22
Nov

Do I want to run my own business, or do I want a franchise?

You know you’re about to make your next career move and you know you want to be your own boss. Perhaps it’s time for more freedom, or perhaps you’d like more flexibility and balance in your life. If this sounds like you, you might be trying to work out whether you’d rather set up on your own, or you’d rather buy a franchise of an established business. 

Let’s take a closer look.

Should I run my own business?

Running your own business is exciting, challenging and rewarding. Successful entrepreneurs have a great business idea and the drive to make it succeed.

When you run your own business, there are many benefits:

  1. You are answerable to no one (except your clients!).
  2. It’s as much freedom as you can have and still be at work.
  3. You can choose how to spend any profits.
  4. You can shape your business as you see fit, and take it in whichever direction you feel it will succeed.
  5. You can create your own business ethos – if you want to see something done differently, you have the freedom to implement it.

But there are downsides as well:

  1. Starting a business from scratch is hard work with a lot of demands on your time.
  2. You need at least basic knowledge of finance, admin, client care, data management, marketing and more.
  3. You might not see any profits for a few years.
  4. The buck stops with you and there is a lot of responsibility.
  5. It can get lonely – you might miss having a colleague who can provide some objectivity.

Should I buy a franchise?

If you’re not sure whether or not starting your own business is the right step for you, you might consider buying a franchise instead. A franchise can provide a lot of the freedom of running your own business, but without the pressure of working alone to deliver your own ideas.

There are many benefits to buying a franchise:

  1. Enjoy the freedom to work for yourself
  2. Take advantage of existing brand and reputation
  3. Join a family of supportive franchisees
  4. Continue on your career path, managing your team and making many of your own business decisions.
  5. Benefit from centralised resources like marketing material, training courses and software.

However, buying a franchise isn’t for everyone.

  1. The business model and ethos are driven by the franchise owner. Fortunately, ours is tried and tested!
  2. The role of a franchisee is to lead, not to do – if you like rolling your sleeves up, you might prefer your own business where you can deliver your core work yourself.
  3. You’ll make regular payments to the franchise owner, in addition to the upfront purchase – this covers the cost of centralised resources.
  4. Some franchises (not Get Ahead!) set compulsory targets for franchisees.
  5. Some other franchises (again, not Get Ahead!) impose limits on how and where you work, preventing you from scaling your franchise.  

When we decided to franchise Get Ahead, we identified some of the problems of franchising and set out to address them. That’s why our franchisees aren’t under pressure from performance targets, do receive regular training and, above all, benefit from our scalable business model so they can push themselves and their franchise as far as they like.

Buy a Get Ahead franchise

Whatever you decide your next step should be, it’s got to be right for you. And if do decide to buy a franchise, we hope you’ll choose Get Ahead! Our site is full of resources to help you make your decision. You could also follow our social channels and find out more about our ethos. You can even book in a call with franchisor Rebecca Newenham – why not have a chat and get your questions answered before you take the plunge?

17
Sep

Effective ways to chase unpaid invoices

Most of the time, clients and customers pay on time, cash flow is steady and all is well. But sometimes, invoices go unpaid. Perhaps the client is trying it on; perhaps there’s a genuine reason why they’re struggling to pay. Whatever the reason, unpaid invoices can hold up your business, reduce your income and restrict your business growth. In this blog, we look at how best to chase unpaid invoices, and how to avoid the situation in the first place.

  • Late payments – prevention is better than cure

The best way to deal with unpaid invoices is to limit the chances of them occurring in the first place. There are two ways you can do this: clarify the invoicing process in your terms and conditions or contract, and always issue a quote before you start work.

When you write your T&Cs, or the contract you will issue to your client or customer, be clear about timescales for paying invoices. That way, if the client doesn’t pay, you can refer them to the legal agreement between the two of you. This will also protect you if you find yourself having to escalate the situation.

Make sure you client knows exactly what comes at a cost and what is free. It’s always a good idea to issue a quote – if the client doesn’t ask, assert yourself and tell them you’ll send one over for their approval before you start work. If there is a charge for, say, telephone calls or travel, make sure the client is aware. There’s nothing more likely to lead to an unpaid invoice than an unexpected expense!

If the invoice is going to be particularly large, it can be a good idea to remind the client before you issue it. If they need to put anything in place to ensure the payment goes through, advance warning will give them time to prepare.

  • Unpaid invoices – a friendly approach

The most common reason for not paying invoices is oversight. The invoice arrives with your client on a busy day and they just don’t get round to it. For this reason, it’s a good idea to start with a friendly approach. We like, “can I just check you received this?” and “I was just going through some paperwork and I noticed…” They both give the client the chance to pay without too much embarrassment, which should keep them on your books too.

  • Chase unpaid invoices by getting serious

If, after your friendly approach, the invoice is still not paid, it’s time to up your game. Send a strongly worded letter or email. A good approach is to state what happened, then state how it made you feel (e.g. breach of trust, work not being valued) and lastly state what you want to happen next, and when by.

  • Going to small claims court

There are fees for taking your case to court, so think before you litigate! There is a mediation service too, which in some cases is the best way of resolving the situation and is cheaper than court too.

You can find up to date guidance on taking a non-payment case to court on the government website here, and you can find a court fees calculator on the Which? website here.

If, after going to court, the invoice is still not paid, you can instruct the court to send bailiffs to take the payment directly from your client. Again, there is a fee for this so do your maths and only take action if it’s worth it.

We really hope that our step-by-step guide has helped you chase unpaid invoices and get the results your business needs. To help you keep on top of invoicing and your other financial responsibilities, we’ve created a new infographic – check it out here.

2
Jul

Why you should be consistent on social media, and how to do it

LinkedIn always goes a bit quiet over Christmas, with many of us closing for business until New Year. When we all reopened for business, however, Get Ahead hit the ground running and we were pleased to see our first posts of the year getting good traction. Our social media managers are always encouraging Get Ahead clients to be consistent in their posts and we’ve seen for ourselves that it works in practice. In this blog, we look at why it works and how to achieve it for your business.

(more…)
23
Sep

10 reasons our Regional Directors love what they do

Our Regional Directors are a vital part of the Get Ahead VA family – they run the regional branches across the country, and they bring years of experience, specialist knowledge and enthusiasm to their roles. We’re very lucky that our Regional Director team is growing all the time, so to celebrate Get Ahead VA’s 10th business birthday, we asked them what they love most about being a Regional Director – and they had plenty to say! 

(more…)
19
Feb

5 ways to level up your franchise

Get Ahead VA is very proud to have branches across the country, and we’re always on the lookout for ambitious, business-minded people who are interested in opening a new branch in their local area. Our Regional Directors are brimming with good advice about being your own boss. Today, Fiona, Regional Director of our Leeds office, is here with 5 quick tips to help you level up your franchise.

I started Get Ahead VA Leeds in January 2018, and over the last couple of years I’ve found all sorts of ways to take my business from strength to strength. Here are 5 of my favourites!

(more…)
8
Oct

Achieve work–life balance as a Get Ahead VA Regional Director

This week (7th to 11th October) is National Work Life Week, a campaign dedicated to understanding workplace well-being and work–life balance. The week is organised by Working Families, and it aims to encourage “healthy and sustainable ways of working”.

Here at Get Ahead VA, we give all our team members the freedom and flexibility to manage their own time, which is so important for achieving a good work–life balance. In fact, this flexibility is one of the main reasons that most of our Regional Directors – who run the local branches of Get Ahead VA all over the country – decided to join the Get Ahead family.

(more…)