According to recent federal statistics, 27 million Americans will leave their full-time jobs and become self-employed between 2017 and 2020. This will bring the number of self-employed workers to 42 million out of a total of 126 million workers in the United States. That’s 33% of everyone working in the country.

What’s driving people to leave their nine-to-fives and go into business for themselves? For many, it boils down to three main reasons: flexibility, freedom, and better income. People want more control over their own work and the ability to turn smart business decisions into more income than they’d otherwise receive with a fixed salary.

Finding a franchise opportunity that’s both low-cost and profitable can be tough. But as any successful franchise owner will tell you, it’s well worth the work to identify a winning opportunity.

If you’ve spent any time looking for low-cost franchises online, you’ve likely seen many businesses that label their franchise opportunity “low-cost.” In truth, it’s easy for a franchise to call themselves low-cost. It’s not always easy for buyers to validate whether or not it’s genuinely any less expensive than other opportunities after considering the potential for a healthy return on investment.

Thinking about buying a franchise with your significant other? Ask yourself seven important questions to determine if you and your spouse would make good business partners.

Couples are going into business together more than ever before. About 1.2 million Americans run a business with alongside their spouse. Companies like EventBrite, Modcloth, Panda Express and Gap were all built into major brands by married couples who found success both personally and professionally.

If you and your spouse share a goal of owning a business, the next step is, well, figuring out if you’re the type of couple that would likely work well as business partners.

The key to figuring that out is asking the right questions. Here’s seven of the most important, according to our very own spousal franchise owners. 

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Want to trade in your nine-to-five job and work for yourself? You’re not alone. Self-employment is on the rise in America, right alongside the number of people earning six-figure incomes doing so, according to a recent report.

In 2017, the total number of self-employed Americans increased to 40.8 million. That’s up 2.8% from 2016, according to the report by MBO Partners. The number of full-time independent workers earning $100,000 or more rose to 3.2 million, up 4.9% since 2016.

In addition to earning more money, self-employed individuals are also reporting that they’re more happy and healthy without corporate shackles. 77% of self-employed survey respondents say they are happier working on their own than in a traditional job and 64% said independent work is better for their health.

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One of the most important aspects of building a successful franchise is ensuring that your business can be found by your customers. A consumer research survey has found that 97% of people have begun their search for a business online, with 54% searching for a business at least once a month.

If your business isn’t getting found online, that means fewer potential customers are visiting your business. Read on to learn how you can begin building your digital presence and get your franchise found.

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