Being a small business owner can be lucrative and very rewarding if done right.  If you’ve always wanted to own your own company but you aren’t sure where to start, you should take a look at franchises.  Opening a franchise comes with the perks of being a small business owner without a lot of the start-up risks that come with building a business from scratch. 

One of the biggest benefits of opening a new franchise is the instant brand recognition.  Customers will immediately recognize your store’s name, the product you sell and the franchise’s reputation.  Other important benefits of choosing to go the franchise route include leveraged buying power, support from the parent company, instant market presence and even the ability to benefit from national marketing campaigns.

If you’re researching new businesses, start with some of the most lucrative franchise opportunities.

1.  BizziBiz

2.  Liberty Tax Service

Photo: kmf164/Flickr

3.  ampm

Photo: bp

4.  Supercuts

Photo: jaycross/Flickr

5.  Vanguard Cleaning Systems

Photo: nazreth/stock.xchng

6.  SuperGlass Windshield Repair

Photo: rmisko/Flickr

7.  Kumon Math & Reading Centers

Photo: Kieran Huggins/Flickr

8.  Papa John's Pizza

Photo: taberandrew/Flickr

9.  H & R Block

Photo: dave_mcmt/Flickr

10.  The UPS Store

Photo: andrew.petro/Flickr

A common misconception about franchises is that you’ll need deep pocket books to get started.  While some franchises do have multi-million dollar startup costs and high minimum net worth requirements, you can actually open up many franchises with less than $10,000 in startup funds. 

One important thing to keep in mind is that regardless of the franchise that you choose to open, you need to be passionate about your new business.  Although opening a franchise has many benefits over building a business from the ground up, you will still need to work hard in order to succeed.  By combining your hard work and dedication with the benefits of franchises, you will be on the road towards small business success.