50 franchises with funding plans in 2024

From in-house loans and staggered payment plans, to bank partnerships and asset funding. Here are the brands you should know about

Becoming a business owner can offer a great deal of financial freedom and the potential to earn big. However, the first hurdle is often finding the lump sum to cover the initial investment and launch your business.

There are multiple franchise brands currently aiming to lower the financial barrier to encourage more talent into the industry, and they’re doing this through a variety of ways. Below, we run through exactly what’s on offer this year (in no particular order).

Please remember, loans are subject to status and always talk to an independent financial expert before making any financial decisions.

1. Cactus Jacks

INVESTMENT: £80,000
The casual dining restaurant has aimed to minimise the upfront costs that come with launching an eatery by providing an asset funding arrangement. This means you can finance kitchen equipment, as well as bar and front of house requirements, while you focus on paying the initial franchise fee.

2. Forward Thinking

INVESTMENT: £40,000 +VAT
The lettings agency’s payment plan comprises: £10,000 to secure your region, £15,000 four weeks prior to the PR launch of your business, £7,500 on your business’ first anniversary, and £7,500 on your business’ second anniversary. There are also no royalty fees during the first three months.

3. Snap-on Tools

INVESTMENT: £113,000
The tools manufacturer has an in-house bank called Snap-On Finance which offers business loans. Franchisees are required to have £15,000 plus working capital and Snap-On Tools with cover the remaining balance with a ten year interest-bearing loan, with no repayment for three months while launching.

4. Anytime Fitness UK

INVESTMENT: £455,000+
The gym franchise partners with banks to help franchisees secure loans that typically cover up to 70% of franchise costs. In addition, it has partnered with asset lenders to enable gym equipment to be financed while you focus on other costs associated with launching your business.

5. Little Voices

INVESTMENT: £11,500
The children’s performing arts school offers franchisees a payment plans which involve paying the franchise fee with a deposit, then making instalments over two, three, four, or five years. The franchise has also developed a relationship with a bank to support with start-up loans for franchisees.

6. Swimtime UK

INVESTMENT: £20,000+VAT
If you’re able to raise 80% of the funding required, the swim school franchise offers the option to borrow the remaining 20% from the company. You can pay this back interest-free over a pre-agreed period via increased levies or a set monthly amount (subject to status).

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7. URBAN Fresh Burgers & Fries

INVESTMENT: £290,000
The burger franchise has an established partnership with HSBC which can help you to secure up to 50% of the initial investment cost.

It is also finalising agreements with another leading franchise bank, alongside finance brokers. The franchise has been particularly cognitive of the economic strain on business
owners and has factored this into its ongoing franchisee support. This includes optimising operations for efficiency, negotiating competitive supplier rates, introducing a loyalty programme as well as seasonal menu items, and enhancing marketing campaigns.

The goal here is to lower the barrier to entry into URBAN Fresh Burgers & Fries

“Prospective franchisees can benefit from structured lending options with clear terms that reduce the risk of financial strain,” says Zerin Kent, operations director, URBAN Burgers & Fries.

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8. Driver Hire

INVESTMENT: £70,000
The recruitment agency is able to provide financial support via in-house loans to those buying a territory where Driver Hire is the seller or launching in a vacant territory. For example, the business loaned Torbay franchisee, Tom Williams, 50% of his purchase funds in 2021, enabling him to launch.

9. Pop Up Play Village

INVESTMENT: £10,500
The mobile children’s role play service provides a few payment plans to support its network. These include franchisees paying 10% to secure their territory for a year, while making monthly instalments; or paying 50% for the kit to be purchased, with the rest paid in instalments over six months.

10. Chrysalis Partners

INVESTMENT: £39,950
The business coaching franchise has a relationship with NatWest, which can offer a loan covering up to 75% of franchise fees and first year expenses. It can also offer a repayment holiday to aid with cashflow, a separate loan to cover VAT, as well as access to a finance house for faster fund availability.

11. We Love Pets

INVESTMENT: £12,995+VAT
The pet care franchise has a pre-approved loan arrangement with a government-backed lender.
Franchisees can receive a loan for the franchisee fee, paying the remaining cost in £300 monthly instalments. The franchisee is required to have working capital in addition to this.

12. Red Air Media

INVESTMENT: £16,000+VAT
The franchise, which provides thermal imaging, 3D models, data capture, film as well as architectural surveys, can provide payment plans to franchisees. You can pay the initial deposit up front and the remaining balance in monthly instalments. You will also need to pay for your GVC pilots licence.

