Kendra Sutton has had it with the corporate rat race.
“The corporate marketplace is changing so much,” said Sutton, 37, who works up to 80 hours a week as a strategic marketing consultant in Fort Myers, Fl. “I’m at the point where I want to have more balance in my life.”
Sutton was in Washington Friday in search of that elusive career/personal life balance at the 15th annual International Franchise Expo.
The three-day event, staged at the Washington Convention Center, draws thousands of would-be franchisees from across the country and around the world and hundreds of franchisors with concepts from ice cream stores to doggie day spas.
“I generate so much in sales, why shouldn’t I generate that for myself?” said Sutton, as she sampled ice cream from MaggieMoo’s, an ice cream franchise headquartered in Columbia, Md.
Sutton is looking at franchising rather than launching her own business because, she said, “you can go into business for yourself, but you’re not alone.”
Franchisees get to skip many of the hurdles new business owners often face, said Jon Jameson, president and CEO of MaggieMoo’s.
“You get the systems, process, support, training and the brand recognition,” he said. “If youopen up Wally’s ice cream, what’s the brand recognition? People already know MaggieMoo’s. They know what it stands for.”
Sutton is just one of hundreds of thousands going the franchise route. In 2001, there were more than 750,000 franchised businesses in the U.S., according to a 2005 report released by the International Franchise Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Franchising, which touches about 75 industries, generated more than 9.5 million jobs — nearly 3 million more than the construction industry — and contributed more than $6 billion to the U.S. economy in 2001.
For Sutton, the Franchise Expo, which runs through Sunday, was the best way to make a decision on what franchise she’ll buy.
“(I can) look at the models, sample the products, talk to the representatives,” she said.
“It’s a one-stop shop today. It was worth the trip.”
Franchising in the Washington Region
Many well-known franchises are headquartered in the Washington region, including MaggieMoos (Columbia), Jerry’s Subs & Pizza (Gaithersburg), Hair Cuttery (Vienna) and Marriott International (Washington, D.C.)
ECONOMIC IMPACT
» The District
Number of franchise establishments: 976
Direct employment: 16,586
Franchising payroll: $475 million
Economic output: $1.36 billion
» Maryland
Number of franchise establishments: 13,195
Direct employment: 179,237
Franchising payroll: $4.595 billion
Economic output $12.26 billion
» Virginia
Number of franchise establishments: 21,403
Direct employment: 290,480
Franchising payroll: $6.699 billion
Economic output $18.105 billion
