Franchise business ideas

A franchise lets you buy a proven brand and system in exchange for fees and following the franchisor's rules. For a solopreneur, the realistic options are owner-operator concepts you can run yourself, not multi-unit restaurants that need staff.

Franchise types that can run with one person

• Home and property services: cleaning, lawn care, pest control, handyman, window washing.
• Mobile services: car detailing, pet grooming, mobile repairs.
• Education: tutoring and test-prep centres or home-based tutoring brands.
• B2B services: commercial cleaning, signage, staffing or bookkeeping brands.

Read the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)

In the U.S., the FTC's Franchise Rule requires franchisors to give you a disclosure document before you sign or pay. It covers initial fees, ongoing royalties, litigation history, estimated initial investment, territory, and contacts for current and former franchisees. See FTC: Franchise Rule compliance guide and FTC: Buying a franchise, a consumer guide.

• Call former franchisees listed in the FDD and ask why they left.
• Check whether financial performance figures are given (Item 19) and how they were measured.
• Have a franchise attorney review the agreement before you sign.

Franchise or start your own?

If the appeal is a proven service, you can often start the independent version for less: see boring business ideas, service business ideas and low investment business ideas. Form a legal entity before signing anything: should a solopreneur form an LLC?