If you’ve been considering a variety of franchise opportunities, but you also want the flexibility and convenience of a “work from home” business, a home-based franchise opportunity might be the perfect fit. Home-based franchises combine the excitement of being an entrepreneur with the flexibility of a home-based business.
Many potential franchisees are deterred by business models that require them to be actively involved in the daily operations of a brick-and-mortar storefront. Luckily, there are home-based franchise opportunities that offer the advantages of a home-based or mobile business. In fact, many home-based franchise opportunities don’t require you to have a physical office at all.
In this article, we share a snapshot of the top home-based franchise opportunities available in a variety of categories – from top brands like Snap-on Tools to travel, cleaning, food franchises, and more.
Types of Home-Based Franchise Opportunities
A home-based franchise offers franchisees the opportunity to operate the business from a home office, mobile office, or other location outside of a traditional storefront.
It’s a combination of both an owner-operator and a participating operator franchise model. Like a participating operator model, a home-based franchise does not require you to commute to a physical location or headquarters. However, like an owner-operator model, you remain actively involved in the day-to-day running of your franchise.
The types of businesses that offer home-based franchising opportunities include:
- Mobile store franchises
- Professional tool franchises
- Delivery-based food franchises
- Travel and hospitality franchises
- Cleaning and maintenance franchises
- Finance and business services franchises
Explore These Home-Based Franchises to Find Your Fit
It pays to do your research – starting with our top picks! In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best home-based franchises for your consideration.
1. Snap-on Tools
Type: Professional tools and franchise
Investment: $175,146 – $411,941
Cash required: $38,126 – $54,288
Prior industry experience required: No
How long it takes to open a franchise: 4-13 weeks
A typical day for a Snap-on Tools franchisee:
- Operate a “showroom on wheels” that displays a representative inventory of over 58,000 SKUs and offers technicians the ability to purchase at the workplace.
- Become a valuable resource by calling on professional tool users where they work.
- Deliver innovative solutions to the skilled trades, particularly automotive and fleet sectors.
- Provide a high level of customer service and proven productivity solutions to the professional market in a protected customer base
Snap-on Tools home-based franchises provide the opportunity to own a mobile tool store you can operate, selling and servicing the top tool brand in the world directly to professionals. It comes with an iconic name known globally as a leading manufacturer and brand of hand tools, power tools, software, storage solutions, and diagnostic equipment with more than 100 years of innovation and thousands of patents.
Founded in 1920, Snap-on Tools offers more than 58,000 different products that are sold through 4,600+ global franchises. The brand has been franchising since 1991 through a unique business model of mobile tool stores — vans and trucks that serve as mobile points of sale.
This business model is precisely what makes Snap-on Tools one of the best home-based franchises. As an individual Snap-on Tools franchisee, you are not required to be tied to a physical office or location. Instead, you operate a mobile store or fleet of mobile stores from your own home base.
In addition to the flexibility this business model provides, the brand offers extensive support to its franchisees, providing a protected customer base, extensive training, and in-house financing options for qualified customers and franchisees.
With its unique business model and recognizable brand name, Snap-on Tools is among the best home-based franchising opportunities. Check out the video below for a quick look at what it’s like to franchise with Snap-on Tools, and find out why the brand tops our list:
2. Kona Ice
Type: Shaved ice franchise
Investment: $127,750 – $151,550
Cash required: $25,000
Prior industry experience required: No
How long it takes to open a franchise: 30-60 days
Kona Ice sells flavored shaved ice and other frozen desserts through a network of branded trucks, kiosks, and other mobile points of sale. The brand was founded in 2007 and launched its franchising program in 2008, growing to over 1,300 locations since then.
In addition to its flexible, home-based franchising model, the brand is also notable for its philanthropy efforts. Since it was founded, Kona Ice has given over $100 million in donations to the local communities of the brand’s franchisees.
As such, a Kona Ice franchise could be a great home-based franchising opportunity for those who wish to be actively involved in the community while running a business.
