In this empowering episode, Giuseppe Grammatico, Owner of GG The Franchise Guide, shares how franchising offers a proven, lower-risk path to business ownership from corporate jobs. If you struggle with feeling trapped in a dead-end job and fear starting from scratch, you won’t want to miss it.
You will discover:
– What free resources like books and calls accelerate your transition
– Why franchising provides systems and support missing in startups
– How to evaluate franchises that fit your lifestyle goals.
Episode Transcript
Scott Ritzheimer
Hello, hello and welcome. Welcome once again to the Start scale and succeed podcast. It’s the only podcast that grows with you, all seven stages of your journey. As a founder, I’m your host, Scott Ritzheimer, and today I want to talk to those of you who are still in that corporate job, sitting there in that job, the one where you wake up at an ungodly hour, commute for a couple more ungodly hours, work your tail off to make someone else rich, and then lie wondering what you’re doing all this for. These are folks are in the dissatisfied employee stage. I know there’s some of you out there with dreams of becoming a founder out there, but you don’t quite know what it’s going to look like or how to take the first step, and it feels intimidating, oftentimes overwhelming, and to help us tear down some of that overwhelm and give you some practical steps forward, not just to sweat it out and hustle it out and grind it out, but to start from day one with a business that can thrive and an opportunity that’s great just for you, our guest With us here today is Giuseppe Grammatico, who is a franchise veteran. He’s also a coach, author, speaker and consultant who simplifies the franchising process and excels at guiding his candidates to the business model that best suits their desired lifestyle. His greatest joy is helping people realize the American dream and sharing the freedom that franchising offers. He’s here with us today. Well, welcome to the show. Giuseppe, you’ve got this really nice, really short, really sweet book that was just brilliant on this share some of your story and really addresses the challenge that we’re talking about here is if you’re trapped in a dead end job is getting another job or starting a business from scratch the only way, and you give a resounding node to that. So for those who tend to be in your audience, those who are corporate employees, I want to start with the risks that they’re already taking, because I think that’s easy to overlook when we think about starting something new, we hear about the challenges of, you know, getting a business off the ground. And it sounds risky, and to be fair, it can be, but staying where we are is risky too, why?
Giuseppe Grammatico
Scott, thanks for having me. Yeah. I mean, you know, staying, staying at the job that you’re not liking, there’s a risk there. You could be downsized at any point, any point in time. You have one source of income, and then we gather whatever is left of that income and blindly invest in a 401, K that we also aren’t managing, aside from, you know what mutual funds we want in there, so you lose a sense of control. And obviously there’s risk of being able potentially losing your job and then hopefully offer some type of severance. So, you know, it’s a mindset shift. And, you know, flip the cards. There’s also risk in business ownership as well. What I challenge people is to keep a job and run a side business that way you have that safety net to protect you in the event you want to leave or in the event you do lose that job?
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, I love that. And I couldn’t agree more, because one of the mistakes that I see make, and oftentimes I don’t get to work with folks until long after they’ve made some of these decisions, but I can still see the effects of them years later, is we treat this stage, this dissatisfied employee stage, this period in that in between as something to get out of as soon as possible, right? And while I would probably agree that’s a good goal, it can lead us to get out before it’s actually possible. And so I love this idea of working on the side. I think that for some folks, that feels like it’s going to rule out a whole lot of opportunities. So what have you seen? Are some things that you know folks without really being able to see it or think through, might think it’s not possible to do on the side that you’ve seen yourself or some of your clients take to make that initial step.
Giuseppe Grammatico
Yeah, that’s a really good question, and you really need to do an audit of realistically, what is. What’s your day look like from a time perspective? When do you have the opportunity throughout the day to invest and run the business, getting your financials in order? There’s a lot that goes along with it, but specifically on that side hustle, those semi passive opportunities, great option for franchising, as long as the franchise company allows that type of ownership out the gate. But you know, getting really crystal clear as to, am I do I just have nights and weekends? Or what does my flexibility look like? What I challenge all of my candidates and families I work with is that sometimes I’ll say, Well, maybe your job isn’t flexible, but can you? Can you maybe change jobs? Maybe a job that allows you to work from home, increasing flexibility and maybe a hit in pay, but keeping that job maybe it’s a lot more flexible kind of a work from home, remote model, allowing you to spend more time in the business. So it’s really getting clear in any business you’re going to have to invest time and how quickly you want to scale that business. So do it? Do an audit and see what can be changed where you’re wasting time. Time, maybe even asking your employer, Hey, can I can I work from home a few days a week? A lot of people are coming back to the office, maybe doing kind of a hybrid role and then starting there and figuring out what those hours look like.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, it’s so true. It’s so true. There’s something I read and I was shocked when I saw it, but there’s something like 4000 different franchise opportunities out there that really struck me as odd. We’ve had franchise talks on this on the show, but I find, even for myself being exposed to this, that when you hear franchise, you still kind of think of McDonald’s or subway or, you know, you know, the tax prep places that put people out on street corners, like the whole but there’s so much more than that. How do you go about finding what these opportunities are and finding the right one for you?
