Be Fearless: Why It's Totally OK to Start in One Career & Switch to Another... And Maybe Even Another One After That
Hi! 👋🏽👋🏿👋 It’s time for another edition of Generation Si! In this issue, you’ll get to meet Juan Suarez. He's a Honduran lawyer-turned-cleaning-turned-cookie-business entrepreneur.
In this issue, you’ll learn the following:
🌴 The kinds of things to consider when choosing a franchise
🌴 The visa program that’s providing a way for various foreigners to live and work in the U.S. as business owners
🌴 A webinar for learning the ins and outs of selecting and owning a franchise
🌴 Here’s the franchisee of Cookies by Design Central Florida, Juan Suarez...
Juan Suarez: Franchisee of Cookies by Design
SELECTING THE RIGHT BUSINESS: IT CAN BE TRIAL AND ERROR
Figuring out what kind of business would be right for you can, sometimes, be trial and error.
Just ask Juan Suarez. He bought the Cookies by Design franchise in Winter Garden. Suarez is very happy with his cookie-gifting business.
But it wasn’t his first franchise.
And it was a process getting to this point.
It started in Honduras when he and his wife decided it was time to leave their native country because of the violence there.
THE TIP JAR (Tips provided courtesy of Juan Suarez)
STARTING OUT: “Most people just want the stability of a job. So, for someone who’s just starting… don’t be afraid to fail. We’re all gonna make mistakes. I made bad decisions in my business, as well. You try to correct [them] and move on.”
STEEPED IN SKILLS (mid-career): Suarez says, “When you are an entrepreneur… you are not only concerned [about] day-to-day operations, but you are also concerned [about]… how the economy is affecting your business and how new trends are affecting your business.”
“When you’re an entrepreneur, you’re responsible for everything.” He says that includes everything from the minute details of buying inventory and equipment - and even analyzing how global issues might affect supply chains.
STARTING OVER: “It’s a different environment. You need to kind of adapt to what [are] trends today…”
I’LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN: “My biggest mistake, even though our first business (vacation home cleaning) was successful and whatnot, I think that I should’ve done a little bit more research about that business.”
He thought it was going to be simple; just clean vacation homes after people leave them.
“But, in reality, it’s not as simple as it sounds. There’s way more to it that turned out to be a little bit too big of a burden.”
“It wasn’t something that I enjoyed at all. It was hard to get up every day…”
BEST ADVICE FROM “LA CASA”/BEST “HOUSE” ADVICE: “It’s just trust in God and believe in God. And look where he might take you and the power of prayer in everything that you do. If you’re going to do something, sit down and pray about it.”
THE E2 VISA PROGRAM: THE UPSIDE AND DOWNSIDE
“My wife and I applied for jobs in different places. And she got an offer from a U.S. company. And that’s why we moved here” in May of 2012.
The trouble was, under the H2 visa program his wife used, Suarez couldn’t work – unless he got sponsored by a company.
And while he was a corporate lawyer with his own practice in Honduras, he still had trouble getting a job here.
Enter the E2 visa program.
“It’s a great way to be here. But, at the same time, it’s not for everyone. There is a high cost involved.”
He clarifies the high cost is not for the actual visa. The high cost involves a key condition of the visa; you have to buy a viable, for-profit business in the U.S.
The visa is also not permanent. You have to renew it every five years.
Plus, “If the business fails, then you’ve gotta go back.”
NO BACKGROUND IN BUSINESS? A FRANCHISE MAY BE A GOOD OPTION TO CONSIDER
Suarez found, “The easiest and fastest way to get a business is through a business broker.” He calls them, essentially, “real estate agents for businesses.”
He sought a franchise because he didn’t have a background in business. He figured the structure of a franchise, which provides the franchisee with a framework for running the business, would offer some sort of protection and critical business guidance.
He settled on a vacation home cleaning franchise in September of 2013 because of the franchise’s relatively low cost and other benefits.
