Exploring Franchise Ownership as an Empty Nester

What changes when the kids leave home?

The share of U.S. families with their own children under 18 in the household fell from 54% in 1975 to 39% in 2025, and the share among married-couple households declined from 54% to about 37% over the same period (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025). Once the house empties, you might give the freed-up hours to travel, volunteering or caring for your own aging parents, or you might start asking how to put decades of work experience into something you own.

Years of school events, youth sports and neighborhood friendships may also have given you a wide local network, which can matter in a business that depends on customers close to home. If you are wondering if it is too late to start something new, the page for career-changers looks at that question for people changing direction in their 40s and 50s.

What if a grown child still lives at home or is in college?

An empty nest does not always arrive all at once. In 2025, more than half (58%) of adults ages 18 to 24 lived in their parents’ home, as did 16% of adults ages 25 to 34 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025), so a grown child may still shape your budget for a while.

If a son or daughter is still in college or living with you while starting out, write down what you expect to keep paying for and roughly when that support will end. Tuition, rent, a car and health coverage can all draw on the same household savings you would use for a franchise, so it makes sense to set your franchise budget from what remains once those costs are counted.

The timing of your search matters as well. If a final tuition payment or a child’s move-out date is still ahead, you can plan for your investment to follow it, so that franchise costs and family costs do not peak in the same months. Talk openly with your children about the plan, too, since a parent’s new business can change what support is available and when.

Is a semi-absentee franchise a good fit in your 50s?

In 2025, the labor force participation rate was 82.5% for people ages 45 to 54, 75.0% for ages 55 to 59 and 58.7% for ages 60 to 64 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026). These 2025 figures are annual averages that leave out October, because data for that month were not collected.

If you expect to keep working for several more years, a semi-absentee franchise, in which you hire a manager to run daily operations while you oversee the business, is one way to own a business without leaving your current role. The model appeals to people who want to keep a job and protect time for family and travel, including visits to grown children who now live elsewhere.

Running a business part time is realistic in some systems and unrealistic in others, and much of the daily work will rest on the manager you hire. If you lean toward this model, ask each franchisor to put you in touch with current franchisees who kept a full-time job while their business was getting started. The page for investors looks more closely at manager-run models and the time commitment they involve.

An owner-operator model puts you inside the business most days. Some people at this stage want exactly that after years of fitting work around their children’s schedules, and the choice usually means leaving a current job on a timeline your household finances can support.

Which business models leave room to travel?

If travel is high on your list, the way a business is staffed matters more than its category, since what lets an owner step away is a trained team and a manager who can make decisions without calling you. A business built around booked appointments, which describes some home services franchises, can be easier to plan trips around than a storefront that keeps fixed daily hours. A business with busy and slow seasons can also suit an owner who travels, as long as you save longer trips for the quieter months. With any model, ask current owners when business tends to slow down, how they handle a planned absence and who covers booked appointments while they are away.

How do you make this decision with your spouse or partner?

Before you look at any franchise, sit down together and agree on how much of your shared savings you are willing to commit. Talk through how you will decide if the two of you see a business differently, and what happens if one of you wants to step back sooner than the other. It also helps to discuss how many years each of you wants to stay involved and how much physical energy you want the work to demand. You might each complete FranNet’s franchise ownership assessment separately and then compare your answers, which can bring differences to the surface before you meet with franchisors.

How should you think about retirement savings before you invest?

In 2025, 43% of non-retirees ages 45 to 59 said their retirement savings plan was on track, compared with 53% of non-retirees 60 and older and 35% of non-retirees overall (Federal Reserve Board, 2026). If you are still building toward retirement yourself, take a few practical steps before you get attached to a particular business.

• Ask each franchisor for the full estimated investment, including working capital for the early months.
• Plan how you will cover your own household bills in those early months, and keep that money separate from the working capital the business needs.
• Review your plan with a financial advisor or accountant before you touch retirement accounts or borrow against your home.
• Start financing conversations early, so you understand your options before you commit to anything.

You can use FranNet’s funding options calculator as you work through those questions. For an outside opinion on your plan, you can talk with a SCORE mentor or contact one of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Centers.

How does a FranNet consultant help you compare options?

A FranNet consultant is a local franchise expert who can help you weigh semi-absentee against owner-operator models, research businesses that suit the time and money you want to commit, and tell you which franchises are currently available in your area. Your consultant will not pressure you toward an opportunity that does not fit your goals, budget or skill set, as the client bill of rights makes clear, and the decision to sign a franchise agreement stays with you. Working with a consultant costs you nothing and carries no obligation because, much like a real estate agent paid by the seller, FranNet receives its fee from the franchisor of the franchise you may buy. When you are ready, you can tell us a bit about your goals, and a local consultant will reach out to talk through your options.