FBR Issue 2 - 2021

Franchise Franchise Business Business 

REVIEW 

Ratings and Reviews of Today’s Top Franchises 

2021 Issue 2 

SPECIAL REPORT 

2021 TOP 

LOW-COST 

FRANCHISES 

360CLEAN 

ACTIONCOACH 

FIBRENEW 

IMAGE ONE 

KITCHEN SOLVERS 

PAYROLL VAULT and more... P. 13 

Women United P. 4 

Pandemic? 

What Pandemic P. 16 

FRANCHISEE SPOTLIGHT: 

Chuck Cassidy, 

BRITISH SWIM SCHOOL P. 19 

April Cannon, NATURALAWN P. 25

FBR SPECIAL REPORT 

Features //2021 Issue 2 

4 12 16 

3 Letter From the Founder 

The Big V-Shaped Recovery is Underway 

4 Women United 

Female Franchise Owners are Resilient and Growing 

10 Top Franchises for Women 

This Year’s Best Franchises for Women 

12 Cashing In on the Coming Economic Boom 

Investing in a Franchise Business May be More 

Affordable than You Think 

13 Top Low-Cost Franchises 

Best of the Best 

16 Pandemic? What Pandemic? 

Franchises Businesses That Will Thrive in 2021 and Beyond 

18 Funding Your Franchise 

You Have Options 

24 Marketplace: Franchise Opportunities 

More on the franchisee approved franchise 

opportunities for 2021 

24 2021’s Top 200 Franchises Overall 

Franchises with high franchisee satisfaction 

in every industry sector 

Franchisee Profiles 

19 Chuck Cassidy, British Swim School 

25 April Cannon, NaturaLawn 

29 Adam Martindale, Cruise Planners 

30 Justin and Stephanie Clarey, 

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK ® 

31 Cathy Fleischacker and Pam Dymsza, 

Wild Birds Unlimited 

16 

20 Top Recession-Proof Franchises 

This Year’s Best Recession-Proof Franchises 

+ 

Reviews, interviews, satisfaction awards, 

and more resources are available at: 

www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com 

ON OUR COVER: Multi-unit FASTSIGNS franchisee Stan Gray served as a 

Civil Engineering Corps officer in the U.S. Navy Sea Bees. 

2 | For more information on the companies in this report, visit www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com


Letter from the founder 

The Big V-Shaped Recovery is Underway 

With COVID-19 vaccination programs picking up speed, economists are bullish on a strong 

and fast economic recovery—and the franchise industry is ready. The majority of franchise 

companies have weathered the pandemic much better than non-franchised small businesses, 

and they are forecasting strong growth over the next few years. The team here at Franchise 

Business Review shares their general enthusiasm for franchising, but we know the best-of-thebest 

franchise companies will experience exponential growth. 

In this issue, we are excited to share our annual ratings of the Top Franchises for Women, 

as well as our picks for Top Low-Cost Franchises and Top Recession-Proof Franchises. Our 

15 years of research shows a direct connection between franchise owner satisfaction and the 

long-term success and performance of a franchise company—and all of the brands on our 

award lists have proven their dedication to franchisee success. 

We hope you enjoy this issue and the great success stories contained throughout. We are all 

looking forward to fast recovery and 2021 will prove to be a great year for franchise growth. 

The majority of franchise 

companies have 

weathered the pandemic 

much better than 

non-franchised small 

businesses, and they are 

forecasting strong growth 

over the next few years. 

Happy Franchising! 

Eric Stites, Founder & CEO 

Franchise Business Review is the leading franchise market research firm that performs 

independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and franchise buyer experiences. 

Before you invest in any franchise opportunity, read our reports to get the facts 

from those who know best — franchisees. We publish quarterly research reports, 

examining segments of franchising including the Top 200 Franchise Opportunities, 

Top Low-Cost Franchises, Top Franchises for Women, Top Food & Beverage Franchises, 

and Top Franchises for Veterans. All publications are available digitally at 

FranchiseBusinessReview.com. 

Eric Stites, Founder & CEO 

Michelle Rowan, President & COO 

C.J. Fleck, Senior Web Developer 

Ali Forman, Marketing Director 

Taryn Myers, Senior Director, Digital Marketing 

Lisa King, Web Designer 

Nicole Dudley, Director of Client Relations 

Courtney Stillings, Client Consultant 

Danielle Vitkus, Client Services & Sales Coordinator 

Barbara Noyes, Accounting 

The Secret Agency, Design and Production 

Call us at 866-397-6680 

HOW WE IDENTIFY THE TOP FRANCHISES 

Participation in Franchise Business Review’s franchisee satisfaction research is free for all North American franchise systems with 

a minimum of 10 franchisees. For this report we looked at data from nearly 28,000 franchise owners from 307 leading franchise brands. 

We collected this data between January 2019 – November 2020. We asked each franchisee over 33 benchmark questions ranking their franchise 

in the areas of financial opportunity, training and support, leadership, operations and product development, core values (e.g., honesty and 

integrity of franchisor) general satisfaction and the franchisee community. We also asked them to answer an additional 16 questions about their 

market area, demographics, business lifestyle, overall enjoyment running their franchise, and role in the franchisee community. From this data, we 

identified our list of top franchises with the highest franchisee satisfaction. More detailed information about our research methodology is available 

at www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com. 

For more information on the companies in this report, visit www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com | 3


Women United 

Female Franchise Owners are Resilient and Growing 



While the pandemic may have 

temporarily slowed the rate of 

business start-ups, the outlook 

for women in franchising remains optimistic. 

In fact, our research shows that 88 percent of 

women franchise owners say they enjoy 

operating their business, and three out of four 

would recommend their franchise to others. 

“Over the past decade, women have been 

flocking to franchising. Today, 29 percent 

of franchises are solely women-owned, and 

32 percent of franchises opened in the last 24 

months are led by women,” said Eric Stites, 

founder & CEO of Franchise Business Review. 

“2020 was a challenging year for some small 

business owners but the franchise sector rose 

to the occasion. For women seeking a pathway 

to business ownership on a full or part-time 

basis, franchising offers many options in a 

variety of industries—with the support of 

a large organization behind them. 

Franchise Business Review recently surveyed 

over 8,000 women franchisees from 

nearly 300 different franchise brands to help 

determine the best franchising opportunities 

for women. Women franchise owners 

were asked questions about their franchise 

organization that focused on areas such as 

leadership, training, core values, and financial 

opportunity, as well as questions concerning 

their business lifestyle and overall enjoyment 

of running their franchise. 

In addition to owner satisfaction, we also 

considered the overall number of women 

owners within a franchise, system-wide growth 

rates, and franchisee turnover, among other 

factors. While there is no perfect selection 

criterion for guaranteeing your success as a 

franchise business owner, we narrowed down 

this year’s list to 50 franchise companies that 

we feel are outstanding opportunities for 

would-be business owners. 

“Franchising is a fantastic option for 

women to be their own boss and, in many 

cases, find the flexibility they desire that’s not 

available elsewhere,” said Michelle Rowan, 

president & COO of Franchise Business 

Review. “However, the number of franchise 

opportunities can be overwhelming, so it’s 

critical to examine feedback from other female 

franchise owners to see how well the franchise 

meets their expectations in terms of support, 

work/life balance, financial opportunity, 

and other key areas of business ownership. 

The franchises on this year’s list received the 

highest ratings from women owners on our 

independent satisfaction survey.” 

Our complete list of this year’s Top 50 

Franchises for Women appears on page 10. 

To share their experience, we interviewed 

dozens of successful women owners from 

these award-winning franchise companies. 

Their brief profiles are truly inspiring. 

If owning your own business is something 

that you think about often, we invite you to 

explore these great franchise opportunities 

and visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com for 

more inspiring stories and resources to get you 

started. Your entrepreneurial journey awaits! 



Cheryl Glover 

Wingstop franchisee since 2013 

Locations in Maryland 

Cheryl Glover and husband Eddy were having a night on the town with 

their friends when the idea of franchise ownership first crossed their 

minds. “We knew it had to be something that we both loved,” she recalls. 

“It couldn’t just be an investment.” 

After a trip home to visit family in Texas, Cheryl nearly missed her 

flight picking up food at Wingstop. Her husband, inspired by Cheryl’s 

close call, completed the prospective franchisee questionnaire before 

his wife’s plane touched down. Within months, the two had attended 

Wingstop’s Discovery Day and purchased three franchise agreements. 

Three months later, they bought six more Wingstop franchises. 

“It was all because of who Wingstop is as a franchisor,” says Cheryl. 

“That’s the only way I can explain making that kind of investment.” 

Cheryl and her husband are no strangers to business ownership. Prior 

to Wingstop, the pair started a computer consulting company. Eddy’s 

time now revolves around the computer business while Cheryl focuses 

on running Wingstop. 

