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While there are many “small business 101” courses online, few capture the nuances and complexity of running a small business from scratch. You might learn the essentials (like how to file for an LLC or how to manage your books) but miss the most critical component: how to master the mindset of a successful business owner.

This is where books make up for where online courses and blogs leave off, diving deep into the psychology of starting a venture of your own, the positioning to attract customers, how to price your services and more.

Here’s some essential reading for any current (or aspiring) small business owner looking to enter entrepreneurship with confidence and focus.

Related: 5 Books That Paved My Path to Entrepreneurial Success

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg

Bob Burg is the bestselling author of many books on business, sales and leadership, such as The Art of Persuasion and Endless Referrals. He has a knack for not only explaining the strategies needed to start and run a successful business but also the psychology behind being a confident entrepreneur.

In The Go-Giver, Bob Burg tells the story of an ambitious “go-getter” named Joe. Joe works tirelessly but seems to only get farther from his goals. With the guidance of a legendary consultant named Pindar, Joe is tasked with shadowing several successful entrepreneurs: a restaurant owner, a CEO, a real estate broker and others. These new mentors teach him that the key to success is to shift his focus from getting to giving by putting other people’s interests first.

This mindset shift leads to unexpected returns — and many valuable lessons for the reader. Through the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success, Burg teaches readers how to find fulfillment by giving more and taking less. As a small business owner, you’ll gain insights on how to provide value to customers, market your services and much more.

Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

As a small business owner, time is your most valuable resource. Between promoting your products, hiring a team, managing your finances and creating marketing materials, it’s easy to watch the day get away from you. In Buy Back Your Time, author Dan Martell helps entrepreneurs regain control of their time, master their calendars and achieve greater productivity.

Martell shares several strategies for “buying back” time by delegating, outsourcing and automating tasks. This includes the “Buyback Principle” of employing help to manage the more menial tasks of your day-to-day so you’re better able to focus on revenue-generating activities. Buy Back Time also shares practical yet impactful tips for how to avoid burnout, prioritize tasks, generate more sales and scale your business. The result is a better work-life balance, happier employees and a more sustainable business.

Related: I Built a Billion-Dollar Company With the Help of These 19 Business Books

Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield-Thomas

Chillpreneur is the must-read guide for entrepreneurs who want to work smarter, not harder. Author Denise Duffield-Thomas encourages readers to adopt a “chill” approach to business: striving for success without intense effort or stress. She turns “hustle” culture on its head, assuring small business owners that it’s possible to run a financially sustainable business without compromising time (or sanity).

Duffield-Thomas’s take on entrepreneurship is one that’s focused on freedom and abundance rather than restriction and scarcity. As a money mindset coach, she shares an approach for building a business that aligns with your unique personality and skills, as well as financial goals.

In addition to money mindset strategies, the author shares practical tips on how to earn more while working less, master the marketing fundamentals, establish your prices and even overcome awkward money situations. Duffield-Thomas offers a fresh perspective on how to grow a business — not by “grinding” your way to success, but by finding balance and enjoying the journey.

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

The E-Myth Revisited is the updated version of Michael E. Gerber’s original book, The E-Myth, recounting what NOT to do as a small business owner. The book tackles many misconceptions about starting a small business.

One such misconception is that technical expertise alone is enough to run a successful company. Gerber explains that many entrepreneurs mistakenly believe that being good at a specific skill — whether it’s baking, plumbing or graphic design — automatically translates into the ability to run a business. He refers to this as the “Entrepreneurial Myth” or “E-Myth.”

The book explains that successful entrepreneurs need to step into both their roles as technicians and leaders/managers. This includes building systems and processes that ultimately result in a more efficient, financially sound business. Furthermore, Gerber provides practical advice on how to work on the business rather than just in it, empowering small business owners to find more fulfillment and economic success.

This updated edition is a great resource for any entrepreneur looking to grow their business without burning out or overloading themselves with technical tasks.

