Veterans have personal traits needed to operate a successful franchise, says Always Best Care founder & CEO

Veterans have personal traits needed to operate a successful

franchise, says Always Best Care founder & CEO

According to Michael Newman, founder and CEO of California-based Always Best Care Senior Services, veterans have the ideal traits to become a successful franchise owner. 

“Veterans have the ability to understand processes and follow a plan – which is perhaps one of the most critically important for success in franchising,” Mr. Newman stated.  “In fact, the military operates very much like a franchise in many key respects.  For example, every aspect of a service member’s training is delivered in an Operations Manual.   The military trains service members from the beginning to solve problems by following standard operating procedures (SOPs), and reinforces that training throughout their careers.”

A franchise SOP, he added, by its very nature will feel familiar to veterans franchisees – so they are likely to understand it and follow it closely, thereby mitigating some of the risks of investing in franchising.”

Another essential characteristic of a successful franchise operation, according to Franchising USA, is a business methodology that can get a franchise launched in a short period of time; supports the franchisee with built-in networks that can include suppliers, advisors, and other franchisees; and provides pre-established guidelines for the back-office procedures – usually the most challenging part of starting a business for most people. To make a franchise system flourish, a good franchisor painstakingly researches and tests all elements of its methodology and documents them in their Standard Operating Procedures.

“All this will seem familiar to veterans,” explained Mr. Newman.  “They have the leadership skills and get-it-dome attitude that we’re looking for in our franchisees.”

No franchise company can guarantee the business will not have its hiccups. Franchising USA says that’s where character traits developed and reinforced in the military come into play. Those include an ability to “improvise, adapt, and overcome” (an unofficial mantra of the Marine Corps) and not let setbacks deflect their focus on the mission.

Another such trait is the ability to be both a leader and a team member. To succeed in franchising, the owner must lead his or her business and the franchise employees, and should also assume a leadership role in community organizations.

"President Obama called for industry to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs for veterans,” said Mr. Newman.  “We’re taking it a step further by providing not just a job, but a lifelong career opportunity that will allow our nation’s heroes to build a business while making a real difference in people’s lives.”

Always Best Care is one of the nation’s leading providers of non-medical in-home care, assisted living services and skilled home health care.   The company was named one of the best franchises for veterans by Military Times EDGE, and one of the top 50 franchises for veterans by USA Today. 

Founded in 1996, Always Best Care began franchising just seven years ago, and now has more than 180 franchised territories throughout the United States.  Always Best Care has assisted more than 25,000 seniors representing a wide range of illnesses and personal needs.

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