“With the other company, our employees already know their trajectory 

in life and know what they want to do,” says Cheryl. “I wanted to offer a 

job entry opportunity—a space for people to grow and learn job skills.” 

Angela Duncan 

We Insure franchisee since 2018 

Located in Tampa, Florida 

Angela Duncan’s career started in 

a private bank, fueled by ambitions 

of becoming a top sales agent so she 

could teach people about money. But 

when a high-ranking male coworker 

scoffed at her dream and suggested 

she set her goals aside for a typicallyfemale 

dominated operations role 

a determined Angela left corporate 

America to open her own franchise 

business. 

“I wanted to prove to myself— 

and to my male coworker—that I 

could be a successful sales person,” 

she says. “Leaving the corporate 

environment because a man told 

me that I couldn’t do what I wanted 

to accomplish was a good starting 

point.” 

New to the insurance industry 

and eager to dive in, Angela spent 

her first six months absorbing all 

aspects of her new We Insure 

franchise. Then the global pandemic 

hit and she quickly faced her first 

major test as a business owner. “Boy, 

did I pick a time to start!” she says, 

with a laugh now. “I’ve had to adjust 

the way I reach clients and connect 

with them.” 

Angela began filming short, 

informational videos in her home 

office about different aspects of 

insurance and posting them to social 

media. She claims to be camera shy, 

but her videos landed with great 

success and doubled her business. 

“With We Insure, we really are 

here to educate people,” she says. 

“That’s why we’re in this business.” 



Becky Moultrie 

Assisting Hands franchisee since 2014 

Located in Tampa Bay, Florida 

When Becky Moultrie’s dad rapidly began to decline after a cancer 

diagnosis, she helped care for him—her first glimpse into senior care. His 

passing imbued her with a strong desire to support the elderly. 

“Today at Assisting Hands when that frantic daughter calls me up or 

the wife who can’t even see because she’s so sleep deprived, I know what 

that’s like,” says Becky. “I get it. I’ve been there.” 

When she found herself longing to return to business ownership, 

Assisting Hands seemed a natural fit. Becky lives by the motto Do good 

with love, and her business venture allows her to do just that. “As women, 

we tend to be the nurturing ones,” says Becky. “We’re bringing a different 

set of experiences and roles to the franchising industry.” 

Becky credits her father with inspiring her to pursue a franchising 

career. “My dad wanted to help each of his kids find someplace where we 

could gain stability,” she fondly recalls. “And the best way to do that was to 

write our own stories rather than let an employer write our stories for us.” 

Beth Garner 

My Salon Suite franchisee since 2019 

Locations in Grand Rapids and Grandville, Michigan 

Beth Garner was 23 when she opened her first hair 

salon—an eight-chair studio. “When we had our own 

space, we were in charge of advertising, marketing, 

finding all the clientele to come in,” she says. “I was 

so young. We had no outside support. It was like 

here you go, good luck!” 

Five years and two children later, Beth decided to 

close her salon. She found the long hours infringed on 

quality time with her family. So she began working at a 

local My Salon Suite as a hairstylist, and after several 

years there the salon owner approached Beth about 

taking over the franchise. Impressed by My Salon Suite, 

Beth not only agreed to take over that franchise, but 

decided to open an additional location early in 2020. 

With two salons under her leadership now, she plans 

to add two additional businesses to her growing roster 

of franchise locations. “I love the creativity behind 

cosmetology,” says Beth. “And I love the freedom I find in 

being fully my own boss.” 



Grace Huxtable-Mount 

The Learning Experience franchisee since 2009 

Multiple locations in Florida 

Dr. Grace Huxtable-Mount always dreamed of a career working with children. 

And although she didn’t initially intend to become a franchise owner, today she 

owns five franchise businesses with The Learning Experience. 

“I don’t know if it’s just a Jamaican thing, but my family is all about doing what 

you have to do to make things work,” Grace says. “I want to be great. If someone 

gives me an opportunity, I feel like it’s my responsibility to honor that and make 

it work.” 

Making it work is a theme repeated time and again throughout Grace’s career. 

During her first years of business ownership, Grace gave birth to her daughter, got 

her PhD in educational leadership and moved to Okinawa, Japan for two years to 

teach sixth-grade language arts. “I’ve been able to have experiences I wouldn’t have 

been able to have if The Learning Experience wasn’t a part of my career,” she says. 

In 2017, Grace decided to take over an existing Learning Experience and 

expand her company. Her business has continued to grow since. “My family’s needs 

are very much a part of my commitment to The Learning Experience,” she says. “I 

help my parents financially and, if I can follow these systems and do everything 

with excellence, that will allow me to spend more time with my family and, maybe 

one day, pass on that legacy to my children.” 

Always passionate about education, The Learning Experience has allowed Grace to have a tremendous 

impact on her community, turning her passion into her career. “It’s really important for anyone, but 

especially women, in choosing a franchise to choose something that you can believe in.” 

Amy Ahrens 

Visiting Angels franchisee since 2019 

Located in Longmont, Colorado 

After working in corporate America, Amy Ahrens felt dissatisfied. The 

intense hours and perpetual traveling kept her away from her kids and 

quelled her entrepreneurial spirit. She pivoted and began working as a 

caregiver at a local Visiting Angels franchise—a position she found 

incredibly rewarding—and, with time, took on a managerial role. 

When the opportunity to start her own Visiting Angels 

presented itself, Amy didn’t hesitate to jump into franchise 

ownership. 

Like for so many others in the senior care business, the 

pandemic has proved a challenge for Amy. For over a year, many 

seniors living in facilities have been isolated from families and 

friends. 

“We didn’t anticipate how long the pandemic would go on and how 

lonely people would become,” says Amy. “Loneliness has become the 

new (health risk)—it’s horrible for you!” 

Fortunately, Visiting Angels’ caregivers who travel to their clients’ 

homes have allowed seniors to be home with their loved ones while 

still receiving professional care. “This job gives me both personal and 

professional satisfaction to help older adults to age with dignity and 

grace,” Amy says. “I’m able to be a part of the best part of people’s days 

every day.” 



JoAnna Goldberg 

Freedom Boat Club franchisee since 2015 

Multiple locations in Maryland and Washington, D.C. 

“I was on boats before I could even walk,” says JoAnna Goldberg, 

whose family grew up on the water in Chesapeake Bay. In 2015, 

at age 28, JoAnna turned her passion into a career and opened 

her own business with Freedom Boat Club. 

“Being a young female, at glance people would 

assume I was a secretary or a product model,” she 

remembers. “But then I’d open my mouth and they’d 

realize I was intelligent and capable of confidently 

helping them. It was exciting and empowering.” 

In the six years since JoAnna opened her doors, her 

business has expanded rapidly to seven locations and, in July, 

she’s set to unveil her eighth boat club. “When I step back from all of 

this unfolding—I’m watching my dreams come true,” she says. “I’ve 

been able to create this world for myself and my employees, for my 

members.” 

From the start, JoAnna has cherished working closely with her 

dad on making her franchising dreams come true. The two share a 

love of being on the water. “He’s my investor, my partner, and my 

mentor,” she says. “We have a trust that can only come from working 

with family. And we’re working towards the same goal: To share our 

love for boating and help people get out on the water.” 

Verelyn Gibbs Watson 

Nothing Bundt Cakes franchisee since 2016 

Located in Gaithersburg and Bethesda, Maryland 

Verelyn Gibbs Watson describes her 

first experience with Nothing Bundt 

Cakes as “Love at first bite.” She was 

gifted a lemon bundtlet on a work trip 

which she started nibbling on during 

the plane ride home. “I literally 

screamed out loud on this flight when 

I tried it!” she remembers. “I didn’t 

save a single bite for my husband.” 

Beyond being tasty, that bundlet 

Verelyn ate was serendipitous: She had 

been exploring business ownership 

opportunities at the time. 

“I found out Nothing Bundt Cakes 

was a franchise and that there weren’t 

any in the Northeast at all,” she 

says. “We were the first franchise in 

Maryland and the whole D.C. metro 

area. It was an accomplishment for 

the brand!” 

Verelyn opened her business 

in 2016. Without a bakery or food 

background—previously, she was 

president and COO at a corporate 

nonprofit—the franchise provided 

her with the bakery training needed 

to make her business a success. By 

prioritizing joy, both amongst her 

staff and customers, her company 

thrived in her community and, in 

October 2020, she decided to open a 

second bakery. 

“Joy is really important. Joy is 

universal. I want my team to be 

excited to come to work, I want my 

team to know they’re valued and 

appreciated,” says Verelyn. “This is a 

happy place to be.” 



THE LIST 

Best of the Best: 

Franchises for Women 

* 360clean 

Commercial cleaning services 

A&W Restaurants 

Fast casual 

Survey 

Date 

Sep. 

2020 

May 

2020 

Start-Up 

Investment 

$15,800 – 

$24,000 

$276,000 – 

$1,397,000 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$15,000 95 

$150,000 936 

Aire-Master of America 

Commercial hygiene service 

Dec. 

