Best Franchises Under 10k

Franchising is a popular way for people to start their own business – you get access to a well-established business plan and the support of a large company, but still get to own your own business. Owning a franchise can be much easier, and more likely to succeed, than starting your own business from scratch. Most of the time, companies will only let you open a franchise for them if they truly think you are going to succeed – so your risks of failure are much lower than going at it alone. But while franchising is a great option for many people, there is a major downside to it as well: it can cost a lot of money to open a franchise. For example, it can cost more than $2 million to open just one McDonald’s restaurant! Obviously, most people can’t afford that.

So, how can you open a franchise if you don’t have much money to start? While you may not be able to start a restaurant franchise or car wash franchise, there are several low-cost franchises that cost less than $10,000 to start. These are companies that usually are service-oriented, so you have a much greater influence over your own success than in, say, a restaurant where tasty food is the biggest success factor. For these franchises, you need to be ready to work hard and to work a lot – your profit will often be a direct result of how many hours you are willing to put in. It won’t be easy, but for people who truly have the drive to succeed these franchises can be the opportunity to build their own company into whatever they want.

Dream Vacations Franchise

Dream Vacations, part of the CruiseOne company, is a travel agency whose franchisees help customers to plan and book their vacations. Agents help their customers to discover what vacation options are available and how to book these amazing experiences for the lowest price. With Dream Vacations, customers can book cruises, hotels, resort packages, weddings, special events, and guided tours. The company even encourages its agents to go on these experiences themselves (at discounted prices through the company) so that they can better help their customers.

Dream Vacations has three levels of franchising which are based on your amount of experience in the travel and hospitality industry. Level 1 is for people totally new to the industry, and this level has a $9,800 franchise fee. Level 2, for professionals with at least $50k in past commissionable sales, has a $3,195 franchise fee. Level 3 is for very experienced professionals with $100k+ in commissionable sales and has a franchise fee of only $495. There are also several other start-up discounts offered for veterans, teachers, etc. Regardless of which level you start with, it is up to you to build up your client base and start making money, though the company does give you leads of 250 potential customers when you first start out. 

This franchise is a good low-cost opportunity for people looking to get into the travel business but is also great for experienced professionals who want to start earning more income on the side. If you want to learn more about Dream Vacations and their franchise opportunities, you can visit their FAQs page.

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Baby Boot Camp Franchise

Baby Boot Camp offers group workout sessions for expecting and new mothers, and franchisees are the trainers leading these sessions. The workouts are designed to allow babies to be present, so mothers do not have to find babysitters. The company offers several programs, including Stroller Fitness, Restore the Core and Nutrition Solutions. Participants also get access to the Mom Strong Tribe, a club for mothers interested in nutrition and fitness. As a new franchisee with this company, you will be provided with an exclusive territory for your business, and Operations Manual for how to run your business, and a ‘start-up kit’ that includes all the materials you will need to start.

Baby Boot Camp has three ‘tiers’ of franchising based on the population of the territory in which you want to work. Tier 1 is for territories with up to 100k people and requires a $5,000 franchise fee. Tier 2 territories have populations of 100k – 200k and have a franchise fee of $6,500. Finally, Tier 3 territories have populations of over 200k and have an $8,000 franchise fee. One major benefit of Baby Boot Camp is that the company does not charge any royalty fees, which are the biggest ongoing cost for most franchises. 

This is a good opportunity for new mothers who are looking to start a business, as it allows them to work alongside their babies and to meet other new moms. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, you can request more information here.

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N2 Publishing Franchise

N2 Publishing creates custom magazines for small communities. Their magazines use photos and stories from local residents to create unique content that aims to connect local people and businesses and create a feeling of community. These magazines are only sent to people within the local area and are only available in print. The company emphasizes its positive work culture and has been recognized with several awards, including being ranked #5 Top Company Cultures for medium companies by Entrepreneur magazine and #33 Best Medium Workplace by Fortune Magazine.

