What does owning your own business and owning a franchise have in common? Other than having to manage the business, there really is very little in common. With franchise opportunities, you don’t get to make any executive decisions, and you have to share your success with corporate America.

When you own your own business, there is less risk, believe it or not, than owning a franchise, so long as you know which niche to fill. If you go out and purchase a fast food franchise, you’ll be expected to invest a certain amount of money. If you were starting your own business, your risk would end there. However, with franchises, your beginning investment is not the total sum of your monetary risk.

With franchise opportunities, you can expect additional hidden costs, franchise fees, marketing fees, and you’ll have to hand over a significant portion of your monetary success. The main reason that people seek to own their own businesses is to enjoy the success of that business, without having to split it with someone who has done, comparatively speaking, very little work.

Those who are partial to franchising might say that you get your marketing done for you by corporate America. However, that is handled by marketing fees, usually calculated as a percentage of sales. Between franchising and marketing fees, you could expect to pay almost one fifth of your monthly sales, and you have no say over what you market, to whom and how.

Watch out for the fine print, because even though the initial investment may seem akin to that required to start your own business, there are bound to be other fees and costs in addition to that original investment amount. In some cases, additional costs can amount to a price equal to the original investment price.

Currently, saving for retirement is more important than ever before. With more people living longer, relying on social security payments is no longer wise. Imagine being told your investment into a franchise opportunity will amount to one hundred fifty thousand dollars. After all is said and done, extra fees and costs are added in, your total investment to get the franchise up and running is three hundred thousand dollars.

After the first three months you’ve earned that back in gross sales. Nearly twenty percent goes back to the corporation to cover your franchise and marketing fees, leaving you with two hundred forty thousand dollars. You have to order supplies, because after the first three months, you’ve gone through everything covered by your start up cost.

Suppose that leaves you with one hundred thousand dollars. Then you have to pay employees, taxes and benefits. If you have ten employees, each earning one thousand dollars a month, that’s another thirty thousand dollars, so you’re down to seventy thousand. After taxes and benefits, that leaves you with fifty thousand dollars. You have to still pay utility bills, and also cover any training for yourself or others, because the corporation will only cover training for a limited time. Let’s say that your net profit is thirty thousand dollars after three months, or ten thousand a month.

From that, you have to cover your own expenses, so suppose you take five thousand a month to pay for your mortgage and other living costs. Five years would go by before your business has earned your original investment, and then and only then could you start counting any money made as pure profit. Now, compare that to investing less than one hundred twenty thousand into your own business. In less than three years, based on the described example, your business would be earning a profit.

Andy West is a writer for ShipOnSite, a true turnkey business opportunity that features three revenue streams. Compare this type of business ownership with franchise opportunities to see the difference.

Are you thinking of starting a new booming business? if yes, then look in a direction that might not seem obvious. An example of this is insurance. The truth of the matter is that americans have more and more need for various kinds of insurances, so when it comes to a great business opportunity, insurance is really becoming the way to go. More and more domains of life are coming under insurances. There has been home insurance and life insurance for a long, long time but the growing business opportunity insurance world deals with some less frequently purchased insurances.

One such example is wedding insurance. Nobody wants to sink $25,000 into something that is not insured. Enter a new business opportunity insurance, insuring the wedding. While one is at it, he might as well throw in travel insurance for the honeymoon and liability insurance should someone decide to have one too many martinis at the reception and then choose to sue the newlyweds for damages.

The above might sound like a horror story, but unfortunately there are more and more similar cases popping up all over the nation. The fact of the matter is that the business opportunity insurance offers is a great one because more and more people are suing each other. This need to blame is one reason that insurance is such a big thing nowadays. Capitalizing on this trend is easily done through latching on to one of the business opportunity insurance franchises out there. Starting Up Insurance business is a field best left to the experts, so while one becomes an old pro at the insurance game, it is best to work with firms that know the game well.

Before starting up a brand new franchise, it is advisable to spend a period of time working with another firm who has already capitalized on the growing business opportunity insurance selling has to offer. Working with an existing firm gives one the chance to ease into the insurance world in a non overwhelming way. Once the insurance ropes are starting to become old hat, most people develop a feeling for what type of insurance they would like to work in.

If longstanding insurances seem most secure, go for auto or home insurance, if a new boom is more exciting, try travel insurance or wedding insurance. Once a realm is chosen, a heavy advertising campaign is the best way to ensure that a brand new firm gets a large client base right away. Getting a large client base is the best way to make insurance firms a monetarily and professionally successful business right from the start.

Keep overhead low and make sure to cover all of the loopholes so that hidden costs do not pop up and take away the profit margin. Act fast in advertising, sell an insurance that is bound to not get used often, and the recipe is one guaranteed for success. Target the audience most likely to be interested in the services of the new firm in order to maximize your advertising efforts and watch the business take off.

Obinna Heche. Los Angeles – California

Delivering the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home successfully..
http://www.biggsmall.com

If you’ve always found yourself drawn to working with children, or are a parent yourself, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a wide variety of child related franchises. These children’s franchise opportunities can help you establish a popular business in your local community or online that helps parents with their children. Whether you’re looking for a retail opportunity that sells children’s clothing or a fun-filled franchise geared towards kid’s parties, you’ll be able to find it.

Owning a children’s franchise just makes good sense. Your target market will never go away. People will always have children and be willing to spend money on them. Some of the other benefits include:

* Regular hours — Most programs focus on after school hours, weekends and summer time.
* Steady interest — Even in hard economic times, parents spend money on their children. Child related activities are often the last to be cut in the family budget.
* Lots of networking opportunities — Since there are so many types of child-centered businesses, you could easily network with others in your area to grow more business for everyone.
* Fun opportunities — Working with children is rewarding and fun! If you want something that offers an alternative to the 9 to 5 corporate world, a children’s franchise is perfect for you.

Children’s franchises run the gamut from child care services to party centers. Since adults are working longer hours, and today’s parents see the benefit of regular extracurricular activities, franchise opportunities have grown by leaps and bounds. There’s everything from arts and crafts opportunities to tutoring facilities. Other popular types of children’s franchises include entertainment, health and fitness, photography and technology based businesses.

Starting a tutoring franchise is a smart move. Since public schools are underfunded and understaffed, good parents know that their children need outside help to make the grade. You can capitalize on this interest by starting a tutoring company with Kumon Math and Reading Centers. Established in 1958 this education service allows you to make a difference in the lives of students. Kumon has a nationwide presence and even national advertising to help you establish yourself in your local area.

If something a little more fun is your style, a children’s business like Monkey Joe’s may be right for you. This franchise helps you create a unique, fun-for-all environment. Kids can jump, slide, and climb; parents can check email, catch up on the latest news or watch sports; and younger brothers and sisters have their very own area where they’re safe and can act like the big kids. In business since 2004, Monkey Joe’s is starting to gain brand recognition for parents who want to treat their children (and themselves) to a good time.

Since childhood obesity has been such a major problem in recent years, a children’s health and fitness franchise is sure to be popular in your area. Companies like Kinderdance help you motivate children to stay active through play-like games and activities that don’t feel like exercise at all! Kinderdance was established in 1979 and offers basic movement and dance training for preschoolers and toddlers. There are also other franchise opportunities that cater to older children and teens to help them stay fit.

Children’s franchises are here to stay, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t capitalize on the interests of parents. There’s a wide variety of opportunities to choose from, so a children’s franchise offers something for everyone.

Find your perfect children’s franchise or children’s business at FranchiseGenius.com, where you’ll find 1,800+ franchise opportunities to evaluate and compare.