Ron,

Lisa has a great point. The Small Business Development Center is a great resource. They are associated with local community colleges and with the SBA. Take advantage of resources like this. Especially the free ones.

My service is free as well. I speak to individuals all the time about franchise ownership. There are roughly 2500 different franchises out there. I think there is a franchise out there for everyone. The key is to analyze your short and long term goals. Find out what you like and dislike. Find out what you can afford. Huge monetary success will not happen over night. You need to have realistic expectations and keep working towards that long term goal.

This is how I consult my clients. We analyze all these factors and try to find a franchise that addresses their goals.