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13. The Seasons Art Class

INVESTMENT: £21,594
The franchise brand can help franchisees gain an unsecured government loan covering 100% of the franchise fee, via its partnership with Business Masters. Meanwhile, you can also opt to use its partnership with HSBC, which usually provides a loan typically covering 50%-75% of the franchise fee. Franchisees will also be required to purchase their kit as well as launch their own marketing which is estimated to cost an additional £6000.

Finance special: How to fund a The Seasons Art Class franchise business

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14. Cello

INVESTMENT: £20,950
The fragrance shop business is product-dependant, with revenue deriving from ultrasonic diffusers, electric melt burners, oil, wax melts, reed diffusers and more. As a result, the franchise can front the initial stock costs for your new store, so long as you pay back this amount within six months of operating.

15. Alchemy Virtual Assistance

INVESTMENT: £8,500+VAT
You can secure your virtual assistance business with a minimum 50% deposit. The remaining 50% can be paid at a mutually pre-agreed pace with no additional charges or fees as part of the brand’s ‘learn while you earn’ approach. It also works with independent providers.

16. ERA Group

INVESTMENT: £39,950+
The professional services franchise, which offers cost and operations optimisation, has a partnership with NatWest, which can help secure a loan covering up to 70% of your franchise fees, including working capital. You can also access an 18-month payment holiday, and access additional funds in the future.

17. Captain Fantastic Children’s Entertainment

INVESTMENT: £16,995
The children’s party franchise offers a payment plan whereby you pay an initial deposit of £4,995 and the remaining balance is paid in instalments over a two-year period. The aim is to break down financial barriers here.

18. Urban Baristas

INVESTMENT: £150,000
The coffee shop franchise has established partnerships with HSBC and NatWest to support franchisees secure funding. The franchise can also arrange a UK start up loan via a third party for an additional cost. Urban Baristas also works with an asset finance company to secure any kit needed.

19. Amorino UK

INVESTMENT: £280,000
The ice cream and gelato brand enables the initial franchise fee to be paid over monthly instalments. It also partners with credible lenders that can provide financing for equipment and build-out expenses, as well as other working capital loans during the early stages.

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20. Kaspa’s Desserts

INVESTMENT: £60,000+
The dessert franchise has established partnerships with financial brokers and banks that can provide asset finance.

Additionally, it has negotiated interest free credit with some of its appliance suppliers to support franchisees during this challenging financial period. The brand recognises the responsibility that comes with franchisees investing their money, especially in during an economic crisis. In response it has created ongoing support, with business plans, sales forecasting, and cashflow.

Lowering the barrier to entry has been critical to growing Kaspa’s Desserts network further, and it plans to roll out more initiatives to help entrepreneurs from lower income backgrounds.

“We’re talking about the service and protection of the new franchisee. It’s absolutely of paramount importance,” says Julie McLaughlan, head of franchise development at Kaspa’s Desserts.

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21. Chai Green

INVESTMENT: £120,000+
The restaurant, which blends British and Indian street food, has a partnership with HSBC and can help secure a loan covering up to 50% of franchise costs. It also works with a finance house that can fund kitchen appliances, machinery and other equipment that will be critical to your business launch.

22. Post and Packing

INVESTMENT: £40,000
The postal retail franchise allows you to make full-stepped payments, which means payments start small and get bigger as you begin to grow your revenue. It also provides a match funding option with NatWest and HSBC, as well as support with the government start up loan.

23. Bodystreet

INVESTMENT: £59,950
The fitness franchise, which specialises in EMS training, offers a £5,000 subsidy towards costs for franchisees who have qualified as a personal trainer. It can also work closely with you to secure start up loans, which it currently has an 100% success rate in achieving.

24. All Star Football Academy

INVESTMENT: £4,900
The children’s football club has an in-house payment plan whereby you initially pay the deposit, with the remaining balance paid in monthly instalments. The payment plan can be stretched over a long-term period of up to five years.

25. What’s On In

INVESTMENT: £798+
The online advertising franchise offers a payment plan for its already low-cost investment fee, for all three of its business models. You can pay £789 for a single franchise over three months, £1,995 for a master franchise over six months, or a POA corporate franchise payment
over nine to 12 months.