Related: 7 Books to Help You Build a Better Business

Measure What Matters by John Doerr

When it comes to practical matters, Measure What Matters is your guide. This book explores the power of setting tangible goals and establishing your objectives and key results (OKRs) to measure success. In it, author John Doerr provides a step-by-step framework for setting business milestones, measuring results and achieving your financial goals.

Doerr relays how today’s most notable companies — like Google, Bono and the Gates Foundation — have achieved success by “measuring what matters.” In other words, they focus on the activities that are most likely to move them toward their business objectives. The lesson is that small businesses can do the same, clearly defining their goals and measuring results so they can stay focused on what truly matters.

Through real-world examples, Doerr shows how OKRs can help small business owners prioritize tasks, stay agile and achieve scalable growth.

On a crisp autumn morning in 1964, in the historic city of Hangzhou, China, a boy was born into a world that offered little in the way of opportunity. His parents were traditional storytellers and musicians — a respectable career but one that did not provide him fortune or stability.

As he grew, so did China, enmeshed in the turmoil of political and economic transformation. These conditions, however, were not constraints for young Ma Yun, better known to the world as Jack Ma; rather, they served as the setting for an inspiring tale of unwavering ambition, tenacity and trailblazing leadership.

A curious mind in a changing China

Jack Ma was unique even as a little child. As his contemporaries played in Hangzhou’s winding alleys, he found himself lured to a world outside of China. As the nation started to open up to international tourists in the 1970s, Hangzhou’s well-known West Lake developed into a popular destination. Ma recognized a chance.

Equipped only with curiosity and tenacity, he started providing free tours to Western tourists in return for English language instruction. He would wait for tourists to arrive at the Hangzhou Hotel every morning for 40 minutes on his bicycle. He relentlessly practiced, studied and listened. He was a self-taught fluent English speaker, which was unusual in a country where few people spoke the language. He even made friends with a visitor who gave him the nickname “Jack,” which would eventually spread throughout the international business community. However, despite his aspirations, the path ahead was far from straightforward.

Related: How Jack Ma Overcame His 7 Biggest Failures

The struggles of a determined student

Ma wasn’t a brilliant student. Failure was not an option in China, where admission exams served as the gateway to higher education. Ma, however, did not pass his university entrance exam. Not once. But twice.

His weakness was mathematics. He suffered in a society that seemed to value numbers, but he didn’t let that define him. He eventually got accepted to Hangzhou Teachers Institute, a small school in comparison to China’s top institutions, on his third try. His decision to major in English seemed to offer little financial security at the moment, but it would turn out to be crucial in the long run.

Ma became passionate about teaching and honed his public speaking abilities while in college. He accepted a job teaching English after graduating in 1988, making a pitiful $12 per month. He was driven, enthusiastic and committed to motivating his kids, but he also understood that this was not where he was going to end up.

A series of rejections

With a degree in hand, Ma went out to get a higher-paying job. What followed was a series of humiliating rejections that would have crushed a lesser spirit.

He was frequently rejected from dozens of employment applications. Twenty-four people applied when KFC established its first location in Hangzhou. They hired 23. The only person who was turned away was Ma. They told him that he wasn’t good enough when he wanted to join the police force. Even though every rejection was painful, Ma persisted in his efforts because he believed that failure was merely a necessary step on the path to achievement.

Then things would change when he traveled to the United States for business in the mid-1990s.

The internet awakening

Ma first came into contact with the internet in the United States. He found it fascinating. It was astounding how much information was available at the touch of a button. However, he noticed that there was hardly any information regarding China.

A concept started to take shape. What if he could assist Chinese companies connect with the rest of the world by creating an internet directory? After his return to China, he established China Pages in 1995 despite having no technological know-how, minimal funding and no prior experience in the internet sector.

