Taking chance on franchise opportunities - Chicago Sun-Times

By David Sharos For The Sun January 10, 2012 12:40PM

Marcelo Alvarez owns The Entrepreneur’s Source, which helps would-be entrepreneurs identify interests as well as explore possible franchise opportunities. | Submitted

storyidforme: 23931873
tmspicid: 8814810
fileheaderid: 3979920

Updated: January 10, 2012 3:11PM

The history of American business was founded on the backs of entrepreneurs. Today’s economy is influencing some to consider whether working for themselves might be better than leaving their future in the hands of someone else.

That’s the thought process of Phil Trabaris, 54, a Naperville resident who plans to open a new Sports Clips franchise in nearby Wheaton by mid-January. Trabaris worked with Marcelo Alvarez, a franchise coach who runs The Entrepreneur’s Source — also a franchise. Alvarez’s business helps would-be entrepreneurs identify interests as well as explore possible franchise opportunities.

“We try to give people ideas about things they could do that they haven’t thought of as well as provide assessments of their interests — you could sort of look at us as a ‘matchmaker,’” Alvarez said. “We’ve placed people in a wide range of businesses from document shredding to teaching kids to draw.”

Trabaris works as a contract worker and project manager for BP setting up IT systems. But the work isn’t as steady as he would like, and Trabaris and his wife, Julie, “are looking for something more long term for their future.”

“I want something to do as well as have a source of income once I retire, and I feel the ‘Sports Clips’ franchise is a good, wholesome model,” he said. “I mean, it’s all about guys going in and watching sports and getting their hair cut. It’s not a technology-driven sort of thing, and the basic process has remained the same for hundreds of years.”

Trabaris said he hopes to eventually open three franchises, including one in Naperville, although the market here is fairly saturated, he said.

Alvarez, whose franchise is in Downers Grove, opened his business in 2006. During the past five years, he said, he has worked with “25 to 30 individuals living in Naperville.”

“Not all of them have gone on to open franchises, but my territory has mainly been in the Naperville market,” he said. “People want to use our service either because they have lost work or they aren’t as happy as they’d like to be in their current job.”

Another local entrepreneur is Scott Brady, 48, who operates a Naperville franchise of CertaPro Painters, which he bought in 2010. A former CFO and finance consultant, Brady said FranChoice in Naperville helped him find the franchise opportunity. It’s a service similar to the one Alvarez runs. Brady said he underwent some “psychological testing” to determine his interests and was allowed to shadow certain individuals already involved with franchise businesses to see if he liked them.

“I would never have known about painting as I’m a businessman, but I’ve actually employed as many as 12 to 15 crews and had 60 painters working for me in the busy season,” he said. “I still do some financial consulting and tax work, but I wanted to build something as a retirement vehicle and be my own boss.”

Another Naperville resident who has established himself in a start-up business is Atul Akhand, 46, who said Alvarez and The Entrepreneur’s Source were critical in launching Captivating Signs, at 670 W. 5th Ave. in Naperville. Akhand said he voluntarily left an IT management and consulting business, and started working in signs “to control his future.”

“I was provided with a number of possible work opportunities from The Entrepreneur’s Source as well as given background on the potential of various businesses and whether owners had to be passive or active,” Akhand said. “I wanted a business that had no geographic restrictions, and my sign business does not. I received some training and materials and access to suppliers. From this point on, the business and its success is mine.”

Akhand admits he launched his business “during the beginning and height of the current depression” but said “providing good customer service and quality products” always makes for a successful business.

“I’ve been doing this now for three years and my clients are very satisfied,” he said.

For those who are considering taking the entrepreneurial leap, Brady offers a few bits of advice.

“When you start, you want to tread slowly and learn as much about the job or business as you can,” he said. “If you should hire sales people, you need to know the business and the product well. And if you do buy into a franchise, don’t try and change things and reinvent the wheel. There’s a reason why that franchise is there, and it’s because the model works. You need to follow it.”

© 2011 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit http://www.suntimesreprints.com/. To order a reprint of this article, click here.

View the original article here