Franchising offers numerous opportunities where you can be your own boss and cast the burden of leading a team aside. Learn about the pros and cons of franchises with no employees and how you can get started.

Managing employees is a lot of work, especially in the current competitive labor market. Last year, a record number of Americans put in their notice. A total of 68.9 million Americans quit their jobs in 2021. While some older workers opted to take early retirement and others left the workforce to care for children or elderly because of the pandemic, most people made a change for better pay and more flexibility.

Franchising Offers Options for a Party of One

If the labor shortage is making you wary of entrepreneurship, consider franchise opportunities where you can be your own boss and team. While retail franchises require a full line-up of employees, there are numerous low-investment franchise options that can be operated solely by the franchise owner. Franchising gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to operate a business with a proven track record of success and ample training and support. Franchise owners have a network of fellow business owners to share best practices and insight into creating a successful strategy for profitability. 

Pros and Cons of Franchises With No Employees

If you are thinking of investing in a business that won’t require you to hire staff, you are not alone. There are 32.5 million small businesses in the United States, and nearly 81% do not have any employees, the U.S. Small Business Administration reported. 

Rallying a team takes finesse and can be challenging. If you’ve spent your corporate career managing employees, an owner-operator business can cut down on some headaches. Without employees, you can set your own hours, and you won’t have to cope with the challenges of catering to a variety of personalities. Your success is no longer dependent on the performance of your team. 

Investing in a franchise with an owner-operator model is a low-risk, high-reward path to entrepreneurship. To find out if an owner-operator franchise is the right choice for you, take a look at the pros and cons of a franchise with no employees.

Pros
Here are some of the franchise benefits of opening a business that doesn’t require you to hire staff. 

• Flexible Schedule. As a business owner, you are no longer tied to a typical 9 to 5 schedule or waste time commuting. Creating your own schedule enables you to have flexibility and work-life balance. 

• Less Red Tape. Many franchises with no employees are easy to start. Many require only a home office and high-speed Internet access. It may be necessary to lease a mobile van to hold supplies, but they all offer a work-from-home component. Not being tied to a brick-and-mortar location cuts down on paperwork and allows you to start raking in profits quickly. 

• Low Initial Investment. In addition to a quick start-up, franchises with no employees require a low initial investment. They have simple business models, and franchisors offer training programs to help owners become experts in their new business. 

• Build Quality Relationships. As the owner-operator, you get to work directly with clients. Putting a face to your franchise will help you build relationships with clients to drive repeat business.

• Maximize Profit. Good news! You don’t have to divvy up profits at the end of each pay period when you’re the owner-operator. You alone get to reap the benefits of your hard work.

Cons

It’s tough to come up with cons for operating a business without employees. The one drawback is the time investment required, particularly as you get the business started. But, once you establish your customer base, cutting back on the amount of time you devote to the business is achievable.

We Sell Restaurants an Employee-Free Business

If you have a passion for the foodservice industry but are tired of long hours and lack of family time, We Sell Restaurants is one of the easiest franchises to open and offers an alternative option you can run without employees from the comfort of your home.

 We Sell Restaurants is a business broker franchise specializing in the restaurant industry. Our franchise brokers conduct business from a home office and can earn a gross commission income of $209,292 per year by helping people achieve their dreams of restaurant ownership. The company employs a branded systemic franchise process for buying and selling restaurants, which capitalizes on the demand for restaurant industry experts and allows franchisees to be sole proprietors. It requires a low initial investment starting at $60,875 to get started.

Learn More About We Sell Restaurants Franchise Opportunities

If you would like to take control of your financial future by operating a franchise business with flexibility and profits, We Sell Restaurants wants you to join our team. Contact us to learn more about our brand and how you can own a business without any staff.

Robin Gagnon, Certified Restaurant Broker®, MBA, CBI, CFE is the co-founder of We Sell Restaurants and industry expert in restaurant sales and valuation. Named by Nation’s Restaurant News as one of the “Most Influential Suppliers and Vendors” to the restaurant industry, her articles and expertise appear nationwide in QSR Magazine, Franchising World, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and BizBuySell. She is the co-author of Appetite for Acquisition, an award-winning book on buying restaurants.