Over the last decade Mobile Franchising has grown into a new type of business that includes a variety of products and services. Services that were once assumed stationary are now taking flight and moving from client to client to cover a bigger area of consumers.
Mobile business reaches above and beyond the pizza delivery truck and has adjusted to the immediacy of consumers and time constraints of businesses. People are busy and live in two income families, time is precious and mobile businesses help people save time. The demand of the economy is convenience and mobile companies provide easy solutions that do not waste people’s energy and help them enjoy life.
Franchisees who are interested in taking the wheel and being directly involved in their investment would be interested in mobile business. Though it usually caters to the client’s demands, it creates a lot of flexibility for the owner.
Not everyone is interested in working in a specifically laid out office, mobile business allows people the freedom of the road, while also learning a new skill in their area of passion. This type of franchise not only works with clients directly but can also be extended into the field of business to business, helping gain more profit, while also retaining reliable clients.
Lawn Care services
Though everyone loves keeping up with the Jones’, they do not want it to take any effort. Lawn care and gardening services takes a green thumb and a lot of time and experience. People want to have great curb appeal but they aren’t interested in doing it themselves.
With an aging population, lawn care is in high demand. As people age, maintaining their gardening can become difficult but still remains a necessary house chore. Younger generations are busy and do not have the time. There has been a constant increase in lawn care demands over the last decade. According to a study performed bythe National Gardening Association in 2006, homeowners spent $44 billion on professional landscape services. Dual income families with a larger amount of disposable income are more willing to have someone else provide a service and allow them to enjoy time away from work more leisurely.
This industry can also be used business to business. In fact some franchises already have recognition with top brands, creating an immediate and recognizable client base from store opening.
Mobile Gaming and Party Services
Why not have a party come to you? Nowadays parents don’t have time to plan their kid’s parties but they do have income to help support one. Again, faced with time constraints, we want others to take care of everything for us.
People want a truly unique and different experience and they are competing with other local parties.
Franchises have seized this opportunities and recognized a profitable opening. Franchises offer entertainment to guests in a low-stress environment. Hosts get to enjoy the experience with their guests, rather than rush around trying to keep everyone happy. Businesses offer packages that cover all of the needs to throw a party with an extra entertainment factor. Whether it’s face painting and a clown for a classic party feel or blow up castles and video games- this industry explores a lot of means to keep the party planning easy, creative and extremely fun.
Again, this is an opportunity to reach clients at a cooperate level. Christmas parties, graduations, community events are all business opportunities. The services are not limited to preschool parties, but rather a huge client base. A lot of franchises offer an assortment of rentals for people to throw their own entertainment, while also providing a full package of service.
There are parties that offer day spas, space theme, reptile displays for a zoo theme event, sports and bouncy castles- the list is actually endless. Whatever peaks a kid’s interest is available to parents and parents can book for a more adult evening, if they prefer.
Takeout and Delivery Restaurants
Restaurants that offer takeout and delivery service are the original mobile service. It was one of the first businesses to remove its product from the premises and bring it to the door of the consumer, opening a window into a new service. This type of franchise can include catering, which helps open the doors to a wider range of events and costumers.
However, this type of service is sometimes limited to groups of people in order to be the most beneficial and profitable. With families working five days a week and sometimes parents having different schedules, delivery offers a guaranteed meal and a quick solution to the dreaded “what’s for supper?” question on everyone’s mind. According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2009 Industry Fact sheet, 69 per cent of adults stated take-out and delivery makes it easier for them to manage their day-today lives.
It’s a tried and true business method that has become a familiar habit in American society. In fact in 2013, 24 per cent of families admitted to ordering delivery or take-out two to three times a week. Only two per cent stated they do not order delivery at all.
Some franchises are fully functioning restaurants that offer either delivery or takeout or both, while some businesses only offer mobile services without a stationed location for sit down meals. Like most mobile franchises, a great initiative to this type of service is a low startup fee. There is no building or construction involved, creating a smaller purchase price.
Cleaning Franchises
For the most part cleaning franchises are mobile companies. They travel from house to house or office to office. Well-known companies that work business to business have established a great clientele with other well-known brands that adds value to a franchise and a committed source of revenue. A lot of the time, cleaning companies have established contracts with other businesses before opening, guaranteeing a huge customer base.
Some companies work in specific specialties, such as carpet cleaning or textile cleaning, while most companies usually offer an overall experience withdifferent options. This type of business usually has a low start up fee and gives the franchisee a lot of work- life balance and flexibility. This type of service is usually scheduled and can work around the owner’s lifestyle and not be reliant on the customer’s immediate needs.
Pest Control
This service obviously has to be done site on scene and it is one of the mobile services that would require specific training and understanding of systems to properly execute the service to the best quality. However, training is simple and most Pest Control franchises are wellestablished and readily available to the franchisees.
Pest Control companies’ revenue have increased over the last five years, due to prevalence and awareness of bed bugs. More and more people are requiring pest control services simply because the bed bug epidemic has become a public health concern. Business is booming from hotel requests in particular, creating a greater customer base for franchises. Concerns about bed bugs have lead to specific regulations that forces companies to seek extermination services in order to remain open. Pest control isn’t all about bed bugs, but they offer a variety of services and different infestations create different demands.
With $2 billion in revenue that is continuously increasing, it’s safe to say that while other suffer from bed bugs, the industry is truly benefitting.
Though Mobile franchises make franchisees dependent on their employees, if owners are not interested in being behind the wheel it can lead to a very flexible lifestyle. With the majority of franchises offer low fees, it’s an interesting concept for first-time entrepreneurs. People have control over their success and can grow their business with expansion and seeking out more and more clients. This is a small window into the world of mobile, people have very busy lifestyles with a lot of demands and they expect more and more services to come to them.
It’s a busy world and it’s always on the move, why not invest in the lifestyle with a moving franchise?
About the author : After receiving an English Degree, followed by a Journalism Diploma, Gina became a freelance journalist in 2008. She has worked as a reporter and in communications, focusing on social media. She currently works as a community information officer with Epilepsy Society, while pursuing her writing career at the same time.
Look out for our next special feature: Children’s Product and Services