2020 

$40,364 – 

$145,900 

$50,000 113 

“I love this place. When it 

comes to overarching 

theme/goals/values, every 

time I think it couldn’t 

possibly get any better, 

the Dogtopia team comes 

up with something to 

raise the bar.” 

– Dogtopia franchisee 

Amazing Athletes 

Early childhood development 

Assisting Hands — more on p. 31 

In-home senior care 

AtWork Group 

Recruiting services 

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate 

Real estate 

British Swim School — more on p. 19 

Swim lessons 

* Cruise Planners — more on p. 29 

Travel agency 

* Dogtopia — more on p. 27 

Dog daycare & boarding 

Feb. 

2021 

July 

2020 

Feb. 

2020 

Jan. 


Jan. 


Oct. 

2019 

Nov. 

2020 

$27,500 – 

$64,950 

$80,060 – 

$152,600 

$154,000 – 

$231,000 

$113,920 – 

$455,000 

$91,275 – 

$145,875 

$2,295 – 

$23,617 

$757,253 – 

$1,553,415 

$30,000 146 

$100,000 161 

$100,000 91 

$50,000 – 

$100,000 

380 

$75,000 65 

$6,995 – 

$10,995 

2,801 

$300,000 167 

Fastest Labs 

Drug alcohol & DNA testing services 

Nov. 

2020 

$83,309 – 

$111,650 

$75,000 58 

* FASTSIGNS 

Visual business communications 

Oct. 

2020 

$218,596 – 

$298,679 

$80,000 741 

* FirstLight Home Care 


Aug. 

2020 

$112,881 – 

$199,376 

$49,000 215 

“FirstLight Home Care 

continually seeks 

technology improvements. 

The corporate staff is very 

helpful and always willing 

to assist with operations 

and training.” 

– FirstLight Home Care franchisee 

Freedom Boat Club 

Members only boat club 

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers 

Physical therapy centers 

Home Instead 


HouseMaster 

Professional home inspections 

Kampgrounds of America/KOA 

Camping services 

Keller Williams 

Real estate 

* Kona Ice 

Frozen treats 

Sep. 

2020 

June 

2020 

Aug. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Feb. 


Jan. 

2020 

Sep. 

2019 

$175,025 – 

$486,000 

$87,750 – 

$314,000 

$125,000 – 

$135,000 

$61,100 – 

$107,650 

$30,250 – 

$9,172,925 

$183,447 – 

$336,495 

$145,600 – 

$169,200 

$38,000 264 

$100,000 456 

$59,000 1,169 

$60,000 317 

$500,000 – 

$3,000,000 

528 

$150,000 1,055 

$20,000 1,376 

LearningRx 

Tutoring services 

July 

2020 

$125,000 – 

$175,000 

$75,000 53 

* MaidPro 

House cleaning & maid services 

Sep. 

2020 

$77,560 – 

$171,160 

$75,000 277 

Mr. Appliance 

Appliance repair 

Oct. 

2020 

$65,800 – 

$144,515 

$40,000 321 

*This brand’s Franchisee 

Satisfaction Report is available at 


Mr. Electric 

Electrical services 

My SALON Suite 

Private, spacious salon suites 

Oct. 

2020 

July 

2020 

$103,600 – 

$239,750 

$664,738 – 

$1,453,518 

$50,000 199 

$200,000 197 



Survey 

Date 

Start-Up 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

NextHome 

Real estate 

Nov. 

2020 

$15,250 – 

$214,095 

$4,250 485 

Nothing Bundt Cakes 

Snack retailer 

May 

2020 

$430,200 – 

$624,300 

$150,000 380 

* Office Pride 


Sep. 

2020 

$65,000 – 

$107,200 

$85,000 151 

* Our Town America — more on p. 28 

Advertising services 

Sep. 

2020 

$63,300 – 

$86,250 

$70,000 59 

* Payroll Vault Franchising 

Payroll services 

Pet Supplies ‘PLUS’ 

Pet retailer 

* Pinch A Penny — more on p. 29 

Pool supplies retailer 

* Pizza Factory — more on p. 29 

Fast Casual 

Precision Door Service 

Garage door services 

Aug. 

2020 

July 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

$39,313 – 

$65,769 

$440,600 – 

$1,315,250 

$289,375 – 

$411,200 

$308,000 – 

$552,000 

$81,480 – 

$422,980 

$31,500 62 

$200,000 804 

$150,000 259 

$75,000 102 

$150,000 104 

“Growing any business 

is an investment of 

both time and money, 

and Payroll Vault provides 

value in return for 

that investment.” 

– Multi-unit Payroll Vault franchisee 

Realty ONE Group 

Real estate 

Feb. 


$44,000 – 

$223,000 

$15,000 – 

$22,000 

281 

Rhea Lana’s 

Children’s consignment 

Feb. 


$20,550 – 

$39,950 

$15,000 102 

* Senior Care Authority 

Assisted living placement services 

Nov. 

2020 

$57,500 – 

$87,700 

$50,000 – 

$150,000 

75 

* Soccer Shots 

Youth sports 

Sep. 

2020 

$41,034 – 

$55,100 

$40,000 252 

Sola Salon Studios 

Salon suites 

Nov. 

2020 

$575,000 – 

$1,700,000 

$500,000 557 

* Supporting Strategies 

Bookkeeping services 

June 

2020 

$77,930 – 

$103,190 

$100,000 99 

* The Joint — more on back cover 

Chiropractic 

Oct. 

2020 

$203,397 – 

$378,697 

$100,000 585 

* The Learning Experience 

Early childhood education 

Tropical Smoothie Cafe 

Fast casual 

United Country Real Estate 

Real estate 

* Visiting Angels 


We Insure 

Insurance services 

May 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

$544,419 – 

$3,586,419 

$198,500 – 

$543,500 

$10,875 – 

$50,380 

$84,085 – 

$125,885 

$27,500 – 

$97,250 

$150,000 264 

$125,000 931 

$15,000 473 

$59,950 725 

$25,000 – 

$85,000 

112 

“Fantastic system 

and leadership. 

I have recommended 

this franchise to 

numerous friends and 

chiropractic colleagues.” 

Weichert Real Estate Affiliates 

Real estate 

Sep. 

2020 

$62,500 – 

$324,700 

$25,000 491 

– The Joint franchisee 

* Wild Birds Unlimited — more on p. 31 

Nature retailer 

Oct. 

2020 

$185,179 – 

$311,043 

$40,000 – 

$50,000 

350 

Wingstop 

Quick-service 

Aug. 

2020 

$376,300 – 

$724,000 

$600,000 1,570 

* Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park 


March 

2020 

$63,000 – 

$5,000,000 

$200,000 78 



Clockwise, from left: Franchise owner Chuck Jones of Office Pride Commercial Cleaning is providing essential cleaning services to the greater Nashville area. Office Pride 

hit the trifecta this year being recognized on our Low-Cost, Recession-Proof, and Top Franchises for Women awards lists for 2021; Dream Vacations franchise owner and Air 

Force veteran Laura Dvarekas (pictured here in Norway pre-pandemic) is betting on strong growth as travel restrictions are lifted over the coming year; With so many people 

spending more time at home this past year, Mr. Rooter and other home service franchise owners have experienced a big spike in demand. 

Cashing In on the 

Coming Economic Boom 

Investing in a Franchise Business May be More Affordable than You Think 

Many financial experts are forecasting 

a coming economic boom 

similar to the “Roaring Twenties” 

that followed the last pandemic. With all the 

stimulus money floating around, combined 

with significant pent-up consumer demand 

for all-things entertainment, there are many 

reasons to be bullish about economic growth 

over the next few years. 

Unfortunately, economic growth always 

favors business owners much more than the 

employees that power their businesses. The 

last few decades have seen business ownership 

wealth soar, while worker incomes have 

remained relatively stagnant. Fortunately, 

Franchise Business Review can help you 

identify business opportunities that are more 

affordable than you might think. 

Tens of thousands of people explore 

franchise opportunities every year and many 

of those quickly abandon their dreams of 

business ownership when they come to the 

conclusion that they can’t afford to invest in 

a business. While we would never encourage 

anyone to go into business undercapitalized, 

there are many affordable and creative ways to 

own a business. 

One big advantage that many franchises 

offers is a proven track record. Banks don’t like 

risk—so by investing in a franchise business 

with a history of success you are much more 

likely to get a loan compared to starting 

a new business from scratch. And because a 

franchise business comes with an operations 

“playbook” and a corporate training and 

support team, franchise businesses tend to 

ramp-up faster—which helps with cash flow. 

“Buying a franchise is like buying a house 

in many ways,” says Eric Stites, founder & 

CEO of Franchise Business Review. “The 

average person doesn’t have an extra $100K 

lying around to plunk down on business, 

so they get a bank loan or other financing. 

