If you are an average employee who lives in this period of financial instability with the word recession bouncing around, chances are that you are afraid for your job and your income. Maybe you have already started thinking about alternatives, so as to avoid the possible nightmare. But still, you don’t want to do a risky and long jump from the employee to self-employed position because you don’t know what kind of business to launch and you don’t want to start from scratch.

Understandable. Have you considered setting up a home based business such as opening a franchise?

Franchise is buying the rights of a mother company in order to open a business which will use the same brand name and will offer the same products and services in a different location or online. It is a smart home based business idea, because it needs a relatively small budget, which can vary from 10000 to 100000 dollars depending on the brand name and gives you the chance to benefit from an already known and accomplished business plan and name.

You can buy and open a franchise business of all kinds; telecommunications, hi-tech stores, pet stores, home improvement services, online bookstores, online shops. Practically you can choose whatever you want, provided that you still follow the same rule that applies in all businesses; stick with something you know and like. You definitely have a few challenges to face. It might be home based but it is still a business. But at least you have the back up and the guidelines from the mother company. If you do some personal research and follow rules and workable ideas strictly then you will succeed as a businessman. And as your first franchise grows you can start considering creating your franchise chain, which will bring more options, customers and money.

In any kind of home based business the first steps to take are always the same.

Research, research and research. You need to find the kind of home business that suits your talents, your abilities and your character. If it is to spend time and money opening a business, you need to do something you can support both financially and emotionally. The advantages of a home based business are first of all that you don’t have extra expenses which can prove hard to afford such as rent, staffing, all kind of royalties and bills, market costs which means that your initial investment will be quite small – again depending on what field you want to work in.

Whatever you choose to do at the end, always bear in mind that business is business and requires effort and time. Making money is the operative word here and you will reach it by being smart and persistent.