You Don’t Have to Be Good at the Business to Own the Business
Choosing what business to buy is a big decision. I help people think through that decision every day, and it’s not something I take lightly.
But there’s one question I hear all the time that usually distracts people more than it helps:
“Am I good at this kind of business?”
So let’s unpack that.
When most people ask this question, what they’re really saying is something like:
“Do I need to be a plumber to own a plumbing business?”
It’s a fair question. But in my opinion, the answer is no.
When you’re buying a franchise, you’re not applying for a job. You’re buying a system.
The better question to ask is:
“Can I provide what this business needs in order to win?”
I usually break that down into two parts: skill fit and personality fit.
Skill Fit
There’s a saying in business that about 85% of businesses ‘taste like chicken,’ while the remaining 15% varies by industry.
In other words, the skills that matter most usually aren’t technical skills like plumbing, HVAC, or medical procedures. They’re business skills.
The key is understanding which lever actually drives revenue for the business — and whether your skill set aligns with that lever.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
If it’s a B2B service business, the main lever is outbound sales. If you’re comfortable selling a service, managing sales reps, and playing a longer game with corporate buyers, that can be a strong fit.
If it’s a B2C consumer brand (like fitness, wellness, or med spas), the lever is lead generation. That means being comfortable managing ad spend, tracking conversion rates, and caring deeply about the customer experience.
If it’s an operations-heavy field service business, the lever is dispatch and logistics. You don’t need to do the work yourself, but you do need to think in systems, manage crews, and keep schedules running smoothly.
If it’s a manager-led retail business, the lever is team building. Recruiting, training, and retaining strong managers matters far more than being charismatic or customer-facing yourself.
If you don’t immediately see yourself in one of these categories, that doesn’t automatically disqualify you.
The real question is whether you have the capacity — and interest — to build those skills over time.
Personality Fit
This is the piece most people underestimate.
It’s not just about what you’re capable of doing. It’s about how you like to operate day to day.
If you enjoy building teams and mentoring people, look for franchises with strong training systems and collaborative franchisee communities.
If you like diving into numbers and metrics, you’ll probably be frustrated in brands that are disorganized or vague when it comes to operations and reporting.
If you avoid conflict and hard conversations, a franchise that depends heavily on aggressive B2B outreach may not be the right fit — and that’s okay.
The right franchise isn’t just one you can technically run.
It’s one you won’t quietly resent six months in.
Final Thoughts
Skill fit and personality fit are not the only factors to consider when choosing a franchise, but they’re important ones.
If a business doesn’t align with you in at least one of these areas, that’s usually a red flag worth paying attention to.
If this sparked questions or made you think differently about franchise ownership, feel free to reach out. And if you’re ready to seriously explore franchise options, we can get on a call and talk through what might actually fit you.
