A home based franchise could be a good fit if you’re looking for a better work-life balance. This flexible business model has low overhead costs and gives you the freedom to set your own schedule. However, just like any business, it requires hard work and commitment. You’ve also got to decide which sector interests you the most because there is a lot of choice. Researching market trends, costs, and the most popular franchises is a good place to start.

Overview of the Market

Many people have adapted to working remotely since the Covid-19 pandemic. And a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) time-use survey shows remote work is the new norm with 35% of people doing some or all of their work at home. As a result, creating an office environment in your house isn’t such a giant leap these days. Moreover, it sets you up to explore career options, including work from franchise opportunities.

The US Small Business Association (SBA) reports that 50% of all small businesses start at home. So, 19 million US businesses are home-based. Additionally, Franchise Direct reports that parents are driving the growth of work from home businesses. The main reason is it is easier to plan your work arrangements around your children when you have a flexible schedule thanks to working at home.

The description sums it up – a home based business is the type of business you run from your home, not a commercial space. However, that’s not to say you have to do everything from our living room. For example, mobile franchises can be categorized as home based franchise opportunities. I.e., you can take your goods and services to the customers, but you handle the paperwork and marketing side from home.

When you are researching which industries are most likely to franchise, here are some home-based ones you’ll find in the following sectors:

• Cleaning
• Car wash franchise opportunities (mobile business model)
• Automotive franchises
• Children’s franchise opportunities
• Online education and tutoring
• Photography franchise

Equally important, note that a stay at home franchise differs from home franchise opportunities focusing on anything related to the home, such as a water damage restoration franchise or a paint and decorating business.

Independent Home-Based Business Versus Work From Home Franchise

If you’re motivated and self-disciplined, working out of your home is a viable option. But there are different ways to go about it. Do you go it alone or invest in the support of a franchise? Here are the pros and cons:

Independent

• Lower startup costs because there are no franchise fees or ongoing royalty payments.
• You’re the sole decision maker with complete control over how you market and grow your business around your home life schedule.
• It is time-consuming to build brand recognition from scratch and you will have to spend money on marketing to attract customers.
• Lack of franchise support can make scaling the business trickier.
• Working from home can be a lonely experience if you don’t have a franchise partner.

Franchise

• You are investing in a proven business model, reducing the risk of startup challenges.
• Most franchisors provide extensive training and ongoing support to help your home-based business get off to a strong start.
• Working with an established brand means people may already know the brand name. Also, you often have access to its marketing resources, helping reduce promotional costs. Some offer international franchising opportunities.
• Enjoy ongoing support from franchisors and the community of franchisees can make a work from home business feel like part of a team. This can help reduce feelings of isolation and the struggle of doing everything yourself.
• However, note that franchise initial investment and regular royalties can eat into your profits.

Additional Home Based Franchise Benefits

1. Lower financial investment: The main benefit of working from home is cost savings. For example, you can start a work from home franchise for much less than a food restaurant franchise that includes real estate in the initial investment. Check out the low cost franchise opportunities.
2. Productivity boost: Researchers published a study that suggests working from home doesn’t affect productivity. On the contrary, employees who got to work from home seemed much happier with the work-life balance than people who went into the office every day.
3. Flexibility: Another key benefit of stay at home franchise opportunities is the flexibility over where and how you run your business. For example, you don’t need to commute or manage a store. You can also set your hours to work around your family’s schedule – ideal if you have younger children.

Best Home Based Franchise Opportunities

Choose an opportunity that suits your skillset, passion and sense of purpose. And if you want to try something new and different, partner with a franchise that offers extensive training and support. Here are some industries and top brands that you can run as mobile businesses from home:

Car Wash and Commercial Cleaning

DetailXPerts is a mobile cleaning franchise that prides itself on being a green business. It uses eco-friendly steam cleaning technology and cleaning products that don’t harm the environment. You can start with a mobile detailing unit and work around your family life with the opportunity to grow the business with more mobile units or open a free-standing auto detailing shop.

Moreover, there are three lucrative profit centers: auto detailing, fleet and truck washing, and commercial and janitorial cleaning services. Investment costs range from $103,500 to $240,100. Furthermore, we support franchise opportunities for veterans looking for a fresh start in the automotive business.

Lawn Care

Lawn Doctor is one of the leaders in the lawn care industry with nearly 600 franchise locations across the US. It specializes in lawn and tree care, and holiday light services that can bring in money during the lawn-cutting off season. Like mobile auto detailing and commercial cleaning, take care of the admin and home, then bring your services to the customer. The initial investment is $134,000 to $150,000.

Travel

Dream Vacations could be a way to start your own home-based business. Plan personalized experiences for people who want unique and memorable vacations. Your target market is huge. Sell to families, couples, and senior citizens. Solo travel and eco travel are also growing trends. The initial investment is $10,500. However, look out for regular promotional discounts that bring costs under 10K. See more franchise opportunities under 10K.

Business Services

1040TaxBiz’s target market is the millions of small business owners who need help to prepare and file their tax returns. A partnership with the right tax business can give you turnkey work from home franchise opportunities without a hefty franchise fee. The initial investment is $699, which includes help with IRS registration and access to training programs and marketing kits. See more franchise opportunities under 5K.

Photography

TSS Photography specializes in sports and school photography. If you like to get behind the camera, this photography franchise offers services ranging from portrait and event photography to specialized niches like weddings, school photos, real estate photography, and corporate headshots. The initial investment cost is $20,000 to $75,000.

Spoiled Rotten Photography captures children’s milestones on camera and also taps into the lucrative school photography market.  It is a home-based business that offers a good deal of flexibility if you’re seeking a better work-life balance. The initial investment is $46,000 to $63,000.

