Military veterans are trained to be vigilant, well-informed, and prepared.

And when it comes to buying a franchise, the process shouldn’t be any different.

For vets looking to invest in a franchising opportunity, it’s important for them to do their due diligence while researching all of their options – otherwise, they could end up in a very different situation than what they expect.

Here are 10 Questions Every Vet Should Ask a Potential Franchisor:

1. What will my expected income/revenues be? This is #1. You’re leaving behind a military position, where your income was at a set level. While veterans thrive as entrepreneurs – and especially franchisees – you still need to invest in a proven franchise that has the systems and processes to help ensure you maximize your earning potential.

2. How much time will I have to prepare? It’s really important to find out how much time you’ll need to prepare before opening. After all, you may need to find a brick-and-mortar space, hire employees, and get trained by the franchisor yourself.

3. Is a starter kit/smaller brand available first? Some franchises offer “starter kits” or smaller-sized brand investments. These are sometimes good for first-time franchise investors new to business, depending on your comfort level.

4. Do you offer reduced fees/royalties for vets? Many franchises off reduced franchising fees and royalties for U.S. military veterans.

5. How many vets have you recruited and what’s their success rate? While vets thrive as successful franchise owners – that’s why so many franchises want them to invest in them – it’s still important to do your due diligence and find out the success rates of veterans.

6. Do you offer any special support for vets? Find out the type of support they offer to all franchisees, and then ask if they offer any special support to their veteran members and their families.

7. Who will I report to and serve as my main contact? Franchises range from small, emerging businesses to world-wide chains. That’s why it’s so important for you to establish early on who you’ll be working with.

8. Do you offer logistical start-up support? Negotiating leases, finding suppliers, and identifying employee talent can all be made easier when a franchisor comes on board to help oversee your initial logistical issues. Find out what kind of start-up support your franchisor offers.

9. Do you offer staff training support? While having top-notch systems and processes is important in franchising, it’s equally important to have a well-trained staff that can execute within them efficiently and effectively.

10. Are there veteran-specific expansion incentives? Once you’re successful at operating your first franchise, will the franchisor offer veteran-specific incentives to help you acquire more franchises and scale your income? Will they provide the same level of support again?

To learn more about entrepreneurship through franchising, attend our free monthly webinar, Franchise Ownership as a More Stable Career Path. The webinar is free, but you need to pre-register, which you can do online by clicking on the linked seminar title.

You may also register by calling 866-246-2884.

Looking for work is never easy, and that’s been even more true for veterans.

Our country’s proud service men and women put their lives on the line, making sacrifices to themselves and family that few would go through.

After they leave the military, however, many veterans aren’t sure where to turn next – and for good reason. Veteran unemployment has been higher than the nation’s overall unemployment rate in recent years.

Thousands of veterans have found success in franchising

With so many people competing for work, thousands of veterans in America over the past number of years have forged their own path as entrepreneurs through franchising.

Franchising thrives off of veterans’ core, military-honed skills sets – leadership, problem solving, and system-and-process-following skills – which in turn helps veterans find a new direction in life as franchise owners.

Multiple financing options, discounts available to veterans

To help make the transition easier for veterans, there are also numerous ideal financing options available, including SBA-backed loans, conventional loans, equity payouts, and crowdsourcing. On top of this, many franchises offer discounts and royalty reductions to vets to help encourage them to invest in their business.

Simply put, veterans are natural-born leaders well suited to the entrepreneurial path.

And franchising provides a secure, trusted, and proven way to do it.

To learn more about entrepreneurship through franchising, attend our free monthly webinar, Franchise Ownership as a More Stable Career Path. The webinar is free, but you need to pre-register, which you can do online by clicking on the linked seminar title.

You may also register by calling 866-246-2884.

How do the best franchisees and other entrepreneurs maximize productivity?

While everyone has their own strategies, using phone apps that track, manage, “enforce”, and reward productivity can be used to help do so.

For many franchise owners, maintaining communications with clients, suppliers, the franchisor, and others becomes time consuming and inefficient. That’s why e-mail management apps, such as Dipatch at The Swizzle, can be used to help reorganize your inbox.

For those needing better time management, Any.do and Clear helps you create to-do lists that help you track and manage key objectives.

And what about procrastination? Well, there are also apps for that. Carrot works to give you better productivity by punishing and rewarding you for staying on target.