A franchise might have an initial investment 

cost of $150,000, but in most cases you can 

finance the bulk of your business with a much 

smaller down payment.” 

There are many great franchise businesses 

with startup costs under $100K, and with 

financing, many you can start for much less. A 

typical bank loan will require you to put down 

20–30 percent, but some franchise companies 

will also offer special finance options to help 

spread out your out-of-pocket start-up costs. 

Franchise Business Review researched 

hundreds of leading franchise companies to 

help identify our 2021 list of Top 50 Low-Cost 

Franchises (see page 13). Our finalists are not 

only affordable business options, but companies 

that have outstanding franchise owner 

satisfaction. 

Now is a great time to start a new business 

and help build your personal wealth as the 

economy expands. We hope you find this 

list of low cost franchises helpful as you 

explore opportunities to achieve your goal 

of business ownership. Visit our website at 

www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com to learn 

more about these and other great franchise 

businesses, and find all the resources you need 

to start your franchise journey. 



* 360clean 


* ActionCOACH 

Business coaching 

Survey 

Date 

Sep. 

2020 

Jan. 


Start-Up 

Investment 

$15,800 – 

$24,000 

$45,000 – 

$125,000 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$15,000 95 

$45,000 – 

$150,000 

1,177 

THE LIST 


Low-Cost Franchises 

Aire Serv Heating And Air Conditioning 

HVAC services 

Oct. 

2020 

$87,600 – 

$211,400 

$50,000 219 



Dec. 

2020 

$40,364 – 

$145,900 

$50,000 113 



American Poolplayers Association 

Pool league 

Auto Appraisal Network 

Automotive appraisal services 

Bin There Dump That 

Residential dumpster rentals 

Critter Control 

Wildlife control & removal 

Feb. 


Sep. 

2019 

Nov. 

2020 

Feb. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

$27,500 – 

$64,950 

$22,737.34 – 

$29,242.34 

$16,700 – 

$44,275 

$73,050 – 

$128,250 

$63,525 – 

$169,525 

$30,000 146 

$29,242.34 335 

$3,000 – 

$10,000 

$75,000 – 

$180,000 

$8,075 – 

$52,075 

29 

186 

121 

“Unbelievably rich 

training and support. 

Cruise Planners gives us 

the best possible chance 

of making money in a 

volatile travel industry.” 

– Cruise Planners franchisee 


Travel agency 

Oct. 

2019 

$2,295 – 

$23,617 

$6,995 – 

$10,995 

2,801 

* Dream Vacations 

Travel agency 

Oct. 

2019 

$1,595 – 

$20,300 

$3,590 1,473 

Fastest Labs 

Drug/alcohol & DNA testing services 

Nov. 

2020 

$83,309 – 

$111,650 

$75,000 58 

* Fibrenew 

Leather & vinyl repair services 

Footprints Floors 

Flooring installation & restoration 



Heaven’s Best Carpet/Upholstery Cleaning 

Carpet & upholstery cleaning 

Oct. 

2020 

Feb. 


June 

2020 

Feb. 

2020 

$87,812 – 

$99,452 

$68,130 – 

$95,580 

$87,750 – 

$314,000 

$55,560 – 

$110,000 

$15,000 – 

$25,000 

258 

$50,000 107 

$100,000 456 

$22,500 821 

“The Fibrenew 

management team is 

always in touch giving 

us insights and tools to 

perform better, aligned 

to the core values.” 

– Fibrenew franchisee 

Home Care Assistance 


Nov. 

2019 

$77,775 – 

$245,250 

$80,000 168 






THE LIST 


Low-Cost Franchises 

HouseMaster 


* Image One 


Survey 

Date 

Oct. 

2020 

June 

2020 

Start-Up 

Investment 

$61,100 – 

$107,650 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$60,000 317 

$42,775 $50,000 10 

JPAR Real Estate 

Real estate 

Jan. 


$41,300 – 

$290,660 

$0 61 

“I feel the franchisee 

community at MaidPro 

is fantastic. Everyone is 

willing to help everybody 

else in any way they 

can. Being new, I felt 

welcomed immediately 

and feel everyone 

would help if I ever 

had questions.” 

* Kitchen Solvers 

Home remodeling 

* MaidPro 


* Minuteman Press 

Printing & marketing services 

Miracle Method Surface Refinishing 

Bathroom & kitchen remodeling 

Mr. Appliance 


Mr. Rooter Plumbing 

Home services 

Sep. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

Aug. 

2019 

Dec. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

$91,584 – 

$116,720 

$77,560 – 

$171,160 

$74,904 – 

$180,053 

$84,500 – 

$180,000 

$65,800 – 

$144,515 

$79,975 – 

$187,140 

$30,000 50 

$75,000 277 

$50,000 967 

$85,000 – 

$90,000 

172 

$40,000 321 

$50,000 305 

– MaidPro franchisee 

NextHome 

Real estate 

Nov. 

2020 

$15,250 – 

$214,095 

$4,250 485 



Sep. 

2020 

$65,000 – 

$107,200 

$85,000 151 

“PuroClean is very much 

a family culture where 

everyone cares about 

the other franchisee and 

their success.” 

– PuroClean franchisee 





Property Damage Appraisers 

Property damage assessments 

* PuroClean — more on p. 26 

Property emergency repair services 

Sep. 

2020 

Aug. 

2020 

Nov. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

$63,300 – 

$86,250 

$39,313 – 

$65,769 

$20,300 – 

$41,950 

$78,805 – 

$204,455 

$70,000 59 

$31,500 62 

$20,300 – 

$41,950 

$55,000 – 

$75,000 

242 

328 


Real estate 

Feb. 


$44,000 – 

$223,000 

$15,000 – 

$22,000 

281 

Rhea Lana’s 


Feb. 


$20,550 – 

$39,950 

$15,000 102 



Survey 

Date 

Start-Up 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 



Nov. 

2020 

$57,500 – 

$87,700 

$50,000 – 

$150,000 

75 

Showhomes Home Staging 

Home staging 

Signal 88 Security 

Private security services 


Youth sports 

Spoiled Rotten Photography 

Photography services 

Synergy HomeCare 


The Entrepreneur’s Source 

Career ownership coaching 

* The Glass Guru 

Window restoration 


Real estate 



We Insure 


Weed Man 

Lawn care 

Jan. 

2020 

July 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

Feb. 


June 

2020 

Feb. 


Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

$85,600 – 

$164,500 

$59,200 – 

$223,150 

$41,034 – 

$55,100 

$33,500 – 

$48,300 

$50,000 – 

$150,000 

$86,750 – 

$110,500 

$74,400 – 

$161,000 

$10,875 – 

$50,380 

$84,085 – 

$125,885 

$27,500 – 

$97,250 

$69,490 – 

$86,550 

$30,000 – 

$100,000 

55 

$45,000 520 

$40,000 252 

$30,000 16 

$50,000 371 

$75,000 104 

$74,400 80 

$15,000 473 

$59,950 725 

$25,000 – 

$85,000 

112 

$60,000 314 

“The quality of service 

that Visiting Angels 

provides is very different 

from the competitors. 

At any time that 

I mention that the client 

gets to interview and 

choose their caregivers, 

they react very surprised 

because they have not 

experienced that with 

any other company. 

Also, we have an 

excellent ongoing 

dementia training 

program which also 

makes the difference 

in the quality of service.” 

– Visiting Angels franchisee 


Real estate 

Sep. 

2020 

$62,500 – 

$324,700 

$25,000 491 

Window Genie 

Window cleaning 

Oct. 

2020 

$104,500 – 

$190,000 

$50,000 135 

WOW 1 DAY PAINTING 

Painting 

Jan. 


$67,000 – 

$129,500 

$50,000 62 

YESCO 


Feb. 

2020 

$64,300 – 

$350,000 

$60,000 126 

Young Rembrandts 

Children’s art classes 

Oct. 

2019 

$44,905 – 

$52,055 

$40,000 63 



Pandemic? What Pandemic? 

Franchises Businesses That Will Thrive in 2021 and Beyond 



2020 brought many small businesses 

to their knees. And while thousands 

of small businesses have closed or 

are operating at a fraction of their original 

capacity due to COVID-19, many franchise 

businesses have not only survived but thrived 

during the pandemic. 

Franchise Business Review tracks franchise 

owner satisfaction and performance across 

the franchise sector and we’ve seen an uptick 

in overall satisfaction across many sectors. 

Real estate, home services, cleaning, take-out 

food, and outdoor sports & recreation are just 

a few of the industries that have continued to 

grow during the economic downturn. 

At its core, franchising is about “being 

in business for yourself but not by yourself.” 

Over the last year, the franchise community 

has pulled together during this crisis to support 

and help protect their franchise owners. 

Independently-owned businesses don’t have 

this support and community behind them. 

That makes franchising uniquely positioned 

to innovate and recover much faster than 

other businesses. 

Continued on page 19. 

Left: Motto Mortgage broker owner Freddy Rodriguez (seated at desk) with his team in Houston, Texas. Rodriguez 

has been a franchise owner for almost four years. 

Above: Mosquito Joe franchise owner Lori Wolff of Akron, Ohio has helped her customers through the pandemic 

by keeping their backyards pest-free. 



Funding Your Franchise: You Have Options 

Jeremy Ames, President & Co-Founder of Guidant Financial 

There are a few significant differences in financing a multi-unit 

franchise versus a single unit, though many of the same financing 

solutions will work for both. Aside from the usual cash, credit cards 

or even asking for financial support from family and friends, 

the most common methods used to finance multi-unit franchise 

purchases include loans from the Small Business Administration, 

401(k) business financing, unsecured loans and portfolio loans. 

Here’s what you need to know about each: 

SBA Business Loans 

Loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA) are one of the 

most popular financing methods for business owners of all kinds, from 

startups to franchises. SBA business loans are not directly from 

the SBA. Rather, the SBA encourages banks to lend to small business 

owners with preferable terms and low interest rates. In return, the SBA 

covers 75 to 85 percent of the loan for the bank if the loan defaults. 

This creates a win-win situation for both the lender and borrower. 

When it comes to multi-unit franchises, SBA lenders usually look 

at each individual unit and also at the collective performance of all the 

units. Most lenders want to see at least two years of profitable tax 

returns with the initial business prior to applying for funding for 

another location. The sooner the business becomes profitable and the 

stronger a borrower is, the more flexible lenders are. For example, 

if the borrower shows a strong credit score, has prior business experience 

in the industry and is able to put down a significant down 

payment (more than 20 to 30 percent), the bank may be willing to 

approve funding for more than one location simultaneously. 

SBA Loan Eligibility Requirements 

• 20 percent down payment for an existing business purchase 

or 30 percent for a start-up 

• 640+ credit score 

• Personal collateral required 

• Industry experience preferred 

• Secondary income preferred 

401(k) Business Financing 

With 401(k) business financing (formally known as Rollovers for 

Business Start-Ups or ROBS), you can use up to 100 percent of funds 

from an existing retirement account to buy or start a small business 

or franchise without taking a taxable distribution or getting a loan. 

Funding through ROBS has been an option since the Employee 

Retirement Income Security Act passed in 1974, and it’s growing in 

popularity. 

Since ROBS doesn’t involve taking a loan, there are no monthly 

payments or interest rates, and there are no collateral or minimum 

credit score requirements. ROBS can also be used in combination with 

an SBA loan, allowing business owners to use retirement funds as the 

down payment for the loan. 

The process for funding a single-unit franchise versus multiple 

units is the same with 401(k) business financing. You can either roll 

100 percent of your retirement funds during the initial transaction to 

use for one or multiple units, or choose to use a lesser amount initially 

to open the first location, then complete another rollover when 

you’re closer to opening your second location. However, there are 

timing considerations to take into account, especially if you plan to 

open multiple units within the first two years. In this case, you may 

choose to open your first location using an SBA loan, then use ROBS 

as the down payment for a second loan so you can show lenders 

strong liquidity. 

ROBS Eligibility Requirements 

• At least $50,000 in a rollable retirement account 

• No minimum credit score requirements 

• No down payment needed 

Unsecured Loans 

If you don’t want to jeopardize personal property in order to obtain 

financing, unsecured loans provide up to $150,000 without any collateral. 

Unsecured loans work like small business credit cards, consisting 

of multiple lines of revolving credit that can be used and paid back 

as needed. But instead of relying on collateral, lenders look at your 

creditworthiness to secure the loan. As such, a high credit score and 

solid borrowing history is necessary. 

Unsecured loans have no use-of-proceeds requirements, so the 

funds can be used for your first franchise location or subsequent units. 

It’s important to note that this type of loan shows up as revolving 

credit on one’s credit report and can have a meaningful impact on a 

credit score, especially if payments are not made on time. For that 

reason, we recommend using unsecured loans as a last resort and only 

as a short-term financing solution. 

Unsecured Loan Eligibility Requirements 

• 690+ credit score 

• Credit utilization rate below 50 percent 

• Minimal recent credit inquiries 

• No recent derogatory comments on your credit report 

Portfolio Loans 

If you own stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other eligible securities, you 

can borrow up to 80 percent against the value of your portfolio without 

having to liquidate your holdings. Portfolio loans, also referred to as 

stock loans or securities-based lending, work like a revolving line of 

credit—allowing you to finance a business or franchise by borrowing 

(and repaying) at will. Because of this, they’re ideal for financing multiunit 

franchises as you can use as much as you need, pay it back, and 

then borrow again when you’re ready to move forward with additional 

locations—all without getting a new loan. 

For a detailed walkthrough on funding your franchise, visit www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com/financing 



Continued from page 17. 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Chuck Cassidy 

Husband and wife franchise owners Paul and Renee Jones provide home care services to clients with their FirstLight 

Home Care franchise serving Prince William and Fairfax counties in Virginia. 

Our 2021 list of the Top 50 Recession- 

Proof Franchises (see page 20) includes 

award-winning franchise companies from 

many different industry segments, as well as 

a wide range of investment levels—including 

a number of businesses you can start with 

an initial investment (cash required) under 

$25,000. 

We have surveyed thousands of franchise 

owners in our many years of research. From 

our perspective, franchisee satisfaction is 

one of the most important factors to consider 

before investing in any franchise opportunity. 

Not only do the following companies have 

outstanding satisfaction among their owners, 

but we feel they hold a strong advantage 

to outperform their competitors in the 

years ahead. 

British Swim School 

Greater Virginia Beach 

Owner since December 2020 

How familiar were you with the franchising 

model prior to purchasing yours? 

I had kind of been watching franchising from 

afar for a while. I had an uncle who had a AAMCO 

Transmission franchise with a service shop in 

Richmond, Va. He was very successful with that 

as a small business owner and it was unique to 

watch that business grow. I started to just get 

curious of what it would take to start your own 

small business and began to look at franchises 

that were successful. I knew my strength was 

in hospitality. Then I came across British Swim 

School because I am friends with a person who 

does marketing for Buzz Franchise Brands and 

he said I should take a look at this. He said it fits 

you, and that began the discussions. 

What type of business experience, education, 

and/or skills did you have prior to becoming 

a franchisee that you have found particularly 

helpful? 

I have been serving in the United Methodist 

Church for almost 30 years and one of the things 

that kind of tied into the British Swim School was 

the mission of saving lives, giving people the 

opportunity to learn and grow. 

What advice do you have for prospective 

franchise buyers? 

Just be patient and be prepared to work hard. 

I believe patience is a virtue and hard work 

pays dividends. Pace yourself. ... It takes time 

(to turn a profit), especially if you’re introducing 

a brand new franchise to your area. I also really 

recommend spending money on the marketing to 

help get the word out. 

Need Help Selecting and Buying the Right Franchise? 

Don’t go through the franchise buying process alone. Join our community 

of franchise experts and other entrepreneurs to explore franchising together. 

Learn more at FranchiseBusinessReview.com 

For more information on British Swim School 

opportunities, call (757) 215-4253 or email 

franchising@britishswimschool.com or visit 

britishswimschoolfranchise.com. 



THE LIST 


Recession-Proof 

Franchises 

* 360clean 



Fast casual 

* ActionCOACH 

Business coaching 

Survey 

Date 

Sep. 

2020 

May 

2020 

Jan. 


Start-Up 

Investment 

$15,800 – 

$24,000 

$276,000 – 

$1,397,000 

$45,000 – 

$125,000 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$15,000 95 

$150,000 936 

$45,000 – 

$150,000 

1,177 


HVAC Services 

Oct. 

2020 

$87,600 – 

$211,400 

$50,000 219 



Dec. 

2020 

$40,364 – 

$145,900 

$50,000 113 



Feb. 


$27,500 – 

$64,950 

$30,000 146 

“It’s nice to see that 

Any Lab Test Now 

is growing and has 

weathered through 

the Covid pandemic.” 

Anago Cleaning Systems 


* Any Lab Test Now — more on p. 30 

Lab testing services 



AtWork Group 


Aug. 

2020 

Aug. 

2020 

July 

2020 

Feb. 

2020 

$11,265 – 

$68,250 

$133,600 – 

$214,600 

$80,650 – 

$152,600 

$154,000 – 

$231,000 

$1,000 – 

$23,500 

1,711 

$50,000 192 

$100,000 161 

$100,000 91 

– Any Lab Test Now franchisee 


Automotive appraisal services 

Nov. 

2020 

$16,700 – 

$44,275 

$3,000 – 

$10,000 

29 


Real estate 

Jan. 


$113,920 – 

$455,000 

$50,000 – 

$100,000 

380 

BIGGBY COFFEE 

Beverages 

Oct. 

2020 

$189,550 – 

$378,600 

$0 249 

“This is a great company 

and I am a walking 

advertisement for 

Christian Brothers 

Automotive. The staff 

at the home office are 

extremely professional 

and helpful.” 