However, China Pages was a step ahead. In China, the internet was still a novel idea, and investors were wary. Ma had to leave the company after it suffered. Although it was a hard lesson, he gained a peek into the future, which was much more valuable.

Related: 22 Crazy Things We’ve Learned About Alibaba Billionaire Jack Ma

The birth of Alibaba

In his little Hangzhou apartment, Ma hosted 18 friends and coworkers in 1999. He had an idea for a business that would use the internet to help Chinese small enterprises access international markets.

Alibaba came into being.

It was a harsh beginning. Capital was limited, investors were dubious and China’s internet infrastructure was in its infancy. Venture investors rejected Ma’s concept repeatedly after he presented it to them. However, he had learned from his mistakes and was determined not to give up this time.

The Japanese financial titan SoftBank recognized Alibaba’s potential in 2000 and contributed $25 million. It was the pivotal moment. Alibaba started expanding quickly after receiving fresh funding.

The rise of a global empire

Alibaba wasn’t simply another online retailer. There was a movement. In order to give entrepreneurs who had been disregarded by conventional business models a voice, Ma envisioned a digital marketplace where tiny firms might flourish.

In 2003, the company launched Taobao, a consumer-to-consumer marketplace that swiftly surpassed eBay in China. Then came Alipay, a third-party payment system that transformed online shopping and gave millions of people convenience and security.

Ma’s fame expanded along with Alibaba’s impact. He had established himself as a global corporate icon by the time Alibaba went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014, raising an unprecedented $25 billion.

A legacy beyond business

Ma could have stopped there, but his vision went far beyond Alibaba. He became a champion for small businesses, traveling the world to promote technology and entrepreneurship as tools for economic empowerment. He retired as chairman of Alibaba in 2019 after stepping down as CEO in 2013, focusing on philanthropy and investing his time and energy in environmental projects, education and rural development through the Jack Ma Foundation because he felt that true leadership was about giving back rather than accumulating wealth.

Related: The 5-Hour Rule Used by Bill Gates, Jack Ma and Elon Musk

A story of resilience

More than just a tale of financial success, Ma’s path serves as a lesson in perseverance. They continuously told him he wasn’t good enough, rejected him and made fun of him. Failure, however, never deterred him.

From a young lad offering free tours in return for English lessons to a jobless individual who kept getting turned down for jobs to a multibillionaire businessman who revolutionized international trade, Ma’s tale demonstrates that success is not determined by one’s starting point. It all comes down to how committed you are to persevering.

His experience serves as a reminder that challenges are stepping stones rather than impediments. And that often the most modest beginnings lead to the greatest dreams.

Business leaders know that data drives success, but collecting and organizing that data shouldn’t be a nightmare. Formly’s Online Form Builder Gold Plan gives you lifetime access to a powerful, no-code solution that lets you create custom forms, quizzes, surveys, and tests—all for just $99 (reg. $1,044).

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With conditional logic, real-time analytics, and seamless integration with over 3,000 applications, you can automate workflows, streamline data collection, and get insights that actually matter—without writing a single line of code.

If you’re still stuck using outdated forms, clunky spreadsheets, or costly subscription-based tools, this is your chance to upgrade your business operations with a one-time investment.

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No matter your industry, Formly adapts to your needs, helping you automate workflows, reduce manual data entry, and keep your business running smoothly.

Don’t let outdated forms slow your business down.

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Last month, Kylie Jenner’s Sprinter Vodka Soda released its first single-flavor four-pack, featuring the brand’s most popular flavor, peach. And as with everything the branding-focused entrepreneur does, Jenner went full-tilt with a multi-faceted marketing program designed to reinforce Sprinter’s fun-loving vibe.

Called the “Paint the Peach State Peach” campaign, the company used a fleet of chrome Sprinter Vans to deliver the new Peach Packs throughout Athens and Atlanta, enlisting country music star Ella Langley and collaborating with The Eastern in Atlanta and Georgia Theatre and Pauley’s Crepe Bar in Athens to create viral live events.

