display this expertise. This confidence helps them to see things through, no matter how tough the going gets.
- Risk-Friendly
Anyone who establishes a business takes on an element of risk. When joining a franchise network, that risk is reduced, as the franchisor has already established a viable business proposition, but there are still other risks to take, in the way that all the best entrepreneurs do. A ‘have’ is a person that embraces that risk and harnesses the adrenaline that comes from this. Being too scared to continue to take risks after establishing a business is likely to see it fail.
- Good Communicators
People who run successful franchise businesses, in particular, need to be good communicators, as so much of their business growth is dependent on them getting out and networking. They need to have strong people skills and sell the benefits of what they have to offer verbally, in writing and through non-spoken communication, such as body language.
- Resilience
Good business owners are all highly resilient, taking knocks and set-backs on the chin and learning from these inevitable eventualities. They channel the lessons learned into their strategies, to try to prevent negative impacts in the future, and so become stronger as they grow. Without robust coping mechanisms that enable them to deal with adversity, a business owner is unlikely to succeed. As Steve Jobs said: “about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”
- Competitive
Building a business is very much about being competitive. Every negotiation you undertake, every pitch you put together and every marketing initiative you launch are all about trying to come out a winner. This is vital for Aspray franchisees, as they represent clients in hundreds of negotiations each year, presenting their client’s case and policy entitlements to an insurer’s loss adjuster.
- Energy
Good business owners display huge amounts of energy and need this to go the extra mile for their customers. They look after their health, knowing that being fighting-fit is of paramount importance when there’s a job to be done and only them to do it. Having a positive mental attitude assists with this goal. How often have you heard a self-employed business owner say, “I don’t have time to be sick”?
- Passion
Underpinning all of the above is passion. Unless a franchisee loves the work they do, and derives satisfaction from it, they will not convey the passion that brings work in, or have the staying power to keep on building the business. Passion can get you from A to Z faster than anything else and is the glue that holds all other facets of your personality together, when you are a ‘have’ rather than a ‘have not’.
If you feel you have all or a large number of these 10 facets within your personality, and would like the challenge of building a successful loss-adjusting business, working to Aspray’s proven business model, we’d like to hear from you on 0800 077 6705. More information about our franchise opportunity is at www.asprayfranchise.co.uk