In these troubled times it is difficult to find employment, and when one does the wages are invariably low, the terms exploitative and job security to all intents and purposes non-existent.
And why not? There are thousands of other people out there who would give sundry limbs to be in your position, with any job at all, no matter how poor the working environment. If you don’t like it, an interview at the Job Centre and a long, arduous struggle to convince the disinterested customer services person that you might be entitled to £65 per week for the next six months beckons.
Under the circumstances there is more dignity in self-employment. Being one’s own boss and enjoying all the fruits of one’s own labour would appear an attractive alternative. But with no finance available to help you with the start-up costs, and with potential customers themselves all struggling just to pay for their essentials each week you could be on to a hiding to nothing. If you don’t manage to sell anything there is no wage for you at the end of the week. You are very much on your own, you swim or else you sink.
So maybe in these times of economic hardship it makes better sense than ever to consider the option of franchising. In a good franchise operation you enjoy all the benefits of a support network from a professional company that knows its business well, whilst retaining the independence to work at your own pace and in your own style.
Of course franchises themselves are not immune to the effects of recession and downturn, so when considering which market to work in it is important that one takes into account the product or service on offer and the extent to which it is protected against financial insecurity.
One area in which business can still be done is pet shop franchises. Most people who keep pets treat them as a member of the family, and families do not cast out their kin even when times are tough. A business trading in pet supplies will still find customers even at a time when they are cutting back on essentials such as heating and food.
Although such a franchise would usually operate along the lines of an online pet shop, in other words a dropshipping type operation with goods and supplies being stored and processed centrally, there are often local retail options available as a supplement to your core income. Dog walking, dog food and cat food supplies to sell locally, for example.
Because people will always keep pets, there will always be an opening for pet shop franchises. They may in fact be one of the most stable and reliable sources of income in the jobs market today.
Mark Richards is a professional writer working for The Middle Man, a web-based business marketing agency. He also publishes A Blog About SEO.