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The 7 Best Franchising Opportunities for U.S. Veterans If you've served in the military, these franchises offer extra incentives to invest.

By Matthew McCreary

7-Eleven | Facebook

We trust our military to keep us safe, whether they are across the globe or in our neighborhood. It only makes sense that they would be worthy of that trust in other areas of life, including business.

These seven businesses from the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list have put an emphasis on adding veterans to their teams to help both parties grow. So, if you're a veteran looking for a new start, or you know someone who is, check out this quick rundown or see the full list of top franchises for veterans here.

Related: The 7 Cheapest Franchises on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 List

Dream Vacations

Dream Vacations, ranked 138th on the Franchise 500, is a home-based travel agency franchise.

It's already one of the most affordable franchises on our Franchise 500 -- you can start a unit franchise for as little as $3,245. But the cost for veterans is even more affordable: Veterans save 20 percent off the franchise fee (which is between $495 and $9,800), as well as free or reduced costs on training fees and marketing support.

CEO: Brad Tolkin

Business headquarters: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Franchising since: 1992

Initial investment: $3,245 to $21,850

Initial franchise fee: $495 to $9,800

New units in 2016: 27 units (2.7 percent)

Training: 45 hours in the classroom

Marketing support: Co-op advertising, ad templates, national media, regional advertising, social media, website development, email marketing, loyalty program and app

Snap-on Tools

Snap-on Tools is a hardware store franchise that sells hand tools, power tools, diagnostic tools and more. It's ranked 30th on the Franchise 500 list.

Obviously, with a hardware store, one of the biggest startup costs is the inventory -- if you're selling tools, you need to actually have the tools and setup to do it. Snap-on Tools helps veterans by taking $20,000 off startup inventory, which is more than the franchise fee ($7,500 to $15,000).

CEO: Michelle Fee

Business headquarters: Kenosha, Wisc.

Franchising since: 1991

Initial investment: $169,503 to $350,231

Initial franchise fee: $7,500 to $15,000

New units in 2016: 1 units (0.0 percent)

Training: 135 hours on the job, 57 hours in the classroom

Marketing support: National media, regional advertising, social media, website development, email marketing

Related: The 10 Best Franchises to Open in 2018

7-Eleven

7-Eleven is a household name, and its international brand helped the convenience store business earn the second position on the Franchise 500.

The company offers 10 to 20 percent off its franchise fee and special financing for veterans. Depending on the specifics of each franchise, this could add up to incredible savings. (The 7-Eleven franchise fee ranges from $10,000 and $1 million.

CEO: Joseph DePinto

Business headquarters: Dallas

Franchising since: 1964

Initial investment: $37,550 to $1,149,900

Initial franchise fee: $10,000 to $1,000,000

New units in 2016: 3,336 units (5.4 percent)

Training: 240 hours on the job, 24 hours in the classroom

Marketing support: Co-op advertising, ad templates, national media, regional advertising, social media, SEO, website development, email marketing, loyalty program and app

Related: The 5 Best Pizza Franchises You Can Start Today

Precision Tune Auto Care

Precision Tune Auto Care is a car maintenance franchise, and it's ranked 292nd on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500.

For veterans, Precision Tune Auto Care offers $15,000 off its franchise fee, knocking it down from $25,000 to $10,000 and lowering the overall investment to somewhere between $112,000 and $237,600. It also offers a reduced royalty fee for the first year. (Normally, it's 7 percent for the ongoing royalty fee and 1.5 percent for the ad royalty fee.)

CEO: Robert Falconi

Business headquarters: Leesburg, Va.

Franchising since: 1978

Initial investment: $127,000 to $253,600

Initial franchise fee: $25,000

New units in 2016: 2 units (0.6 percent)

Training: 4 hours on the job, 46.5 hours in the classroom

Marketing support: Co-op advertising, ad templates, national media, social media, SEO, website development, email marketing, loyalty program and app

Related: The 13 Fastest Growing Franchise Opportunities From Our Franchise 500 List

Cruise Planners

Like Dream Vacations, Cruise Planners is a home-based travel agency business and is ranked 60th on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500.

Because of its structure, Cruise Planners is incredibly affordable. In fact, it has the cheapest minimum cost of any business on the Franchise 500. However, Cruise Planners offers further incentives for veterans, which include:

  • 25 percent off franchise fee
  • Free training for co-owner/associate
  • $250 marketing credit
  • $60 design credit
  • 3 months free technology access
  • Free software license
  • One year free errors and omissions insurance

CEO: Michelle Fee

Business headquarters: Coral Springs, Fla.

Franchising since: 1999

Initial investment: $2,095 to $22,867

Initial franchise fee: $495 to $10,495

New units in 2016: 132 units (5.4 percent)

Training: Ongoing training on the job, 58.5 hours in the classroom

Marketing support: Co-op advertising, ad templates, national media, social media, SEO, website development, email marketing, loyalty program and app

Related: The 5 Best Pizza Franchises You Can Start Today

Marco's Pizza

Marco's Pizza isn't just one of the best franchises for veterans, it's one of the best franchises -- period. It's ranked 25th overall on the Franchise 500, and second among pizza franchises.

Marco's offers $10,000 off its franchise fee for all veterans, but it waives the fee entirely for veterans with service-related disabilities.

CEO: John Butorac Jr.

Business headquarters: Toledo, Ohio

Franchising since: 1979

Initial investment: $222,830 to $663,830

Initial franchise fee: $25,000

New units in 2016: 109 units (14.9 percent)

Training: 266 hours on the job, 60.4 hours in the classroom

Marketing support: Co-op advertising, ad templates, regional advertising, social media, SEO, website development, email marketing, loyalty program and app

Related: The 5 Best Pizza Franchises You Can Start Today

Budget Blinds

Budget Blinds sells window coverings, providing customers in-home consultations, window measurements and installations. It's ranked 23rd on the Franchise 500.

Budget Blinds offers $15,000 off franchise and territory fees -- a little more than 75 percent of the business's $19,950 usual franchise fee.

CEO: Shirin Behzadi

Business headquarters: Orange, Calif.

Franchising since: 1994

Initial investment: $110,140 to $230,870

Initial franchise fee: $19,950

New units in 2016: 58 units (5.5 percent)

Training: 80 hours in the classroom

Marketing support: Co-op advertising, ad templates, national media, regional advertising, social media, SEO, website development, email marketing, loyalty program and app

Related: The 5 Best Pizza Franchises You Can Start Today

Matthew McCreary

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor, Contributed Content

Matthew McCreary is the associate editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

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