Many people come to a crossroads several times throughout their professional lives, leaving them wondering, what’s my purpose? It’s a common question around milestone moments, such as new decade birthdays, growing families, reentry into the workforce, and a general feeling of unrest in a current role. Often, this question leads people to wonder if starting a franchise is the right next step for them.
Business ownership is a powerful way to serve and influence others, yet knowing whether a franchise fits your purpose can be tricky. Enter Ikigai.
Ikigai is a Japanese philosophy that dates back centuries and has been used by millions to find their special gifts for the world. This philosophy covers four questions. The overlap between each answer leads you toward your response to the question, what’s my purpose? When considering starting a franchise, it’s a good idea to think through your decision through the lens of these four questions that make up the Ikigai philosophy.
What Are You Good At?
The first question in Ikigai is, what are you good at? What talents do you have? What are your skill sets?
The answer to this question can stem from your professional experience. It can also stem from your passions or interests. Think carefully about what you’re good at and jot down your answers on paper.
What Do You Love?
The next question to ask when using Ikigai to figure out whether you should start a franchise and which franchise to start is, what do you love?
The areas that attract your interest the most can help you understand your passions and your missions in life. For example, if you’re drawn to helping teach children, your passion for growing the next generation will likely closely align with your mission to positively influence youth. Likewise, if you’re drawn to overall wellness, your passion for healthy living will meet with your mission or desire to help others feel their best.
What Does the World Need?
Third, look at what the world needs right now. This requires you to extend beyond your immediate purview and look externally at the macroeconomic backdrop. What’s happening in the world right now that you could help with? What are people asking for? What are people worried about? What are people struggling with?
Worldly needs will help you see how your mission and goals can align with a vocation that helps others achieve results.
What Can You Be Paid For?
Finally, look at what you can be paid for. Take the culmination of these responses and look at the franchises available. These answers won’t just tell you where you can get rich quickly; instead, they’ll allow you to find the fastest path to profit while doing something you love.
Taking the examples above, if you’re drawn to helping children and see a growing number of families in your community, starting a children’s franchise is a wise investment. If you’re drawn to helping others with their wellness, starting a fitness franchise could be a smart next step.
Going through this exercise, you’ll be able to fine-tune your talents alongside franchise opportunities that will help you profit and grow in a way you can be enthusiastic about.
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Kimberly Crossland is the founder of Roadpreneur and Cruisin' + Campfires, two companies designed to keep families together and living in freedom through travel and entrepreneurship. The goal of both businesses is to inspire meaningful change through the power of a strategic, thoughtful approach to life and business. In her free time, you can find her looking for a new adventure together with her two boys.