If you want to leave your current job to start a on your own, then starting a franchise could be one option. Your decision should take into consideration various advantages and disadvantage that a franchise offers before taking steps further.
You should know whether you would like to run the franchise or not? It is possible that you want to start on your own because you do not want do your current job or any job but it does not guarantee that your liking for your own business.
Advantages of starting on your own include:
- Greater freedom over you decisions at work. Decide your own working hours, conditions and arrangements.
- Opportunity to run your own business.
- Working in your own area of interest. Doing something you enjoy, like you can open a retail chain if you like selling something.
Disadvantages of starting on your own include:
- Since you have the complete responsibility of running the business, you would sometimes have to forego the freedom that you have in a job and give priority to your business.
- Your income is not fixed (there is uncertainty) and you only get the money that you have earned for the business. And you might have to live by cutting costs as you might not get enough money at the end of the month to cover your costs.
- If you work from home, you might have family members asking you to commit time to them, instead of work.
- You might have to do some work which you do not like. You might like selling but you would also have to maintain your accounts, work on the legal aspects of the business, sign some contracts etc. As you are the only person doing it, you can not neglect your responsibility towards it.
- In a franchise business you are working independently but still working for/under someone else’s brand name. You would be bound by the rules of the franchise agreement and thus sometimes they might like you to do things that you might not agree with. So if you prefer complete autonomy, you would need to go for starting your own business and not a franchise.
So decide your options of working for buying a franchise keeping the above points in mind.
Mobile operator messaging revenues are under threat. Operators are rolling out flat rate data packages to encourage mobile Internet usage and uptake, which is in turn enabling the availability of free, ad-funded online messaging on the mobile handset. Mobile application development is by nature technically challenging. However, the carriers have not helped. Mobile technologies are making mission-critical data (voice, data, video, maps) available on-demand and on-site through mobile networks and devices. Many organizations are planning remote access to their production-level enterprise applications.
Existing Internet Protocol (IP) broadband links (such as DSL or cable) are leveraged to back haul the mobile voice, video, SMS, and data traffic from the home and integrate with an existing 3G Wireless Core Network.
Base Stations are the link between wireless devices and the rest of the world. While many people would recognize the large cellular towers on the roadside as base stations, there are also smaller, lower power base stations for indoor wireless applications.
Base station manufacturers also want to evaluate the new standard. TI partnered with system developers MCS and STx to offer ATCA/AMC-based development platforms that can reduce the OEMs’ time to market. Basestations will require flexible, low cost integrated solutions that are capable of supporting several-standards.
For example, let’s analyze Powerwave Technologies:
Powerwave Technologies, Inc., is a global supplier of end-to-end wireless solutions for wireless communications networks. Powerwave designs, manufactures and markets antennas, boosters, combiners, filters, repeaters, multi-carrier RF power amplifiers and tower-mounted amplifiers and advanced coverage solutions, all for use in cellular, PCS, 3G and WiMAX networks throughout the world.
They have 3 product lines: (1) Antenna systems (2) Base station systems (3) Coverage systemsBase station systems contribute about 67% of the revenue, while Antenna systems and Coverage systems share the remaining.
Powerwave is in a challenging position. The industry has long-term strength, but the short-term is not easy.
Powerwave has two types of customers:
(1) OEM Accounts, contributing about 67% sales and
(2) Direct/Operator Accounts, contributing about 33% sales.
Powerwave has done four acquisitions in the last few years, and in their words: “Notwithstanding our acquisitions, our business remains largely dependent upon a limited number of customers within the wireless communications market and we cannot guarantee that we will continue to be successful in attracting new customers or retaining or increasing business with our existing customers.”
The 67% sales from OEM Accounts creates earning risk because of developments in the OEM side, given that 50% of total sales come from just two OEMs: Nokia Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent. They need to do a couple of things successfully if they are to move into profitability.
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