Jon Ostenson, founder, CEO and consultant at FranBridge Consulting, wasn’t always involved in the world of franchising. After years in corporate America, he set out on an entrepreneurial path—even though, at the time, he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted that path to look like. Six years ago, it brought him to ShelfGenie, a private company and national franchise, where he saw that franchising was more than a fast food-based world—it was one in which people from all backgrounds could succeed. 

Now, he focuses on helping to educate people on the opportunities available to them in non-food franchising. Via his company, the process is completely free for clients, and consultants assist them in narrowing the vast array of franchise opportunities down to their top 10 options, and then to their final decision. In this week’s episode, Ostenson and Brilliant Thoughts host Tristan Ahumada discuss the difference between a franchise and a startup, the process of becoming a franchisee, the pros and cons—as well as what to look for—when starting a franchise and the benefits of “boring” businesses.

Jon Ostenson is a consultant, investor, author and international speaker specializing in the area of non-food franchising. He serves as founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, and is the author of Non-Food Franchising: The Better Path to Business Ownership. SUCCESS listeners who go to franbridgeconsulting.com and sign up for their monthly newsletter will get a free digitally downloadable copy of the book, as well as an audio version. For those who purchase the book via Amazon, 100% of profits go to the nonprofit organization Hope International.

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