BY JAY CAPPERELLA, VP of Franchise Development, Above Grade Level
January 30, 2013
If you are reading this, chances are your email in-box is littered with countless career emails. There are offerings, solicitations, requests and mass produced email drips masked as personal notes.
I spend most mornings deleting, deleting, deleting. My business coach says don’t just mindlessly delete, ‘simplify things’.
But how do I do that? How do I keep the ones that may be good, and get rid of the rest. And, even more important, how do I manage that nagging feeling of what if? What if one makes sense, or a diamond in the rough? What if it is an opportunity that I may regret passing? That is why my wife does not allow me to do the food shopping. I spend 4 hours to her 2 in the store. I check out everything in every isle, with visions of outrageous health and vitality from eating THIS food. Or maybe THAT food. Or perhaps BOTH!
Do you feel me? Ok, enough hyperbole. What is the point?
If your career is stuck in neutral, moving sideways, or worse, in reverse, and you want to keep your options open and making strides, instead of just deleting email solicitations, or allowing them to pile up, try to do as my coach says – keep it simple, organized and planned out. How? Start by being in Control.
HOW TO GET UNSTUCK. Simple. Take Back Control:
1. Control Your Focus. Adjust Your Attitude, daily.
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- Being stuck is a lament that comes from frustration that comes from our reacting to the incredible demands and noise of the world as we know it. It is also the abdication of personal controls because a little voice in our head, one we know well, warns us to stop the madness of the silly entrepreneurial dream! Take back control starting now, with this thought and beyond!
2. Control Your Goals. Visualize Yourself 5 Years Out.
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- This is the hard one for most of us. We do not do this exercise! So where will you be, with whom, doing what, and what will it get you? Just play with this; have fun thinking big! The saying is, if you don’t know where you are going, you won’t know how to get there. Map it out, and post a visual representation that lights you up. Then, fully list in detail your skills and goals in order to easily funnel them into an opportunity.
3. Control Your Research. Pick 5 Franchise Opportunities Sites (start with America’s Best Franchises).
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- Comb through and pick 5 great businesses you like, feel good about, or seem intriguing. Do the same for job sites too, and choose a few entrepreneurial or industry groups on LinkedIn.
4. Control your TIME! (hint, this one is the key to all others). Block time NOW on your weekly calendar to get busy on the effort.
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- You made the inquiry, now follow through. Take at least one call from the representative calling you. You never know what you will learn. What’s that, you have no time? Ah ha, yes you do, if you really want it. The insight then is make the time, and gain agreement from everyone you are responsible for, or to, so they understand what you are up to and why (but not the boss necessarily. Just be sure you report your actions and results so that he/she will leave you alone).
5. NIKE! That’s right… Just Do It.
- There is no better time than now to start. It need not be perfect. But if you keep with it, a new habit will be formed.
Most reps and franchise coaches can support you on the necessary research, and help you formulate a success plan. And most can help with financing the total franchise investment. All should be well versed in the contract you will sign. Those are manageable details. Do not worry about them.
My coach will say actions speak louder than words. If you are not acting, it may be that timing for you to get into business is just not right. And that is fine. But do not deny yourself the chance to learn what is possible, and chip away at making that 5 year vision a REALITY!
That said, at our recent team meeting for our service franchise brand – Above Grade Level in home private tutoring – we determined that moving forward with a qualified candidate to evaluate our program the time frame should be no more than 2 months. Anything else will indicate a wavering due to personal circumstance, trepidation or mis-alignment to the model, or a general business risk aversion.
We feel the winning formula is well organized, planned, and responsive person that comes across hard charging, relatively unstoppable, and completely decisive on what they want to achieve.
Do you feel me? Be unstoppable. Keep it simple. Just do it!
Jay Capperella
[email protected]
856-310-9311
