Get All Access for $5/mo

Our Top 5 Franchises You Can Run From Your Own Home Be your own boss and work in your own house.

By Matthew McCreary

Caiaimage | Sam Edwards | Getty Images

One of the toughest parts of starting a business is accessibility. You might have a great business idea or an incredible work ethic, but unless you have a lot of time, money and opportunity on your hands, you'll never be able to attain the success you might deserve.

Investing in a franchise can give you a framework that will help you with startup financing and training and give you the chance to strike out on your own. That's why we've been spotlighting different entities from our Franchise 500 list. Investing in these franchises are, in many ways, about access -- do you have enough cash to open a fast-food franchise? Do you have seven figures (or more) to drop on a Hilton hotel?

But, what if you're limited by space rather than money? Or, what if you're a homebody who hates the idea of working at an office?

You can start one of these five franchises from your own home, making them more accessible than ever.

Related: Here Are 5 Restaurant Franchises Perfect for the Beach Season

Snap-on Tools

Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Rank: 34

Initial investment: $169,503 to $350,231

Initial franchise fee: $7,500 to $15,000

New units in 2016: 53 units (+1.1 percent)

Snap-on Tools, which sells toolboxes, hand tools, power tools and more, offers mobile franchise opportunites, meaning you don't have to pay for a brick-and-mortar building to get started. This helps the company keep the initial investment price relatively affordable (six figures is a lot, but it's less than you'd pay for a restaurant like McDonald's and a lot less than you might pay for most hotels) and accessible to potential franchisees.

Jan-Pro Franchising Int'l. Inc.

Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Rank: 37

Initial investment: $3,985 to $51,605

Initial franchise fee: $2,520 to $44,000

New units in 2016: 375 units (+4.8 percent)

One factor that differentiates Jan-Pro's home-based franchising is that the company focuses on acquiring clients for you in your area so you don't have to worry about hustling to make sales. Instead, the company wants its franchisees to focus on service to make sure the customers they lure in stick around for the long haul.

Related: 5 Affordable Franchises You Can Start for Less Than $10,000

Cruise Planners

Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Rank: 75

Initial investment: $2,095 to $22,867

Initial franchise fee: $495 to $10,495

New units in 2016: 361 units (+17.4 percent)

All of Cruise Planners's travel agents are home-based, which is one reason why the franchise opportunities are so much less expensive than it usually costs to start a business or invest in a franchise -- even the maximum initial investment of $22,867 is relatively affordable. It's also one reason why Cruise Planners has made our Entrepreneur Franchise 500 for 14 years in a row.

Vanguard Cleaning Systems

Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Rank: 144

Initial investment: $10,930 to $39,400

Initial franchise fee: $10,000 to $1,000,000

New units in 2016: 58 units (+1.9 percent)

Vanguard offers two franchise options -- the janitorial franchise and master franchise. The janitorial franchise is smaller and responsible for actually cleaning accounts. The master franchise is a collection of those independent janitorial franchises, which creates support and infrastructure for those cleaners. Both options, though, provide plenty of flexibility for potential franchisees.

Related: Our Top 10 Franchises You Can Buy

Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels

Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Rank: 79

Initial investment: $199,475 to $380,100

Initial franchise fee: $10,000 to $1,000,000

New units in 2016: 132 units (+8.2 percent)

Auntie Anne's lists over 50 available U.S. locations on its website, but that doesn't include food trucks or concession trailers. With the option of a food truck, though, you can drive your office to work -- wherever that work might be, whether it's a college campus, a stadium or somewhere else.

Matthew McCreary

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor, Contributed Content

Matthew McCreary is the associate editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

At 16, She Started a Side Hustle While 'Stuck at Home.' Now It's on Track to Earn Over $3.1 Million This Year.

Evangelina Petrakis, 21, was in high school when she posted on social media for fun — then realized a business opportunity.

Health & Wellness

I'm a CEO, Founder and Father of 2 — Here Are 3 Practices That Help Me Maintain My Sanity.

This is a combination of active practices that I've put together over a decade of my intense entrepreneurial journey.

Business News

Remote Work Enthusiast Kevin O'Leary Does TV Appearance Wearing Suit Jacket, Tie and Pajama Bottoms

"Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary looks all business—until you see the wide view.

Business News

Are Apple Smart Glasses in the Works? Apple Is Eyeing Meta's Ran-Ban Success Story, According to a New Report.

Meta has sold more than 700,000 pairs of smart glasses, with demand even ahead of supply at one point.

Money & Finance

The 'Richest' U.S. City Probably Isn't Where You Think It Is

It's not located in New York or California.

Business News

Hybrid Workers Were Put to the Test Against Fully In-Office Employees — Here's Who Came Out On Top

Productivity barely changed whether employees were in the office or not. However, hybrid workers reported better job satisfaction than in-office workers.