Rooter-Man franchises offer residential and commercial plumbing services ranging from septic work to troubleshooting, maintenance, repairs, water jetting, pipe location, leak detection, and drain cleaning. They advertise that their drain cleaning equipment is patented and superior to most others in the market. Rooter-Man offers 7 day a week, 24 hours a day service, including holidays, and promote the slogan “To the Rescue”.

As of 2009, there were a reported 481 US based franchises, up from 461 the previous year, with another 17 franchise units outside of the United States. The are currently seeking expansion worldwide and they offer exclusive territories up to a population of 125,000. Their headquarters is located in North Billerica, MA. Franchise fees range from $3,975 to $39,750 depending on the size of the territory and the total start up investment is estimated at $46,750 to $137,600. Rooter-Man does offer in-house financing for the franchise fee and they do allow third party financing for all start up costs and fees. The ongoing royalty fee also varies according to the territory size. A net worth of $25,000 is required.

Rooter-Man franchises can be run from home, offering a unique opportunity for a home based business for someone with plumbing experiences. They do not require owner operation, although 97% are run by the owners. It is estimated that 3-5 employees are needed to run each franchise and 25% of all franchisees own more than one unit, a statistic that suggests that multiple units are needed to generate significant income.

A 6 week training and certification course is offered at company headquarters. On-site training is also available as is co-op advertising, and participation in national and regional advertising campaigns. Before starting a Rooter-Man franchise, or any franchise, one must realize that they will bear the brunt of the advertising and marketing burden. Simply having plumbing and business skills may not be enough to have success with a Rooter-Man franchise. A significant amount of marketing expertise is necessary for success in any business opportunity.

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The Smoothie King franchise is still run by its original founders and is headquartered in Covington, Louisiana. Stores sell various vitamins, healthy snacks, and supplements in addition to smoothies. The growing trend of healthier, faster snacks is fueling the Smoothie King success over the past few years and they have plans for continued growth in 2010. The franchise fee is $25,000 and the estimated start up costs range from $140,400 to $329,500 depending upon location. There is also a 6% ongoing royalty fee. At this level, Smoothie King probably does not qualify as a low cost franchise opportunity, but it is close enough to warrant mention in the same context as many of the franchises coming in below the $100,000 startup mark. A minimum net worth of $100,000 is required by a new franchisee with at least $50,000 being liquid capital. Smoothie King does not provide any type of financing but they do allow third party financing.

It is estimated that the average Smoothie King franchise requires 9-11 employees and absentee ownership is allowed. Approximately 60% of all franchisees own more than one location, a fact that must be considered when deciding on entering into this opportunity. It is not uncommon that multiple locations are necessary for a franchisee to see any significant type of profit. The parent company provides training at the corporate headquarters and at the franchisee’s location and also directs a 14 day management training course at company headquarters. Continued support is provided via co-op advertising, newsletters, meetings, internet, and phone.

The Smoothie King franchise appears to be moving in the right direction, but it does require a significant investment and financial risk to get started. There may be other business opportunities that offer a similar return on investment with a must smaller risk. I would suggest exploring all options, including internet based businesses, before starting this venture.

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The franchise fee for a Molly Maid franchise is $14,900 and there is an ongoing royalty of 6.5%. Estimated startup fees range from $67,825 to $113,100 depending on location. The parent company does not provide financing of these fees although they do allow for third party financing. Each new franchisee is required to have a minimum net worth of $250,000 and meet a minimum liquidity requirement of $30,000. New owners must also have a history of business experience and proven marketing experience. Absentee ownership is not allowed and it is estimated that a minimum of 14 employees are necessary to run each franchise unit. Many owners have more than one location.

