Give an Inch . . .

Even if money is an object, it shouldn't stop you from realizing your dream of buying a franchise. In today's diverse marketplace, there are franchises of all types available at many levels of investment. Need proof? Check out our Top Low-Cost Franchise listing. These rankings are based on their scores in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500--and none cost more than $50,000. (Franchises that only offer conversion options were not considered for this ranking.)

These listings are not intended to endorse any particular franchise, but rather to provide a starting point for your research. Before you purchase any franchise, you should thoroughly investigate the opportunity by interviewing existing franchisees, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and reading all relevant literature, including the company's Uniform Franchise Offering Circular. You can save money buying a low-cost franchise, but you should never scrimp when it comes to research.

This article was originally published in the February 2005 print edition of Entrepreneur's StartUps with the headline: Give an Inch . . ..