Nurse gains personal success as franchisee
Emerging franchisees who want to succeed in their business ventures do whatever it takes to achieve this goal. From staying optimistic to hiring the right people, one significant first step is also finding a franchise business concept that diligently seeks mutual growth with its partners. For Malen M. Balina, the right combination of experience, passion and partnership with a leading convenience store chain brand gave her a great opportunity that led to a well-deserved franchise business success.
The idea of running her own franchise business came in 2013 for Balina, a nursing graduate of Lyceum Batangas. “I thought that if I was going to get into franchising, might as well join the No. 1. 7-Eleven is a longestablished, successful retail store. Anywhere you travel around the world you can see 7-Eleven stores just around the corner. It’s easy to find one. My kids like the Slurpees, sundaes, hotdog sandwiches and more,” she said.
Prior to joining 7-Eleven, Balina started out armed with business experience and business education which she said gave her the foundation and advantage. “I studied short business courses at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. I’m also a retailer of Caltex gasoline stations around Batangas. We have four gas stations and one of them has a 7-Eleven already, this is in Caltex, Kumintang.”
One attractive side of the 7-Eleven franchise system that Balina greatly appreciated is its depth of commitment to its partners. Part of this is providing a month-long classroom training to develop franchisees into effective, well-rounded business managers. “The good thing about the 7-Eleven franchise, the whole team of Philippine Seven Corp. (PSC) will support you from the beginning until you are running your own 7-Eleven store. As a new franchisee, their team was very professional in assisting and providing advice regarding details on your new store and the challenges you might face running your business,” Balina shared.
After securing her franchise approval and passing her FC training from PSC, the exclusive licensor of 7-Eleven in the country, Balina opened her first C-store on December 21, 2013. “It was a big hit. The store was a full house from morning to midnight. I guess everyone in the area was excited. We were pressured at that time because there were so many customers; we had to borrow (store transfer) siopao and hotdog supplies from the other stores. It was a really tiring opening day but we’re happy because we exceeded sales that we targeted,” she narrated.
Now a successful owner and hands-on manager of three Cstore outlets in Batangas City, Balina is very much pleased with her accomplishment. Besides the financial rewards, she highly recommends 7-Eleven franchise to first-time entrepreneurs or as a family business because of its efficient support system.
“From daily delivery to simplified inventory management plus the dependable support of the area manager and PSC Team, these greatly help in making your business profitable and smoothly operational. It’s a wonderful thought that I get to be part of the evergrowing 7- Eleven franchise system. The possibilities with this kind of business are endless and I know that the future holds many wonderful things. It is a huge honor to be part of it,” she explained.
As a highly admired franchisee with rich learning experiences to share, Balina said that to be successful, one must have a clear vision for the business and to never underestimate the power of your entrepreneurial dream. “Managing a 7-Eleven store is very fulfilling not only because it’s for my family but also because it is a reflection of my own hard work. Obviously it’s not the easiest thing in the world and there are speed bumps along the way but when we get past these challenges and I see all these people enjoying our products and promos, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. You learn a lot in terms of how far you can push yourself to be better. You are really motivated to build something for yourself, your family, and your potential customers,” she mused.
With 24 employees, Balina said that people skills, just like business acumen, are a must trait for an aspiring owner or manager. “I make sure that my staff is always motivated to perform the best they can. As a good leader, you want them to know that you are ready to listen to their concerns and ideas on how to make the store better. Our team building sessions also strengthen my relationship with them and their relationship with each other. They get to understand that we are all in this business together and a good working environment is essential to that,” she explained.