Computer Business

Computer Troubleshooters is one of the computer franchise opportunities that offers tech solutions like data recovery and remote support services. The initial investment cost is $20,000 to $45,000. Again, check out your options – see other franchise opportunities under 50k.

Pet Services

Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming franchise is an option if you love animals and want to turn your passion for pets into a business. The US pet service industry is thriving with household spending on pets predicted to create industry revenue of $260 billion by 2030.  The initial investment for a Woof Gang franchise is $289,000.

If you’re interested in turning your hobby into a business, be sure to tune into our podcast More Details, Please with the Williams where you can learn more about home-based franchising.

Vending

Healthy You Vending is one of the absentee owner franchises that you can run from home. The business concept is healthier food choices for people who want to snack on the go from vending machines. You don’t need employees. Also, you can remotely monitor your vending machines and then fill them when needed. Indeed, many franchises offer cloud-based management systems to make it easier for you to monitor business operations remotely. The initial investment cost for Healthy You Vending is $60,000 to $185,0000.

Franchise Opportunities for Stay-at-Home Moms

There is no shortage of franchise opportunities for stay-at-home moms looking for work to fit around their family life. Taking care of the kids and the strong organizational and team management skills learned from parenting make moms ideal candidates for a range of different jobs.

Children’s Fashion Franchise

Buying clothing for their kids and dressing them makes moms well-qualified to take on a children’s fashion franchise. It is an everyday chore that has great business potential. Moms know only too well how quickly children outgrow clothes and shoes. The good news is that gently used items in good condition can be easily resold when no longer needed.

Once Upon a Child franchise specializes in selling new and used children’s clothes and also toys, furniture and equipment. It’s an ideal business if you want to be a part of the thriving sustainable, environmentally friendly “green” business sector. The primary focus is on reselling children’s items instead of them going into landfill. The initial investment cost is $287,800 to $420,800.

Just Between Friends specializes in children’s and maternity consignment sale events. Franchise owners market to local families and sell new and gently used items. You can opt to hold a minimum of two sales each year, which makes it an easier business for stay at home moms to manage. The initial investment is $67,00 to $98,000.

Organizing Children’s Parties

They say that if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. Multi-tasking moms fit this description perfectly. Moms have great organizational skills thanks to overseeing their family’s hectic schedules. Therefore, getting paid to organize children’s parties could be a natural fit.

Kid Create Studio is one of those franchise opportunities for stay at home moms who have a creative side and a head for business. As well as hosting art-themed birthday parties in their local communities, moms can boost profits by running art classes and art camps for kids. The global children’s entertainment market is projected to reach $15.37 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2019 to 2026.

Kid Create Studio investment is from $64,520 and this includes the franchise fee. You can choose to own both a studio and a mobile business or simply stick with a mobile business to begin with. This gives you more control over your schedule and the opportunity to work flexible hours to suit family home life.

Children’s Education

The Coder School is a coding educational franchise for children ages 7-18. This franchise has had enormous success and grown 261.5% over 3 years. It taps into the massive ongoing consumer demand for technology and apps. You need to live near a physical school to offer coding, but you can also offer virtual coaching from home. The initial investment is $78,000 to $194,000.

Children’s Arts & Craft Franchise

Moms are highly experienced when it comes to keeping small children entertained. Arts and crafts are usually a safe bet when you want to keep everyone busy and happy.

Abrakadoodle franchise offers arts classes for kids, summer art camps, art events and more. The focus of art lessons is not only on creative fun but also help children build cognitive and fine motor skills. The initial investment is $39,000 to $83,000.

Children’s Hair Salons

Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids is more suitable if your children are in full-time education. Cookie Cutters’ specialty salons have a unique look. This includes an in-store playground with lots of fun-filled attractions and games designed to keep children coming back to your salon. Repeat business like this is great for profits. Also, the franchisor describes Cookie Cutters as a smart investment for the whole family. Moreover, there is on-the-job training to equip you with the skills you need. The initial investment is $117,000 to $455,000.

Children’s Fitness Franchise Opportunities for Stay at Home Moms

Soccer Shots offers fitness soccer programs for children aged 2-8. The fitness of children will always be a priority for families who want to raise healthy and happy kids. Moms who understand the importance of keeping kids active can channel their passion into a profitable business opportunity. The market is booming with $19 billion spent annually in US youth sports. The initial investment is $43,000 to $54,000.

Conclusion

To sum up, there are exciting opportunities available if you’re interested in work from home franchise opportunities. The benefits include a better work-life balance and lower costs because you don’t need to invest in a physical store. You also have franchise support, which can take the loneliness out of home working without a team.

However, you must be self-disciplined and super organized to ensure you don’t let home distractions get in the way of running your business. So, create a business plan to ensure you stay on top of work. Equally important, you need to know how to separate work from your personal life otherwise it defeats the purpose of enjoying the freedom and flexibility that comes with working from home.

Finally, you can narrow down your search by focusing on mobile franchises. They don’t require a shop front, and many let you run the business from a home office. Furthermore, many industries are shifting towards convenience-driven services, such as pet grooming, truck washing and auto detailing.

People love a service delivered directly to them – and this includes a car wash. DetailXPerts’ mobile cleaning franchise taps into the lucrative green market using steam. You can build a robust business auto detailing and fleet cleaning, serving B2C and B2B customers while also offering commercial cleaning services.

Learn more about life as a franchisee and gain valuable insights by downloading our FREE EBOOK on 4 Franchise Owners Who Found Success with DetailXPerts.