While Sprinter is just one of the many brands Jenner has launched — she’s built a personal care empire with beauty, skincare, and baby care brands, amassing an estimated net worth of $710 million, according to Forbes — her latest endeavor is sprinting to the market, with new products scheduled in the coming months.

Related: 7 Strategies Entrepreneurs Can Learn From The Kardashians

Here, Jenner tells Entrepreneur how she approaches new product launches and generates excitement for existing customers while drawing in new ones.

How do you approach Sprinter’s branding? What’s your personal vision for the brand?
I wanted Sprinter’s branding to be bold and fun so that it captures that feeling of pregaming and having fun with your friends. You’re holding the can in your hand when you’re hanging out with your friends — why shouldn’t the can you’re drinking out of also look cool?

How does Sprinter stand out in the crowded canned cocktail market?
Sprinter tastes bold but is only 100 calories and with no added sugar. That was really important to us when we were developing it. Peach has always been one of our fan-favorite flavors since our launch last year, so we are so excited to launch our first 4-pack with Peach. It has been so amazing to see the positive responses from day one to how delicious Sprinter tastes. It is the best-tasting vodka soda on the market, and we’ve gotten such an overwhelming response to how juicy and true-to-fruit it is.

When Sami & Susu first opened, it wasn’t a restaurant at all. It was a general store stocked with tahinis, olive oils and honey, selling sandwiches and salads to keep the lights on during Covid. It wasn’t the food Amir Nathan wanted to cook, but it was the only way forward.

“We weren’t showcasing our full capabilities,” he tells Shawn Walchef, host of Restaurant Influencers. The pivot to a full-service restaurant in 2022 changed everything. Within months, the energy in the space shifted from transactional to electric.

Now try booking a table at Sami & Susu. If you’re lucky, you’ll snag one three weeks out. If not, you’ll be left scrolling through Instagram, watching other people dig into hanger steak over creamed corn, heirloom tomato salad piled onto thick sourdough, and crispy sweetbreads that have made new fans of organ meat.

Related: This Chef Built a Meatball Empire, Lost Millions and Came Back Stronger with a Pizza Revolution

The Lower East Side restaurant fills up night after night, a place where the food is as electric as the room itself. Nathan and his co-founder, Justin Anderson, built it from the ground up, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand three years running. You’d think success like this meant a seamless path — clear vision, solid backing, smooth execution. Not even close.

Nathan didn’t launch Sami & Susu with a dream investor, a foolproof business model or deep pockets. Mistakes were made. Budgets blew up. If he had focused only on the numbers, he says, the restaurant wouldn’t have lasted a year.

Instead, they pushed forward, adjusted and built something better. Sami & Susu evolved — first as a pop-up, then a general store and finally into the kind of restaurant where people fight for a reservation.

Related: A Long-Time Google Exec Shares the Secrets to Helping Customers Find Your Restaurant

A name that runs deep

The name Sami & Susu is a statement.

It comes from an Israeli TV show that symbolized coexistence, a nod to Nathan’s roots. It’s also a tribute to a no-frills Romanian steakhouse in his hometown of Be’er Sheva, a place where plates of kebabs, piles of garlic, and endless vodka define a meal.

That mix of heritage, nostalgia and bold, unfussy cooking is what drives Sami & Susu’s menu. It’s not strictly Israeli or strictly European, but it’s Nathan’s own blend of influence and instinct.

Nathan knew he wanted to cook before he even understood what that meant. At eight years old, he watched a TV chef make gnocchi, decided he could do the same and turned his parents’ kitchen into a one-night-only pop-up. He made the dish from scratch, set up a dining area and proudly served his family.

That spark never left. From kitchens in Israel to some of New York’s most acclaimed restaurants, Nathan built his career by taking risks and figuring things out as he went.

Now, with Sami & Susu packed every night, he’s setting his sights on something new.

