Grow Smart, Risk Less: A Low-Capital Path to Multiplying Your Business Through Franchising

As the owner of a small business, I am looking further down the road to see if franchising might be a viable alternative. Franchising was initially attractive because I thought it was a way to profit off your initial idea and goodwill, while leaving the daily operations to a franchisor. I discovered a lot by reading this book which turned me off from wanting to be a franchisor. First, a franchisee really seems more like business partner, and that is something I'd like to avoid. I gleaned this from Shelly's description of the pains that must be taken not to aggravate franchisees. I wish there were more time dedicated to the pros and cons of going company-owned vs. franchising. One thing that is clear is that a franchisee is much harder to terminate than a GM or manager, and I personally would like to be able to easily remove someone who was badly running one of my stores.Another thing I didn't like about the franchise model is that it seems like you really become a seller of businesses instead of your goods or services. I really like to stay at the grassroots level and interface with customers and employees, not be in a corporate office all day looking at ROIs, etc. Shelly's book helped me realize this.The book is nuts and bolts in nature, and there are plenty of examples from her franchise system, BrightStar. All in all, I'm glad I read it, even if it made me realize I DON'T want to be a franchisor.

This book is wonderful. It is easy to read, highly informative and feels like a very personal conversation with a remarkable entrepreneur. Shelly touches upon all the major considerations for franchising and goes into detail on how the journey unfolds. She tells her own story of failure and success, but it isn't preachy or self-indulgent. It's honest and genuine and authentic. This is a great, practical guide for anyone considering creating a franchise or even buying one. Nice job, Shelly! Thank you for such a fantastic resource!

I enjoyed the straight forward way this was written. A lot to think about. Interesting look at a complicated process.

Great book! Was given this book at a conference. Read it over a weekend. Will be working through the lessons and metrics for some time to come. Excellent planning and development ideas to get you where you want to go. Immediately upon completion purchased two more for some of my staff to help me implement these ideas. Highly recommend for anyone looking to get into franchising or simply trying to structure their business for growth.

Shelly has incredible depth of experience and knowledge in franchising. This book is a must read for anyone taking their company to the next level.

left out a lot of important information

Shelly Sun is amazing... Have read her book before; got an extra copy because I lost mine. Lots of franchisors could learn a thing or two from her ...

A lot of very useful information.