The company starts each new owner off with a one week training session at their headquarters in Michigan. They also provide regional and local support with their regional service managers. Each franchisee receives training manuals, audio and video tapes, and access to webinars, newsletters, and intranet communications designed to help develop the proper skills. They work with each location to develop a marketing plan. However, every Molly Maid franchise owner needs to realize that they will be responsible for procuring new accounts and business. This is why prior marketing experience is mandatory. Although name/brand recognition will benefit the Molly Maid owner, ultimate success will be determined by the efficiency and effectiveness of each location’s marketing efforts. Learning key marketing strategies is a necessary step in the progression of building a profitable business.

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The franchise fee varies slightly according to location but the range is from $21,000 to $31,000. Additionally, there is an ongoing royalty fee of 5-7%. This results in a total startup investment ranging from $24,750 to $59,450 and allows this business to be considered in the “low cost franchise opportunity” realm. Merry Maids conveniently allows for in-house financing of the franchise fee and necessary equipment for the new franchisee. A minimum net worth of $33,500-$50,500 is required as well as a cash liquidity of $29,700-$44,300 for any prospective Merry Maid franchise owner. It is estimated that a total of 12 employees are needed to run a typical Merry Maids franchise.

The parent company provides an 8 day training session at their headquarters as well as on-site trainings as warranted at the franchisee’s location. The 8 day home office seminar is included in the franchise fee. Additional trainings are also available regionally and are often provided by an established franchise owner. Franchise support is also provided in the form of newsletters, via the internet, training manuals, videos, and also via toll-free phone lines.

Brand name awareness is definitely a benefit of a Merry Maids franchise, as most home owners in North America have usually heard of the company. The franchisee also participates in nationally placed advertisements. However, the franchisee will definitely be responsible for marketing and securing new business/accounts. As with any business or franchise, proper and effective marketing strategies will most often determine the level of success.

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Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, the Jazzercise franchise currently has over 6,500 units in the United States and over 1,000 more internationally. Franchisees are present in more than 30 countries and offer total body conditioning provided by certified instructors to over a half million clients annually. They are currently seeking franchisees worldwide.

The Jazzercise franchise opportunity has a relatively low startup cost, which primarily depends on location. Costs can range from $3,000 to $75,500 with the biggest variable being the expense of real estate. The franchise fee is possibly one of the lowest in the franchise industry at only $1,000. However, the ongoing royalty fee is high at 20%. Most royalty fees for franchises are 10% or less. This allows for an easier startup but it also means that as you become successful, you will lose more monthly income to the parent company. A potential franchisee will need to weigh the pros and cons for their individual situation. As with and franchise or business opportunity, an effective marketing strategy is the key to your success.

Before you can become a Jazzercise franchise owner, you must become a certified course instructor. Therefore if you do not have experience in this line of exercise, then this opportunity may not be for you. Once you become certified, however, it is not required that you teach all of the classes as you are allowed to hire other certified instructors. Jazzercise provides training at the franchisee’s location and the franchisee must pass a written exam, learn several dance routines, and be certified in CPR.

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One interesting aspect of their business plan is that they will actually assist new online boutiques in the design of their website. They call it their “turn-key” program and for a fee of $1499 their web designers will actually build a website for the internet “newbie”. Of course, the internet novice MUST realize they will be responsible for marketing their own site and driving traffic and customers to their online store. I would recommend that those who are new to internet sales and marketing find a mentoring program that can teach them how to promote their website online. This is typically far more economical than hiring an internet marketing company and paying hundreds to thousands of dollars per month.

For someone looking to get into the world of online dog boutiques, find inventory for their store, or if you are simply just want to find a few unique items for you dog, I would suggest that you check out Doggie Designer

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The initial franchise fee is $24,900 which provides you their proprietary software system, supplies, initial inventory, 60 hours of telephone training, a comprehensive marketing manual, and lifetime support. In addition, the company sponsors a 2-day certification training at their company headquarters which is also included in your franchise fee. I-Dent-A-Kid does offer exclusive territories. The franchise can be run from home, but the franchisee must meet a minimum net worth requirement of $100,000 and a minimum cash liquidity requirement of $25,000. New owners are allowed to finance the franchise fee either through I-Dent-A-Kid or with a third party. Absentee ownership is not allowed and the franchisee must have a history of general business experience and marketing skills.