Nathan’s next project, Shifka, takes a pita-first approach to Middle Eastern flavors and has a format that can scale. He doesn’t want a massive chain, but he does see room for growth beyond New York.

Shifka may be the future, but Sami & Susu is still pure New York. Intimate, unexpected, and impossible to pin down. It’s the kind of place where Valentine’s Day means four courses of beef heart, each paired with a different sparkling wine. It’s about trying new flavors and not playing it safe — and that’s exactly why people keep coming back.

Related: This Hospitality Lawyer Has Worked for Big-Name Brands — And She Says This Is the Biggest Mistake Restaurant Owners Make

About Restaurant Influencers

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There’s a reason MacBooks are so popular among entrepreneurs. They’re an excellent choice if you need a reliable computer for everything from basic browsing to more demanding productivity tools. MacBook prices are a common barrier, particularly for startups, but this one just went on sale. Instead of paying $1,499 for a MacBook Air, you can get it for only $509.97.

Why get a MacBook?

This MacBook uses Apple’s M1 chipset and offers up to 3.5x faster performance compared to Intel-based models. If you’re used to a little lag every time you boot up QuickBooks, this may help. The 8-core GPU significantly boosts graphics performance, too. Design work, presentations, or even video editing may be easier on this computer.

Battery life is essential for busy professionals, but this Mac doesn’t disappoint. With up to 18 hours of video playback, this MacBook Air makes sure that you won’t be scrambling for an outlet during long meetings or business trips. Plus, the fanless design keeps it running quietly while you’re in a focused work session.

Savvy business owners know to be suspicious of a deal that seems too good. Here’s why this computer is marked down.

This particular MacBook Air is a Grade “A” refurbished model, meaning it’s in near-mint condition with minimal signs of use.

March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the cutoff to get a MacBook Air on sale for $509.97.

Apple MacBook Air 13.3″ (2020) M1 MGN63LL/A 8GB RAM 128GB SSD Space Gray (Refurbished) – $509.99

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For professionals who are on the move, staying connected, productive, and entertained shouldn’t break the bank. Whether you’re catching up on work, streaming your favorite shows, or tuning into a podcast during a flight, you need tech to keep up with your busy lifestyle. That’s where this refurbished Apple iPad 9th Gen (2021) + Beats Flex Wireless Headphones bundle can help.

For a limited time, you can grab this travel-ready, grade-A refurbished duo for just $239.99 (reg. $499) with free shipping.

Power through your day

Equipped with the A13 Bionic chip, the iPad 9 delivers the speed and power you need for multitasking, whether you’re responding to emails, editing documents, or unwinding with a Netflix binge. The 10.2-inch Retina display provides crisp visuals, making it perfect for video calls, creative projects, and presentations. With 64GB of storage, you’ll have plenty of room for apps, files, and downloads—so you can work (or relax) without interruptions.

No travel setup is complete without great audio, and the Beats Flex Wireless Headphones deliver just that. Designed for comfort, durability, and convenience, these lightweight earbuds offer up to 12 hours of playtime—enough for a cross-country flight or a full workday of virtual meetings.

Thanks to Apple’s W1 chip, you’ll get a stable Bluetooth connection with fewer dropouts. The magnetic earbuds snap together when not in use, pausing your music automatically to save battery. With on-device controls, you can adjust volume, take calls, and activate Siri without reaching for your device.

All the extras you need are included

This bundle doesn’t stop at just an iPad and Beats headphones. You also get essential accessories such as a case, screen protector, and stylus—so you’re ready to go right out of the box.

This refurbished bundle, which was inspected and cleaned to be in excellent working order, is grade A, meaning it is in near-mint condition.

Don’t miss this Apple iPad 9th Gen + Beats Flex Wireless Headphones bundle while it’s still available for just $239.99 (reg. $499) with free shipping.

