The service sector offers a diverse array of opportunities that include low-cost, home-based and seasonal franchises.
To determine this year’s top list, we surveyed over 19,495 franchisees from many of today’s leading franchise brands. Each survey participant was asked 33 benchmark questions about their franchisor that focused on areas such as leadership, training, and core values as well 16 more personal questions concerning their business lifestyle and overall enjoyment of running their franchise. Franchise brands are not allowed to pay for exposure on any of our lists; we determine our the best franchises based purely on our independent surveys. This year 88 brands made the FBR’s top-rated list! You can learn more about our research methodology here.
To learn more about each brand simply click on the view link. Once you are on a franchise brand’s page, you can opt to receive additional details directly from the franchise by entering your email into the contact form.
If you’ve thought about being your own boss and want control of your work, finances, and life, MaidPro can offer you two things: a business that fulfills the dream of being your own boss, of ...
Learn More of MaidPro
Dream Vacations is a franchise opportunity with over 1,400 people living their entrepreneurship dreams in the travel industry. With our low-cost high-value model that has low overhead and no inventory...
Learn More of Dream Vacations
FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the leading sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of more than 700 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS&...
Learn More of FASTSIGNS
We are the world leader in uneven sidewalk repair. We make sidewalks safe.
...Learn More of Precision Concrete Cutting
At Sandler, we work with people every day who have decided to take control of their destinies. They’re excited about creating a new of kind lifestyle business on their own terms and looking f...
Learn More of Sandler Training
Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative, is the largest home-based travel agency franchise in the nation with over 2,500 franchise owners in all 50 states. Cruise Planners franch...
Learn More of Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative
Since 1972, Our Town America has been connecting local businesses with new movers and helping turn them into loyal, long term customers. As the leaders in New Mover Marketing, we use...
Learn More of Our Town America
Soccer Shots is an engaging children’s soccer program with a focus on character development. We positively impact children’s lives on and off the field through our best-in-class coachin...
Learn More of Soccer Shots
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the world, aiming to provide our customers with the highest level of service in both local and long-distance moving, a...
Learn More of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK
Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services, based in Palm Harbor, Fla., was founded in 1992 and began franchising in 1996. An industry leader, Office Pride is one of the most respected full-service ...
Learn More of Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services
At Miracle Method, we make ugly bathtubs, tile & countertops beautiful again. Join the #1 ranked Surface Refinishing Company in a Booming Industry! We have the strongest business model in the i...
Learn More of Miracle Method Surface Refinishing
Truly Nolen is a leader in the pest management industry and has been proudly building great customer relationships since 1938. Truly Nolen started pest control operations in 1938 and is one of...
Learn More of Truly Nolen of America
Since 1979, HouseMaster has been helping people with an entrepreneurial spirit (like you!) to start living the lifestyle they’ve always envisioned. While many franchises make promises regardi...
Learn More of HouseMaster
A business to business service, Payroll Vault is a boutique-style full-service payroll company designed for small business. Payroll is ranked in the Top 3 Outsourced Business Services, and with ove...
Learn More of Payroll Vault
DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen is a faith-based, full-service remodeling franchise that helps entrepreneurs and existing remodelers earn strong financial numbers while having a focus on improving th...
Learn More of DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen
Snap-on Tools has the #1 market share position in the industry and our tools are universally recognized by professionals as the absolute highest quality tools in the industry. Snap-on franchisees a...
Learn More of Snap-on Tools
ActionCOACH is the World’s #1 business coaching firm. Currently, ActionCOACH has nearly than 1,000 coaches in more than 70 countries, and ActionCOACH delivers it's proven business develop...
Learn More of ActionCOACH
TeamLogic IT franchisees provide outsourced IT services and support to small- and medium-sized businesses. This support ranges from day-to-day computer repair and upgrades all the way to the installat...
Learn More of TeamLogic IT
Mike Merrick founded Fish Window Cleaning in January 1978. Based on growing demand and his success, Mike realized there was a need for this service in other markets. He used his 20 years of experie...
Learn More of Fish Window Cleaning Services
Oxi Fresh is the World's Greenest Carpet Cleaning company that services both residential and commercial clients. Oxi Fresh has spent 14 years building the most efficient cleaning systems for ca...
Learn More of Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning
Since 1987, we have built and refined a robust franchise business system. This includes the research and development of our proprietary product line, highly specialized techniques, exceptional trai...
Learn More of Fibrenew
For the past 20 years, Brian Scudamore has been building one of the most successful franchise systems in North America. His concept 1-800-GOT-JUNK? is known for its amazing branding, award winning ...
Learn More of WOW 1 DAY PAINTING
Amazing Athletes is a mobile, year-round, educational sports and fitness program that introduces young children to the basic fundamentals of 10 different sports while helping them master 6 key area...
Learn More of Amazing Athletes
Ranked #1 for residential cleaning, among the Top Low Cost Investments, and the Fastest Growing Residential Cleaning franchise by Entrepreneur magazine, The Maids is the quality leader in the indus...
