What are the best franchise opportunities for small towns?

One needs to conduct a through market research to understand business potential before starting up in any location. Small towns present its own special set of problems which one needs to be aware of. Since many brands maybe missing from smaller towns, you need to evalaute if you should focus on franchises which provide certain utility which is missing in the town or bring new brands which will attract customers from other brands. It would be good to weigh in on the pros and cons of both approaches. One good question to ask yourself would be - What are some franchises that are needed in this small town but are missing currently? At the same time, you should keep in mind that there should be some scope for growth in the coming years. For example, if the town does not have a good car servicing center and all the car owners are taking them to a near by city, then it might make sense to open a car service center.

Some of the best franchise opportunities for small towns tend to be from the following sectors -

1. Food and beverages.
2. Grocery / retail shops.
3. Pharmacies / Medical shops.
4. Apparel stores.
5. Spa / Beauty salon etc.