Exactly what is a “semi-absentee” Canadian franchise?

If you’ve been shopping around for a Canadian franchise for any length of time, you’ve no doubt run into the phrase “semi-absentee franchise.” While for some, this might conjure up the image of sipping piña coladas on some tropical beach while the money flows into your account, that is not quite what it means. Rather, a semi-absentee franchise is one which takes a lesser time commitment and that you can still operate while you work a day job or attend to other obligations.

Advantages of operating a semi-absentee franchise

Most Canadian franchises that are considered to be semi-absentee will require a time commitment of anywhere between 10 and 20 hours. Rather than spend your time in the day to day operations of the business, franchisees hire managers to take care of that for them.

In some cases, the franchise head office may be responsible for certain aspects of the business as well. Depending on the business this may include anything from call centre services to direct marketing.

There are many advantages to semi-absentee franchising.

First of all, by being able to keep your day job, you won’t have the financial stress and anxiety that often comes with diving head first into a full-time business. It allows you to grow your business at your own pace without wondering where your mortgage payment or grocery money is going to come from.

Many new business owners find that being able to keep their day job not only relieves them of financial stress, but emotional stress as well. Having that “safety net” in place allows these entrepreneurs to focus their energy on building their business rather than working in their business.

Even if you have no intention of working a day job while running your franchise, the ability to work only 10-20 hours per week means more time for family and pursuing other interests and hobbies.

The next big advantage of this style of franchise is that you don’t need to be an expert in the business model. For that matter, you don’t have to be an expert in the product or service either. Since you are hiring managers, you can allow them to focus on the day to day aspects while you focus on managing the managers.

Finally, investing in a semi-absentee franchise can also lead to the franchisee purchasing multiple units of the franchise and oversee their growth. For entrepreneurs who have dreams of building a large business empire, semi-absentee franchising can be very appealing.

Choosing the right semi-absentee Canadian franchise

FranNet Canada is proud to represent a wide range of semi-absentee franchises, but it is important for new entrepreneurs to choose the right one. Just as with any other type of franchise business, there is still an expected amount of commitment from the franchisee and certain skillsets that franchisors are looking for.

By sitting down with one of our franchise consultants we can review your specific needs and skillsets and help you decide which semi-absentee Canadian franchise opportunities best match your profile. Contact us today to get started.

Nov 17, 2015