We all know the old saying: “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.” It’s not a problem for the rich, but as far as the poor are concerned, it’s a terrible sentiment of hopelessness, and sometimes it becomes the mentality of those of us who are desperately trying to start our own businesses. Even in the franchise world, trying to move from have-not to successful businessman can be daunting, if not entirely paralyzing. Browsing the pages of potential entrepreneurial endeavors, a person would have to be oblivious, blind, or in denial to not recognize the large number of franchise opportunities that require hundreds of thousands of dollars just for startup. It seems a person has to be rich if he ever hopes to be rich—or even just not poor.
At least, that’s the way it seems. As it turns out, there is hope for those low on funds; a very quick search of franchise businesses in lower price brackets turns up a decent list of options for starting out. Among those, some stand out as being potentially very profitable, sustainable, and in some cases, downright interesting.
The first of these low-startup alternatives is all of the above. Costing between $8000 and $10,000 at startup, PosiGrip is, at first glance, a rather ho-hum business model, appearing to be little more than any other owner-run operation based on physical labor, but when you look closer, you find an idea that is both novel and highly useful. The service that PosiGrip provides is surface coating that makes everything from tile to concrete safer when wet than when dry—which, when you think about it, is a very useful thing everywhere from the home shower to the local McDonalds bathroom, and there aren’t many companies in competition.
In that same low-cost, everybody-needs-it sector of business are two other good franchises for the financially challenged. Mr. Fire Safety—aside from having a really cool name—does something that no school, restaurant, or hospital can legally survive without: cleaning kitchen exhaust ducts. At least 2-4 times a year, every one of these places must have this done to stay up to code, so aside from having the benefit of afternoon and late-night work hours, the Mr. Fire Safety franchisee has a captive market. In a similar vein, another small business, Ductz, is an up-and-coming pro in the more general business of duct cleaning, and they’ve already achieved the honor of being called the best in their field. With either of these franchises, business owners find an excellent means of beginning to get ahead by joining forces with an exceptional company at the ground floor.
Another good choice is the Blind Butler franchise. Yes, the name creates some interesting mental images, but the business works. Since mini blinds were developed, cleaning them has always been a real pain in the keister—a long, expensive, and painstaking process even for professionals. But with this companies system, it becomes far simpler for the franchisee, which in turn makes it far cheaper for the client. Everybody’s happy.
Perhaps, though, getting down and dirty to make a dollar isn’t exactly your cup of tea; you’d just as soon stay at home in your bathrobe in front of your computer, making money with no physical strain. Well, I can’t guarantee an utter lack of exertion, but there are still a few small business franchises that might be more up your alley.
Consider, for starters, OnNet Web Solutions. With the internet revolutionizing everything about the way we do business today, companies need to be web-savvy to fully engage and profit from their specific markets. However, many—perhaps most—are not. By building a network of clients companies who need the help of your OnNet work from home business and providing them services in a number of web-centric business aspects from marketing to web-design, both you and your clients succeed, and most days, you don’t even need to leave your home.
There is no possible way to find a more comfortable home-based business than The Back Rubber, a business that revolves around automated massage recliners. The franchisee’s task in this operation is to build professional relationships in order to put your pay-per-use massage chairs in public places like shopping malls and provide shoppers a bit of relaxation when the work of being a consumer gets to be too much. Even when you’re not around, comfort-seeking leather-lovers are paying you for the use of your seat.
Not everyone, though, is simply interested in making a dollar and personally getting ahead; some people want to spend their lives and businesses in service of other, working to ends perhaps slightly more noble than simple creature comfort. For the altruistic—and maybe the science-slanted—take a gander at The Drug Test Consultant, a business that provides a very necessary corporate service while also trying to help the community. The name of the business pretty much sums up the work, but aside from simply testing for evidence of a person’s drug use, this franchisor considers it of special importance that their work helps reveal serious problems in people’s lives, and shedding light on the secret places that could destroy a person is something that they take very seriously.
Hopefully, this quick overview has provided those with slightly less starting capital a glimmer of hope at the possibility of starting a franchise without having to sell your soul just to pay for startup. The American way is that anyone with a desire can do what they want with his life, regardless of the starting point, and while that may not be true in every case, it might be nothing more than a little more work at searching that stands between you and your opportunity.
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