Being an Archadeck franchisee is more than a great way to make a living. You can also make a great life for yourself.

Archadeck, of course, is a business. As an Archadeck franchisee, you’re in it to earn a living—a good one—in a large industry, with a growing market, using smart, time-tested methods.

But career satisfaction isn’t just about earnings and successful business strategies. Over the years, Archadeck franchisees have found that there are other benefits of this business. Here are five important ones:

If an Archadeck franchise sounds right for you, please fill out and submit our online Request For Information form. If you qualify to be considered as a franchisee, additional information will be sent to help you determine if Archadeck is right for you.

1. Freedom


2. Accomplishment


3. Sunshine


4. Comfort


5. Family

Freedom: Enjoy your work and your life

When you’re someone else’s employee, your time is not your own. If your little girl’s team is playing for the championship, or a friend calls you to take advantage of an available slot on the golf course, or an old school friend is passing through town and wants to meet you for a couple of hours, and it’s during your office hours, you’re out of luck.

As an independent businessperson, you don’t have to ask the boss’s permission to take care of your personal life—you are the boss (well, your customers are the boss, but they don’t usually care what’s in your appointment book!). Even better, as an Archadeck franchisee, you have flexibility that even many other self-employed people don’t enjoy.

Why? Because many independent businesspeople, even though they’re self-employed, are still tied to a desk, to a retail counter, or to a factory floor. Often, they’re tied there longer than their employees. But as an Archadeck franchisee you’re mobile. Getting the job done means getting out of the office to visit job sites and meet with customers.

On the one hand this means you need to be flexible, to adapt to changing situations and to reschedule things as necessary. On the other hand, you can make flexibility work for you, by adding important personal events to your plans, and scheduling work around them.

You don’t have to put your life on hold for work. You can fit them together in a way that works for you. If you need to clear your head by doing some rock-climbing, or walking the dog, or enjoying quiet time at home, you can book it. You’re in control.

Accomplishment: Results you can see and touch

Statistically, Americans work longer hours than almost any other nation on Earth. What are they getting out of it?

Sure, there’s a paycheck. But all too often people are unfulfilled by the work itself. Whether it’s closing files, writing reports, selling merchandise, or moving forms from their in-tray to their out-tray, people often feel that they can’t see any result from their effort. They might know they’re getting things done, but they can’t see or feel the fruit of their labor.

As an Archadeck franchisee, you don’t have that problem. When you design and build outdoor structures, you see and feel the results. Each one is unique, presents its own challenges, and offers its own sense of achievement when it’s done. And each one is built to last, so you steadily build a portfolio of attractive, high-quality  outdoor living structures that endure for years.

After awhile as an Archadeck franchisee, you can drive through your community, looking at handsome decks, porches, gazebos, and pergolas, and feel the satisfaction of knowing, “I built that.” Your work produces lasting, impressive results in a way that most people can only dream about.

Sunshine: They don’t call it “the great outdoors” for nothing

Have you ever sat in an office, seen sunshine and blue sky outside, and thought, “I’d rather be out there right now”?

If so, you can appreciate another aspect of the mobile life of an Archadeck franchisee: the great outdoors. Archadeck is all about outdoor living structures: your projects enhance people’s lives outside their homes, and that’s where you’ll be spending a lot of your time. On a lovely spring day, no more need to envy the gardeners, tradespeople, and letter carriers working in the open air—that can be you!

Only better: because as an Archadeck franchisee, you have a lot more variety and freedom than many regular outdoor workers. At a job site, you’re not the one lifting and bolting beams into place; you’re supervising the work, making sure the project is going smoothly. Or you’re meeting with customers, answering their questions, or meeting prospects at their homes, helping them visualize the possibilities for enhancing their outdoor space.

But what about rain (and—brrr!—snow)? Yes, depending on your local climate, those happen too. Many people, rain or shine, would still rather be outdoors than sitting at a desk in recycled office air. But as your own boss, you have a lot of say in just how much time you spend out there—and when it’s time to catch up on some paperwork back at the office!

Comfort: The Archadeck dress code

Question: What does an Archadeck franchisee wear to work? Answer: Something professional—but almost always casual.

As an employee, you often have to conform to a dress code. It might be “office attire,” “no jeans,” or an actual uniform. But when you’re your own boss, the dress code is 100% up to you. For many Archadeck franchisees, that means khaki pants and a golf shirt. And casual does make sense, since you’re not only running construction projects, but also helping people make better use of their outdoor space, which, let’s face it, is usually used more for casual activities like barbecues than for black-tie dinners.

What we wear is an important part of expressing how we think and feel about ourselves—who we are. When we dress to someone else’s standards, there’s always a subtle reminder that we have to conform to someone else’s image. When it’s time to dress for work as an Archadeck franchisee, you can be yourself, plain and simple.

(And by the way: if your personal style is more formal, fine! You’re the boss.)

Family: The friendly face of seasonality

Many prospective Archadeck franchisees ask, “Isn’t this a seasonal business? Won’t I have to shut down each winter?”

The answer is that while the business usually has its heaviest volume from spring through fall, there is less seasonality than you might expect. Yes, there is a cycle: while days are long and weather is good, you get a lot of projects done. While days are short and weather is less good, you generally get fewer projects done.

However, this is not bad news. In fact, it suits the lifestyle of many Archadeck franchisees—they like it.

Why? Because the winter holiday season, from Thanksgiving through New Year, is exactly when many people get together with their families. So it’s nice to have some extra time available then. If you’ve ever found yourself trying to clear your desk to get time away on the holidays, or competing with coworkers over who’s going to stay at the office so others can vacation, or trying to book flights around your work schedule, you’ll know what we’re talking about.

Working hard through the building season is like putting time (and money) in the bank. Then, when the rest of the world is struggling to make time for family over the holidays, you’ve got the time. And you can really enjoy it, because you know your business is taken care of. You’ve earned it.

It’s a business—and a lifestyle

When you’re thinking about your future career, the real question is not just, “What kind of business do I want to be in?” but “What kind of life do I want to have?” Think about it. And while you do, remember that part of what makes an Archadeck franchise great is that it’s actually more than just making a living.

Is the Archadeck lifestyle for you?

Who knows, this might be your dream lifestyle as well as your dream business. Why not find out? Go ahead and fill out our Request for Information form or learn more about how to become a franchisee with Archadeck.

Click here for Six Hidden Business Benefits.

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