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Look, when you hear the term “franchising” very few people picture a glamorous lifestyle. Fast food? Cleaning services? Home care? No, thank you. Often there’s a level of apprehension or hesitancy associated with that all-powerful “ick” factor.
Hey, I get it. Long before entering the world of franchising, I was working in corporate America when a franchise consultant approached me about franchising opportunities. Was I happy in my corporate career? No. But it was stable, right? It was the “smart” choice. The “right” choice. Okay, maybe the “conditioned” choice is more accurate. But still, I was in my late forties and had chosen my path.
It wasn’t until a friend who owned a franchise started growing his multi-unit operation and decided to sell out in a multi-million dollar deal that my ears perked up. It never occurred to me that franchising might scale like that. I decided to give franchising a real look and dig into the research.
Now, having owned a franchise myself and having worked in the industry for eight years, my perspective on many “ick” franchise industries has changed dramatically. Are drain cleaning services, roofing repair, and pest control sexy now? No, but I’ll worry about that perception as I watch my kids graduate from college debt-free and my retirement savings grow. What I’ve learned is that there is real value in those everyday essential industries that, if given the chance, have real material benefits that just might be the right fit for your goals, too.
So what makes these “ick” franchise industries so valuable?
Unlimited demand
Consider franchises that offer home care services. Think drain cleaning, house cleaning, pest control, plumbing, hvac, electric, lawn care, junk removal, etc. These service-based companies offer evergreen services that people need in almost every corner of the United States. No matter what, home ownership, apartment management, commercial development means ongoing maintenance that requires specialty services. Specialty services that are frequently provided by a local franchise brand with national recognition.
Recession resistant
Working hand-in-hand with the unlimited demand, regardless of what’s happening in the economy, many services are not a “nice to have” but a “need to have.” Medical waste removal? Senior care? Child care? If you think back to the thick of the pandemic, there were