Apple iPad 9th Gen (2021) 64GB (Wi-Fi Only) Silver + Beats Flex Wireless Headphones Refurbished Bundle – $239.99

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The average salary of a software developer is around $132,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means outsourcing your coding can cost a pretty penny, and it may be time to learn to do it on your own. When you’re ready to get started, Microsoft Visual Studio Pro is where you’ll want to work.

This app is ready to help you boost your productivity and write your own high-quality code, and a lifetime license is just $27.97 — $471 off the usual price — now through March 30 while supplies last.

Work smarter, not harder with this coding helper

Microsoft Visual Studio Pro is a software development tool that is ready to help you take your coding to the next level. You can use it to create apps, websites, or even software systems, ultimately saving you a fortune as it helps you tackle things yourself without hiring people.

Once you’ve learned to write and edit code, you can turn to Microsoft Visual Studio to help you write, edit, and debug on the same platform. It’s a 64-bit IDE (integrated development environment) that comes equipped with built-in integrations and helpful tools so you can tackle projects both large and small.

Microsoft Visual Studio helps you build across languages, allowing you to work with C++, C#, Python, JavaScript, and more. And Intellicode is there to help you type less and code more. It’s kind of like auto-complete for coding.

A debugger can identify and fix the errors in your code, which really helps those who are newer to coding by making troubleshooting easier. The app also includes CodeLens, which shows you recent changes, authors, tests, and commit history so you have a comprehensive overview of your codebase.

Take advantage of this limited-time sale on Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows, now just $27.97 (reg. $499).

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As cyber threats develop, it’s important to take steps to protect your business. Benign things like ads could be hiding phishing schemes, and malware is only getting more advanced. If you want a simple way to help protect your business, use AdGuard. Their new Family Plan lets you protect nine different devices from malware, ads, and more, and it’s only $15.97 for life.

How does AdGuard work?

AdGuard comes with a comprehensive suite of tools that are designed to keep your business secure. It blocks all types of ads including pop-ups, banners, and video ads so your team can safely browse without distractions, the company says.

But the real value comes in its ability to protect your data. With AdGuard’s privacy protection, you can keep sensitive company information safe by blocking trackers and activity analyzers, ensuring your business’s online footprint remains secure.

Beyond ad-blocking and privacy protection, AdGuard safeguards your business from malware and phishing sites, preventing harmful attacks on your devices and data, the company says. For businesses with families, the parental controls allow you to make sure that your team members’ devices remain safe from inappropriate content, too.

Use code FAMPLAN by March 30 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a lifetime subscription to AdGuard for $15.97.

AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $15.97

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Can you keep your job and start a franchise?

It’s a good question that many people don’t even think to ask. But the answer is yes.

This is what is commonly referred to as being a “semi-absentee owner.” It’s a fancy way of saying that your role as a franchise owner is part-time. Most semi-absentee owners have another commitment, typically a corporate job. But some people own multiple businesses and take on semi-absentee roles in all of them. Others are partly retired and make a little money with a franchise as a side hustle.

So what does semi-absentee ownership look like?

It can differ greatly from one franchise to the next. The first thing to know is that “semi-absentee” is one of the most poorly defined terms in the industry. If you ask 10 franchisors to define it, you will likely get 15 different answers. Second, their policies about it are all over the map. For example, not every franchise is open to it, while other brands seriously focus on it; some even have a fairly even split between semi-absentee and full-time owners.

Related: Want A Side Hustle? These 10 Franchises Can Be Run Part Time

Confusingly, these differences are not industry-specific. You could find two franchises that do the exact same thing — and while one of them loves semi-absentee owners, the next requires every owner to work full time. Even when franchises allow semi-absentee owners, there are usually major differences in what that means. For one brand, you might have to commit to 10 hours per week; the next may require 20 to 25 hours per week. Again, this can happen with two franchises that are similar in just about every other way. You might also run into a franchise that says it is open to semi-absentee owners but doesn’t really have any experience with that model.

