Work From Home Franchises For Sale
The idea of working from home - at least on a part-time basis - has become an attractive option for a wide range of people.
Currently, 47% of franchise systems are run from a home office, with this figure rising to 56% when retail, hotels, and catering are excluded from consideration, according to the British Franchise Journal 2024. This is a huge increase from previously years, when only 29% of franchisees operated from home.
Below, we’ll look at what a remote franchise involves, how you can make a work from home business successful, and where you can find homebased opportunities.
Work From Home Franchise Opportunities
For other industry opportunities please go to our franchise directory
How to make money working from home
Investing in a homebased franchise brand allows you to launch a business, and hopefully earn revenue, while working from a location of your choice.
Types of work from home franchises
Professional Services Franchise
Typically a B2B operation providing financial services, marketing, business coaching, or recruitment. Franchises here include ActionCOACH UK (£69,000), activ Digital Marketing (£25,000), and Expense Reduction Analysts.
Online Tutoring and Education Franchises
Teaching students (adults or children) on a topic you feel comfortable in, whether that’s languages, science, or maths. Franchises include Debonair Languages (£18,000 minimum investment) and My World and I (£999 minimum investment).
Pet Franchises
Looking after customers' beloved pets through dog walking services, pet sitting, and grooming. Franchises here include Barking Mad (£14,950 minimum investment) and PetStay (£11,995 minimum investment).
E-commerce Businesses
Selling products and services online through a pre-established website or online marketplace. Franchises here include Garolla (£5,000 minimum investment).
What is hybrid working?
Hybrid working means that you’ll be operating from your house some of the time, but you may also be working from offices or conducting business in a face-to-face environment.
For example, at Fun Fest for Children (total investment £19,999+VAT), franchisees conduct most of their business tasks, such as admin, marketing, bookings, from home. However, the actual children’s holiday clubs are run in-person.
Another example is OSCAR Pet Foods (total investment £20,000). Franchisees can work from home for most of their business tasks but will need to make deliveries in their van to fulfil orders.
Can I work remotely while travelling?
Some franchisees decide to become a business owner because they want to earn money as a digital nomad. This is certainly an option, but it’s important to be transparent with franchisors before investing in the franchise.
You’ll likely be required to remain in the UK while you train and set up your business but will be able to head off after you’ve worked out how your operations will work on a remote basis.
Remember, if you’re planning to become a digital nomad franchisee, you’ll need to adhere to tax regulations which will differ between regions (find all the information you need on the government website.) Also think about how you’ll navigate time zones and internet access.
Is there a work from home travel agent franchise?
Many of the travel agent franchises allow franchisees to operate remotely. In fact, most brands are very pro-travel and will encourage its network to take frequent trips in the name of consumer research. For example, The Travel Franchise (total investment £2,995+) conducts a lot of its training overseas.
Where can I find work from home franchise opportunities?
Many franchise brands will advertise their opportunities at industry events like the International Franchise Show, with associations such as the British Franchise Association, and with business directories including What Franchise. (You can filter homebased opportunities on the What Franchise directory).
It may also be worth checking franchise opportunities on LinkedIn, as well as attending franchise events to get the word out that you’re looking for a remote brand to invest in.
Benefits of buying a work from home franchise
There are many reasons why you might want to find a franchise that offers a work from home business model. These include:
- Flexibility and work life balance: Getting rid of the commute can earn back time that you might want to channel elsewhere to create a better work life balance. This can often be why remote working is popular with working parents and care givers.
- Financially efficient: Working from your home takes away the costs associated with renting an office space. The UK government also offers tax reductions for those working remotely – you can find the full details on the government website.
- Comfort and convenience: You’re able to set up your workspace in a way that works for you, in turn, boosting efficiency and productivity.
The disadvantages of work from home franchises
- Limited social interaction: If you’re someone that thrives from working in a team environment, working in isolation may prohibit your progress.
- Distractions: It may be difficult to get on with work undisturbed if your family members will be around during your working hours. Make sure to have a conversation with your family about what your set up will be before investing in a work from home business.
- Space constraints: If your business has stock, you may have to house it in your home, which could pose problems in terms of space.
- Networking: While it’s still possible to be a connected member of the business community, being distanced will mean you’ll have to invest time in attending networking events and being a frequent poster on social channels such as LinkedIn and X.
What is the best work from home franchise?
The best work from home franchise will really depend on your personal situation and what you’re trying to achieve with your business.
Start by deciding what type of sector you’d like to operate in and who you want your customers to be? You’ll be able to find businesses that align with this in the What Franchise directory.
