Franchise Opportunities for Women: Finding Your Fit

How many women own businesses in the United States?

Women owned 14.2 million U.S. businesses in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2025. The Census Bureau reports businesses with employees and businesses without them separately, and in that same 2023 data women owned 12.9 million nonemployer firms, or 42.3 percent of them, and 1.4 million employer firms, or 22.9 percent of them (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025).

Women owned 40.4 percent of all classifiable U.S. businesses in 2022, according to the SBA Office of Advocacy, 2026. In the 2022 data, women-owned employer firms employed 11.4 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2024. If you are weighing a franchise, those employer figures deserve attention, because many franchise models involve hiring and leading a team, and how you feel about managing people is one of the first things to settle.

Are more women starting businesses than before?

Recent data points to a rise. According to the Kauffman Foundation, 2026, the rate of new entrepreneurs among women was 0.28 percent in 2025, compared with 0.23 percent in 2019. Because most women age 16 and older are in the workforce (83.7 million in the civilian labor force in 2024, or 59.5 percent of women in that age group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2026), many of them bring work experience to a franchise decision.

That experience counts for a lot when you evaluate a franchise, since managing budgets, leading projects and serving clients all carry over to running a business. If you are leaving a corporate role, our page for corporate professionals covers severance timing and which management skills transfer to ownership.

What are the best franchises for women?

No set of franchises is best for women as a group. Roundups of business ideas for women often overlook women who want to sell to other companies, run service crews, manage several locations or own a business they do not operate day to day. Since women entrepreneurs differ from one another as much as any other owners do, a better starting point is a few questions about you.

• How do you want to spend most of your working day, with customers, leading a team, meeting other business owners or working largely on your own?
• Do you want to run the business yourself as an owner-operator, or would you rather hire a manager and oversee the operation?
• How much can you invest from savings, and how much would you need to finance?
• Are you comfortable selling and building relationships with local customers or companies?
• What does your local market need, and which franchises are available in your area?

Your answers usually narrow the field quickly, and our franchise ownership assessment is another way to think them through. If you prefer working with companies rather than consumers, our staffing franchise hub covers one business-to-business model, and if you want a service business that sends a team to customers’ homes, browse our home services franchise hub.

How much control will you have over your schedule?

Some franchise models give an owner far more control over the calendar than others. The reliable way to find out is to ask each franchisor specific questions before you commit, since a general promise of flexibility can mean very different things from one system to the next.

• What hours does the business keep, and which of those hours does the owner usually cover in the first year?
• Do franchisees in this system work on site full time, or do many run the business through a general manager?
• Which tasks can be done from home, and which require you to be on site or with customers?

If running the business through a general manager appeals to you, our semi-absentee franchise hub explains how those models are usually set up, although a manager-run business still takes your time while you hire and train your first manager. If you have children at home, our page for parents goes further into school-day schedules, childcare and the models that tend to work around them.

Where can you get free or low-cost counseling and mentoring as a woman starting a business?

Start with programs the SBA runs or supports, since you can confirm what they offer on the agency’s own site. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 2026, Women’s Business Centers are a national network of entrepreneurship centers throughout the United States and its territories that focus on women who want to start, grow or expand a small business, and they provide free to low-cost counseling and training.

The SBA’s resource partner network also includes Small Business Development Centers and SCORE (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2026). Through SCORE, you can get free mentoring from volunteer mentors when you want an outside perspective on your plans.

As you plan how you would pay for a business, try our funding options calculator. Preparing your financing early, by reviewing your savings and credit and comparing what lenders offer, makes your conversations with franchisors more productive. Our overview of the franchise buying process shows where financing fits among the other steps.

How can a FranNet consultant help you look beyond the usual lists?

A FranNet consultant is a local franchise expert who advises you on franchise and business opportunities. Each office is owned and independently operated by its consultants, who include past and present franchisors, franchise executives, franchisees, regional and area developers and other business professionals. Once you share your goals, your consultant educates you about franchising, helps you research businesses, identifies the structure and mix of businesses that match your interests and introduces you to franchisors that fit your model. Because that work starts from your own goals, a multi-unit structure can be part of the discussion when it suits what you want to build. Since a consultant can introduce you to many different franchisors, you can learn about several options in one place instead of going from company to company.

Your consultant can also tell you which franchises are currently available in your area and will guide you from the first research through signing a franchise agreement, although the decision to sign is always yours. Working with a consultant, starting with a free consultation, comes at no cost to you and with no obligation. It costs you nothing because FranNet receives its fee from the franchisor of the franchise you may buy, much as a real estate agent is paid by the seller. FranNet consultants will not pressure you or talk you into an opportunity that does not fit your goals, budget or skill set, as our client bill of rights explains.