N2 Publishing franchisees are known as Area Directors. When starting as an Area Director, your first task will be to partner with enough local advertising clients to cover the cost of publishing and distributing your magazine. This is going to be a lot of work – especially since you won’t have any track record of success with your magazine. N2 estimates it will take 3 – 6 months to get enough advertising funding to start publishing your magazine. However, there is a silver lining in that N2’s advertising contracts are fairly long-term, so once you do have enough clients you will have steady revenue to continue publishing for a long time. After that, it’s up to you how much you want to work and expand your magazine.

According to N2 Publishing, in 2018 Area Directors with one publication earned on average $87,000 in commissions, with the lowest being $53,500 and the highest being $208,000. Area Directors with two publications earned on average $162,000 in commissions, with the lowest being $103,500 and the highest being $360,000. Clearly, these are very encouraging statistics for anyone interested in this franchise. However, it should also be noted that the company doesn’t accept very many of its applicants – and when they do accept an application it is because they feel that the applicant has a high chance of success. So, you are less likely to be able to join but highly likely to succeed if you do.

To learn more about becoming an Area Director with N2 Publishing, take a look at their brochure. 

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Jazzercise Franchise

If you haven’t already heard about it, Jazzercise is an exercise company that lets people workout by dancing to their favorite songs. The company was founded in 1969 but got really famous in the 1980s. They have since moved on from their infamous legwarmers, dancing to modern music and have programs that range from Core and Strength to Dance Mixx. According to the company, you can burn up to 800 calories in one 60-minute workout. 

Jazzercise has two levels of franchising: Associates and Owners. As an Associate, you lead group workout sessions in an Owner’s facilities. As an owner, you are responsible for setting up and maintaining the facilities in which all sessions are taught. This includes buying/renting a building, purchasing exercise equipment, and buying the music program from Jazzercise. Since there are two franchising levels, total setup costs can be very different for each franchisee. As an Associate, you can start a franchise for around $2,500. Becoming an Owner can cost as little as $9,000 but can run much higher for people in high-cost areas (ex: where rent is several thousand each year). 

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Final Thoughts

There are many great franchise options under $10k, as listed above. If you are looking for even more options and have some more cash to invest, make sure to check out our list of the best franchises under $50k. Before you invest in a franchise, make sure you fully understand how franchises work.

Sources

1. “Franchising FAQs.” McDonalds, McDonald’s, 2019, www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us/franchising/franchising-faq.html.
2. “The Opportunity.” Dream Vacations Franchise, Dream Vacations, 2019, https://www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com/travel-franchise-opportunity/.
3. “Your Success.” Dream Vacations Franchise, Dream Vacations, 2019, https://www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com/travel-agency-business/.
4. “Investment.” Dream Vacations Franchise, Dream Vacations, 2019, https://www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com/travel-franchise-cost/.
5. “FAQs.” Dream Vacations Franchise, Dream Vacations, 2019, https://www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com/travel-franchise-questions/.
6. “Dream Vacations.” Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur, 2019, https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/dreamvacations/282261.
7. “Our Programs.” Baby Boot Camp, Baby Boot Camp, 2019, https://www.babybootcamp.com/mommy-and-me-fitness-exercise-classes-program/.
8. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Baby Boot Camp, Baby Boot Camp, 2019, https://www.babybootcamp.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-baby-boot-camp.
9. “Baby Boot Camp.” Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur, 2019, https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/babybootcamp/328967.
10. “About.” N2 Pub, N2 Publishing, 2019, https://n2pub.com/about.
11. “A Better Opportunity Awaits.” N2 Pub, N2 Publishing, 2019, https://n2pub.com/franchise.
12. “Advertisers.” N2 Pub, N2 Publishing, 2019, https://n2pub.com/advertise.
13. “N2 Area Director Road Map.” N2 Pub, N2 Publishing, 2019, https://n2pub.com/franchise_opportunities.pdf.
14. “N2 Publishing.” Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur, 2019, https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/n2publishing/335274.
15. “About Us.” Jazzercise, Jazzercise Inc., 2019, https://www.jazzercise.com/About-Us.
16. “Costs.” Jazzercise, Jazzercise Inc., 2019, https://www.jazzercise.com/Franchisee-Links/Costs.
17. “Jazzercise Inc.” Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur, 2019, https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/jazzerciseinc/282474.