Next, assess their work from home business model. For example, how much support do they offer franchisees working remotely? Do they have a strong support structure and facilitate opportunities to network?
Does the franchisor expect you to operate your business at set hours? Or can you decide when and where you work? Do you need to always work from home in the UK due to data compliance? Or is there the flexibility to work while travelling?
Answering these questions will be vital to ensuring you invest in a brand that suits your lifestyle and your way of working.
Is there a work from home franchise under 5k?
There are plenty of low-cost investment franchises which offer a homebased business model. For example:
- Online advertising platform: What’s On In requires a £789 total investment.
- Pet franchise: MyWaggyTails costs £2,499+ minimum investment.
- Children’s franchise: The Creation Station requires £4,999+ minimum investment.
- Garage door franchise: Garolla costs £5,000 minimum investment.
- Compliance franchise: Mister Tacho requires £5,000 minimum investment.
Can I work from home as an accountant?
Professional services franchises frequently offer business models that enable homebased working for franchisees. (Always check before investing in your chosen brand.)
This means you’ll likely be able to find an accountancy brand that meets your criteria and allows you to work remotely. For example, AIMS Accountants for Business (£5,000 total investment) franchisees can operate their businesses remotely.
How to make your working from home franchise successful
Working from home can be daunting if you’re used to working in a very different setting, such as a corporate office. However, there are behaviours you can put in place from day one to ensure you’re setting yourself up for the best possible chance of success. Rachel Ray, founder of cleaning franchise Bright & Beautiful (total investment £35,000) and fellow homebased worker shares her tips below.
1. Prioritise your day
This is probably one of the hardest things to put into practice when you have a work to-do list several pages long, as well as a million and one family and personal things that need sorting out.
What I’ve found useful is to work out roughly how much time I will spend doing each task - whether that’s paperwork, writing a blog or visiting new clients - and make a time guide for the day and week, putting the most important or urgent tasks at the top.
This way you’re able to work methodically through what needs doing, put a satisfying tick next to the ones that are accomplished and move on. And make sure you build in some time to get some fresh air or go for a walk - it really helps.
2. Deal with distractions
It will be assumed that because you work from home you can sort the dinner, do the ironing, take the cat to the vets, etc. And while the ability to juggle all these things may well be one of the reasons you started working from home, it’s important not to let them eat into your working day.
Set aside a room or part of the home as your office. Even if the house is in a mess, go in there at the start of the day and shut the door. Then focus on what needs doing as if you’re in an office job. Only do chores or errands at planned times during the day and, if possible, leave them until after the school run if you have one.
3. Keep a record
You’re now the boss and you need to act like one. That doesn’t mean demanding a frothy mocha whenever you fancy one - there’s no one to get it anyway - but you need to be in control of how your business is progressing and what needs doing at all times.
In the same way as you might have delivered a weekly report in an office role, you need to have an organised system that ensures you don’t forget what you need to do, for whom and by when. Reporting and recording your business performance will be even more important if or when you decide to employ other people. No matter how good you think you are at keeping things in your head, something will eventually get forgotten.
4. Get the ride help
One of the best ways I’ve found to be more efficient is to know where you need help and bring in the experts. For a lot of self-employed people, that might be the accounts when their business turnover reaches a certain point. Get a recommendation from someone you trust and let them handle your HMRC payments and keep your finances on track.
I know that one of the reasons my business has grown so rapidly is that an increasing number of people are now using cleaners, because when you’re working all week the last thing you want to do with your free time is cleaning and ironing.
When you work from home, it’s all about making the maths work for you. If you can earn more doing your job than in the hours you’d spend cleaning or doing the accounts, it makes sense to bring in an expert.
5. Tame the email monster
Technology is undoubtedly one of the main reasons why more of us are now able to run our own businesses, but it’s important not to let it take over your day. I know I’m not alone in having had hundreds of emails in my inbox and dreading having to scroll through them late at night.
I now set aside a dedicated five minutes each hour to check my emails. Rubbish I delete, urgent ones I respond to. Then I put anything that needs consideration into my daily folder to deal with at the end of the working day.
Incidentally, one of the best email time saving tips I found was to unsubscribe from a load of shopping and spam emails. Set aside some time to try it - you’ll be amazed.
So many of our franchisees tell me they can’t imagine going back to work in an office again and working from home can be an amazing way to make the work-life balance a reality. With a bit of structure, a bit of common sense and a bit of fresh air, it can be amazing.
Check out the What Franchise directory for a full list of franchise opportunities across the UK
Image credit: Srdjan_Randjelovic/Shutterstock
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