You are probably very familiar with the concept of franchises. There are probably at least a few franchises in your local area, whatever that local area may be. In the Northeastern United States there are a few fairly ubiquitous names that stand out as you drive through the various cities and towns, names like Jiffy Lube, Pub 99, and Dunkin’ Donuts. While brick and mortar franchises are easy to see in your community, there are many other franchises out there that you can run from home.
From cleaning services like Vanguard and ServPro to tool sales businesses like Matco and Snap-On, there are many different franchises that you can run from home. Travel agent services, in-home care, tutoring, and computer service and repair are other areas in which a person desiring to open a business could possibly open a franchise instead of designing their own business from scratch. Whatever type of business you are interested in owning, if the idea of a franchise interests you, look around online to see if there is a franchise for that kind of business.
Franchises are great because a lot of the design and setup of the business has already been done for you. As wonderful as that is, it does not excuse you from undertaking the same type of thorough research and self assessment that you would go through when creating a home-based business of your own design. You want to be sure that the franchise that you choose is the right one for you, and that it is the right fit for what you and your family need right now. Make sure that you get your hands on all of the information that you can about the franchises that interest you.
The Franchise Disclosure Document is perhaps the most important document that you will come across in your search for the home-based franchise that is right for you. Obtain a copy for each different franchise that you are interested in and go through it over and over again until you understand each and every word in it. You may even want to go over it with a lawyer, so that you can be certain that you understand what your rights and obligations would be if you were to enter into a franchise contract with the company that you are interested in.