Launching a tech start-up might require some solitary confinement but there are other businesses that thrive in a family environment and franchising is one of them.
Battery World, for example, has experienced a shift in franchisee demographics during recent years, with more than half of the network’s 77 stores now owned or operated by family teams.
According to Battery World general manager John Pascoe there was a 10% rise in the average number of inquiries from families and couples during the past six months.
“(When you consider) the enticing lifestyle prospects of starting a franchise with those you are closest to it’s easy to see why so many families are willing to jump on board,” he says.
Advertising technology company Adboss was founded by Melbourne brothers Eden and Jason Rose, who insist that being brothers in business is an advantage.
“The benefit is that there is no fear of hurting the other person’s feelings – you’re not as worried about all the normal pleasantries of a workplace,” the brothers say.
“We can read each other very well and we know when to stay out of each other’s way.”
Couples who decide to do business together are no different. Their close relationship means miscommunication is unlikely, which means things get done a lot faster.
James Patten and Bradley Carr are the unlikely founders of online business RY Hair & Beauty, which is known for its penchant for big name brands.
Patten and Carr attribute their success in a female-dominated industry to the feedback of their partners, who act as sounding boards for the business.
“The people that benefit the most (from the business) would be James’s wife and my girlfriend,” Carr says.
“There’s only so much James and I can know about beauty. It’s always good to get their opinion because they’ll tell you exactly how it is. They can test products and provide honest feedback.”
Mother-of-two Mandi Gunsberger is the founder of Babyology, a lifestyle website for parents. Being a mumpreneur isn’t easy and Gunsberger is thankful that she’s not doing it alone.
“Every night from 8pm until 11pm is when I work on Babyology. My husband is heavily involved in the business, which is a huge help,” she says.
Similarly, skincare queen Samantha Molineux says there’s no way she could have launched Lily Loves Pearl if she was single.
“I won $10,000 (through a university competition). The rest of it really was supported by my partner at the time, who’s now my husband,” she says.
Dan Morel is the co-founder of Peek, a cloud computing platform based in Canada. He recently wrote an article arguing why start-up founders should never be single.
“Entrepreneurs are basically living zombies. They just get up mindlessly and keep going forward with arms out,” he wrote.
“It feels like it’s a lot easier to do a start-up with a long-standing relationship and understanding partner who will support you emotionally and mentally.
“Having kids adds to this – all your problems melt away and disappear as you chase your kids around or play some silly game, a wonderful reprieve from the constant stresses and to-dos of your under-resourced, over-leveraged business.”
