When you buy a franchise the level of training and support provided is crucial, as Jason Sims, a Poolwerx multi-unit franchisee in South Australia, knows only too well.

Here Jason identifies tips that can help newbie franchisees get to grips with the challenges of running a business.

5 business success tips that work

1. Trust yourself

The first 12 months was very challenging. I had moved from the stability of a corporate career to being self employed, which was quite stressful. However I had completed my extensive Pool School training at Poolwerx head office and that meant I was tooled with newly acquired skills and raring to go. 

I remember eagerly waiting for calls to start coming through and even recall ringing my own phone to make sure it was working. During this time, knowing I had the support of the franchise network and support centre helped me a lot. 

My one piece of advice to other franchisees would be to trust yourself and go with your gut instinct. Embrace having to make decisions and weighing up each situation. Even if you struggle trusting yourself to begin with, it will get better over time.

2. Invest in your business

You will need to continually invest in your business and your team in order to be able to move forward and grow. Admittedly, this isn’t something I prioritised at first, and it’s something I regret now. 

3. Understand your role

Franchisees need to have confidence in a proven system and make their business relevant to people in the local area. 

You might not always agree with everything so you’ll need to be flexible in the way your business needs to operate. Understand that following a tried and tested system allows you to focus on other areas of your business. 

4. Training and support are crucial

Poolwerx training and support has been key to our growth. Without it we never would have learnt everything we needed to know. The aptly named Pool School is an intensive six week program covering all aspects of the business and also provides ongoing face to face support driven out of head office. It really is essential to build and grow. 

One of the main key performance indicators of the Poolwerx business was partner profitability. This showed us that there was a high level of support and training provided, which has been recognised in a 5* FRANdata rating. 

5. Take risks

Be willing and prepared to take risks. We have achieved some of our biggest gains from this approach, although it’s also important to remain grounded and remember that not everything will be successful. If something you try fails, it’s important to keep going.