Service & Food Franchises under $10k (2024)

Are you looking to invest in a franchise, but you’re on a tight budget? Are you willing to spend no more than $10,000 on your initial investment?

Browse our listings below to see some of the top franchises for sale at Under $10,000.

You can also obtain an SBA loan for a franchise and invest as little as 30% of the total investment amount.

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This video is for those that are looking to invest in a franchise for under $10,000. I’m going to go through some of the key industries and some real examples, including some of the largest franchise names available.

There are some diamonds in the rough in the service industry, and I do encourage you to look at all the listings on vettedbiz.com to see what franchises under $10,000 might be available for you.

What industries are available for under $10,000?

Generally, these are going to be service-based businesses where it doesn’t cost much money to open up the location. And keep in mind, under $10,000 that means the franchise fee is zero up to about $10,000 because you usually need expenses for other items and working capital to get the business off the ground. Some exceptions to non-service-based businesses include Chick-fil-A, where right now you can invest $10,000, and own and operate a Chick-fil-A franchise. Yes, the corporate office is going to keep most of the profits. However, they’re investing generally way over $2 million. So, if you’re looking to have an ownership stake in a small business with the potential to earn $150,000 to $250,000 plus, then a Chick-fil-A franchise might be something to consider.

Keep in mind, it’s very exclusive and very difficult to be awarded a Chick-fil-A license or franchise. So, if you’re looking to apply, you probably already need to have years of U.S. restaurant experience, and maybe you have already worked at a Chick-fil-A restaurant.

Another option is Steak ‘n Shake, where for $10,000 you have a larger equity percentage. The last time we checked, it was 50,000… For Steak ‘n Shake, you have a larger equity percentage in the business. Last we checked for $10,000, you have 50% ownership and you can get into a current Steak ‘n Shake where it was previously owned by the corporate office. And they’re looking to have qualified franchisees own a percentage of one of these existing locations. What I like about the existing locations, is you can see the profit and loss and there’s not that ramp-up period where you’re waiting 6 months, 12 months, 18 months to start collecting a paycheck. Generally, in the first month, second month, you’re already getting some money back from your initial investment, which in this case for Steak ‘n Shake, was just $10,000.

Chick-fil-A and Steak ‘n Shake, where for a $10,000 investment, you can have partial ownership in one of these franchises and partner directly with the franchisor. In other franchises under $10,000, there are not that many great ones.