26. BabyBeats Global

INVESTMENT: £6,995
The children’s yoga and sensory franchise has a payment plan to provide franchisees the breathing space they need to launch their business and sort out their finances. This means you can split the franchise fee into equal monthly instalments paid over a period agreed with the franchisor.

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27. The Travel Franchise

INVESTMENT: £2,995+
Franchisees that invest in the travel agency’s Elite Franchise package, costing £14,995 (+VAT), can spread the cost over a 36-month payment period. Meanwhile, Lite franchise package holders can pay a one-off £2,995 (VAT)franchise fee.

Once launching, Elite franchisees who pay in-full can also take part in the brand’s Money-Back Challenge, which sees the initial franchisee fee refunded if you make a set amount of commission in the first year.

Many franchisees have taken advantage of the Money-Back Challenge which essentially enables successful investors to get their franchise ‘for free’ - a reward aimed to motivate further growth.

“We’re looking to add strategic financial partners such as HSBC so that we can offer even more options,” says Paul Harrison, co-founder at The Travel Franchise.

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28. LFC Fun Languages

INVESTMENT: £1,800
The language tutoring franchise divides its franchise fee into five payments. These include: £300 upon signing the agreement, £200 when you’re ready to receive training, and £200 upon club commencement. You’ll also need to pay £114 insurance and £180 deposit for resources which is refundable.

29. Rooster Shack

INVESTMENT: £160,000
The chicken franchise has an established partnership with Lloyds which can fund a some of the franchise fee. Meanwhile, the brand’s asset finance partnership means you can finance kitchen equipment which is critical to get your quick service restaurant up, running, and making revenue.

30. Blam Partners

INVESTMENT: £20,000+
The digital marketing agency franchise offers a reduced upfront investment of £5,000+VAT, an extended payment period of up to 12 months, and a pause on payments until you’ve made five sales. If you don’t meet this target within six months, the business provides a money-back guarantee.

31. Certax Accounting

INVESTMENT: £16,750
The franchise has agreements with a number of national banks. These partnerships aim to help franchisees secure loans which typically cover a percentage of their franchise fees, as well as provide access to financial guidance to ensure their business costings are well planned.

32. OvenGleamers

INVESTMENT: £16,995+VAT
The oven cleaning franchise partners with Business Masters to enable franchisees access to loan funding via the Government-back Start Up Loans scheme. Many of the brand’s franchisees use this to fund the initial fee and some working capital, and they able to borrow up to £25,000 over five years.

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33. Right at Home

INVESTMENT: £140,000
The care franchise ensures all franchisees have enough working capital to carry them through a worst-case start up scenario. It currently has a partnership with HSBC, which can offer a loan covering up to 70% of the total investment cost.

In addition, Right at Home does not charge support fees during the first six months of trading and charges a reduced rate for the remaining half of the first year. Franchisees won’t need to pay a marketing levy to the franchisor either as this budget is managed locally.

The brand believes its stance is critical as the CQC application backlog is making the homecare start-ups in England twice as long and more expensive.

“Our next measure is to deliver financial benefits to franchisees via a recently implemented Growth Incentive Scheme,” says Kate Dilworth, head of network development at Right at Home.

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34. The Wheel Specialist

INVESTMENT: £180,000
The next four people to sign up to the brand’s recently revised franchise model will receive a discounted franchise fee of £10,000. It has also introduced in-house loan wheels to reduce initial capital outlay. You can also finance equipment through its asset finance partnership.

35. Lawnscience

INVESTMENT: £21,846 +VAT
The franchise has three funding plans which include in-company funding for 50% of the start up costs. A bank loan typically covering 60% of the start-up costs is available by the brand’s partnership with NatWest. While a government loan can similarly be applied for via the British Business Bank.

36. Leaflet Delivery UK

INVESTMENT: £9,995
The leaflet delivery franchise, which is affiliated with Royal Mail, provides franchisees with a payment plan to avoid big upfront costs. You can pay half of the franchise fee when join, which amounts to £5000+VAT. You’ll then pay the remaining balance of £4995+VAT in monthly instalments over five years as you earn revenue.

37. Dallas Chicken & Pizza

INVESTMENT: £100,000
The quick service restaurant franchise can facilitate asset financing via HSBC and NatWest to cover 50% of the store build. It can also provide low interest loans via selected third parties. You won’t need to pay royalty payments until after a specified grace period to give you time to launch and earn.

