Big Deal Looking for a bargain? Our top 100 low-cost franchises might just fit your bill.

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-from automotive to maintenance to tech-available at many levels of investment. Need proof? Well, here it is: Our Low-Cost Franchising top 100 ranking and complete listing. These rankings are based on the companies' scores in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500® for 2006--and all of them can be purchased for less than $50,000. (Franchises whose only low-cost options are conversions were not considered for this ranking.)

This listing is 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 never scrimp on research.