Home Is Where the Money Is And improving the home is where today's franchises are headed.

Forget about exotic vacations and fast cars; today'sconsumers are interested in putting their money where they spendthe most time: their homes. Tired of living with the same oldkitchen cabinets, worn-out drapes and boring landscapes, homeownersare redecorating, remodeling and replacing at record rates.

According to the Home Improvement Research Institute,home-improvement product sales hit $158.9 billion in 1999, a 7.3percent increase over 1998. And the institute predicts a growthrate of 6.3 percent this year.

While do-it-yourself projects are still popular among certainsegments of the population, there's a growing trend amongconsumers to pull out their wallets and seek assistance fromhome-improvement experts. That means more profitablehome-improvement franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs.