Buying a franchise you can run from home can save new business owners a lot of money they’d otherwise have to spend on rent, extra utilities, insurance and other costs.

It also awards you more freedom over how you decide to run your business day-to-day. But while the benefits of home-based franchising can be alluring, it’s important to realize that not all opportunities are the same.

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Franchises are an investment. To make that investment pay off, it’s up to you to carefully research your options and make a well-informed decision.

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Whether it’s buying a franchise or starting a business from scratch, the dilemma is the same: you need money to make money. Every year, thousands of would-be franchise owners give up their dream of business ownership simply because they don’t have the means to get their franchise off the ground.

First, some much-needed perspective: Just about no franchise owner buys a franchise with all the capital they need right off the bat. Similar to buying a home, franchising only requires a few fees up-front while other expenses can be offset by the revenue you bring in through the business. 

Just about every new business owner and franchisee finances their endeavor one way or another, even when they have the cash to spend. If you’re in need of some funding help, here are three ways to open a franchise with little cash:

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As our economy continues to take baby steps in the right direction, franchising is projected to outpace it for the second year in a row. The International Franchising Association’s Franchise Business Economic Outlook is one of just a handful of annual reports that shed light on the opportunities franchising has to offer from one year to the next.

This year’s much-anticipated report highlights some very positives trends that have only been improving in recent years. In fact, franchising as a whole is actually growing faster than the rest of the economy this year.

We’ve read through this year’s report and pulled out five of the biggest reasons why 2015 is the right time for prospective buyers to get in the game with a franchise of their own.

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Home-based franchise opportunities appeal to new franchise buyers for many reasons. Whether you’re in search of a better work/life balance or are tired of climbing the corporate ladder, benefits like these can make a big difference to buyers.

But let’s be honest. From a buyer’s perspective, nine times out of 10 earning potential is the primary concern when looking for the best franchise investment. How much can you actually make running a franchise from home?

While it’s certainly the most crucial question buyers should be asking, it’s one of the hardest to answer given the wide variety of home-based businesses out there today. Depending on the industry, the brand, and your local market, two home-based businesses could be making radically different amounts of money right next to each other.

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According to Business for Home, a new home-based business is started every 12 seconds in the United States. In total, about 16 million Americans work from home, and experts at Global Workplace Analytics expect that number to grow over the next few years.

Lower costs, fewer risks along with greater flexibility and convenience are all huge advantages to working from home. But for home-based franchisees who grow their business over time, there comes a time when the home office simply isn’t big enough to support the business as it expands.

Moving your workspace out of your home can be a big step for any business, so it’s important to know when it’s the right time to do so. Let’s explore three signs it’s time to expand.

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