38. Jo Jingles

INVESTMENT: £6,995+VAT
The children’s music and movement franchise only requires 50% of the franchise fees upfront. You’ll then receive a three-month holiday on fees while you set up and launch your business. The remaining 50% can then be paid in instalments over the course of a two-year period, as you begin to earn a more stable income.

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39. Home Instead

Investment: £110,000+ (new), £300,000+ (resale)
The care franchise provides structured financial plans and business templates enabling you to build a ten-year fiscal blueprint of your business. The brand also works closely with banks such as HSBC, Lloyds, and NatWest, which offer a loan covering 70% of the fees on new and resale investments. Meanwhile, existing franchisees looking to scale via a resale purchase have been able to secure up to 90% funding through the partnership.

Finance special: How to fund a Home Instead franchise business

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40. Bright & Beautiful

INVESTMENT: £19,995+VAT
The housekeeping and cleaning franchise has an established partnership with NatWest Bank, which enables franchisees to access a loan covering 70% of the fees. It also works with Business Masters to provide support should you decide to apply for the government backed Start Up Loans.

41. Diamond Home Support

INVESTMENT: £9,000
The care business can provide 50% direct in-house funding to franchisee candidates if they’re the right person and it’s obvious they will make a success of the venture. This is part of its initiative to ensure that the right people are representing the brand, by breaking down barriers to entry.

42. Molly Maid

INVESTMENT: £28,975
Your initial franchise fee covers the cost of working with D&T who will help you create a bespoke business plan and secure government-backed funding. The cleaning franchise also has established partnerships with HSBC, NatWest, and Lloyds which can provide you a loan covering up to 70% of costs.

43. Puddle Ducks

INVESTMENT: £24,000+VAT
The swim school franchise has established partnerships with multiple credible lenders, including Natwest, Lloyds, Barclays, Empire Global Finance, and Novuna. As a result, franchisees often receive a loan to cover 70% of their franchise fees. The brand says it has also channelled its knowledge into guiding franchisees through funding applications.

44. Loading

INVESTMENT: £50,000+
The bar franchise, which is a new arrival to the industry, is scrapping the premium fee and royalties fee for its beta testers in franchisee’s first year of operation. It will also help you in securing a commercial lease by offering flexible payment options on legal and deposit expenses.

45. Support Solutions

INVESTMENT: £60,000
The care franchise partners with a broker to secure a government-backed start up loan which covers 100% of the franchise fee (£25,000+VAT). The brand will also work closely with you and the broker to develop a financial forecast that is tailored to your level of investment and what you’re trying to achieve.

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46. Jetts Fitness

Investment: £600,000
The gym franchise has an established relationship with a finance partner to support franchisees with new club openings. It says a typical finance agreement can cover up to 70%of the total pre-opening costs which is repayable over a five-year period via fixed monthly payments. Beyond this, it is currently rolling out a syndicate initiative to help more people invest in the ownership of its locations. Meanwhile, developments to increase funding opportunities are ongoing, with additional partnerships in the works.

Finance special: How to fund a Jetts Fitness franchise business

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47. Musical Moments

INVESTMENT: £4,999
The music franchise, which operates in care homes, has a staggered payment plan. This means you pay the initial deposit of £1,500 when you sign the franchise agreement. The remaining amount is then paid in monthly instalments of £194 over the course of 18 months. This arrangement is interest-free.

48. easyStorage

INVESTMENT: £500,000
The storage franchise revolves around easyContainers which cost £2,200 each. As a result, the brand rents the containers to franchisees for £1.22 per day (in batches of ten containers) as they launch. It also has partnerships with banks including HSBC, which has helped secure support and funding for many of its franchisees.

49. Well Polished

INVESTMENT: £9,995+VAT
The cleaning franchise allows you to pay the deposit only, paying the remaining fees over a 24 month period. It also has a good relationship with UK start up loans, which has funded more than 20 of its franchisees. Its partnership with an independent finance broker also means you can access funding advice.

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50. Snap Fitness 24/7

Investment: £450,000+
The gym franchise helps aspiring entrepreneurs in securing up to 60% bank funding for their total start-up costs via a business loan, as well as lease financing for exercise equipment. The latter is typically payable over a three-to-five year period and is fixed in line with your monthly profit and loss. Its high street bank partners are HSBC and NatWest, with its loan programmes so far producing some of the most successful franchisees within its network.

Finance special: How to fund a Snap Fitness 24/7 franchise business

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