Everybody knows the job market is a bear, which is why lots of people decide to stay put in go-nowhere jobs. Better the devil you know is how the thinking goes. But is that really true? For women, a number of studies now support what many strongly suspected — that real barriers exist that slow or prevent women from advancing into the upper echelons of corporate America— the places where long-term strategic decisions get made, you know, the power circle. While we’ve seen some well known examples of women breaking through to lead big corporations, think Kraft, General Motors or Yahoo. Many more are left by the wayside and told to “lean in.” Nothing can be quite as demoralizing as not receiving your due advancement or compensation based on the work you perform. A recent study showed that women are underrepresented at all levels of American corporations; they’re less likely to advance than men and face more barriers to senior leadership. The 2015 study by McKinsey and LeanIn.org showed that at the current rate of progress, it would take a century for women to achieve gender parity in the executive suite. The truth is that for many people, the very best way to test your mettle is to start a business of your own. By taking the reins for yourself, you can see how high your hard work and ingenuity can take you. The good news is you don’t have to invent the wheel to make a go of it. There’s a perfectly wonderful time-tested method for starting out on your own, that is, with a good franchise. Instead of fighting ingrained, systematic conditions that might repress or even crush your growth, you can learn from a network of experts and backroom expertise and grow with a franchise business. The opportunities go way beyond fast food and cars. Lots of great franchises are thriving in business services that tap expertise acquired in corporate America. I tell my clients that a six-figure income is within reach and the upside can be considerably higher. The most important part of the entire process comes before you sign any contract and put up your sign. The key is to make a selection to match your expertise and skills and find a good franchise operation that can help get you where you want to go. This is where talking to a franchise coach or two is well worth your while. They’ve already done significant vetting and can help steer you toward operations that help new franchisees succeed and away from those that exist merely to milk their franchisees dry. Sometimes, it seems these clunkers get all the press, but lots of good franchisees are growing their earnings and achieving the work-life balance everyone craves. In fact, jobs in the franchise sector are growing faster than in the economy overall. So take charge of your career and start investigating starting a business today.

Ready to make your dream of becoming an entrepreneur come true? Get your free evaluation today! Contact Dan Citrenbaum to help you create the career you’ve always wanted. As a business coach, Dan brings years of experience helping people select and buy a franchise or existing business. You can reach Dan at dcitrenbaum@gmail.com or at (484) 278-4589.