Giuseppe Grammatico
Yeah, it’s a it’s a process that we proprietary process we essentially, we’re working in reverse. So we’ll look at things like, why do you want this business? Obviously, we want to make sure business ownership and franchising is a fit. But assuming it is, we’ll take a look at things such as, What is your role in the business when it comes from the hours? What is your transferable skill set, the soft skills you bring to the table? So if you are an attorney, well that’s really not the soft skill set. The skill set may be negotiation, it may be sales, it may be just networking. So there’s there’s a lot that you bring to the table. So we’re going to look at what you’re good at to match that role in the business. But we’re also looking at where are you located. We want to make sure that those brands are available in your market, both registered and available. We’re going to look at investment range. Just like when you buy a home, you have certain requirements. We want to make sure those investment ranges are in line with the opportunities. We take a look at, and there’s so much more. We’ll look at other other items. I want the marketing done for me. Well, a lot of B to B, type of franchises you’re going out there networking, there’s really not this turnkey marketing program, but for Home Service franchises like cleaning, roofing, siding, a lot of brands will offer turnkey marketing with a call center. So we get very specific, asking, not what is out there, but what is my ideal franchise and business model look like. And then we go to the market to see what is available. We’ll even take a look and see what resales are available in your specific market.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, you mentioned earlier that you help folks find out if franchising is right for them, as I see it, and correct me if I’m wrong, you’re probably gonna have a better way of framing this. There’s kind of three main options. You can stay in some type of a corporate role, maybe find a better job that’s a better fit. You could go start your business from scratch, you know, maybe not go a franchising model, but start something from the ground up, right? Or you can go this franchising model. Would that be three kind of big groups that folks fall into?
Giuseppe Grammatico
I that’s how I describe it. So, yeah, absolutely.
Scott Ritzheimer
Okay, great. And, and so walk us through how you help folks kind of chart which of those paths is right for them.
Giuseppe Grammatico
Yeah, I mean, it’s all about exposure and getting clear on what the next steps are. If you’re looking for financial and time freedom, you may get some some financial freedom, but time, freedom is going to be difficult. Working at a job, just because you’re there, you have to report certain hours. You get so much vacation. So we’re looking at, you know, what’s important, what are you what are you trying to create with the business? There are plenty of startup opportunities. There are plenty of franchises, really. What are you looking to create? You know, with a franchise, I always say you have an unfair advantage. You’re not falling in love with the with the widget or the service, you’re falling in love with the model. So, for example, the water and smoke restoration and mitigation types of businesses. Not sure if I know of anyone that’s passionate about mold or removing mold, but there are people that are passionate owning a business with with a proven model that that is recession resistant, that always has, you know, endless and endless amounts of demand. So taking, taking that approach, I think, is is different. It’s also just a different way of viewing the business. Now, some people like and want to create the brand. They want to they want to create the colors and the fonts and the name and that, and that’s okay as well. Just understand that it’s going to take you. It could take you a year or so, or less or more, to get the business up and running in the franchising world, essentially, it’s plug and play many brands, as long as there’s no build out brick and mortar component, you could be up and running in 90 days or less. So if you’re more concerned about proven systems that are in place, that have a demand in your market, a franchise could be a good fit for what you’re looking for.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, when going back to these different franchise opportunities, I want to circle back to that, because I think it’s important here, because. Sometimes we can think, Oh, I have to start it because no one else is doing it, because it doesn’t necessarily fit in our normal idea of a franchise. But with that many opportunities, it’s likely that there’s probably someone doing something really close to what you’re doing.
Giuseppe Grammatico
Yes, agreed. And 4000 companies, 70 plus industries. I mean, you have your fast food, which we’ve all heard of, but there are so just to give you an example, expense reduction for small businesses, dog waste removal, business coaching to even adding a liquid roof, believe it or not, liquid roof to your home. If you could think of the business model, chances are there’s even a brand out there that will detail your jet and jets and the various airplane hangers. So if you could think of a business, odds are there’s probably a franchise, or maybe there’s something very similar in the market.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah. So there’s lots of opportunities out there and and I think one thing that folks, especially those who feel drawn to starting their own thing, won’t realize that they’ll struggle with but you already, you already brought up, and I think it’s worth highlighting, is falling in love with the thing that you do instead of the way they do it right? And that’s such an important distinction. And I wouldn’t go so far as to say one is right or wrong, and I don’t think you’re making that point, but tell us a little bit why would falling would falling in love with what you do slow you down or hold you back?
