From Fast Food to Plumbing Franchises: The Top 5 Franchise Opportunities of 2009

Franchising dates back to the 1850’s with the invention of the Singer Sewing Machine. Mr. Singer wanted to be able to distribute outside of his area, so he started selling licenses and training other entrepreneurs. According to Don Daszkowski, CEO of Franchise Buyers Network, there are over 120 types of franchises available today.

With the downturn of the economy over the last several months, many people are looking for new ideas and franchise opportunities to make money, build a business and channel their talents.  Franchising offers opportunities for both the knowledgeable business owner that is looking for a way to expand and could use some extra support as well as a business person that is ready to jump into the entrepreneurial pool with a little bit of support from those well-versed in the business.

Recently Entrepreneur.com posted the “best of” results for 2009 franchise opportunities.  With over 120 franchising fields an interested franchisee could pursue, we are going to focus on five franchise opportunities that are “hot” right now:

•    Plumbing Franchises
•    Commercial Cleaning Franchises
•    Fast Food Franchises
•    Tax Service Franchises
•    Health Fitness Franchises

Plumbing Franchises

There are many plumbing business owners that enjoy their business but could utilize the expertise and support of a franchisor, while still maintaining the freedom and responsibilities they enjoy as a business owner.   Many of the newer 2009 franchise opportunities that have opened are those in the fields of handyman and plumbing.   With the demands of the plumbing business to keep up with the work orders, all the while, keeping costs down and personnel trained, plumbing franchises offer unmatched business solutions for many plumbers. 1-800-PLUMBER.com is a plumbing franchise that supports their franchisees at every stage.

“We provide our franchisees with simple business tools and ongoing support to help ensure they achieve maximum growth and profitability over the years. Our business model takes the sales, marketing and administrative leg work out of the business so our franchise owners can spend more time hiring and training the best plumbers.”

A plumbing franchise could easily be the best option of the franchise opportunities available to you, quickly taking your plumbing business from good to great.

Commercial Cleaning Franchises

Of the top 20 fastest growing franchises, seven of them were commercial cleaning companies.  In fact, cleaning companies found their way into many of the franchise lists.  Sanitary conditions are necessary in any corporation. If a franchised commercial cleaning company can find a way to lower costs in order to make cleaning services available for a better price to corporations, it’s certainly a franchise business opportunity worth exploring.  Vanguard Cleaning Systems and Jani-King were #10 and #11 on the Entreprenuer.com 2009 Fastest Growing Franchise list.  With low startup costs, it’s worth recommending as one of the top 5 franchise opportunities.

Fast Food Franchises

The economy’s downturn has caused Americans to begin to pinch money in places they weren’t monitoring before.  Where they may have bought a $3-$4 latte from Starbucks, they are now purchasing a $2-$3 latte from a McDonalds franchise. McDonalds has found a way to capitalize on the downturn. According to a May 2009 article in TIME:

“Same-store sales rose 4.3% for the quarter that ended March 29. Profits were up 4%, to $980 million. In this economy, that's an explosion. “

If you’re looking to open a fast-food franchise, Subway was #1 on the top 2009 franchise list and McDonalds came in at #2.

Tax Service Franchises

Listed # 3 in the top franchises of 2009 right below McDonald’s is Liberty Tax Service.  In low cost franchises, Instant Tax Service was listed #1 in low cost franchises.  One thing is sure, people are looking for a way to save money, and tax experts often find the places to save.  If you are an aspiring business owner with a background in finance or a desire to start something in that field, this may be a profitable option for you.

Health Fitness Franchises

Health fitness franchises also made their way to the top of the franchise lists.  Jazzercize & Anytime Fitness were among the top 10 fasted growing franchises in 2009.  Jazzercize is a home-based business so the startup costs are low.  Anytime Fitness also had relatively low startup costs, which makes the adventure of starting something new great.  There is something to be said for starting a business around something that you enjoy and are passionate about. For a business owner that is passionate about health and fitness, both of these franchise business opportunities are growing and worth exploring.

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