Best franchises under $100,000: a framework for choosing, not a ranking

• The 2016 Griffith survey put the median start-up cost at $95,000 across all franchises and $59,750 for non-retail, excluding GST. Those figures are a decade old.
• Across 937 Register profiles that disclosed a lower start-up estimate, the median was $146,984, so a $100,000 budget sits below the typical system.
• Categories whose median start-up range sits mostly under $100,000 include mortgage and finance, pet services, cleaning, travel, and education and tutoring.
• Compare contract terms as well as cost: restraints, goodwill, supplier restrictions and one-sided changes vary by category.
• Budget on the all-in cost plus a working capital buffer, not the headline fee.
• FranchiseScope's budget pages list individual systems in each band.

1. Add up the cash you can commit without touching your emergency savings.
2. Estimate what a lender might add, based on written quotes rather than assumptions.
3. Hold back a buffer for working capital and your living costs during the ramp-up.
4. What's left is your all-in ceiling. If it's $100,000, focus on systems whose total start-up estimate sits comfortably below it.
5. Check whether each franchisor's estimate includes working capital, and remember that start-up estimates cover the business, not your own living costs.
6. Test your ceiling with the franchise affordability calculator.

These median start-up estimates come from FranchiseScope's analysis of Franchise Disclosure Register profiles captured on 19 August 2026, grouped by FranchiseScope category. Franchisors self-report a lower and upper estimate, and each range runs from the category's median lower estimate to its median upper estimate, with n the number of profiles disclosing costs.

• Lawn and garden: $18,669 to $51,445 (n=9).
• Pet services: $22,000 to $53,000 (n=14).
• Cleaning: $27,500 to $79,890 (n=55).
• Mortgage and finance: $51,000 to $109,375 (n=15).
• Home and trade services: $52,500 to $127,500 (n=96).
• Education and tutoring, including music, drama and art programs: $53,850 to $95,000 (n=44).
• Courier and logistics: $55,000 to $135,000 (n=10).
• B2B services: $59,900 to $109,000 (n=63).

By contrast, quick-service food, coffee, retail and fitness had median lower estimates of $200,000 or more, so they generally sit well above a $100,000 budget.

• Physical demands: cleaning, lawn care and courier work are hands-on, and much of it happens outdoors or on the road.
• Hours: service businesses often work around customers' schedules, which can mean early starts, evenings or weekends.
• Licences and checks: some categories need background checks or industry licences, so confirm what your state requires before you commit.
• Selling: B2B services, mortgage and finance, and similar models depend on winning clients, so ask how the franchisor generates leads and what you must generate yourself.
• Staff: decide whether you'll work alone or hire and manage a team from day one.
• Vehicle: many mobile models need a suitable vehicle, which may sit outside the quoted start-up estimate.

The same Register analysis records contract terms. These percentages show how common each term is in a category; your own agreement is what counts.

• Restraint of trade: disclosed in 92.3% of cleaning profiles (n=65), 93.9% of education and tutoring profiles (n=49) and 85.7% of pet services profiles (n=14).
• Goodwill: 16.9% of cleaning profiles (n=59) and 13.7% of home and trade services profiles (n=102) said franchisees have rights to goodwill they generate, against none in pet services (n=13) or lawn and garden (n=12).
• Supplier restrictions: 43.9% of cleaning profiles (n=66), against 71.4% in pet services (n=14) and 56% in home and trade services (n=109).
• One-sided changes: the franchisor could vary the agreement in 41.7% of courier and logistics profiles (n=12) and 35% in mortgage and finance (n=20), against 24.2% in cleaning (n=66).
• Arbitration: offered in 72.5% of cleaning profiles (n=51) and 76.9% of pet services profiles (n=13).
• System size: the median cleaning system had 12 franchisees (n=65) and the median pet services system 6 (n=15). Treasury's 2023 review found three-quarters of franchisors have 16 or fewer franchisees.

• How long has the system operated, and how many franchisees left in the last 3 years? The disclosure document must list these events and give former franchisees' contact details.
• Does the disclosure document include earnings information? If not, it must say the franchisor can't estimate earnings for a particular franchise.
• What training is included in the price, and what costs extra?
• How many field support staff are there for the number of franchisees?
• What will you pay each month in royalties, levies and fund contributions, and are they based on turnover?
• Will the franchisor require significant capital expenditure during the term, such as new equipment or a vehicle upgrade?
• What do current and former franchisees say about their income, hours and support?

• A start-up estimate that leaves out a vehicle or equipment you'll clearly need.
• Earnings claims made verbally but not in writing. If a franchisor gives you earnings information before the disclosure document, it must also include it in the document or an attachment.
• Pressure to sign before the 14-day consideration period ends, or claims that money paid during it can't be refunded.
• No profile on the Franchise Disclosure Register.
• A small system with a high turnover of owners.
• Income that depends on recruiting people, or starter kits you must buy to qualify.

• My all-in ceiling includes a buffer for working capital and living costs.
• I've compared at least three systems across two or more categories.
• I've checked each franchisor's Register profile and disclosure document.
• I've compared restraint, goodwill, supplier and one-sided change terms.
• I've spoken to current and former franchisees in each system.
• I've run each system's numbers through a break-even calculation.
• A franchise lawyer and an accountant will review my final choice.