If only the Officer of the Watch on the bridge of R.M.S. Titanic had taken a different course of action back in April 1912.

By turning away at the last moment he allowed the iceberg to rupture the side of the vessel. Had he been bold enough to continue with 'full steam ahead' the liner would not have sunk, and all would have been safe. Faced with possible danger, our common reaction is to turn away.

Will it be you who steams bravely ahead and signs up to a franchise after reading this issue of Business Franchise magazine? More likely you will examine and investigate the many excellent franchises on offer, but then turn away and avoid the commitment.

So is it unwise to sign up to a franchise, and have the courage needed to face any dangers head on?

By signing you realise there is never a right time to start a business, but decide that now is as good a time as any.

You will give up trying to find the totally safe franchise, but will have found a franchise within which you can work to make yourself secure.

You are, as we all are, afraid of the unknown but you also realise that tomorrow will always be a mystery.

You will have given up looking for flaws within the franchise system and decided to take on a one with a healthy operational record. You know there are trials and tribulations yet to come.

You have identified those areas of your life on which are unwilling to compromise; home, family and finance. You will have tagged others as areas where you are willing to forgo your wishes; newer car, luxury breaks, a larger home.

You know that your loved ones will not love you less if it fails. Your real friends will still be there if you lose everything.

You have proved willing to negotiate away some of the dreams for the reality of a better future.

You realise that your life will never change if you always stick to the safer course and continue working for others.

You know that if you don't move now, in twenty years time you will look back with regret at an opportunity you lost simply through fear.

So what are the characteristics that make those who sign up the exception to the rule? Like you they have reached a point in their career where they are unlikely to gain any new business experiences. Whatever has happened so far in their working life will only be repeated, but in a slightly different form.

Begin by realising that no-one should enter franchising simply to buy a job. If that is the limit of your ambitions, then set up as a sole trader and try your hand at whatever 'trade' you fancy.

The real purpose of franchising is buying into a management system. Many larger operators would not want their franchisees to operate 'hands on' in the work place. With an average investment of £120,000 you are expected to be too busy managing the staff in your business.

If we take a look at the newcomers who enter the franchise system they will all have clearly defined operational backgrounds developed over the years. By deciding which of these four types you relate to, you will be in a position to identify the type of franchise that best matches your skills...

Moral skills are when you are happy to operate within a code of business ethics. Your word can be relied upon. You are open handed in your dealings and you have standards to which you adhere.

If you have this background you are results-orientated and tend to focus on the big picture, while being aware of how to achieve your objectives. You are able to resolve problems down to their simplest form and create an action plan. You constantly seek the quickest, easiest way of producing results and are able to implement franchise systems. You stick with your decisions and never return to review your initial thoughts. You will wish to make your mark at national level within your franchise.

The problems in taking a franchise will be that your temper will make employees less likely to admit mistakes, which, when combined with your quickness to act, will sometimes cause errors. You are unwilling to wait for results and often neglect to praise your employees for their efforts. You may find yourself at odds with your franchise management and are prone to make comments before considering the reaction of others. You will attempt to change the systems within the franchise that you feel are ineffective. Your strong management skills will often overpower others in the franchise.

Your ideal franchise will be one that allows you to make some input of your own, particularly where you can improve the efficiency and organisation. It will generally offer a unique service or product, while not simply being a clever idea. By nature you will prefer franchises that have a higher risk factor and are leaders within their market sector. You will be happiest when offered full access to the franchisor's management team.

Structural skills are acquired from the formal positions that you occupied. In the armed forces the approach is to take a fresh recruit, uniform them as an officer, instruct others to salute, insist that those below obey your every command, then watch as they rapidly 'become' an officer.

If this is your background then you are best taking carefully thought-out decisions in your franchise. You are methodical and will rote learn the franchise system, providing it has a solid structure. You will be best at being part of a team and are an excellent communicator. You will study carefully and evaluate fully the performance of your franchise, in addition to possessing excellent customer skills.

You will find it difficult to change systems or face up to rapid developments. You are afraid of the unknown and have a high need for security. You prefer to live your business life at a slower pace. In general you are quiet and diplomatic in your dealing with staff and are known to speak softly but carry a big stick. You must remain aware of your tendency to step outside your field of expertise.

Your ideal franchise will be a stable and established operation generally selling necessities. You will prefer to be using your customer sales skills, and are happiest when you achieve repeat business. You prefer to pace your day selling well-known brand products and are happier if you are not expected to conduct cold calling. Your product range will be usually high value/high margin with a visible advertising presence.

Sapential skills relate your acquisition of specialist knowledge, usually from professional training or a qualifying period of experience.

You are always open to fresh knowledge and information and are driven by a need to offer quality standard products. You remember details and are adept at identifying missing procedures or systems. You are highly analytical and persistent in gaining your objectives. You are happiest working steadily without bursts of unexpected activity.

You find it difficult to work as part of a team, and are basically insecure if forced to operate under this type of system. You are a perfectionist and as such will be quick to spot and identify ongoing faults. You are not prepared to lower your standards in order to get the task completed, which could lead to complaints concerning your slowness and pedantic nature.

Once again you will prefer a structured franchise where sales calls are not expected. Sales will need to be gained by advertising. You would prefer to limit customer interaction and have time available to prepare for your customers. You will seek to differentiate your service or product by quality. You would be best suited by offering a single technically advanced product, with less transactions but a higher value.

Charismatic is perhaps less of skill and more ability, granted to those few who are defined as 'natural' leaders.

If you have this skill you will prove to be a visionary franchisee, managing to build agreement and avoid conflict. You are goal-directed and have the ability to influence others in the pursuit of your dream. You will function best with a team and are a great communicator. You will have a mastery of sales and marketing and are a risk taker. Decisions will be taken rapidly and without regret.

Your trusting nature will lead you to move quickly, which, with your resentment of following any system, can cause problems with your franchisor. You hate routine and are not prepared to repeat failed tasks. You are happiest spending and ignore costs, partly caused by your disorganised approach. You focus on sales, expecting payments to take care of themselves.

Your chosen franchise would need to have a 'fun' factor and operate on an informal/family-style system. You would prefer to offer flashy, low-margin, fast-selling, simplistic products, where you are able to operate away from tight controls.

Now write out your objectives in choosing a franchise and describe exactly how you intend to bring it about. The five per cent who do this will gain as much as the remaining 95 combined. Moving forward with imperfect vision is far better than looking backwards with perfect hindsight.