Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Powell, CFC, CPA.
Hi Melissa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Sure! I started my company last year after I decided I needed to leave Corporate America. I had been working as a CPA for over 20 years in various roles at different companies. I most recently worked at a little company known as Amazon in one of their accounting teams. I no longer liked what I was doing and decided to leap to start something that accomplished one of my childhood goals of helping people.
So, I was contacted by a franchise consultant and started the search for my franchise to purchase. As I continued conversations with her, I was very intrigued by her process and what she was doing for me. So, after vetting the company, I decided to jump all in and become a franchise consultant. I love that I can help people earn secondary income especially when Corporate America continues to do mass layoffs.
Franchising is something that can be done as replacement income or as additional income and the best part is that I am helping people decide which brands can work for them, giving them an opportunity to be a boss, educating them about the franchise process and I can provide all those services to my clients for free.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I mean there are growing pains and mistakes that occur when one transitions careers. I think one of my early mistakes was continuing to present brands that were not “closers.” My role often feels like a sales role, but in actuality, I am only presenting the basic business models and investment costs to the client.
If they like a franchise brand, I will formally introduce them, and it is up to the brand to walk them through their discovery process and get them to sign the deal. Because I wasn’t fully educated on all 750 + brands in my portfolio, I was typically presenting all the same brands and I quickly learned that some brands can close and others just couldn’t get my clients over the finish line.
We’ve been impressed with Powell Franchise Group, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My company, Powell Franchise Group is a full-service franchise consulting and business development firm with access to more than 750 franchise brands in 25 different industries. Our consultation process is a proven method of identifying and researching franchise opportunities that present a true opportunity for success for our clients and their target markets. Our primary goal is to help clients navigate through the entire discovery process and build a business for themselves and their families.
With over 4,400 franchise concepts available in the United States alone, searching for the right franchise can be a daunting task. In addition, not all franchises are created equally, and even the top-rated franchises are not always the best fit for all individuals. Our process takes a close look at the client’s goals, experience, budget, strengths, weaknesses, desired lifestyle, and more to help them find the opportunities that present a realistic opportunity for long-term success and happiness. We are essentially match-makers trying to find a franchise brand that works for a client.
During a quick 15-minute assessment, we also help established, successful businesses determine if franchising is right for them. A consultation and study of your business will be conducted to determine if it is “franchise-able.” Services include a step-by-step process to take the client’s existing business through the franchising procedure including everything they will need: the creation of franchise disclosure documents, development of an operations manual, state-of-the-art legal advice, support for state registrations, and critical sales & marketing services.
One thing that sets my firm apart from others is our willingness to travel and learn about all the brands in our portfolio. We have been attending various consultant discovery days around the country and the leadership for the brand educates us about presenting, the business model, and their process with our clients.
Even though I started this business last year, I feel it is my calling. I love talking to and coaching people all over the US and bringing them additional income and the self-sufficiency of business ownership (and my services are free). Many of these brands even allow people to keep their day job and offer semi-absent or passive ownership! At the end of the day, I want my clients to feel like we listened to their goals, presented 5-7 franchise brands that matched their wishes, and helped them narrow down the list to their final brand that meets their lifestyle.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
To be honest, I prefer face-to-face networking events, so I have not yet started using apps for growing my business. I am currently in talks to be a guest on a few podcasts in the future, so fingers crossed, it will work happen this year.
Contact Info:
- Website: powellfranchisegroup.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/powellfranchisegroup
- Facebook: facebook.com/powellfranchisegroup
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/melissa-Powell-CPA-CFC-599267126/ or linkedin.com/company/powellfranchisegroup/
Image Credits
Faith Couch
