Dan Aronoff is helping the economy recover.

That is, he helps executives and corporate employees who have been downsized, laid off or have retired early find new careers as franchise owners. The franchises they start create new jobs and play a big role in jump-starting the economy.

Dan Aronoff

After a nearly 20-year career in human resources with large corporations like Exxon and Kraft, Aronoff moved to Nashville and began working with the family business, Goldner Associates, a promotional products and advertising specialties company. Through Goldner, he worked with a wide range of small businesses across hundreds of industries. In 2005, he became a FranNet consultant and has helped transition many Tennessee residents from sagging corporate careers into franchise ownership.

Q. What is your professional background? A. After earning a master’s degree in labor and industrial management at the University of Illinois, I worked for Exxon, Kendle International then Kraft Foods in corporate human resources. I handled everything from compensation to recruiting, employee relations and career development, essentially all the broad strokes of human resources. Here I developed management and leadership skills and learned how to mentor and develop people’s careers in a corporate setting. My wife and I moved to Nashville nine years ago to be close to family. Working for Goldner, the family business, was a real eye-opener. I had the opportunity to be exposed to a lot of new things – marketing, project management and strategic planning. One thing I never had the chance to do in corporate America was wear some of those other hats, and I found it fresh and exciting. When you’re in small business, especially a franchise, you’ve got to be willing to wear all those hats. My experience at Goldner was so much more satisfying because I got to experience all sides of the business, and I could parlay that into franchise consulting.

Q. How long have you been a FranNet consultant, and how did you decide to get into this kind of business? A. I bought the FranNet franchise for Tennessee in August 2005. My intent was always to get started with my own business. So I was looking at franchises, and a friend I went to grad school with knew someone who owned a FranNet territory in Iowa. I was very intrigued by FranNet. I thought, “This is really up my alley,” because I had spent so many years in human resources and had spent so much time helping people advance in their careers. I felt that so many people in corporate America didn’t know much about franchises, let alone business ownership, and Tennessee needed a strong franchise consultant so here I am.

Q. Did you know much about franchising when you started? A. I worked at Goldner for three-and-a-half years, and that was my entree into small business. We worked with a wide range of companies, both franchise and non-franchise and I can say there was a big difference in the two. A franchise for me is a perfect medium: It incorporates all you’ve learned in corporate America as far as process and structure, policies and procedures. What you don’t get in corporate America that you get working in a franchise is the ability to make top-line decisions and take part in every aspect of the business. For many people transitioning out of careers that no longer have good futures, with franchise ownership, they can have a career that is both fun and has a much higher level of control.

Q. Do people still have preconceptions about franchising? How do you educate them about the diversity? A. One, when you say the word “franchising,” people almost always think of food franchises, like McDonald’s or Subway. Franchising is a lot more than just french fries. The biggest challenge is to get people to realize there’s a franchising opportunity in almost every category of business. Our goal is to get them real data so they can make informed decisions, through seminars, webinars, social media – trying to introduce franchising as a viable career option. What I try to emphasize is that business ownership is a career option people should consider. It might not be an exact fit, but if you have an interest in business ownership, you at least owe it to yourself to look. Few people realize how much diversity there really is and just how many businesses are franchised. When I meet with my clients, they are always amazed at the possibilities and excited about pursuing a new career path.

Q. How would you describe the opportunities available in franchising today? A. There are over 3,000 kinds of franchises out there in every field imaginable, from education to automotive, B2B, health care and service-oriented businesses. Almost 30 percent have total investments of less than $100,000 with many even under $75,000. If fact, many of the top performing franchises in today’s market are low-overhead, home-based businesses that provide services. There are some trends in franchising that you won’t understand unless you work with an expert. That’s my job – to make sure people know the full range of opportunity and the ins and outs of each offering so they can make well-informed decisions.

Q. Even in a slow recovery? A. Here’s something most people don’t realize: franchising is booming in the down economy. Honestly, I don’t think there’s ever a bad time to start a business if you do your due diligence and thorough research. Some businesses can be more recession-proof than others, but all in all, if you have the skill set, the desire and the capital, I really don’t think there’s a bad time to get into business. The franchise concepts that are thriving might not be the ones you would expect and again, that’s a really important reason to work with FranNet.

Q. What’s your favorite success story? A. One that sticks in my mind is a gentleman I put into a high-resolution graphics business; he bought a master franchise opportunity for Tennessee. I guess he sticks out because he was real skeptical about our company and services. He didn’t even know there were franchise consultants out there, and he was concerned about whether I’d be serving my best interests versus his. My client had researched a particular franchise before we met, but wasn’t sure if it was the best fit. Like most of our clients, he didn’t know how our arrangement works. I explained our four-step research process and how effective it is in helping folks find the right franchise. He and his wife went through our process, and that opened up all kinds of possibilities he’d never thought of, and ultimately he landed on an opportunity that is a perfect fit. And he’s doing great. Graphics and sign manufacturing is a great example of a niche industry that is doing very well today. It’s not the industry or franchise he was originally interested in but is a perfect match for his skills. My client would have never connected with the company he purchased without us and he’s a very successful franchise owner as a result.

Q. Are there any common traits among people who become successful franchise owners? A. Certainly you have to have solid business skills, but a willingness to follow a system is critical. Franchisors consider this the key ingredient for success. People who are very entrepreneurial and have to do things their way is probably not a good fit as a franchisee. It also helps to have someone who does not have much industry-relevant experience, which kind of runs against what you’d think. Franchisors are looking for people who have had successful careers in business so they have acquired a solid business skill set but are coachable. That’s the beauty of most franchise systems – you don’t have to have previous experience in the field to be really successful.

Q. What are the backgrounds of the clients who come to you for guidance? A. Typically, for my clients, the average age is anywhere from 40 to 60 years old. Most of them have come from corporate America and successful careers, from middle management on up, and they’ve either been downsized or chose to leave the company. We joke around and say franchising is the corporate halfway house. It’s midway between the corporate world and pure entrepreneurship, where you’re starting a business from scratch. Once people get a taste or real business ownership, they never want to work for someone else again. It is liberating.

Q. What do you like best about your job? A. I get a lot of joy helping people clarify their career aspirations. When I meet somebody, I don’t look at it as trying to sell them a franchise; it’s about assessing their careers and what the pain points are and determining whether business ownership can help them achieve their personal, professional and financial goals. If they decide owning a franchise isn’t for them, then that’s great. Now they know that and can put their time and energy into finding a job.

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