Learn More of The Maids
Do you have a need for more personal control over your work and financial life and want the benefits that come with it? Now is still a great time to invest in real estate! To...
Learn More of HomeVestors of America
Critter Control® is a nationally recognized brand, the only wildlife management firm with offices coast-to-coast. When it comes to nuisance wildlife, homeowners, businesses and...
Learn More of Critter Control
TSS Photography is the nation's leading photography franchise. We specialize in sports, school and event photography services.If you are looking for a flexible, fun, low cost and low overhead f...
Learn More of TSS Photography
Start Enjoying Your Work Life Again and be the Hero Your Community Needs
Make your dream of loving what you do a reality by owning your own business. Not only can you imp...
Learn More of Mosquito Joe
The Glass Guru is the "Local Glass, Window, Door, and Shower Experts You Can Rely On!" We are the industry leader in glass REPAIR & REPLACEMENT services for both re...
Learn More of The Glass Guru
Image One is a national franchise that has grown incredibly since it started to offer franchising opportunities in 2011. There are a few key aspects of the Image One franchise opportunity that are ...
Learn More of Image One
A Molly Maid® business is a scalable, executive business model brand that is backed by Neighborly®, one of the world’s largest families of service-based franchises. As a Neighborly&re...
Learn More of Molly Maid
Founded in 2001, PuroClean has a comprehensive network of 280-plus franchise offices across North America. Known as the “Paramedics of Property Damage®,” PuroClean provides fire and...
Learn More of Puroclean
When you think of having your windows or gutters cleaned, we’re willing to bet you can’t think of a household name. Shack Shine is changing that. Shack Shine is pioneering a brand new i...
Learn More of Shack Shine
NEXTAFF franchisees help companies Identify, Evaluate and Acquire quality talent using our proprietary X-Factor process.
NEXTAFF was originally started as a traditional staffing company i...
Learn More of Nextaff
Since 1983 we've helped people like you reach for their dreams. Our low prices make starting a Heaven's Best franchise affordable, and our product quality makes for satisfied customers.
...Learn More of Heaven's Best Carpet Cleaning
Have you been searching for a franchise opportunity that offers high earning potential, low investment and the ability to run the business from home? You should consider a 360clean franchise....
Learn More of 360clean
As one of Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500®, Five Star Painting® is a nationally-recognized brand customers know and trust. With interior and exterior job opportunities, the Five Star pai...
Learn More of Five Star Painting
FPC (F-O-R-T-U-N-E Personnel Corporation) is a leading Executive Recruitment Franchise.
FPC franchise owners and their recruiters are vital to helping hire the top 10% of proven performer...
Learn More of FPC
Every year, Franchise Business Review surveys thousands of franchisees from hundreds of leading franchise brands to gauge franchisee satisfaction and performance — and to compile our lists of the top-rated franchise brands. Our independent franchisee satisfaction reviews measure the health of franchise systems that participate in our research based exclusively on the feedback of franchise owners... the real franchise experts!
Not all brands willingly open their doors to an independent research firm like Franchise Business Review, but those who do can offer investors, like you, a wealth of information on the system’s leadership, culture, training and support, financial outlook and franchisee community.
Learn more about FBR’s survey and research methodology.
As a prospective franchisee in the service segment, you can choose to run anything from mobile, to real estate, to advertising and sales, and everything in between. Below are the top five service segments by average income:
Real Estate: $138,678
Business Services: $97,317
General Services: $96,633
Home Services: $91,277
Advertising and Sales: $71,392
The services sector offers a wide range of investment options for prospective franchisees. Some concepts require less than $50,000 to get started, while others can cost well over $500,000.
It’s critical that you go into a new business being properly capitalized. That being said, it’s important to emphasize that the figures listed above are the total initial investment, but with financing and lease options, the typical upfront cash requirements tend to be much lower.
Using the example of buying a home, the total value of a house might be $300,000, but you’re only required to put down $30,000 cash, or even less. Investing in a franchise business is similar.
For example, a College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving franchise costs $89,300 - $208,000 “all in,” but the liquid capital requirements (the cash you need to invest) is $65,000, with the balance being financed through business loans.
There are a lot of varying service franchises, so you will have more brands and sectors to choose from. While Real Estate and Business Services are at the top tier of the service segment, profitability in most sectors of the service industry are quite comfortable.
As of date, our research shows that seventy-one percent of service franchise owners earn less than $100,000 per year, and just twenty-nine percent – the “top performers” – earn more than $100,000 per year. The average annual income reported by all service operators that we surveyed is $91,461 for businesses open at least two years.
Sixty-one percent of service franchisees surveyed were male, while thirty-two percent were female. Six percent are male/female partnerships.
The majority of franchisees are between ages 45 and 64.
Forty-two percent of franchisees surveyed have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Thirty-six percent of franchisees live in Southern U.S., with the Northeast, Midwest and West all representing about twenty-percent.