[Source: Dream Vacations-Cruise One]
3. Dream Vacations-CruiseOne
Type: Travel agency franchise
Investment: $1,795 – $21,000
Cash required: $3,500
Prior industry experience required: No
How long it takes to open a franchise: Up to 30 days
A joint brand of World Travel Holdings, Dream Vacations-Cruise One is a two-in-one travel agency that sells vacation packages, cruises, travel insurance, and other travel-related products and services. Both brands operate under the same franchising system that includes 1,500+ franchisees all over the U.S.
Dream Vacations-Cruise One offers low investment requirements and a quick turnaround. Since most franchisees who work with these brands are individual agents who work on a commission basis, this business fully supports the home-based franchising model.
4. 360clean
Type: Commercial cleaning franchise
Investment: $1,795 – $21,000
Cash required: $15,000
Prior industry experience required: No
How long it takes to open a franchise: Up to 30 days
Founded in 2005, 360clean stands out from other commercial cleaning franchises with its focus on health-conscious cleaning through its trademarked JaniMed Cleaning System. With 75 franchisees serving the niche health-focused B2B cleaning market, the brand is a small, but cost-effective and rapidly growing franchising opportunity.
360clean does not require its prospective franchisees to have any industry experience but instead offers comprehensive training and support programs.
Combined with the low investment requirements and the fact that the brand’s franchising system is home-based, a 360clean franchise could be a great opportunity if you’re looking to start a business in a niche, yet profitable industry.
5. Soccer Shots
Type: Sports and recreation franchise
Investment: $44,600 – $61,400
Cash required: $20,000
Prior industry experience required: No
How long it takes to open a franchise: 6-12 weeks
If you love sports and working with children, a Soccer Shots franchise might be the perfect franchise opportunity for you.
Founded in 2000 and franchising since 2005, Soccer Shots is a children’s soccer training program that aims to help students develop personally and emotionally in addition to learning how to play soccer.
The brand’s franchising model does not require franchisees to own or rent any training facilities, which results in low investment costs. Instead, franchisees act as supervisors, scheduling training for their clients, hiring coaches, and taking care of the administrative side of the business.
These features make Soccer Shots a great home-based franchising opportunity for those who have a passion for having a positive impact on children’s lives.
Benefits of Running a Home-Based Franchise
In addition to many of the “work from home” conveniences that are so highly sought after today, home-based franchising opportunities offer a number of other benefits.
Flexibility: When running a home-based franchise, you are often free to choose when to start your working day and when to end it. If your operations are running smoothly and your clients are satisfied, you can use the time you might have otherwise spent commuting to focus on work-life balance, growing your business, or other responsibilities.
Lower overhead costs: Compared to regular brick-and-mortar franchises, most home-based franchise opportunities offer lower overhead costs. Since you don’t have to own or rent a facility or office, you can avoid many overhead costs, and reinvest the money you save back into your business to expand your customer base or range of services.
Less financial risk: Owning a franchise that requires you to have a physical office or location can be costly, inconvenient, and at times, risky. The location itself is typically the largest investment you will make in your franchise. If a franchise is not performing as well as expected, a brick-and-mortar store can become a serious financial liability.
Tax advantages: Believe it or not, owning a home-based franchise can also help you qualify for tax benefits. Under this business model, your home becomes your principal place of business in the eyes of the IRS, which allows you to deduct some of your home-related expenses to reduce your income tax. These might include homeowner’s insurance premiums, HOA fees, cleaning services, and utilities, to name a few.
How FBR Ranks Home-Based Franchising Opportunities
FBR has developed a proprietary methodology for reviewing and ranking franchises to help prospective franchisees find the best opportunities.
Our experts conduct extensive surveys among the franchisees of leading brands to evaluate how satisfied they are with their franchising experience.
Based on the results of the survey, we calculate a specific satisfaction score and assign it to the franchise. The franchises with the highest scores in their respective industries are included in our top lists.
Home-Based Franchises – Key Takeaways
Home-based franchises are a great opportunity for those seeking to combine the excitement and satisfaction of running their own business with the flexibility and convenience of working from home. They also offer lower overhead costs and reduced financial risk – they can even help you qualify for tax advantages.
If you’re ready to start your own home-based franchise, explore the franchises listed above. You just might find the perfect opportunity for you.
Looking for the best franchise opportunities? Become an FBR Insider
