Franchising is often associated with fast food, but it spans more than 230 industries, offering plenty of opportunities for people with strong business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit. The real challenge is finding the right franchise industry for you. It starts with understanding your financial and lifestyle goals.
To determine the best franchise industries, take a closer look at some top-performing non-food franchise segments:
- Home services: The home services industry is thriving. Spending on home improvement and maintenance projects was up 6% in 2023 with regular maintenance, interior painting, and installing new appliances at the top of the list, according to Angi. Households are outsourcing home services tasks to help maintain resale value and ensure their homes better suit their lifestyles and needs. Limited inventory and high interest rates also prompted people to turn to renovation instead of moving, further increasing demand for home services.
Cons: Home services franchises can be expensive, often requiring specialized tools and costly equipment that lose value over time. It requires managing a large team of employees and finding skilled labor can be difficult. Many home services franchises are seasonal, making it challenging to generate consistent sales.
- Mailing, packing, and shipping: The continued popularity of online shopping is helping mailing, packing, and shipping franchises to flourish. More than 20% of retail purchases took place online in 2024.
Cons: Most mailing franchises have extended night and weekend hours to serve customers, which may hamper work-life balance.
- Childcare services: At least two-thirds of children have two working parents and families are spending an average of $10,500 per child for center-based care each year, according to the Center for American Progress.
Cons: High staff turnover and stringent regulations are common with this type of business
- Pet care: Americans were projected to spend more than $150 billion on their pets in 2024. Pet food, grooming, or boarding business catering to four-legged family members has high-profit potential.
Cons: Initial setup costs for equipment, facility rental, and licensing can be substantial, particularly for boarding or grooming facilities. And ongoing expenses like staff wages, insurance, and pet supplies can further strain your budget. It is also a highly competitive industry, and you will need to have a large marketing budget to gain traction.
- Staffing: The low unemployment rate and uncertain economic conditions are propelling demand for temporary and contract workers. A staffing franchise enables you to form partnerships with local businesses to help put people to work. U.S. staffing companies hired 7 million temporary and contract workers in 2023. As the need for a flexible workforce grows, businesses are tapping staffing agencies to fill the gaps, and agencies that leverage technology can operate efficiently and scale quickly. You can rely on the transferable skills you built in the corporate world to be successful as a staffing entrepreneur.
Cons: Staffing agencies must comply with various labor laws and regulations, such as worker classification, wage laws, and tax reporting.
AtWork: A Recession-Resistant Franchise
AtWork is one of the fastest-growing staffing franchises and is an ideal non-food franchise opportunity. It has helped entrepreneurs achieve success in the staffing industry for more than 30 years. The staffing franchise has honed its operations to help local owners maximize profits, and it provides comprehensive support and training to ensure they have the tools to achieve their business goals.
AtWork’s support team ensures every owner has the tools and training to comply with existing labor laws and regulations. Each AtWork branch is assigned a personal field operations executive to provide professional coaching as you grow your business. This includes meeting annually in person with you and your team, finding unique training opportunities that address your needs on an ongoing basis, and consulting on sales, recruiting, and marketing strategies.
Our accounting team also handles your payroll processing, client payment processing, garnishment management, tax filing, payments, and more. This frees up your time and limits staffing needs so you can focus on sales and growth.
Get started to learn more about opening a staffing franchise in your community today! When you fill out the online form, AtWork will connect you with someone from the company’s franchise team.
