When people talk about the dreams they have for their life – not just the collective ‘Great Australian Dream’, but the dreams they have for themselves and their family – more often than not people want to live their life feeling that they’ve achieved something on a personal level and that they have a sense of stability in their life.

This desire for stability – understandable when we all have families to care for and mortgages to pay – can limit people from striving for achievement on their own terms.

The biggest factor influencing our perceived stability is our job. Permanent, full-time employment with a stable salary and accompanying benefits, such as sick leave, allow us to plan our lives on the basis of this regular and reliable income.

But is this perception of stability really justified?

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) may have been a few years ago, reaching its peak in ’07/’08, but it left a lasting impact, both on the mentality of workers and on the kinds of roles that were created in its wake. During the GFC, over 250,000 jobs were lost, and the new jobs created since are not the permanent, full-time positions that inspire feelings of stability, but rather part-time roles.

Since then, instability in the job market has persisted.

Australia has traditionally seen an unemployment rate of around 5%, however figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the current jobless rate hovering around 6.3%, equating to around 780,000 unemployed persons.  These figures are likely to be compounded by planned redundancies, with a survey of more than 1500 employers in Australia finding that 22% are planning redundancies in the six month period between October 2013 and March 2014.

All of this data shows how vulnerable we can be when we work for someone else. At the end of the day, your livelihood depends on someone else’s combination of business acumen and good fortune.

Conversely, business ownership, especially in the early years of entrepreneurship, is consistently viewed as something risky and only for those of us ‘brave enough’ to risk it all.

But ‘fortune favours the brave’, or so they say, and entrepreneurs are consistently recognised as having a higher sense of self-satisfaction and motivation to succeed.  In fact, Forbes reported that entrepreneurs are the happiest people on earth.

Much of the groundwork for starting a business comes ‘pre-prepared’ when you elect to purchase a franchise.  It’s been said many times, but it cannot be overstated how much of a leg-up the franchise model can give to new business owners, as long as they’ve done their research and found the right match for them.

The ability to tap into existing resources, collateral, systems and support can take the edge off entrepreneurship and allow the owner to focus on running a successful business,  rather than how to build an empire from the ground up.

As long as you find the franchise model that aligns with who you are and the kind of business person you want to be – which again comes back to thorough research – you’re likely a step ahead of those who strike out on their own, and better placed to survive in unpredictable economic climates.

George Yammouni, Chairman of the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA), has stated that “franchising is better placed to withstand the pressure of the GFC than any other form of business”.

One type of franchise that is particularly resistant to economic volatility are food and beverage franchises.  In 2011 – the aftermath of the GFC – the Boston Globe identified coffee as a ‘recession-proof morning luxury’, while in Australia retail shopping centres are bucking the trend of poor consumer confidence and are expanding rapidly.  With the top 10 big shopping centres in Australia accounting for over $9 billion in turnover, the expansion of this market provides ample opportunity for food and beverage retailers to secure a prime retail position with food & beverage, and entertainment offerings being given priority by store developers.

Combining this demand with the support and guidance offered by franchise systems affords food and beverage franchisees a level of security and promise unmatched in other forms of entrepreneurship.

Jamaica Blue is one of Australia’s most recognisable and rapidly growing coffee franchises, opening their first store in 1992 and expanding to over 140 locations both in Australia and internationally.

A 2014 Franchise Council of Australia “Established Franchisor of the Year” Finalist, Jamaica Blue has built a successful brand off the back of their belief in sourcing, roasting and preparing the very best coffee, and in using only fresh, locally- sourced ingredients.

Jamaica Blue franchises are fully accredited with all four big banks and offer a competitive return on investment for franchisees.

As a Jamaica Blue franchisee you will benefit from a reputable and recognised brand, best of breed business systems in training, IT, business management, marketing and field support, and continued brand evolution that helps keep the business relevant.

For more information on becoming a franchisee, and making the transition from employee to employer, click here.