For the full list, see the following infographic from Adecco:

They say you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure, but when it comes to picking a car, things are never so easy. More and more, the two-car family is becoming a thing of the past — KPMG reports that only 57 percent of American households now own more than one car, and forecasts this percentage will decline to 43 percent by 2040. This means the car needs to pull double duty.

For those looking for the right vehicle to meet with clients and spend time with the family, take a look at some of the different options that might be right for your needs:

Compacts

For many commuters, a small fuel-efficient car that is capable of squeezing into the smallest of parking spaces is a dream come true. If you are the sort who goes on urban adventures with your family and works in the city, a compact car may be your best option. The Volkswagen Jetta features a keyless access, which can be handy when trying to load a stroller, diaper bag and carseat or when piling in blueprints, folders and other work documents. It also has a rearview camera, which is great for child safety and tight parking garages, and a premium interior to make your clients feel comfortable. But, if a new Jetta is out of your price range, search for financing or find a used one through a dealership like DriveTime.

Pickups

For those who need a vehicle for work that can bring the muscle but also get the kids to soccer practice, a pickup truck may be the solution. Pickups are versatile cars that can be used for commuting, hauling, towing and family events. When buying a pickup that will serve dual purposes, it is important to think about the size of the cabin. Some pickups have none to speak of, which can be a real problem if you need a place to put a car seat. However, the 2015 Dodge Ram delivers in terms of power and cabin space, with a fuel efficient V-8 engine. Available with the Uconnect system, the 2015 Dodge Ram can serve as the center of your mobile office or as an entertainment center for the kids on a long road trip. And for those who often meet with clients in rural areas with unreliable roads, a pickup is a reliable and strong vehicle that can get you there and back safely.

SUVs

Sports Utility Vehicles come in countless shapes and sizes, and picking the one that is right for your family is critical. The 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is a high-performance SUV with seating for seven, a rear entertainment system, temperature-controlled seats and a drink cooler to top it off. For the family that wants to travel in comfort, it’s a hard vehicle to beat. In addition, the 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Sport boasts 550hp and 502lb-ft of torque as well as a zero to 60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. If you need power, comfort and style, this is the SUV for you and your family.

No one type of franchise ownership is right for all; rather, it’s an individual fit.

For veterans considering franchising after the military, it’s important to really evaluate their options – how much time they want to invest, financing and capital, and market factors – before jumping into the franchise ownership game.

Becoming a franchisee is incredible rewarding for vets: it provides them with a systems-and-processes, team-driven environment just like in the military, and the opportunity for them to apply their military-honed skills to maximize business success.

Here are the 5 Franchise Ownership Options for Vets:

1. Single Unit. This is the most popular options for new military veterans, as it gives them the experience of owning a single franchise at a low start-up cost. With training provided by the franchisor (and financing options and veteran discounts available), this will allow you to hit the ground running in business as you learn to optimize business operations, sales and marketing, customer service, and more.

2. Existing Franchise. This involves purchasing an already-established franchise location from another franchisee. With this, it’s just like owning a single unit except you know what to expect from the franchise in terms of long-term sales, supply needs, and existing trends.

3. Multi-Unit Franchise. By investing in a multi-unit franchise strategy, you’ll negotiate a deal to open several franchises in a short amount of time. In order to ensure its success, you’ll need to hire top-end managers to optimize each location’s operations, and then delegate, manage, and track key objectives while overseeing all units.

4. Area Developer. Much like a multi-unit agreement – except on a much bigger scale – being an area developer involves opening even more franchise locations, often within a specific geographic area or zone. While this strategy involves a huge amount of start-up capital, it can allow you to penetrate the market quickly, establish the brand in the area, and significantly boost your earnings and success.

5. Master Franchise. A step above area developer, becoming a master franchise owner is like getting the key to oversee a huge amount of franchises while acting as an intermediary between individual franchisees and the franchisor. More specifically, you’ll collect fees from an entire region of franchisees but you won’t be the owner of the individual locations. This will come at a very large fee, however.

To learn more about entrepreneurship through franchising, attend our free monthly webinar, Franchise Ownership as a More Stable Career Path. The webinar is free, but you need to pre-register, which you can do online by clicking on the linked seminar title.

You may also register by calling 866-246-2884.