Giuseppe Grammatico
Yeah, it’s the whole idea of, do I follow my passion? I’m an avid that was an avid soccer player fan, and was looking at, you know, getting into business in soccer, and someone said to me, that’s a quick way to really crush that passion, because that was my escape. That’s the time freedom I created to go to the soccer games we live in New Jersey, so we would watch the the Red Bulls play with it, with the family. So sometimes it’s better to keep those separate. That’s kind of what you do with the family. You know, there’s a lot of people that find a business that they’re passionate about, but they don’t have systems, and they just get buried. You know, working 100 hours a week and not having those systems in place. When you essentially reverse it and look at a franchise that that’s what you’re paying for, is the systems. It’s a plug and play. You could be in a roofing franchise, a mosquito spraying franchise, a a dog waste removal franchise, and never actually perform the service. You know you’re essentially managing a team. You’re creating that time and financial free freedom from it. You are reviewing the KPIs, working with the franchisor to make sure everything is running smoothly, and looking for ways of growing that business, whether it be additional territories and markets, maybe it’s a complimentary business that you can add. So if you’re doing roofing, you can naturally add on painting or sheetrock repair or cleaning. So you’ll notice that your role in the business, in many cases, is this, is this kind of working on the business? It’s networking, and you’re never actually performing the end product or service.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah? Yeah. There’s certainly something to be said about that. For a lot of a lot of folks out there who who otherwise just would really struggle to get something up off the ground step, there’s a question that I have for you ask all my guests. I’m very interested to see what you’d have to say. But the question is this, what would you say is the biggest secret that you wish wasn’t a secret at all. What’s that one thing you wish everybody watching or listening today knew?
Giuseppe Grammatico
You know, there’s nothing really new out there, especially with the, you know, Information Age podcast, AI, chat, GPT, you name it. There’s someone out there that’s that’s figured it out, has has been in your shoes, has had success, you know, has had failures. So this idea, instead of the how, it’s a book by Dan Sullivan called who, not how. And it’s figuring out who are those individuals that you can work with, you know, maybe almost like a mentor, and really helping you succeed and bypass a lot of the mistakes that they made. That’s how I was able to grow my business exponentially. It was it was the who not trying to figure out from scratch how I’m going to do it. So if I have a business plan, I’m going to others that maybe are in that similar space, or that launch successful startups or successful franchises. I’m going to go directly to them and bypass a lot of the noise. So that’s helped me, personally in my career. It’s helped me in my businesses. And I encourage everyone to check out the book. Who not how it’s a quick, quick read, and it really gets down to essentially, who are the people that can get me to the next level while, you know, saving myself the time and frustration in between?
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, excellent, excellent book. I totally agree. You also have a book franchise, freedom. Tell us who’s that written for? How can they get access to it, and where can go folks go to find out more about you and the work that you do.
Giuseppe Grammatico
Absolutely so here’s a here’s a copy. bright yellow, (Franchise Freedom E-book) really kind of pops and stands out. It’s a short read of about 30 minutes, and that book. Book is essentially a 30 minute read. It’s my exact blueprint of helping you find your perfect franchise. It talks about a lot more than franchising. It talks about putting together your team of your attorney, your CPA, your financial advisor, going back to the who, not the how. It talks about what to expect, including the family. This is not a decision you make on your own, just like buying a home. It’s a big investment, and it’s really for anyone that is exploring entrepreneurship, not just franchising. You’re burnt out at your at your job, and you don’t know what’s next. You’re coming out of the military, you know, and not knowing what path it’s a guy that walks you through talks about the employment options, it talks about startups, it talks about franchises and everything in between. It’s a short read, but it really gets you kind of it gets to the point of the benefits of owning a franchise. And I always follow up with anyone that downloads the book, if they go to my website, ggthefranchiseguide.com, you can book a call directly with me, and we can explore and figure out together if a franchise is a good fit. Services are free, just like a real estate agent, we’re paid by the franchise companies. And for those that aren’t ready for a chat, you can download the book on the website, and we have 270 plus episodes covering just about every topic called franchise freedom, and you can always do there’s a search option there. Just plug in how to sell my business. That’s a big one. That’s one of our most popular episodes. Plug that in, it’ll pull up all the episodes that pick up on those keywords. So I definitely encourage you to take advantage of that.
Scott Ritzheimer
Absolutely, absolutely. Well. Giuseppe, thank you so much for being on the show today. Love the work that you do, the way that you do it. Love the book. He said that, right? If you heard him and you’re like, 30 minutes, was he telling the truth? Yes, it’s absolutely if I tie myself, yeah, it’s, it’s short, sweet to the point and and powerful along the way. It’s just a great, combination. For those of you who are founders, or want to be founders, you’re not sitting on an infinite amount of time, and it’s a small investment into a ton of freedom for your future. Highly recommend it. Franchise freedom. We’ll put a link in the show notes, and yeah, so Giuseppe, thanks for being on the show privilege having you here, and for those of you watching listening. You know, your time and attention mean the world to us. I hope got as much out of this conversation as I know I did, and I cannot see you next time. Take care. Thanks, Scott.
Contact Giuseppe Grammatico
Giuseppe Grammatico is a franchise veteran, coach, author, speaker & consultant who simplifies the franchising process and excels at guiding his candidates to the business model that best suits their desired lifestyle. His greatest joy is helping people realize the American dream and sharing the freedom that franchising offers.
Want to learn more about Giuseppe Grammatico’s work at GG The Franchise Guide? Check out his website at https://ggthefranchiseguide.com/
Get his free Franchise Freedom Book at https://ggthefranchiseguide.com/book/
Listen to his podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-c-barnett-exit-strategies-how-to-sell-your-business/id1499864638?i=1000527290517