Unfortunately, information about semi-absentee ownership is not something that you can typically get with a Google search. To find out where a franchise stands, you pretty much have to talk to them. Or you can get guidance from a franchise coach who has a deep understanding of the space and can give you a behind-the-scenes look at the options.

What’s the big appeal?

Most people who go the semi-absentee route have financial reasons. In some cases, it’s simply an extra revenue stream. In others, it’s a step toward the freedom of becoming your own boss. Maybe you’re the breadwinner of your household and find it too difficult to ditch your steady paycheck and jump straight into business ownership, but you still have the goal of gaining more control over your life. For you, owning the franchise as a secondary revenue stream and growing it to the point where you feel safe leaving your job can lead to your eventual exit strategy from the corporate world.

Another inviting scenario is using semi-absentee ownership as a strategy to diversify your financial assets. Whether you have a good job that you plan to stay in or are an entrepreneur juggling multiple ventures, a semi-absentee franchise is a way to have an impact on the return you get on investments. People with this mindset see a 401(k) or stock market investment as a conservative option — but one which they have no control over. A franchise, however, is completely within their control. There is the potential to reap higher rewards than if the return is left up to the volatile market.

Related: 25 Top-Ranked Franchises You Can Run as a Side Hustle

Are you cut out to be a part-time owner?

There are a few things to think about here. How big of a control freak are you? Do you always have to make every single decision, regardless of how big or small it is? Can you delegate, or are you a micromanager? Can you multitask? Do you really have the time to commit to the franchise? And, more importantly, will you commit that time?

As a semi-absentee owner, your main role will be managing the manager who runs the day-to-day operations of your franchise. If you are not comfortable with this, then semi-absentee ownership is not for you.

If it still sounds like a possibility, consider the following:

#1. Time

I’m the founder and CEO of FranCoach, a company that helps aspiring franchisees find the right brand for them. When our team talks to clients about semi-absentee ownership, one of the biggest topics we discuss is time. How many hours a week can you dedicate to your franchise? This does not mean being physically present at the location (if there is one) — it just means that, if you say that every day from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. you are going to focus only on your franchise, can you really do that?

Again, most of this time can be remote. Semi-absentee ownership could look like checking sales metrics on your laptop while sitting on your couch in the evening, or ordering supplies while you sip coffee on your patio on a Saturday morning. But either way, you have to put in the required amount of effort.

At a minimum, I would say that an aspiring semi-absentee franchise owner should be able to dedicate 10 hours per week to the franchise. Again, much (and sometimes all) of this can be remote.

Related: You Can Earn Full-Time Profits With This Part-Time Work — Just Don’t Call It a Side Hustle

#2. Accessibility

You will have to hire a manager, but if they need you, how quickly can you reply? If they call you at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, how often will you be able to answer the phone? If you cannot pick up, how long will it take you to shoot them a text? An hour? A day? A week? It doesn’t matter what the answer is, as long as it is honest. The crucial thing here is to make sure that proper expectations are set for everyone involved.

While most people could reply to a call, text, email, or Slack message within an hour or two, we have worked with a few clients who cannot always be that responsive. For instance, we had an airline pilot who became a semi-absentee franchise owner. I really want to believe that he was not up there in the cockpit flying the plane while making calls and texting people about his franchise. Everyone knew that while he was flying, there was no way he would be available for his manager. Other days, when he was not working, he would be very involved with the business. His particular accessibility needs had to be considered in finding the right franchise — one that had systems in place to make this semi-absentee ownership model possible.

#3. Owner goals

After you get a handle on the amount of time per week you can honestly commit and your accessibility, then it’s crucial to consider what you want to do. Just like an owner who will work full-time in their franchise, you also need to think about the “Get Out of Bed Test.”

Maybe you really love connecting in the community and networking. Well, some of your 10 hours per week might be spent getting out there and doing that type of work for your franchise. On the other hand, maybe that sounds awful — and in that case, you might hire a general manager who is good at networking.