– Christian Brothers Automotive franchisee 


Residential dumpster rentals 


Swim lessons 

* Checkers & Rally’s 

Quick-service 

* Chicken Salad Chick — more on p. 27 

Fast casual 

* Christian Brothers Automotive 

Automotive repair 


Wildlife control & removal 

Dash In Food Stores 

Convenience Store 


Dog daycare & boarding 

Feb. 

2020 

Jan. 


Sep. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

Nov. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

Nov. 

2020 

$73,050 – 

$128,250 

$91,275 – 

$145,875 

$254,000 – 

$1,431,000 

$562,000 – 

$740,000 

$461,250 – 

$566,400 

$63,525 – 

$169,525 

$103,700 – 

$617,000 

$757,253 – 

$1,553,415 

$75,000 – 

$180,000 

186 

$75,000 65 

$250,000 882 

$200,000 181 

$85,000 238 

$8,075 – 

$52,075 

121 

Varies 66 

$300,000 167 

Donatos Pizza 

Quick-service 

Sep. 

2020 

$386,500 – 

$698,900 

$200,000 168 

* DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen 


Aug. 

2020 

$186,901 – 

$362,907 

$114,575 – 

$330,950 

39 




* Express Employment Professionals 

Staffing solutions 

Fastest Labs 

Drug alcohol & DNA testing services 

Feb. 

2020 

Nov. 

2020 

$150,000 – 

$239,000 

$83,309 – 

$111,650 

$50,000 872 

$75,000 58 



Survey 

Date 

Start-Up 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

* FASTSIGNS 


Oct. 

2020 

$218,596 – 

$298,679 

$80,000 741 

Fazoli’s Restaurants 

Fast casual 

* Fibrenew 

Leather & vinyl repair services 



Fish Window Cleaning 



Members only boat club 



Goldfish Swim School 

Swim lessons 

Green Home Solutions 

Mold remediation 

Home Instead 


HouseMaster 


* Image One 


* InXpress 

Business shipping 

Junk King 

Junk removal 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Aug. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

June 

2020 

Jan. 

2020 

Nov. 

2020 

Aug. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

June 

2020 

May 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

$466,750 – 

$1,918,818 

$87,812 – 

$99,452 

$112,881 – 

$199,376 

$87,300 – 

$151,600 

$175,025 – 

$486,000 

$87,750 – 

$314,000 

$1,370,283– 

$3,230,358 

$51,595 – 

$154,070 

$125,000 – 

$135,000 

$61,100 – 

$107,650 

$500,000 216 

$15,000 – 

$25,000 

258 

$49,000 215 

$100,000 284 

$38,000 264 

$100,000 456 

$0 – 

$600,000 

108 

$110,000 141 

$59,000 1,169 

$60,000 317 

$42,775 $50,000 10 

$85,600 – 

$169,990 

$88,000 – 

$175,900 

$65,000 408 

$50,000 – 

$75,000 

129 

“The InXpress franchise 

system remains a fantastic 

opportunity for business 

owners and sales people 

alike. We are in a robust 

and recession resistant 

industry with solid 

product and added value 

propositions to offer. 

InXpress is committed 

to strengthening 

weaknesses, promoting 

personal growth, as 

well as striving for 

financial success and 

wealth building.” 

– InXpress franchisee 



Feb. 


$30,250 – 

$9,172,925 

$500,000 – 

$3,000,000 

528 


Real estate 

Jan. 

2020 

$183,447 – 

$336,495 

$150,000 1,055 



Maid Brigade 

Residential cleaning 

* MaidPro 



Bathroom & kitchen remodeling 

Monster Mini Golf 

Mini golf 

Sep. 

2020 

Feb. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

Dec. 

2020 

Nov. 

2020 

$91,584 – 

$116,720 

$108,066 – 

$124,500 

$77,560 – 

$171,160 

$84,500 – 

$180,000 

$431,000 – 

$520,000 

$30,000 50 

$50,000 470 

$75,000 277 

$85,000 – 

$90,000 

172 

$30,000 27 

“Every year has been 

a success. Kitchen Solvers 

corporate makes me 

feel like part of a 

winning team.” 

– Kitchen Solvers franchisee 

* Mosquito Joe 

Mosquito control services 

Oct. 

2020 

$102,850 – 

$137,150 

$50,000 319 

Mosquito Shield 

Outdoor pest control 

Oct. 

2020 

$92,850 – 

$127,040 

$150,000 164 

Motto Mortgage 

Brokerage services 

Oct. 

2020 

$52,800 – 

$73,800 

$12,000 130 

Mr. Appliance 


Oct. 

2020 

$65,800 – 

$144,515 

$40,000 321 



THE LIST 


Recession-Proof 

Franchises 

Mr. Electric 

Electrical services 

Mr. Handyman 

Home repair services 


Home services 

Survey 

Date 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Start-Up 

Investment 

$103,600 – 

$239,750 

$117,500 – 

$149,100 

$79,975 – 

$187,140 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$50,000 199 

$50,000 290 

$50,000 305 

My SALON Suite 

Private, spacious salon suites 

July 

2020 

$664,738 – 

$1,453,518 

$200,000 197 

NextHome 

Real estate 

Nov. 

2020 

$15,250 – 

$214,095 

$4,250 485 


Snack retailer 

May 

2020 

$430,200 – 

$624,300 

$150,000 380 

Oasis Senior Advisors — more on p. 30 

Senior advisors 

Nov. 

2020 

$64,890 – 

$99,090 

$40,000 81 

“I feel when we hear from 

the Pizza Factory home 

office, it is always in 

alignment with our 

hearts. They are never 

content with the way 

things are, and they are 

always trying to improve.” 








Pet retailer 


Pool supplies retailer 

Pirtek 

Hydraulic hose replacement 

Sep. 

2020 

Sep. 

2020 

Aug. 

2020 

July 

2020 

Oct. 

2020 

Nov. 

2020 

$65,000 – 

$107,200 

$63,300 – 

$86,250 

$39,313 – 

$65,769 

$440,600 – 

$1,315,250 

$289,375 – 

$411,200 

$201,400 – 

$869,300 

$85,000 151 

$70,000 59 

$31,500 62 

$200,000 804 

$150,000 259 

$100,000 – 

$500,000 

542 

– Pizza Factory franchisee 


Fast Casual 

Oct. 

2020 

$308,000 – 

$552,000 

$75,000 102 

Precision Concrete Cutting 

Concrete maintenance services 

Aug. 

2020 

$155,000 – 

$181,500 

$72,000 71 


Garage door services 

Oct. 

2020 

$81,480 – 

$422,980 

$150,000 104 


Property damage assessments 

Nov. 

2020 

$20,300 – 

$41,950 

$20,300 – 

$41,950 

242 


Property emergency repair services 

Oct. 

2020 

$78,805 – 

$204,455 

$55,000 – 

$75,000 

328 

Qdoba 

Quick-service 

March 

2020 

$475,500 – 

$1,095,000 

$350,000 – 

$1,000,000 

736 


Real estate 

Feb. 


$44,000 – 

$223,000 

$15,000 – 

$22,000 

281 

Rhea Lana’s 


Feb. 


$20,550 – 

$39,950 

$15,000 102 

Right at Home 


Feb. 


$80,150 – 

$147,150 

$150,000 693 

* Sandler Training 

Business consulting & coaching 

Sep. 

2020 

$113,525 – 

$143,500 

$100,000 235 

Sanford Rose Associates 


March 

2020 

$108,250 – 

$143,580 

$108,250 150 



Nov. 

2020 

$57,500 – 

$87,700 

$50,000 – 

$150,000 

75 



Survey 

Date 

Start-Up 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 


Private security services 

July 

2020 

$59,200 – 

$223,150 

$45,000 520 

* Snap-on Tools 

Automotive services 

Sep. 

2020 

$169,223 – 

$382,235 

$37,583 – 

$55,545 

4,763 


Youth sports 

Sep. 

2020 

$41,034 – 

$55,100 

$40,000 252 


Salon suites 

Nov. 

2020 

$575,000 – 

$1,700,000 

$500,000 557 

Sotheby’s International Realty 

Real estate 


Bookkeeping services 

TeamLogic IT 

IT services 

The Entrepreneur’s Source 

Career ownership coaching 


Window restoration 

Jan. 


June 

2020 

Aug. 

2020 

Feb. 


Oct. 

2020 

$194,650 – 

$627,000 

$77,930 – 

$103,190 

$106,375 – 

$146,300 

$86,750 – 

$110,500 

$74,400 – 

$161,000 

$63,650 – 

$206,000 

762 

$100,000 99 

$60,000 225 

$75,000 104 

$74,400 80 

“I have recommended 

this franchise to 

numerous friends and 

chiropractic colleagues. 

We all help each other 

build a great brand.” 

