Franchises That Cost Less Than $50,000

Franchising is huge - $2.1 trillion in economic output, 825,000 establishments and 18 million jobs - in the United States but it's not necessarily the cheapest way to go into business for yourself.

Some franchisees spend millions of dollars in fees and capital outlay to get up and running.

ADVERTISEMENT Still, many franchises are available that won't cost a fortune. Both Franchise Business Review and Entrepreneur.com list franchises that you can buy for less than $50,000. Sometimes a lot less. And that's a good thing because the industry has struggled since business loans have dried up and home equity, once a popular source of start-up capital, has declined.

Franchise Business Review bases its list on satisfaction of existing franchisees. Entrepreneur seeks information on growth, customer and franchisee satisfaction and longevity among other factors.

You won't find restaurants or retailers that require large investments in real estate and equipment on this list. But you might find something even more fun.

Do you like to dance? How about play music? Like working with kids or the elderly? Perhaps you have a talent for repairing furniture? All of these types of businesses have low-cost franchises available.

HOME HELPERS provides in-home personal assistants for seniors, new moms and people who are ill but not in the hospital. The franchise fee is as low as $36,900 and total start-up investment as low as $49,500, says Entrepreneur.com.

COLOR GLO INTERNATIONAL restores and repairs leather, vinyl, velour, cloth and hard plastic furnishings. Start-up costs are as low as $44,500, says Franchise Business Review.

JAZZERCISE provides adult fitness classes. The franchisee fee is $500 to $1,000 and total investment is as low as $2,980, says Entrepreneur.com.

COFFEE NEWS started as a weekly publication distributed to local coffee shops in Maine in 1988. The franchise fee is $8,500 and start-up investment is as low as $9,425, says Entrepreneur.com.

CRUISE PLANNERS is the specialized travel agent started by American Express Travel Service. The start-up fee is as low as $495 and total investment as low as $1,595, says Entrepreneur.com. The costs are so low because the franchise can be run from home and can be run by one person.

COMPLETE MUSIC offers mobile disc jockey services for weddings and parties. Franchise fee is as low as $18,000 and total start-up investment is as low as $30,350, says Entrepreneur.com.

HEAVEN'S BEST cleaning and maintenance franchise requires $15,000 cash and as little as $24,900 in start-up inventory, says Franchise Business Review.

JUMPBUNCH provides sports and fitness programs for schools and daycare centers. Franchise Business Review rates it as the number one child services franchise. This business is home-based and uses schools' existing facilities. The initial franchise fee is $33,000 for a territory of 250,000 population, according to JumpBunch.

JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS stages massive children's consignment sales events. Franchise fee is $12,900 and start-up investment is as low as $25,440, according to Entrepreneur.com.

MAIDPRO is a cleaning and maintenance franchise that is on the low-cost list for both Entrepreneur.com and Franchise Business Review. MaidPro requires $20,000 in cash and inventory as low as $18,709, FBR says.

SUPER GLASS WINDSHIELD REPAIR does windshield repair at customers' location. Its franchise fee is as low as $9,500 and total start-up investment ranges from $9,910 to $31,000, says Entreprepreneur.com.

AMERICAN SWIMMING POOL does pool maintenance and repair, equipment diagnostics and renovation. It has startup costs as low as $49,200, and franchisees must have $50,000 in cash, says Franchise Business Review.

CLUB Z! provides in-home tutoring services with 398 franchisees, according to Entrepreneur.com, which says the franchise fee is as low as $19,750 and start-up investment as low as $27,650.

SNAP-ON TOOLS sells quality tools to professionals. Franchisees can start with as little as $17,925 but it can go as high as $289,000, which pushes it out of this list.

Franchising is making a comeback as the economy recovers, according to a report by Global Insight for the International Franchise Association.

The Franchise Business Index has increased in three of the past five months after declining in mid-2011, the survey reports.

"While the index shows we are moving in the right direction, more certainty in the tax and regulatory environments would help franchise businesses grow faster, creating more jobs and economic output at the local, state and national levels," said IFA President and CEO Steve Caldeira.

IFA also updated its forecast for franchising. It now predicts that the number of franchised establishments will increase 1.6 percent in 2012, employment will increase 2.1 percent and economic output growth will rise 5 percent.

The advantages of buying a franchise are usually listed as having an established brand and a method for running the business that has been proven by the franchisor. Some are better at those two factors than others. In fact, it's wise to really check out a company before buying its franchise including talking with those who have bought into the system already.

Experts recommend looking for a franchise built around a great concept that has an innovative product or service and a strong customer base and for a franchisor focused on its franchisees' success not merely selling franchises.

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