All Franchises Are Not Brick and Mortar: An Interview with The Growth Coach Franchise

Have a professional background in Corporate America but thinking of finally jumping out to start your own business? Think a business coaching or business services franchise could be your perfect fit? Not looking to pay a crazy lease on an office and considering home-based (also known as "work-from-home") opportunities?

Today you're in luck! FranchiseHelp sat down with the Founder & President of The Growth Coach franchise, Daniel Murphy, to talk about what it's like to run a services franchise that doesn't require a brick and mortar presence to get the job done: indeed, franchisees of The Growth Coach, like franchisees of other home-based franchises, can help their clients from virtually anywhere.

But what differentiates The Growth Coach from other home-based business services opportunities? Why even open a franchise rather than go into business coaching on one's own? We put those questions, and more, to Mr. Murphy below:

Questions for The Growth Coach Franchise - Home Based vs. Office Based

Most people think of franchises as brick and mortar businesses. How effective is franchising for the Growth Coach?

There is a misconception that most franchises are very expensive “brick and mortar businesses,” like McDonald’s. There is a whole universe of low-cost and affordable service-oriented franchises that can be financially rewarding and personally fulfilling. Some like The Growth Coach don’t even require you to have an office or hire employees. In fact, during the recent recession and since then (2007-2010), the vast majority of franchises started in North America have been the low-cost (under $40,000), low-overhead, home-based, service businesses like The Growth Coach. For people downsized, tired of Corporate America, or simply searching for greater financial success, flexibility and fulfillment, they are choosing to become their own boss and are buying affordable service franchises like The Growth Coach.

We are a North American business coaching franchise system started in late 2002 and are now in over 150 markets. Franchising has been a wonderful business model to support our rapid expansion plans and to carry out our critical mission of helping small business owners achieve greater success in business and balance in their lives. Business professionals of all types (owners, managers, advisers, salespeople, marketers, consultants, etc.) with the passion to help others, the desire to become business coaches, and the drive to make a difference in their communities have been selecting The Growth Coach.

Questions for The Growth Coach Franchise - Franchising vs. Going it Alone

Why open a Growth Coach Franchise business when you could simply become a coach on your own?

Becoming a business coach on your own is easier said than done. People confuse being a “good technician” with being a successful and fulfilled “business owner”. Two distinct worlds! Even if someone possess tremendous and relevant technical expertise, that is NEVER sufficient to own and operate a successful business.

At The Growth Coach, we are proven masters at helping transform people into strategic business owners, not just excellent business coaches. We train, coach, and support them so they consistently think and act like successful business owners, marketers, and lastly, business coaches. The same coaching and accountability tools we use with several thousand small business clients each and every year, we use with our own franchise owners. We don’t develop “technicians”, we develop real “business owners”. After all, we are in a long- term partnership with our franchise owners and are committed to help them grow, develop and succeed every step of the way...not just in the beginning.

Also, our veteran franchise owners provide on-going wisdom, “best practices”, mentoring, and support to our new franchise owners as well. While our franchise owners are in business for themselves, they are never by themselves. Also, as a franchise system, we are continually doing research and development and continually innovating in the areas of coaching, marketing, training, and support. We have the scale, branding resources, franchise owners in over 150 markets, and thousands of clients helping to guide us with our continuous improvement process. All this on-going innovation and support helps to increase the success and satisfaction levels of our franchise owners

How does buying a Growth Coach business increase your chances of success?

Higher levels of success come about because of the continuous improvement and incredible business-owner development and support systems we have in place. Conversely, most coaches and consultants on their own LACK such a proper business owner mindset, on-going support systems, proven marketing systems, and any leverage...as a result, they struggle mightily. They are usually winging it, guessing at what marketing and coaching tools may work, doing everything by “trial and error”, constantly “re-inventing the wheel”, and merely doing one-on-one coaching or consulting. They are simply swapping their time and precious energy for money...they don’t have a viable business, proven systems, or a credible brand...they simply have a job.

With The Growth Coach, we arm each one of our franchise owners with a proven, powerful, and guaranteed coaching and accountability process (developed and refined over two decades) as well as proven marketing systems. There is no guessing about what works and what doesn’t. As such, our franchise owners have a viable and proven business model out of the gate so they can start attracting and serving clients after training...instead of wasting valuable time trying to create everything from scratch. Do you realize, over 95% of all businesses in the US and Canada have less than 100 employees and under $5 million in revenue. That’s the market we serve so well with affordable and relevant coaching services that get results.

For additional information, check out FranchiseHelp's profile page for The Growth Coach franchise or navigate to our Research & Documents center to find the Growth Coach Franchise Disclosure Document.