By Candice Clem
By nature, most businessmen are highly motivated people, ready to take on anything standing between them and whatever variety of success they're in pursuit of. Not all businessmen, though, are ready and willing to take on the broader challenge of purchasing a master franchise license and tackling the much larger-scale difficulties of operating a business that sells and oversees other businesses. Master franchisees aren't any kind of superior businessmen, but they are wired a little differently, naturally able to govern the operations of others instead of doing the ground-level operations themselves. If you're one of these special few and are interested in master franchises, below are 10 of the best business opportunities for you.
1) Gold's Gym
If being a master franchisee for the worlds #1 name in health and fitness is of interest to you, there is literally no better business to go with. Offering at least 7 different ways of helping clients change their bodies and change their lives, running a franchise is not an entirely easy job, so there is a lot to teach franchisees. But Gold's Gym does just that with a 5-day, 28-class initial training course coupled with ongoing training in all areas of both fitness and business for all franchisees.
2) Play N Trade
Though it may be hard to believe, the videogame industry made a whopping $9.5bil in 2007, making this a serious business for serious businessmen. Within the market, Play N Trade has been recognized as one of the top 10 new franchises of 2008 by Entrepreneur Magazine. Customers love the retail business for the vast assortment of gaming goods they provide and franchisees love it for the extraordinary support they get from their franchisors.
3) Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning
Among their carpet-cleaning competitors, this franchise opportunity stands out for a number of reasons, not the least of which being their 30 solid years of franchising experience which has resulted in over 2500 different franchises. This business is a division of the Home Depot, a name franchisees can trust, and despite the low price tag of $25,000, Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning has the potential to earn serious profits right from the start. All things considered, this isn't a hard sell for a master franchisee to make to a prospective sub-franchisee.
4) Firkin Pubs
The perfect opportunity for the cheeky and slightly irreverent businessman, Firkin Pubs, as the largest chain of English Pubs in North America, is known for being rather cheeky themselves, and they'll be the first to admit it. Master franchisees learn how to help their budding franchises get everything from real estate issues to staff recruitment in order so that everything runs as effectively at new locations as it already does for the 45 pubs that already exist.
5) Bear Creek Coffee
This is a franchise business whose flexible business plan makes it easy to sell. As a master franchisee looking for prospective franchise owners, having a coffee roaster business that is prepared to fit into a drive-through, a sit-down café, a cart, or a kiosk vastly widens the number of people capable of operating a franchise. And with a profit-driven model that doesn't stop at coffee but includes pastries, sandwiches, smoothies, and retail products, the sky is the limit for their profits.
6) Hand and Stone Massage Spa
Every year, America spends $10bil on massage therapy, and when you consider that massage spas have less overhead than most businesses because there's no stock to keep, there are a plethora of reasons for interested people to get into this franchise business. Even for those franchisees who don't know the ropes of this specific industry, a total 5 weeks of training is in place to get them fully equipped for ownership. And once those franchises are up and running, that means royalty fees for master franchisees.
7) NAPA Auto Parts
In their own words, NAPA Auto Parts matches people who have "Main Street" ethics with others who have "Wall Street" know-how. As a master franchisee, you fill the "Wall Street" side of that formula, and if you're anything like the NAPA Auto Parts developers who have already set up the 6,000 stores in operation today, completing that business formula can definitely pay off.
8) Johnnie's Dog House
Unlike restaurants that take a one-size-fits-all approach to the business of food service, Johnnie's Dog House is a business that is equipped to address the food needs of virtually all settings. Designs exist that put the business on carts outside big-box hardware stores, in fast-casual locations in shopping centers and on college campuses, and even in small kiosks at airports and malls. Wherever a franchisee proposes to put a Johnnie's Dog House, you, as the master franchisee, have the tools to make it happen.
9) CleanNet USA
85% of building owners contract cleaning companies to keep their offices tidy, making the opportunity for entrance and expansion in this industry enormous. And with that opportunity in mind, CleanNet USA provides everything a master franchisee needs to succeed: a good sales system, automated service scheduling, and software to manage franchisees and customers well.
10) Yakety Yak Wireless
This franchise prides itself on being "customer-centric," providing clients with all the cell phone options available and consulting them in their purchase, not just making a sale. Master franchisees do much the same: matching well suited franchisees with the franchise opportunity instead of simply trying to make a business sale. This is only helped by an extraordinary marketing system that puts the Yakety Yak Wireless name in the public eye, so you don't have to.
Not all franchise businesses offer the opportunity to be a master franchisee, so the selection set is not endless, but there is still a healthy handful to choose from. If none of the opportunities above is quite what you're looking for, keep looking, because the one you're waiting for may be just around the corner.
