March 3, 2020
Executives on the hunt for a solid investment encounter a plethora of options. But, for those prospective franchisees who don’t want to give up their full-time career (at least not yet), it takes care to drill down to those franchise concepts that truly require a lower physical presence and time commitment from day to day and week to week.
A true semi-absentee franchise must be workable as a “side hustle” without impeding upon a full-time job.
You likely have a general idea of what a semi-absentee franchise is, but the defined scope of it may vary depending on which article or franchise company website you consult.
What is a Semi-Absentee Franchise — Really?
The very notion of diving into franchise ownership as a side hustle requires a strong entrepreneurial spirit and drive, but a day only has 24 hours. So what does a semi-absentee franchise look like?
In reality, not all the franchise opportunities that claim to be semi-absentee really are.
The biggest piece of the puzzle is that this model utilizes a full-time manager or a team from the start. This differs from an owner-operator setup, in which an owner may at some point employ a manager to help, but the owner must be involved hands-on from day to day.
A real semi-absentee concept does not require the owner to be present.
Simplicity is Integral
Keeping things as streamlined as possible is, unsurprisingly, a strong catalyst for the success of a semi-absentee business.
To hit the ground running from day one without compromising the demands of one’s full-time career, a side hustle franchisee must rely upon a turnkey package. A franchise suited to semi-absentee ownership will offer a system including everything needed to open the business.
Many franchises will promise to be turnkey, but as with any promise, carefully investigate. A quality turnkey franchise will require reasonable fees for support, assistance, and systems, but a suspiciously high markup for the package components may be a red flag.
Unpacking the UNITS Semi-Absentee Model
UNITS Moving and Portable Storage offers an Executive Model that can be run on a semi-absentee basis. Unlike in an owner-operated model, a semi-absentee owner benefits from the proven UNITS franchise system — keeping his or her full-time career (or other businesses) while operating a UNITS franchise.
In the Executive Model, an owner can spend as little as 10 to 15 hours per week in the business while a qualified customer service representative, delivery driver, and outside sales representative tackle the day-to-day duties.
Any franchise company that fudges a bit in its promise of offering a true semi-absentee model is putting a franchisee in a very bad spot. Once invested in the business, if an owner discovers that a franchise requires more of his or her time than expected, this discrepancy can make or break the owner’s planned balance of career and side hustle — and hurt the business of both.
Take a breath or two when readying to plunge into the excitement of franchise ownership. Be sure to evaluate the claims of any franchise system about semi-absentee ownership before signing on.
Founded by Michael McAlhany in 2004, the mission of UNITS Moving and Portable Storage is to provide personal customer service while supplying the most innovative equipment in order to eliminate frustrations associated with moving and storage space issues.
UNITS Moving and Portable Storage currently has 24 franchised and three corporate territories across the United States. With a presence in more than 40 markets, and growing, the brand is looking to expand with the right people in the right markets.
For more information on how to take advantage of this opportunity, or simply to learn more about the moving and portable storage industry, visit https://www.unitsfranchisegroup.com/ and fill out the inquiry form. We will reach out to you to talk more about your interest in our brand, and how UNITS Moving and Portable Storage can help you reach your personal and financial goals.
