Match with a consultant today Looking For a Specific Consultant? Franchisors Join the FranNet Team

Franchise opportunities

At Home Franchise

At Home Franchise

An at-home franchise is a franchised business run from a home office instead of a leased storefront: it is a way of owning a business rather than an industry, and the work itself usually happens at customers’ homes and workplaces or online. It tends to suit self-directed people who are comfortable finding their own customers and who want to run a business without a commercial lease. The investment depends on the model, the vehicles and equipment it needs, licensing and insurance where you live, marketing and the working capital to carry you until customers arrive, and each franchisor lists its estimated initial investment in Item 7 of its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

Which kinds of businesses run from home?

The models that usually work this way share one trait: the work happens somewhere else.

  • Mobile and van-based services. The work happens at the customer’s property, and the home holds the scheduling, the paperwork and sometimes the equipment.
  • Business-to-business and professional services. Coaching, advisory, staffing, bookkeeping and marketing services, where meetings happen at the client’s premises or online.
  • Care coordination and non-medical home care. The care happens at the client’s address, and the owner’s job is scheduling, staffing and paperwork. Whether a home office is allowed at launch varies by brand and by state, so establish that early.
  • Inspection, placement and referral services. The office can be a laptop and a phone, with the work done at a property or by appointment.

Many models are home-based up to a point. Once you employ a crew, hold inventory or need a licensed premises, you may need somewhere to park vehicles, store equipment or meet licensing rules. Ask each franchisor at what size its owners usually make that move, and plan for it as a normal stage of growth rather than a setback.

What does an at-home franchise owner do all day?

Finding customers comes first. With no storefront or foot traffic doing that work, the owner is often the main lead source: calls, quotes, follow-up, referrals, local networking and online reviews, and marketing is an easy line to underfund. Ask existing owners how much of their week went to selling in the first year.

Then comes delivery. Depending on the model, you perform the service yourself, supervise people who do, or manage a schedule of both. Home-based does not mean desk-based.

Then comes the line between business and home. There is no commute to end the day and no colleague down the hall to check a decision against. It helps to set working hours, keep a room for the business and build outside professional contact on purpose.

What the data says about home-based businesses

We have not found a public count of home-based franchises on their own, so these figures describe home-based businesses in general and franchising as a whole. Each figure shows its data year. The SBA figures are the oldest, so treat them as a general picture, and none of these figures describes how any one franchise or owner will do.

How to evaluate an at-home franchise

  • Start with the job, not the location. Decide how much of your week you want to spend selling, doing the work yourself and managing other people, then look for models where the owner’s role matches.
  • Ask how long owners stay home-based. Ask the franchisor how many current owners still run the business from home, and what moved the rest into commercial space: crew size, vehicles, inventory or licensing.
  • Check the rules where you live. Zoning, homeowners association rules, your lease and your state’s licensing requirements can limit vehicle parking, signage and customer visits, and some licenses may call for a commercial address. Check before you sign anything.
  • Find out where customers will come from. Ask what the franchisor does to generate leads, what is left to you, and how existing owners keep finding customers without a storefront doing that work for them.
  • Compare the whole investment, and what it assumes. Compare the full estimated initial investment in Item 7 of each FDD rather than the franchise fee alone, and ask whether it assumes you already have a vehicle, equipment, a computer and a suitable room.
  • Test the fit with your household. Talk with current owners, including some you find yourself rather than only a reference list, about isolation, working hours and the effect on their household, then talk it through with the people you live with.

A FranNet consultant can help you frame these questions and compare home-based models against your goals, skills, time and budget, at no cost to you. You can also take the franchise ownership quiz, or, if you would rather manage a team than do the work yourself, look at semi-absentee franchises.

Frequently asked questions about at-home franchises

What is a home-based franchise?

It is a franchised business whose main office is the owner’s home rather than a leased commercial space. You operate under the franchisor’s brand and systems, and the work itself usually happens at customers’ homes or businesses, by phone or online. The term describes where the business is based, not what it does, so home-based franchises exist in many different industries.

What counts as a home-based business?

In general, a business counts as home-based when the owner’s home is its main base of operations, even if most of the work happens at customers’ locations. Local zoning or home occupation rules usually set the practical definition (in some states, state law sets limits too), and they can cover parking, signage, employees and customer visits, so check those rules, and any homeowners association rules, before you commit.

Which franchises can you run from home?

Usually the ones where the work happens somewhere else: mobile and van-based services, business-to-business and professional services, care coordination, and inspection, placement and referral services. Many stay home-based only up to a certain size, because a crew, vehicles or inventory eventually need space, so ask each franchisor how long its owners typically work from home.

What are the advantages of a home-based franchise?

The main ones are structural: there is no lease to sign, no rent among your fixed costs and no storefront to find or build out, and you have more say over where you work, though customers still set much of the calendar. The trade-offs are real too: every customer has to be generated, the work can feel isolating, and growth can eventually require commercial space.

How much does it cost to start an at-home franchise?

It depends on the model more than on working from home. Removing the storefront removes the lease and the build-out, but vehicles and equipment, licensing, bonding and insurance, required technology, marketing and working capital still apply. Each franchisor lists its estimated initial investment in Item 7 of its FDD, so compare that full range rather than the franchise fee alone, and if you plan to use an SBA-backed loan, check that the brand appears on the SBA Franchise Directory.

Does FranNet charge me to help?

No. Working with FranNet is at no cost to you, because the franchisor pays our fee, the same way a seller pays a real estate agent’s commission. You can book a free consultation with no obligation.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Explore at home franchise opportunities

Tell us what you’re looking for and a local FranNet consultant will follow up. Free, no obligation.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Match with a Consultant Today!

Not sure which brand fits?

A local FranNet consultant can match you with the right at home franchise. Free, no obligation.

Browse all franchises Talk with a consultant