If you have had even half a conversation with someone from TAB, you will probably know our mission by heart. We are here to improve the lives of business owners.
We do that by helping them build businesses that are less reliant on them, by giving them the space to think strategically, and by supporting them in working towards their own version of success. Not ours. Not the world’s. Theirs.
But here is something we do not talk about often enough. We are on exactly the same mission with our franchisees.
Yes, we want to see strong commercial results. Yes, we expect hard work, especially in those early months. But the work you do as a TAB franchisee should support the life you want to live, not just in the long term, but right from the early days of building your business.
That is a big part of what sets this model apart. You are not grinding through five years of 60-hour weeks in the hope of eventually buying yourself some freedom. We want your work with TAB to create that freedom as you go.
Now, let’s be clear. This is a business you are starting. It takes effort, commitment and real emotional investment. Everyone has a different definition of what hard work looks like, which is why we spend time during the due diligence process really digging into that. It's important that we are all on the same page.
But when we talk about flexibility at TAB, we are not just talking about where you work or what your calendar looks like. We are talking about designing your business to support the life you want to live.
That is why, during training, we challenge every new franchisee to create a truly compelling personal vision. Not a vague mission statement, but something that gets to the heart of your why. It has to include tangible goals. Real-life outcomes. Things that matter to you, and that we can help hold you accountable for.
For some, that might mean reducing to a four-day week by month seven. For others, it could be a commitment to never miss another school play, or to carve out time every fortnight for a proper date night. Whatever matters most to you, that is what we want your TAB business to support.
Helen Mill, our franchisee in North East Scotland, captured this perfectly when reflecting on her own journey:
That kind of shift in thinking is exactly what we want every TAB franchisee to experience — that realignment of work around life, not the other way round.
Our Finance Director and Co-Owner, Mags Fuller, put it just as clearly in her own blog on this topic. She wrote:
“When you’re supported to design your business in a way that gives you control, freedom and satisfaction, it becomes part of a more harmonious life, not something you have to escape from.”
And that is exactly the point. At TAB, we are not asking you to sacrifice your lifestyle to build a business. We are inviting you to build a business that complements your lifestyle. One that aligns with your priorities and gives you space to focus on what really matters, whether that is your family, your health, or simply having time to breathe.
You can read the article here: Defining and Maintaining Business Harmony in Your Life
We have built a model that allows you to do incredibly fulfilling, meaningful work. You help business owners unlock growth, overcome challenges and get more from life. And in doing so, you build a business that gives you the same in return.
Max Crosby-Browne, who leads the TAB in Derby and the East Midlands, shares a similar experience:
That, for me, is the sweet spot.
Because the flexibility we talk about at TAB is not just about logistics. It is about alignment. Doing work that gives you energy. That challenges you in the right ways. That rewards you with the freedom to focus on the people and priorities that matter most.
That is the life we want for our franchisees. And it is what we will support you to build, every step of the way.
If that sounds like something you would like to be part of, or even if you just have a few questions, I would be more than happy to have a conversation. No hard sell, no pressure. Just a chat about whether this might be the right fit for you.