Extraordinary times

Time to reflect, not to rush in

This edition of Inside Franchise Business is unlike any other.

I was mindful when compiling the contents that you, the reader, may be facing particularly challenging times. These are extraordinary and uncertain times.

We are learning to live a more constrained life, in ways we could not have imagined a few months ago. We are recalibrating our daily expectations and finding value in the minutiae of daily life and our relationships.

Australians are joining the global community in reassessing our lives and what’s important. The uncertainty of the last few months has scuppered well-oiled plans and we now have to think again.

Many of us now have time to consider what we will go back to. What’s next may be a choice of not wanting to return to the strictures of the past. It might be an enforced change brought on by job losses or redundancy. This is familiar ground for franchising, which typically attracts new entrants in economic downturns because it offers some security and allows people to put their futures in their own hands.

However, the sideswipe that COVID-19 has given us adds an unexpected dimension.

What’s proved inspiring has been the capacity of franchised brands to move swiftly and realign services and products to keep their businesses going.

REFOCUS, REGENERATE, RECALIBRATE

This is a unique edition of Inside Franchise Business. To ensure we have the widest reach possible and that magazines arrive safely, this is a digital-only edition coming straight to your inbox. It’s also an edition beset by the uncertainty of the business landscape. So as we share tales of success and grand plans, we know much of this has been put on hold.

It may be that you have had to put on hold your own plans to invest in a franchise.

With that in mind we’ve shared some ways you can usefully use this time to really think through and plan your franchise journey.

We’ve looked at brands pivoting to keep their franchisees trading; we’ve revealed which industries have kept powering through this crisis; we’ve put the spotlight on low-cost investments and mobile services that will be financially accessible in an economic downturn.

These times are changing us; how will they change you and your future?

Stay well and good luck with your search for whatever’s next.