– The Joint franchisee 

The Goddard School 


Aug. 

2020 

$697,100 – 

$863,600 

$150,000 538 

* The Joint — more on back cover 

Chiropractic 

Oct. 

2020 

$203,397 – 

$378,697 

$100,000 585 



May 

2020 

$544,419 – 

$3,586,419 

$150,000 264 


Fast casual 

Oct. 

2020 

$198,500 – 

$543,500 

$125,000 931 

* TWO MEN AND A TRUCK — more on p. 30 

Moving services 

March 

2020 

$179,000 – 

$585,000 

$80,000 – 

$190,000 

390 


Real estate 

Oct. 

2020 

$10,875 – 

$50,380 

$15,000 473 



Oct. 

2020 

$84,085 – 

$125,885 

$59,950 725 

We Insure 


Oct. 

2020 

$27,500 – 

$97,250 

$25,000 – 

$85,000 

112 

Weed Man 

Lawn care 

Oct. 

2020 

$69,490 – 

$86,550 

$60,000 314 


Real estate 

Sep. 

2020 

$62,500 – 

$324,700 

$25,000 491 


Nature retailer 

Oct. 

2020 

$185,179 – 

$311,043 

$40,000 – 

$50,000 

350 

Window Genie 


Oct. 

2020 

$104,500 – 

$190,000 

$50,000 135 

Wingstop 

Quick-service 

Aug. 

2020 

$376,300 – 

$724,000 

$600,000 1,570 

Wireless Zone 

Mobile device retailer 

Jan. 


$160,000 – 

$414,500 

$75,000 421 

WOW 1 DAY PAINTING 

Painting 

Jan. 


$67,000 – 

$129,500 

$50,000 62 



March 

2020 

$63,000 – 

$5,000,000 

$200,000 78 


FBR SPECIAL REPORT // MARKETPLACE 


TOP 200 

FRANCHISES 

ADVERTISING & SALES 


Discovery Map 

Town Money Saver 

AUTOMOTIVE 

* Christian Brothers Automotive 


* Snap-on Tools 

Tint World 

RNR Tire Express 

Ziebart 

BUSINESS SERVICES 

* FASTSIGNS 

* Sandler Training 

* Express Employment Professionals 

* ActionCOACH 

Sanford Rose Associates 

* Minuteman Press 

Nextaff 


Network in Action 

Remedy Intelligent Staffing 

YESCO 

AtWork Group 

Dale Carnegie 

* InXpress 

Office Evolution 

Intelligent Office 

CHILD SERVICES 



Young Rembrandts 

* TSS Photography 

Snapology 

High Touch High Tech 

CompuChild 

TGA Premier Sports 

Today’s leading brands based 

on FBR’s owner satisfaction data. 

*Full Satisfaction Report Available 

at FranchiseBusinessReview.com 

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE 

* MaidPro 

Anago Cleaning Systems 


Maid Brigade 


* 360clean 

Heaven’s Best Carpet/Upholstery Cleaning 

* The Maids 

* Image One 

You’ve Got MAIDS 

Jan-Pro Cleaning Systems (Master Franchisors) 

Executive Image Building Services 

EDUCATION 

The Goddard School 

* Mathnasium 


Online Trading Academy 

Huntington Learning Center 

LearningRx 

School of Rock 

Creative World School 

Best In Class Education Centers 

FINANCIAL & TAX 

* Payroll Vault 

* Brightway Insurance 

We Insure 

Motto Mortgage 

* ATAX — more on p. 31 

FITNESS 

Planet Fitness 

Orangetheory Fitness 

* Crunch Fitness 

* 30-Minute Hit 

FOOD & BEVERAGE 


* Kona Ice 



Wingstop 


See page 26 for additional top franchises. 

Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com for brand details. 

BUSINESS SERVICES 

ActionCOACH 

Initial Investment: $45,000 – $125,000 

Cash Requirement: $45,000 – $150,000 

Total Units: 971 

Business coaching is booming and the global 

demand is unprecedented. Business coaching 

is the second fastest growth industry behind IT. 

ActionCOACH offers you a flexible work-life, with 

little overhead and high margin returns. 

ActionCOACH is the world’s #1 business coaching 

franchise with +27 years of experience. Spanning 

+60 countries, our nearly 1,000 ActionCOACHes 

work with more than 18,000 businesses weekly 

changing lives through business re-education. 

Becoming part of the ActionCOACH family 

connects you to a global community of 

professionally certified experts. The training 

is unparalleled, the ongoing support is 

unmatched, and you get access to the library of 

ActionCOACH’s methodologies. Work with clients 

you choose and start living the life you have 

always wanted. 

For more information on ActionCOACH 

opportunities, call (888) 488-2828 or 

(702) 795-3188, email info@actioncoach.com, 

or visit www.actioncoach.com 

CHILD SERVICES 

Spoiled Rotten Photography 


Cash Requirement: $30,000 

Total Units: 16 

A close-knit ‘fran-family’ of photographers who 

make a living doing what we love, Spoiled Rotten 

Photography is seeking new franchise owners. If 

you’re a creative person who loves children and 

appreciates great photography, we want to talk 

to you! Our franchise owners come from various 

backgrounds, but our shared core values bring us 

together. Ready, action, shoot! We’re one of the 

lucky ones who has thrived during the COVID-19 

pandemic. Don’t just have a career, start your 

own business where you can’t be furloughed or 

laid off. We’re waiting for you in Phoenix, Kansas 

City, San Antonio, or St. Louis. 

For more information on Spoiled Rotten 

Photography opportunities, call (256) 658-8275 

or visit spoiledrottenphotography.com/ 

franchise-information. 


Most companies have struggled 

during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

BrightStar Care ® 

has thrived. 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Our commitment to the highest standard 

of in-home healthcare provides franchisees 

with multiple revenue streams that generate 

an annual average of $2,152,771*. 

877-689-6898 

brightstarfranchising.com/home-care 

* 2020 average unit revenue for all first franchise locations that were open 12+ months as 

of 12/31/2020 per our 3/31/2021 FDD - Item 19. A new franchisee’s results may differ from 

these represented performances. There is no assurance that you will do as well and you 

must accept that risk. This offering is made by prospectus only. 

April Cannon 

NaturaLawn of America 

Charlotte, NC 

Owner since 2003 

What did you do prior to becoming 

a franchise owner? 

I was actually an accountant by trade. I worked 

for Addison Airport in Dallas. I worked for the 

founding family there and they also owned a 

vineyard in France, and several different little 

companies. I did the books for all of those. 

I worked there for about six years, and then 

prior to that I was in the property management 

apartment industry in Dallas. 

How was your business able to survive 

a recession early on and now a pandemic? 

Thankfully lawn care is pretty much recession 

and pandemic proof. We’ve been fortunate to 

actually have had our best year in 2020. 

What is the biggest challenge for you in running 

your business? 

The most challenging for us is finding good 

people to work with us. The good people that 

we hire generally see us as a fill in job, although 

we do have a young man now who’s been with 

us several years and we’re grooming him to go 

into a more management role. We also have 

a wonderful office manager who’s been here 

almost eight years. 

What advice would you give someone starting 

off in franchising? 

I think it all boils down to numbers, you have to 

track your stuff. If you’re going to advertise, track 

your dollars. How much is it costing you to get 

that sale. 

For more information on NaturaLawn 

opportunities, call (800) 989-5444 or visit 

www.NaturaLawnFranchise.com. 



2021 TOP 200 

FRANCHISES 

Food and Beverage continued 

Donatos Pizza 

Pizza Ranch 

Fazoli’s Restaurants 

The Wendy’s Company 

* Checkers & Rally’s 

BIGGBY COFFEE 

Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar 

* Chicken Salad Chick — more on p. 27 

Captain D’s 

LaRosa’s Pizzeria 

Teriyaki Madness 

Qdoba 

Lennys Grill & Subs 

Cousins Subs 

Simple Simon’s Pizza 

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop 

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream 

Wings Etc. 

* The Haagen-Dazs Shoppe Company — more on 

p. 28 

* PJ’s Coffee 

* East Coast Wings + Grill 

* Happy & Healthy Products 

Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe 

Frios Gourmet Pops 

Straw Hat Pizza 

Nathan’s Famous 

HEALTH & PERSONAL SERVICES 

Fastest Labs 

The Joint — more on back cover 


Palm Beach Tan 

BEAUTY SERVICES 

MY SALON Suite 


Any Lab Test Now — more on p. 30 

Drybar 

Miracle-Ear 

101 Mobility 

The Woodhouse Day Spa 

Spavia Day Spa 

Blo Blow Dry Bar 

HOME SERVICES 

* DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen 

Mr. Handyman 

Mr. Appliance 

HouseMaster 

Home Services continued 

Surface Specialists Systems 


Color World House Painting 


House Doctors Handyman Service 

The Patch Boys 


TruBlue Total House Care 

The Grout Doctor 

HandyPro Senior Modifications and 

Handyman Service 

Bloomin Blinds 

ShelfGenie 

PET SERVICES 



In Home Pet Services 

REAL ESTATE 

NextHome 


Sotheby’s International Realty 




Showhomes Home Staging 

JPAR Real Estate 

Help-U-Sell Real Estate 

RETAIL 



Rhea Lana’s 

Just Between Friends 

Dash In Food Stores 

SENIOR CARE 


Home Instead 



Right at Home 


* BrightStar Care — more on p. 25 

Home Care Assistance 

* Amada Senior Care 

Oasis Senior Advisors — more on p. 30 

Home Helpers Home Care 

* CarePatrol 

See page 27 for additional top franchises. 

Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com for brand details. 


SERVICES 

Weed Man 

* TWO MEN AND A TRUCK — more on p. 30 

* Fibrenew 

Precision Concrete Cutting 

Fish Window Cleaning 


Mosquito Shield 



Mr. Electric 

Window Genie 



* Mosquito Joe 




NaturaLawn of America — more on p. 25 

Green Home Solutions 

Grasons Co. Estate Sale Services 

Junk King 

Hoodz 

Glass Doctor 

Pirtek 

MarbleLife 

Clean Air Lawn Care 

Creative Colors International 

Boulder Designs 

* Truly Nolen of America — more on p. 25 

Service Team of Professionals 

Border Magic 

Ductz 

Tide Dry Cleaners 

College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving 

SPORTS & RECREATION 



Monster Mini Golf 

American Poolplayers Association 



Goldfish Swim School 

Streamline Brands 

TECHNOLOGY 

TeamLogic IT 

* NerdsToGo 

TRAVEL SERVICES 


* Dream Vacations 

Expedia Cruises 

Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com 

for brand details. 



TRAVEL 

Dream Vacations 


Cash Requirement: $3,500 

Total Units: 1,540 

Are you ready to chart a new course? The future 

in travel is bright with a home-based Dream 

Vacations travel franchise. The pent-up demand 

for vacations is at an all-time high and now 

more than ever, consumers are turning to travel 

agents to help pan their next getaway. Turn your 

passion for travel into your own home-based 

business. Dive in immediately with our virtual 

training and discover how you can start planning 

Dream Vacations today! Join us for an upcoming 

webinar to find out how you can own your own 

travel agency. 

For more information on Dream Vacations a 


OwnaTravelBiz.com. 


FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY 

Own a Pool 

Franchise 

With 45+ years of sales growth and average 

store revenue of $1.3M*, we can help you build 

a better future for you and your family. 

Proven 

Business Model 

In-House 

Financing 

Family 

Friendly 

Call 844.740.5139 today. 

Or visit PinchAPennyPoolFranchise.com to learn more. 

*For the year ending December 31, 2019, Pinch A Penny had 253 stores open. Of those stores, 248 have been open at least one year. Of those open at 

least one year, the average annual gross sales were $1,309,099 and some stores (38%) had annual gross sales that exceeded the average. Your results 

may differ. There is no assurance that you will do as well. See our 2020 Franchise Disclosure Document for more information. 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Adam 

Martindale 

Cruise Planners 

San Diego, Calif. 

Owner since 2009 

What was it about the franchise model and/or 

leadership that led you to purchase it? 

I had been looking for a travel franchise to 

start my own business and came across Cruise 

Planners. As I read more about them and asked 

my industry friends what they thought, they 

quickly turned into the leading option for me. 

I liked what I heard about the leadership, 

diversity and values as well as them being 

a leader in travel technology & support for 

franchisees. 




helpful? 

I have spent my whole life working in hospitality. 

I worked in hotels/resorts for 13 years and on 

cruise ships for 17 years as food and beverage 

director and have lived in many parts of the USA 

and in the UK which has really helped me. 

What do you like most about your job/owning 

a franchise? 

I love owning my own business, the freedom to 

make my own decisions, hold myself responsible 

and accountable for my success. I love travel and 

this is the perfect franchise for me! 

How did you fund your franchise? Did you 

receive any discounts/incentives? 

I paid for my franchise. I did receive a discount 

because of my hospitality experience. 


franchise buyers? What do you wish you had 

known prior to going into franchising? 

I should have been prepared to have enough 

money in the bank and to be able to support 

myself for three years when I started my 

franchise. My business started producing results 

(after a lot of hard work) after three years and I 

have not looked back since. 

For more information on Cruise Planners 


www.cpfranchise.com. 



FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Own a business you 

can feel great about 

Oasis Senior Advisors are 

professional, caring and trustworthy 

partners for older adults who are searching for 

the right resources and senior living solutions. 

Justin & Stephanie Clarey 

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK 

Columbus, Ohio 

Owners since 2019 



TWO MEN AND A TRUCK and the leadership 

team believes in core values that we share in our 

personal lives. Having the same or similar beliefs 

allows our visions to align and create a company 

that can grow. 

• Low overhead 

• Home-based 

• Recession-resistant business 

Kim Graham | Director of Franchise Development 

239-940-6669 

kim@oasissenioradvisors.com 

oasissenioradvisors.com/franchiseopportunities 




helpful? 

Having worked in the business for several years 

helped gain an understanding of the industry 

and franchise system so that the transition to 

becoming a franchisee was more manageable. 


a franchise? 

We love the flexibility that owning a franchise 

provides and we love the people we get to work 

with, interact with and we love that TWO MEN 

AND A TRUCK provides us the opportunity to 

help others move forward just as we did. 


franchise buyers? What do you wish you had 

known prior to going into franchising? 

Our advice is to find a mentor that is a franchise, 

preferably in the same system you are looking at 

buying. Having our mentors help us understand a 

wide range of perspectives, helped to prepare us 

for the road ahead. 

For more information on TWO MEN AND A TRUCK 


franchise.twomenandatruck.com. 


Join Us Now & Help Us 

Serve the Trillion Dollar 

US Latino Market! * 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Be part of our rapid nationwide expansion in serving the thriving 

Latino community, both the individual taxpayer and business owner. 

Low Startup Investment - Dedicated On-Going Training & Support 

Powerful Marketing System - Easy to Operate Franchise Model 

Proud to be a 

member of 

*According to a Forbes Magazine publication. 

Take the First Step Toward Building Wealth & the Lifestyle You Deserve! 

ATAXFRANCHISE.COM 1(866)999-2829 FIND US ONLINE 

• Make a difference in the quality of life for others 

• Help clients remain safe and secure in their own home 

What if your work filled your 

bank account AND your 

Soul? 

START YOUR HOME CARE 

BUSINESS TODAY! 

Home Care is a Pandemic-Resilient & 

Recession-Resistant High-Growth Industry 

• Contribute a beneficial service to your community 

• Low capital investment with BIG business return 

If you believe owning an Assisting Hands® Home Care 

franchise may be right for you, contact us today. 

866.924.2442 

www.assistinghands.com/franchise 

©2021 Assisting Hands® Home Care, Nampa, Idaho 83687. All Rights Reserved. This is not an offering; 

an offering can only be made by a prospectus filed with the referenced state, which filing does not constitute approval. 

Cathy Fleischacker 

& Pam Dymsza 

Wild Birds Unlimited 

Albuquerque, NM 

Owners since 2016 



We searched for years for a franchise that would 

meet our needs as well as our values. WBU 

was the right fit. Their commitment to brand 

protection, while allowing individual franchisees 

creative flexibility, lends itself to each store 

being unique within the franchise system. 




helpful? 

Between us, we brought a combined 40-plus 

years of customer service, corporate financial, 

facilities, retail, sales and HR management 

experience. We believe the combination of these 

skills has allowed us to work closely with our 

WBU coaches while contributing to our success. 


a franchise? 

Our customers! The personal freedom that 

owning a small business brings to our lives. 

Greater personal satisfaction from working hard 

for your own benefit, that of your family and 

staff. All, while knowing we are making a positive 

difference in our environment, while enriching 

our customer’s lives. This IS the joy of bird 

feeding! 

For more information on Wild Birds Unlimited 


www.wbufranchise.com. 


Franchise Opportunities 

For Entrepreneurs 

Ranked #13 small market cap in 2020 by Forbes. 

575+ locations nationwide 

No chiropractic experience necessary to franchise. 

The Joint Chiropractic makes quality healthcare affordable and convenient for 

patients while simplifying operations for entrepreneurs. Our cash based, no-insurance 

model allows for fewer employees, stronger cash flow and higher earnings potential. 

• Hedge your bets with an essential business – our stock growth says it all. 

• Our business model makes quality healthcare accessible for patients while 

simplifying operations for entrepreneurs. 

• Among the highest franchisee satisfaction survey rankings in the industry. 

Find out more at 

thejoint.com/franchise 

Minimal Staffing 

Recurring Revenue Model 

Zero Cost of Goods 

© 2021 The Joint Corp. All Rights Reserved.

FBR Issue 2 - 2021

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