Identification, Research, and Evaluation led Carolyn Crocker to start an Akron SENIOR Magazine franchise

Fast Tracking Your Goals

When Carolyn Crocker decided to research franchises to potentially own she didn’t realize that she would find the right one in SENIOR Magazine so quickly. As soon as three months after Carolyn visited Franchise.com she was the Associate Publisher of the Akron SENIOR Magazine and a proud franchise owner embarking on her dreams of being in control of her own career success and personal goals.

Carolyn visited Franchise.com and researched several businesses for sale, “Franchise.com allowed me to quickly identify several opportunities that met my criteria. I contacted all of them and within a few weeks I had conversations with professionals from each organization to discuss their business in more detail. I was able to evaluate each opportunity, abandon the ones that were not a good fit and focus my time and energy on the ones that were the most appealing.”

Thoroughly investigating her options and conducting her due diligence one step Carolyn took seriously for good reasons. Owning a franchise or business opportunity is a big step that needs to be heavily considered. While doing through research can be daunting, Carolyn explained she kept organized and it paid off. Carolyn explained, “working through each section of the franchise evaluation process helped me identify the right questions to ask and to get a comprehensive look at the important aspects of running the business.” As she continued to evaluate franchise ownership and decided that the SENIOR Magazine opportunity met her original criteria she continued her search to answer the ultimate question – is this the right move for me? She explained her thought process “…the business model is financially sound, it offered me the ability to make a good income and the franchise fees seemed reasonable. But I still wasn’t convinced it was the right fit for me. Just because it sounded like a “no brainer” to me didn’t mean it was a viable concept. I validated my thoughts about the business with my husband, family, friends and business associates that I respect and value their opinions.” In the end it was a perfect match personally and professionally.

Applying Experience & the Right Skills to Success

After twenty five years in business-to-business marketing and sales, Carolyn was ready to apply her prior career experience to her own business. As a new business owner she has learned to rely on more than just her business experience. She admits that a positive attitude, strong work ethic and ability to overcome fears are just as important as the experience you can bring to the table.

Carolyn is excited about the new found personal opportunities business ownership has begun to provide. “I like the flexibility and the lifestyle that working for yourself offers. Although I wanted to be independent, I did not want to start with a clean sheet of paper.  I wanted to be part of a successful program with processes in place,” Carolyn continued “Now, I’m in control.  I can take care of myself, enjoy my work, and still have time to spend an afternoon with my husband and kids, and develop a new hobby. It is such a stress reliever.”

Choosing the Right Business Partner

Outlining her necessities was an important part of Carolyn’s process. She knew she didn’t want to start a business from scratch and that she wanted personal flexibility in addition to the support she needed to get started. She quickly discovered that one major benefit to owning a SENIOR Magazine franchise is the support and training available. Although different systems offer different amounts of training and support typically a franchise will offer a good amount of initial and ongoing support. Carolyn commented on the SENIOR Magazine program, “training was personal and relevant. Very thorough, I never felt rushed…we concentrated on the steps I needed to take to generate business immediately and get my business going.  I had a plan to follow when I left, so I never need to ask myself what I should be doing.” And as a new franchisee, she is in contact with the home office several times a week. Asking questions and getting the support she needs.

As Carolyn discovered, there are many options for business ownership and doing research is paramount in finding the right business to partner with. For Carolyn, finding a franchise to own that had a solid business model, good training, as well as professional and personal growth opportunities topped her list. Through her in-depth research and self awareness she found the right franchise in SENIOR Magazine.