I-Dent-A-Kid offers marketing tools and support materials that are professionally designed and printed. They are also tailored for specific market locations. Brand name recognition is another benefit for the new franchisee. Each franchise is also provided with an e-commerce website through which customers can place orders. However, franchisees are responsible for their own marketing and advertising efforts. Simply having a website and great marketing materials means nothing if the franchisee has no experience with marketing. Especially online marketing. With I-Dent-A-Kid or any other home based franchise opportunity, owners should seriously consider partnering with a marketing specialist and learning some strategies for driving traffic to their site and their business. As with any franchise or business opportunity, an effective marketing strategyis the key to your success.

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The franchise fee for a new Young Rembrandts franchise ranges from $28,500 to $31,500 depending on location. There is also an ongoing royalty fee of 8-10%. The total start up investment for a new franchisee is $39,900 to $49,600. The Young Rembrandts franchise does not allow for financing of the startup costs and they require a minimum cash liquidity requirement of $75,000. It is not required for a franchisee to have an artistic background or education, but it is imperative for an owner to have business skills including, but not limited to, marketing, sales, presentation, and management experience. In order to achieve success with Young Rembrandts or any other home based franchise, an owner must posses persistence and insight into interpersonal relations.

Young Rembrandts is a home based franchise and absentee ownership is not allowed. It is estimated that 2-20 employees are needed to run each unit. The parent company provides a five day introductory training course at its headquarters in Elgin, Illinois. They also provide marketing support and co-op advertising.

As with any franchise or business opportunity, an effective marketing strategy is the key to your success. Careful consideration must be taken prior to embarking on a franchise opportunity. Being “plugged in” to a good system does not guarantee results and for most new franchisees, the start up costs represent a significant portion of savings, even though it may be considered a “low cost” franchise opportunity. The new franchisee is usually seeking flexibility of hours and some level of time freedom, but success in a new business such as this will require a tremendous amount of time and energy, especially over the first few years. I would encourage any prospective franchisee to investigate all business opportunities, including those online, before committing to a new franchise.

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First I want to define “low cost franchise opportunity”. Most in the industry would consider a “low cost franchise” to be anything under $100,000 and definitely anything under a $50,000 initial investment. This investment will include a franchise fee that usually starts around $10,000 and goes up from there, plus expenses such as equipment, inventory, insurance, and other typical business startup costs. It usually does NOT include the cost of commercial real estate either purchased or leased. So, if you plan on having an office or location outside of your home, add that cost to any estimated startup price. These expenses will add up quickly, so if you don’t at least have $30,000-$50,000 available to you, then you are probably looking into the wrong industry.

However, let’s say that you do have the needed funds to get started with a home based franchise (no real estate involved). These franchises will almost always be “one man operations” (or one woman operations) with no employees. This means that you and you alone will be responsible for generating sales, getting clients, securing contracts, handling phone calls, dealing with customers, and marketing your business all at the same time that you are actually performing the work that you get hired to do. This can be a gigantic time commitment WAY before any significant income is generated. Any new business takes time to learn and develop, but this type of small business can be extreme, with months of potentially no income and a great deal of work needed. The new low cost franchise owner must plan on this “break-in” period and must be able to sustain him or herself financially through this period which can last for a long time, especially in the current economy. This can be a huge financial risk and be potentially devastating to a family or individual. As with any franchise or business opportunity, an effective marketing strategy is the key to your success.

My suggestion is to do your due diligence before investing in a home based franchise. Explore all options, including online options, for business opportunities. Get educated on marketing techniques and strategies that can benefit you in any type of business venture. I am not telling you to avoid the low cost franchise, but rather to make sure that you have done all of the necessary homework and looked at various business options before you take the plunge. The wrong move with a franchise could spell financial disaster or at the very least, require endless hours of work with little return.

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As always, I wish you the best of success in your search!