If you're interested in opening your own business, you should definitely consider the potential rewards of a business that would allow you to work from home. A home based business offers an amazing level of autonomy, and there are a surprising number of work at home franchise opportunities. In this article we will discuss some of the pros and cons of working from home as well as some of the available home based business franchises.

Pros and cons of a home business:

One major advantage of home based business franchises is that the initial investment required is typically much lower than a traditional franchise. Work from home franchises are usually in the $15,000-$30,000 range. You can occasionally even find a work at home franchise for as little as $10,000.

Another advantage is that a home based business has very few overhead expenses. Of course you will have to maintain a home office, but your chief operating tools will be things such as a computer, telephone or fax machine. If you choose to employ one or two people, there would, of course, be some payroll.

Home based business franchises require you to stock little to no inventory, which is advantageous because it alleviates the responsibility of keeping up with an inventory system.

Many prospective franchisees find the lifestyle associated with working from home to be the key advantage. There are a number of work at home franchise opportunities that only require a part-time commitment to be successful. This provides franchisees with a great deal of flexibility in their schedules and often affords them more time to spend with their families. This flexible schedule also allows business owners to conduct business at times that are most convenient for them as opposed to adhering to the traditional "retail-style" hours of operation.

However, working at home does have some disadvantages, too. There is staggered revenue potential associated with these types of businesses. Because there is no walk-by traffic, home based businesses are dependent upon a loyal client base for repeat business.

As the owner of a home business, you will have limited exposure due to municipal law, which prohibits home based franchises from maintaining "street signage" on residential properties. You can get around this restriction if your home has been zoned for commercial use, but for the most part your business's exposure will depend on your ability to market it through various advertising media.

National advertising campaigns are not commonly associated with home based franchises. Normally, marketing the business is the sole responsibility of the franchisee, and this may limit the reach of your marketing campaign to your own town or city.

Finally, as a home-based franchisee, your business practice will be isolated. This can curtail the number of networking opportunities you will have. If you do not maintain an active and effective advertising campaign, you are likely to lose potential customers to any competitor who operates a street-front or retail business.

Available home based business franchises:

If you've weighed the pros and cons and decided that a home based franchise is right for you, you might consider some these franchise opportunities:

PosiGrip is a turnkey, home based franchise that offers its customers protection from dangerous slip-and-fall accidents. PosiGrip is a process that creates a tread design on almost any hard surface including tubs and showers. The process does not discolor or change the look or feel of floors or showers. It simply makes them safer. For an initial investment of $8,000-$10,000, you will receive training and support, national advertising and a complete marketing program. PosiGrip imposes no franchise or royalty fees on its franchisees.

Guard-A-Kid Child ID Systems is a franchise that allows the franchisee to choose working from home or from a mall kiosk. The services and products they provide their customers are essential for child safety. For example, a complete child ID and safety package that includes two wallet-size printed IDs, a large file-size ID and a CD-ROM containing all the child's information in digital format is available to patrons. The initial investment for this franchise is $19,900. Your start-up kit will include numerous technological tools to ensure your success including a state-of-the-art laptop PC and an FBI-quality digital fingerprint scanner. Guard-A-Kid was included in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list and was also recently named one of the top 100 new franchises by Franchise Market Magazine.

You can even work from home in the travel industry. For example, Cruise Planners is a nationally recognized cruise planning agency, and they were ranked number one in their category in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The initial investment required for this home based business franchise is $20,000. Franchisees in this system enjoy training programs, marketing and advertising programs, exclusive lead and website programs as well as the highest commission levels in the industry.

Final thoughts concerning home based businesses:

The possibilities for entrepreneurs seeking a work at home franchise opportunity are virtually limitless. You can see the diversity in available franchises just from the short list above, and it is a short list. Many other opportunities exist.

If you've done your research and concluded that a home based franchise business is for you, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a franchise to meet both your personal and your professional needs.