How to Make a Career Change With an Air Conditioning Franchise

There’s never been a better time to make a career change than now. And, as a franchisee, you’ll have a whole lot of support to help you do so. Read on to find out why making a career change with an air conditioning franchise could be an exciting and profitable choice, and how to make it happen.

As an air conditioning franchisee, you can expect to be busy from the get-go. Not only will you be fitting new AC units, but you will also be heavily involved in retrofitting old buildings with newer, more efficient, and less polluting units. All of which means there are some huge profits to be made in the air conditioning sector. 

Not only this, air conditioning companies are increasingly looking to update new units and models to ensure they conform to ever-changing environmental legislation. You can be a part of a rapidly-growing, increasingly sustainable, and profitable sector. But how do you make a career change with an air conditioning franchise?

In recent years, sustainability has been a primary concern for both government and industry operators, as sentiment moves further towards energy efficiency. As such technology becomes vital to companies, they are beginning to compete for the skilled labour that it requires.
—Paul Whitney, Hallidays

Why make a career change with an air conditioning franchise?

By working in the air conditioning industry as a franchisee, you’ll be combining two exciting and profitable ways of running your own business. Not only is the heating, ventilation & air conditioning (HVAC) sector expected to continue growing, you’ll be working to a business model with a proven higher survival rate. With less than one percent of closing franchises citing commercial failure as a reason for closing, you’ll be well-placed to make the most of the HVAC sector.

On top of this, you can look forward to the following advantages:

• You’ll be your own boss
• Work to your own schedules and working patterns
• You’ll have plenty of training and support
• You’ll already be a trusted business
• How to make a career change with an air conditioning franchise

1. Ensure you’re the right fit

Another advantage to running your own HVAC business is that most franchises won’t necessarily need you to have worked in the industry before. As you’ll be a part of a bigger franchise, a lot of the essential skills you’ll need will be taught to you during your onboarding and training programme.

However, it’s always a good idea to assess which skills you already excel in and which you aren’t as strong at. As a franchisee, you’ll certainly need to make regular use of the following skills:

• Organisation
• Dedication
• Good communication
• Ambition
• Ability to multitask
• Capable of recruiting and leading a team

2. Research the industry 

What franchise you choose to work with will depend on your unique circumstances. Things to bear in mind include:

• Financial costs
• Would you rather be a single-unit or multi-unit franchisee?
• Do you want more training and support or less?
• How wide an area do you want to work in?
• Will you want to expand your area over time?

The final say is up to you, but not every franchise will cover all of your needs, so you will need to be aware of what kinds of franchises will be better for you, and which ones won’t be. 

3. Highlight your sustainability

It’s a great time to become an HVAC franchisee. Not only are many HVAC franchises introducing new and greener ways of providing cooling and ventilation solutions; they’re also making it front and centre of their business. 

As consumer tastes shift towards more sustainable solutions, it’s important to highlight your sustainability to grow and retain your existing customers. One of the best ways to do this is through marketing, which your franchisor will be able to help you with. There are lots of different ways to go about marketing, but making sure that you highlight your sustainability will be crucial for your growth. 

4. Sign a franchise agreement

Once the building blocks are in place, you’ll be ready to sign your franchise agreement. This isn’t just a formality though. The franchise agreement is a legally binding document that sets out both your commitments and those of your franchisor. While this is the final stage of the process of setting up your own business, you need to make sure you understand this document completely. If you don’t, ask a legal adviser to help you.

Failing to do this can lead to consequences. If you aren’t sure of your commitments or aren’t able to properly decipher the franchise legalese, your franchise business could be ended prematurely. 

Franchise opportunities in the air conditioning sector

1. Envirovent

Envirovent is a manufacturer and supplier of energy-efficient and sustainable ventilation products. For a minimum investment of £19,950, you can look forward to potential revenue of around £100,000 after two years. If you want to become an Environment franchisee, you won’t need any previous experience, but you will need to be driven, passionate about sales, capable of running a client-facing business and have good business judgement.

2. Pirtek

Pirtek is the number one provider of hydraulic and air conditioning solutions to both commercial and industrial clients. For a minimum investment of £70,000, you’ll be entitled to a 2-4 week training course that will teach you everything you need to make a success of your new venture. You’ll need to be able to run a team of specialist technical engineers and be fully committed to running a 24/7 service.

Make a career change with an air conditioning franchise today

There are some great opportunities in the air conditioning and HVAC industry, but if you feel you’re better suited to for the home improvement industry, you can see how the sector has been making a comeback in the post-pandemic environment. Alternatively, you can have a look at the UK franchise directory for a list of totally different opportunities.