Transitioning from a senior professional to owning a business isn’t a wild career pivot; it’s a strategic evolution. After years of building capability, delivering results, and leading teams, many Australians reach a point where they want greater independence, flexibility, and impact, without reinventing the wheel. That’s where franchising comes in. Rather than starting from scratch, you step into a proven system with established processes, brand credibility, and a support network behind you. You bring your experience; the franchise brings the engine room.
Why do so many professionals choose franchising
Even the most accomplished careers don’t teach you the nuts and bolts of launching a business—brand, operations, lead generation, compliant financials, marketing tech, pricing, positioning… It’s a lot.
A quality franchise removes the guesswork:
- No need to build infrastructure from zero. From day one, you have a working model: marketing, lead flow, client onboarding, and billing.
- Credibility from the start. You trade on an established brand with proof in-market.
Support when it counts. Training, mentoring, and a community that’s already solved the problems you’ll face.
Imagine owning your own business with tested systems for accounting, lead generation, and marketing—and a team that genuinely wants you to win.
“I came across The Alternative Board and realised they had a comprehensive infrastructure behind the name. That encouraged me to move forward to buy the franchise. It also enabled me the opportunity to bring my experience in corporate life to the table and help business owners who don’t have the resources that major corporations have.”
— John Sweeney, The Alternative Board Ryde / Parramatta
Why The Alternative Board (TAB)?
For more than 35 years, The Alternative Board has helped over 20,000 business owners around the world grow stronger businesses and richer lives. Our business owners (our franchisees) run peer advisory boards, provide 1:1 coaching, deliver strategic planning and leadership programmes, all backed by proprietary tools, a global community and ongoing innovation.
With The Alternative Board, you’re in business for yourself—but never by yourself.
The transferable skills that set you up for success
Great TAB Owners come from a wide range of backgrounds—sales, operations, finance, HR, IT, legal, general management and the C-suite. Regardless of your discipline, these six strengths translate powerfully into business ownership with The Alternative Board:
1) Leadership that inspires action
Franchise systems provide structure; you provide the spark. Your ability to set direction, rally people and create accountability is the heartbeat of your business.
2) Strong, transparent communication
You’ve built trust in rooms that matter. As a TAB Owner, you’ll facilitate board conversations, coach leaders and build alliances in your local business community.
3) Agility and adaptability
Markets move. You’ve pivoted before. Adopting the model quickly—and fine-tuning your local approach—keeps your business humming.
“Back in the corporate world, I loved mentoring and coaching. When I discovered The Alternative Board, it felt like the perfect fit for what I wanted to contribute to the community.”
— Robert Proietti – The Alternative Board Macarthur
4) Financial acumen
You don’t need to be an accountant, but understanding cash flow, budgets, and pricing helps you make sharper decisions and coach clients with confidence.
5) Relationship building
Long-term success is built on trust. Your ability to engage, listen, and retain clients is a durable edge—especially in a relationship business like The Alternative Board.
6) Time management and execution
Owning a business means wearing multiple hats. Your skill in prioritising, scheduling, and following through converts plans into results.
What you actually do as a Franchisee with The Alternative Board (and why it works)
- Run peer advisory boards: Curate groups of local SME owners who meet monthly to solve problems, share experience, and hold each other accountable.
- Coach 1:1: Provide focused, practical coaching that helps owners execute strategy and build leadership capability.
- Lead strategy and leadership programmes: Use The Alternative Board’s toolset—Business Builders Blueprint (BBB) for strategic planning, StratPro for leadership alignment and execution, and HI-MAP for manager capability—to deliver transformational engagements.
- Build community: Network locally, speak at events, meet partners, and grow your reputation as a trusted advisor.
It’s meaningful work with multiple revenue streams and recurring income—and because most activity runs in business hours, you keep evenings and weekends for life outside work.
What The Alternative Board provides (so you can focus on impact)
- World-class training & onboarding tailored to your background
- Proven methodologies: BBB, StratPro, Business Diagnostic, HI-MAP
- Marketing and business development support: campaigns, content and resources
- Back-office support: invoicing and payments managed for you
- Global community across 27+ countries to share wins, ideas and solutions
- Ongoing innovation: new tools, resources and best practice
You also operate in an exclusive local territory (typically 20–30k businesses), giving you room to grow with confidence.
Backing the businesses that power Australia
Australia’s SME sector is the backbone of the economy. Owners are time-poor, often isolated in decision-making and hungry for clarity, accountability, and a trusted sounding board. The Alternative Board sits directly in that gap—helping leaders step out of day-to-day firefighting and work on the business.
With The Alternative Board’s framework and your lived experience, you help owners:
- Align personal and business vision
- Build a strategy they can actually execute
- Lead teams more effectively
- Improve profit, cash, and growth
- Regain time and balance
When small business thrives, Australia thrives—and you build a valuable, saleable asset in the process.
Is this the right move for you?
Business ownership with The Alternative Board suits professionals who:
- Want independence—with proven systems behind them
- Enjoy facilitating groups and coaching leaders
- Love strategy and execution (not just theory)
- Value recurring revenue and work-life balance
- Care about making a real difference in their local business community
If that sounds like you, The Alternative Board offers a clear path to build a business that reflects your values and rewards your effort.
Your next step
Curious what The Alternative Board could look like in your community? Want to see the tools and programmes in action?
Let’s talk. We’ll walk you through the model, training, territories and earning potential—and introduce you to Owners who’ve already made the leap.
Build a business that builds businesses—backed by The Alternative Board’s proven system.
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