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE PROFIT MARGIN
“There’s no overhead. There’s no rent… The margin of profit was very high.”
So what’s not to like?
“I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. I wasn’t happy with the time it was taking.”
Sure enough, he says the cleaning business turned out to be a “14-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week business.”
When his wife became pregnant with their second child, he knew he had to find something else that didn’t require so much of his time.
“My wife was like, 'No, no, no. I need you home a little bit more.'”
So while Suarez admits the cleaning business was “very profitable,” he had to find a different business.
In Part Two, find out how Juan Suarez chose the Cookies by Design franchise and what was involved in that process.
INDUSTRY: Food (Cookies and cupcakes)
STARTED BUSINESS:
Consorcio Legal M.S.C, Officium Lex: Aug. 2004
Quality Vacation Home Cleaning Company – Sept. 2013
Cookies by Design – Nov. 2015
LATINO CONNECTION:
Born in Honduras
Both parents were born in Honduras
EDUCATION: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras – Juris Doctor of Law
Washington College of Law – American University) – Master of Laws degree
DREAM JOB AS A KID: “Oh, a pilot. My father was a private pilot… My brother was a pilot, as well. So I grew up all the time with that conversation at the dinner table. That was my dream job, by far.”
BIGGEST GOAL YET:
Short-Term: “Making our business grow with the implementation of new products.”
(Note: They now sell cupcakes, in addition to cookies).
Long-Term: “For it to be strong enough and financially sufficient enough for both of us (he and his wife) to work together and make it a family business for, you know, years to come.”
NO NEED TO GO IT ALONE
HELP ON THE OUTSIDE...because we can all use a helping hand:
Thinking About Buying a Franchise?
In preparation for Part Two, this FREE virtual webinar might give you the starting point for your consideration of becoming a franchisee. Hear directly from franchise owners about what it’s like, what it takes and what you need to look for to find a franchise that would be a good fit for you.
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
“Franchises – An Easier Way to Owning a Business”
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022
5:30 p.m. EDT – 7:30 p.m. EDT
Virtual Workshop
FREE
https://www.score.org/event/franchises-easier-way-owning-business-15
WORKING ON THE INSIDE...because we know our culture has a hard time asking for help:
Don’t Get Frazzled
There’s a method for taking control of your business vs. letting it overtake you. In this interactive webinar, find out Randy Pittman’s Six Key Components™ to help you run your business better and get you on a path to growth. Details below:
SBA (Small Business Administration)
“Are You Running Your Business? Or Is It Running You?”
Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022
10:00 a.m. EDT – 12:00 p.m. EDT
Online Webinar
FREE
https://www.sba.gov/event/3160
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE:
Juan Suarez’s story is such a good case study in things to consider when you’re thinking about possibly owning a business.
To begin, he reminds us that you can have a career in one phase of your life and switch to something completely different in another. And you can move on to something else after that. It's your life and your choice.
This newsletter is all about sharing different ideas and options available to you, the aspiring or existing business owner. And Suarez’s entrepreneurial journey showcases just that.
Granted, everyone’s situation is unique. But I love it when I’m able to tell you about someone whose experiences in business can spark ideas for you or just give you confidence to try something new.
For Juan, because of his relative urgency to buy a business, a business broker made sense for him. It may or may not be a good idea for you. I always recommend doing thorough research.
I also wasn’t aware of the E2 visa program which, essentially, gives foreigners of certain countries the opportunity to become business owners in the U.S. Again, you have to read the fine print when it comes to requirements and restrictions and speak with a lawyer about it.
And I think Juan's experience shows that there really are so many things you may not have thought about regarding business ownership that eventually come up.
I’m looking forward to bringing you Part Two because Juan takes us into the process of what was involved when he bought his current franchise, Cookies by Design Central Florida.
🌴 So be sure to subscribe so you can get the follow-up story and upcoming issues delivered directly to your inbox.
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🌴 Thank you for reading this independent, Latina-created publication. And, remember, #theskyisNOTthelimit 😺