franchising in the service industry can work...ie RotoRooter, Stanley Steemer, Mr. Handyman, etc.

Just no one has figured out a truly effective system for electrical or HVAC...plumbing has it pretty well down pat (Mr. Rooter, Benjamin Franklin) While Roto Rooter was almost a pure franchise deal at one time, the parent company Chem-Ed has been buying back the franchises for the past several years.

In addition to the franchises, you have groups like Nexstar and ESI (affiliated with the parent company of Benjamin Franklin) that offer the ability to remain independent, yet build the business systems of a franchise.

Wanna see a franchise to be in it's early stages? Go here

Franchises are about 3 things...

1) Systems...you need to have systems in place to replicate something that is already succesful...next time you walk into a fast food restaurant, pay attention to all the systems that are in place...

2) Branding....how many of you remember the Roto Rooter jingle...when was the last time they ran a national ad campaign...that's branding.

3) Support and Networking...got problems? they should have the answers. They should offer you seminars like Matt Smith at a discount. For those of you who don't know Matt Smith, I ain't telling....Let's just say that he is better than Tech Daddy....If you don't know Tech Daddy, you either don't do resi/lt comm service work...or you got a lot to bulk up on before you are ready for them.

Some of the best knowledge and advice you will ever receive will be from fellow franchisees. Imagine this board...but only with everyone on the same team and no worries about competing against eachother. It's a treasure trove of knowledge and education...

If you can find a way to offer those 3 items, you can offer a successful franchise. If you are looking to buy an existing franchise concept, look for those 3 things.

Oh, buy a Dunkin' Donuts franchise instead...they make more money...