How Flexible is Flexible?

You read a lot about franchises and business opportunities that say you will have “flexible hours” when you choose to invest in their industry. There are also many businesses that state that you can have control over your time – that you can set your own hours.

 

This is not necessarily true. For instance, if you are going to start a brick-and-mortar business that has regular hours, you will be required to work those hours as stated. That, or have someone you trust to run the business for you. Let’s be honest here, at least in the beginning, you will be the one making sure all is well. So, in this scenario, you will not be able to set your own hours or have flexible hours. You will have to commit to serve your clients as promised.

 

In our business, we are a lot more flexible than a retail store or other company that has posted hours. The asset inventory industry provides the service at the clients’ homes and businesses, so no “regular” hours are necessary. But you are at the beck and call of your client. This is where the flexibility comes in. Flexible when it comes to not being committed to be “on site” or in the store 9-5 every day. But in the end, it is the client who chooses what time you work.

 

Many times, when scheduling an inventory for our inventory service, we help create our own flexibility by, or in other words, choose what hours we work, by stating what days we have available. It is rare that we offer a Saturday or Sunday. If the client asks about weekends, we are very willing to work those days, but we don’t automatically offer them. We also don’t like to work in the evenings, so we suggest day hours only. Again, if the client needs an evening inventory, we are more than happy to oblige.

 

In the end, if you choose to work in the service industry – no matter what type of service – you can be more flexible that other industries. Ultimately, though, you must cater to your client’s schedule.

 

So, when business opportunities and franchises state that you can set your own hours, they are telling the truth.  You do have control to be as flexible as you choose. What if a client demands a day or hours that you absolutely do not want to work? Since you own the business, you can always turn down those jobs. That, my dear readers, is flexibility! It could also be the demise of your business.

 

When preparing to start a business, this can be a huge element of your decision-making process. Know how flexible, what the industry as a whole demands, and what others face when scheduling their clients.