Maybe you are more operations-driven, so much of your time will be focused on general oversight of the business and keeping a close eye on the financials. Whatever the case — hey, you’re the boss! — it is crucial to be honest with yourself about what you want to do, what you enjoy doing, what you don’t enjoy doing, and if you can accommodate everything as a semi-absentee owner.

#4. Future role

It’s also important to think through what will likely happen in a few years — and if those options sit right with you and fit into your long-term life plans. Say, for example, your franchise grows to the point where you feel safe leaving the corporate world, or that among your multiple businesses, you now want to spend more time running this one. Then what? Do you meet with your manager, the person who worked like crazy to build your franchise to the point where you can quit your job, and say, “Thanks for everything, but I’ve got it from here…you’re fired!”? I mean, you could. But typically, that is not the right thing to do.

Generally, there are two paths — and in both, the manager stays on. In the first, the owner keeps everything running smoothly with the existing franchise and then finds a second franchise to launch. Perhaps they run that second franchise full time, or perhaps they hire another manager and essentially become the semi-absentee owner of two franchises. The more common path is that the owner focuses on growing the existing franchise and adding more locations or territories. At that point, the owner may choose to be much more hands-on and dive into the minutiae, but usually, they will stay at a high level, managing all of the pieces on the board.

If all this sounds attractive to you, and you end up deciding to be a semi-absentee owner, then you’ll join many others who have found it a successful and fulfilling path. Because the details differ greatly from one franchise to the next, it’s important to find the model that best aligns with your ideal role, available time, and accessibility as an owner. There’s one that’s exactly right for you.

This essay was excerpted from the book Becoming a Franchise Owner by Tim Parmeter. Buy a copy at amazon.com.

Related: The Top 10 Franchises That Can Be Run Part-Time From Home or Through a Mobile Unit

Here’s How One Couple Does It

When Varune and Karie Maharaj bought a Bodybar Pilates franchise in Katy, Texas, they knew nothing about Pilates. They hadn’t ever even taken a class.

So why’d they buy? The franchise allowed semi-absentee owners, which they needed to be because Varune works full time in the energy industry and travels often, while Karie has paused her career to raise their three daughters ages 6 to 13. Also, the couple had been living in Trinidad, where they’re from, and could only fully move to Houston nine months after the business opened as they awaited the necessary paperwork and appointment to immigrate.

They became semi-absentee owners in 2023. And today Varune puts in about 15 hours a week and Karie 20, mostly working on the big-picture aspects of the business, like strategy, retention, and member appreciation. In March, they’re opening their second studio. Here’s how it’s going.

Are the hours what you expected to put in?

Varune: The thing we learned is that to get the business off to a great start, you have to put the work in up front. Regardless of if you’re semi-absentee or not — but particularly if you are looking to have a business on the side where you don’t have to dedicate full-time hours to it — you do need to put the time in and get this thing up and running. There were times we were in the studio every day at the beginning. Now there are many days we never go in.

What would you advise someone considering semi-absentee ownership?

Karie: If anyone is thinking about a franchise, do so carefully; don’t rush into it. Understand what you’re signing on for, because a lot of franchises do not provide the support that Bodybar does. Speak to other studios or other franchisees there. Look at the infrastructure that’s in place and make sure you understand the numbers.

And what have you learned about being semi-absentee owners?

Karie: One of the biggest things that people, I think, overlook when they expect to be semi-absentee is the dependence on their staff. Our staff is like our family. They are treated that way, and their opinions matter. We are constantly trying to develop them. It’s not just about coming and answering the phones at the front desk, right? We give them opportunities outside of that to build their skills.

Varune: You have to have good people. When you get the right people in there, you can be as absentee as you want.

Related: This Franchise Type is the Perfect Blend of Flexibility and Profitability for Aspiring Entrepreneurs