And on the surface, it makes sense. After all, if you’re passionate about baking, wouldn’t owning a bakery franchise be the perfect fit? Or maybe you’ve always loved helping others, so wouldn’t running a senior care franchise be your dream job?
Well, yes and no.
To clarify, buying a franchise in an industry you’re passionate about is important. Especially if your values are aligned with your franchisor, it’s your “why”, it’s what will get you out of bed in the morning and helps you push through the tough days. But here’s the thing – passion for the industry alone isn’t enough to grow your business. If your industry is all you are passionate about, that’s ok – but you need to accept the fact you have only bought yourself a job that might keep you busy but doesn’t really grow or provide the benefits of true business ownership. It may be fulfilling, and you may have a little more control over your schedule, but chances are you are working harder than you ever have in your life.
If that’s all you want, that’s totally fine! Not everyone is looking to scale their business into a multi-million dollar operation. But for those who want more than just a job, for those who dream of building something bigger and creating true “freedom”, you need to shift to something you should also be passionate about.
At some point, to truly grow your business, your passion needs to make a monumental shift. Instead of being solely passionate about what you’re selling, whether it’s pizza, home repairs, burgers or bubble tea, you need to become passionate about business and personal growth – you need to become a student of the game of business itself.
Being the best pie maker in the city isn’t enough! You need to become fanatical about learning how to scale a business, from improving operations to mastering sales and marketing. You need to fall in love with leadership, personal development, the art of strategic planning and goal setting. Passion for these things is what separates the franchise owners who simply have a job from those who build empires.
Growing a successful franchise isn’t just delivering on your obligations to your customers and your staff (though that’s crucial too). It’s about creating systems, developing your team, and delegating to take advantage of a scalable model. It’s about setting and achieving strategic goals. It’s about understanding a balance sheet to know your numbers inside and out. Learning the art and science of marketing to help your brand stand out. And yes, it’s about leadership; learning how to inspire, coach, and motivate your team to help you achieve more than you ever could on your own. You might be saying to yourself “isn’t this what my franchisor is for, shouldn’t they already have all this in a playbook for me?” The answer is yes, absolutely.. Sort of.
Imagine you’re a professional athlete and just signed your first contract (the equivalent of buying into a franchise). Your team (the franchisor) has world-class coaches, a well-defined playbook, and all the training facilities you could ever need. No matter how good the coaches are, no matter how effective the playbook, it’s up to you, the athlete to put in the work, to perfect your skills, and to push yourself beyond what’s comfortable. The best athletes don’t just rely on their coaches to tell them what to do, they take responsibility for their own growth. They study game film, put in extra hours of practice, hire specialized trainers, and constantly seek to improve their game. They are passionate not only about the sport but about mastering every aspect of it, from nutrition and mindset to training techniques.
A franchise works the same way. Your franchisor provides you with a proven system, guidance, and support, much like a pro team and a coach. They should be setting you up with the tools for success. But it’s up to you to take it further. It’s up to you to become a master of the business game, to drive growth, and to scale.
If you’re passionate about these things, the sky’s the limit. But it takes discipline, dedication, and a shift in mindset. It takes becoming fanatical about business itself, not just your brand, the product or service you’re selling.
Owning a franchise can be one of the most rewarding decisions you ever make, but it’s important to recognize what you’re getting into. If you want to own a franchise because you love baking or working with seniors or fixing things around the house, that’s great. But if you want to grow your business, create financial freedom, and enjoy all the benefits of business ownership, you need to shift your focus. Becoming passionate about business growth, leadership, and strategic planning is what will allow you to transition from owning a job to owning a business that can grow, scale, and succeed.
So, should you follow your passion when buying a franchise? Absolutely, but be clear about your goals. If you want to escape the corporate grind, be your own boss, and earn a decent salary, and buy yourself a job, that’s great, a lot of entrepreneurs choose that route. But if you’re aiming for financial freedom, true work/life balance, and building wealth, you need to ask yourself: “Am I also passionate about business growth?”
