I’ve always been intrigued by entrepreneurship. Within this great big world, individuals that have chosen this path and succeeded have been a source of inspiration and honor in my mind. This, more than anything, is because I value this attribute very highly and hope to one day call myself one.
Although in my own life I do generate some small side business income, I have trouble calling myself a business owner and entrepreneur. I realize that this will probably always be the case until a business is my sole source of income in this world. Frankly, until that happens, I will always be looking from the outside in.
With these thoughts and aspirations flowing through my daily thought, I have routinely gone in search of the next great business. Usually when one does this, they find many great businesses that have already been started and proven… in other words – franchise businesses. (At least that has been the case for me)
Occasionally, one may stumble on a new idea or service that has not been tried and make it big in the world of business – but many of the great entrepreneurs are franchise owners. They have used a proven system and with exceptional management skills have built a strong, flourishing business.
With this article, I hope to introduce you to three franchises I have come across in my search for great business ideas. What I like about all three of these businesses is that they are very inexpensive to open and operate. They can also be run right out of your home which makes them great options for “side hustle operations” and even full time self-supporting income.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of them because they are a little less known and at least one of them doesn’t show up in Entrepreneurs magazine’s “Franchise 500”. Even though they may not be massively popular like Subway or McDonalds, they are extremely viable options for a side business. If interested in one of them, I recommend doing your “due diligence” as I plan to just highlight them below…
1. Front Desk USA
Probably the least recognizable of the group is Front Desk USA. Front Desk USA is essentially a publishing business that focuses on providing visitor guides for the hospitality industry. As an owner of this business, one would need to be skilled in making extensive sales calls and possess some basic organizational capabilities.
The path to market for this franchise is pretty basic. Essentially Front Desk USA creates a map of your local area with areas of interest highlighted throughout. You as the publisher are then required to create booklets of these maps with advertising from local businesses – usually restaurants and entertainment locations. Then the map booklets are placed at hotels in the area for visitors to use when they are in town. (Pretty straight forward)
So, essentially the business can be summed up as a free map for visitors lodging at local hotels, with the map featuring your customers that you get paid from. Of the 3 franchises being featured in this article it is probably the most conducive to being a solid side business, as my profitability analysis showed about a $8000 to $10000 per year profit for one geographical location of 5-10 hotels. (…depending on what you charge your customers)
For more info on the Front Desk USA business, please visit their website at http://frontdeskusa.com
2. Coffee News
The Coffee News franchise may be more familiar to people who have looked around the low cost business section of Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, or their local restaurant. They have grown pretty rapidly over the years and also exist within the publishing arena. However, Coffee News is a bit more profitable than Front Desk USA and can be run more easily as a full time operation.
What is Coffee News? Coffee News is a local “free” publication that is placed around town for customers to enjoy while they are at the local coffee shop or their local restaurant. The content found within Coffee News is supplied by the franchise and the job of acquiring advertisers and distributing the paper is the job of the business owner.
In many ways this is also a sales business, as in order to generate income you will need to have customers. The positive of Coffee News is that since it is so prevalent around town, the customers usually find you. (…or so I’m told)
All in all, I found Coffee News to be a solid business operation. It is certainly low cost and is designed to be run out of your home, making it a great low cost franchise. If I lost my job today, one of the first things I would do is to explore the Coffee News opportunity more directly as I think it is a solid business with a lot of upside potential.
For more information on Coffee News franchise, please visit their website at http://coffeenews.com
3. The Dentist’s Choice
The Dentist’s Choice is one of the more intriguing opportunities of the bunch. I’ve never worked in the Dental industry, so in many ways I’m an outsider as I investigate this business but the business plan appears solid and with a lot of upside potential for the right business owner.
The path to market is Dental hand piece repair and service. We all know that dentists have to use their hand pieces every day to work and provide services to their customers. As an owner of the Dentist’s Choice franchise, the dentist would be your customer as you service and sell dental tools to their dental offices. In a nutshell, this is the business – you would be a dental hand piece repair and salesman.
The skills involved in this franchise are pretty evident. Certainly you will want to be a good salesman and be comfortable making sales calls to numerous dentists throughout your target area. In addition to this, you will also need to enjoy working with your hands as a big part of your job will be to repair the hand pieces the dentists need work on.
If the repair part concerns you, don’t worry. The Dentist’s Choice offers a large array of training and educational services to help you make the repairs necessary. They also offer training for making sales calls and getting your business set up (as all franchises do). So, if you think this business is for you, check this great business out today!
For more information on the Dentist’s Choice franchise, please visit their website at http://thedentistschoice.com
Ask the Readers
Readers, are you interested in entrepreneurship? What low cost business opportunities do you find exciting with huge upside?
Do any of you own one of these franchise licenses above? If so, please tell me your story below…
Photo Credit: Matti A
Jason is the founder of frugal habits - a personal finance blog about eliminating debt, saving your hard earned cash, and giving generously. When not enjoying time with his beautiful wife and two daughters - Jason enjoys the great outdoors, reading a great book, traveling the globe, triathlons, and a good cup of coffee.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I have never heard of these!
And I plan on opening a new business soon. It won’t be a franchise but it will be something new!
Michelle recently posted..Buying a Home as a Minimalist
Hey there Jason,
I just stumbled upon your blog seeking info on pre-paid mobile and I am so glad to have found you! I loved the article on low cost franchises as I love learning about opportunities that are accessible to the “average” person seeking to create a not so average life.
Keep it coming!
Feel the same way Kristi and hope to write more about it in the future… Thanks for visiting.
Man, these are all totally new to me. I am just waiting for In N Out burger to come to the East Coast. I am totally in!
Tony@WeOnlyDoThisOnce recently posted..3 Ways to Work Less and Get More Done
Tony, I’m in the mid west and can’t wait for In N Out to make it here. Love that place.
I have never heard of any of those!
My franchise dream is opening up a Maoz Vegetarian fast food place. I really want to so that I can eat there every day =/
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted..Types of Investments: Slicing Through The Mystique
I’ve never heard of these either. We thought about franchising before we started our business, but at the end of the day we wanted complete control with little up front costs. Thankfully the business we run is one of the ones you can do that in. That said, I think that running a franchise can be a great way for many to get into entrepreneurship.
John S @ Frugal Rules recently posted..Losing Isaac – Finding Life in the Death of a Child
I’ve never heard of any of these either. But I have to wonder about the viability of the first two since they’re paper-based. With such a push to move things completely digital, how long do you think one of these businesses could stay profitable? I do like the dentist option though….as much as I hate the dentist, they’re not going anywhere…haha!
The Happy Homeowner recently posted..Would You Ever NOT Pay Your Bills on Purpose?
I haven’t heard of any of those, but if dental equipment repair is as expensive as optometry equipment repair, that would be a killer business!
Kim@Eyesonthedollar recently posted..What Do I Miss From My Days of Spending Too Much Money?
Nice to see your blog. It presents the great information on franchise business opportunity .Here the people can know more about small as well as established business opportunity for brand expansion. The entrepreneurs who are interested to take franchise route for them Franchise India is the right place to know more about franchise business.
http://www.franchiseindia.com/
Wow, I liked this article. Although I have a dream to become a full time investor and option trader and call my investing a Business, your ideas or tips are touchy. I liked the front desk and the coffee news. I will read it more later and see if I give it a shot. Thanks for the links and tips.
Martin recently posted..New Trade – Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP)