Small Business Packaging Ideas: Tips, Tricks, & Inspiration

If you think you need a stack of money to open a franchise business, then think again. According to statistics, there are loads of franchises under 10K these days. Compared to traditional businesses and other alternatives to franchises, that’s peanuts! In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the low-cost franchises available today and how you can set them up. Let’s get right into it. Coffee News Coffee News is a news publication found in laundromats, coffee shops, convenience stores, and many other locations. Circulation is highest where people want to grab something to read for the road or don’t want to look at their phones.  Franchise owners essentially become representatives for the publication. Their work involves meeting with local brands and discussing the benefits of advertising through Coffee News. Entrepreneur magazine rated Coffee News as one of the top low-cost franchises people can operate in 2017. Franchisees are advised to get up to 50,000 people for their first gig and no more than 40,000 for any additional franchises. The amount of income you can generate depends on the number of editions you publish and the ad rate you achieve. Those who network effectively with small businesses and invest more time in outreach earn more. The contract length is four years. Cruise Planners Cruise Planners is the US’s largest travel advisor home-based franchise network. As a travel advisor, you’ll help guide tourists to safe destinations that meet their leisure criteria.   The initial franchise fee is $6,995 for a limited time (the standard price is $10,995), making it among the most affordable options on this list. As part of the franchise, you’ll get access to hands-on training, lead-generation tools, professional development, coaching, and marketing materials.  What's more, you can work from anywhere in the world, whether you’re at home or as a digital nomad. Cruise Planners say that you don’t require any prior travel abroad experience to join the team. Corvus Janitorial Corvus Janitorial got its start back in 2004. It now operations an incredible 900 franchise locations across the country, making it pretty much a household name. The total investment will set you anywhere between $10,000 and 35,000. Those interested in becoming cleaning entrepreneurs and benefiting from the franchise’s extensive marketing can request information online by submitting their email address.  Dream Vacations The Dream Vacations team set up their franchise in 1992. It now has more than 1,500 franchisees, making it one of the largest travel franchises in the country.  Startup costs are low: you’ll pay just $2,000 in initial costs. On top of this, Dream Vacations says it will deliver more than 90 percent of its marketing to you for free, so you’re not always having to pay expensive top-up fees.  Dream Vacations has won numerous awards in recent years, including Top Low-Cost Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine. It also made the Top 10 Most Profitable Franchises list by Fundera and Top Friendly Franchises for Veterans by US Veterans Magazine. Social Owl Social Owl is a franchise that lets you earn money by selling social media services to local businesses. Anyone with marketing experience can participate in the reseller program.  Most small businesses, the franchise says, are out of the loop and too busy dealing with their day-to-day operations to manage social media campaigns on their own. Social Owl offers a turn-key solution for brands, allowing its network of franchisees to manage their social media marketing. As part of the franchise, you’ll create social sweepstakes and deals, and monitor their online reputation.  Revenue from a single business averages around $300 per month, meaning a whopping $15,000 if you’re covering fifty businesses. And all that with a low down payment. There’s a monthly program called Monthly Value Bundle at just $297 and a yearly all-in-one option that will set you back $1,997 per year. Both of these come with no setup fees, which further saves money. Rugbytots Rugbytots is a franchise serving more than 20,000 children in 80 countries, introducing them to the sport of rugby.  It’s inexpensive to join, and you don’t have to be a professional rugby player or coach to sign up. Rugbytots is looking for people passionate about helping the franchise’s program progress.  The franchise has grown dramatically since its founding in 2006, thanks to its network of like-minded people. It received the 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction award at the 2014 Best Franchise Awards and got it again in 2017. The franchise attributes its success to ongoing investments in its systems, franchisee training, and its family approach to business.  Network Lead Exchange Network Lead Exchange is a relatively new franchise, having started only in 2019. Entrepreneurs who want to open a franchise like it because once they start, they are the only business in the sector for their industry.  When members join their local chapters, they collaborate and share quality leads. Start-up costs are just $10,000, making it a reasonably affordable option with amazing growth potential.  CasaGroup Food franchises under 10k are often few and far between, but CasaGroup is one of the exceptions. This vending machine franchise operates in Florida and provides many machines, offering convenience foods and healthy options.  CasaGroup believes that the vending machine market will grow considerably between now and 2027. Market size will balloon, according to estimates, from $18 billion today to more than $25 billion in five years, so the future looks bright.   The income you can generate from the opportunity varies. Top-earning franchisees will naturally be those who install the most vending machines in areas of high footfall.  Further Reading How to Start a Bookkeeping Business Best Small Business Insurance Providers Finding the Best POS System for Your Small Business Conclusion Today, there are many franchises for sale under 10k. There are even select franchises under 5k, so investing has never been more affordable. Since startup statistics show us that new businesses have trouble taking off, a home-based franchise that doesn’t require substantial capital can be a great solution. Restaurant franchises are popular, but generally more expensive. However, they can be among the most lucrative ones over the long-run. Ultimately, though, it pays to really study the market and pick based on both your areas of interest and the earning potential of the franchise.

As an employer, you should be well-versed in labor law to keep compliant with regulations and keep your expenses in check.

If someone were to ask you to sum up your business in a quick sentence, you’d probably feel a little uncertain about what to say. We all know that making a great first impression is priceless, which is why you can’t afford to fluff your lines when it comes to the crunch. With the right mission statement, you won’t.  As a business owner, creating a great mission statement may not feel like an overly important task, but it is a key ingredient in the recipe for building a strong company profile. Whether you want to learn more about their importance in business or need a free mission statement template to help you get your goals in order, this guide is just for you. Mission Statement Definition The term mission statement is just one of many that you will hear in the business arena. So, the first question you’ll want to ask is: what is a mission statement? Oxford Languages defines it as: A formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual. It should be a brief statement no longer than one paragraph (or 100 words) that clearly defines the purpose and objective of the business, covering what it does and why. It should set out the core values of the company in a way that resonates with workers and clients alike.  As such, it should be more than just a catchy slogan and should focus on establishing and expressing the true purpose of the company. We’ve listed some good mission statement examples from major organizations below to help inspire you: To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. (Starbucks) To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. (Tesla) To be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online. (Amazon) The mission statement examples above show how they define the company profile to cover what, why, and how the company performs in just one short and succinct paragraph. As such, the mission statement you settle upon should feel unique to your business and industry. Why Is a Mission Statement Important for Your Business? A deeper appreciation of the role that a personal mission statement can play in your business should motivate you to get it right. A strong mission statement is a foundation on which you can continue to build your business.  For starters, it gives your company a brand identity that employees and customers can buy into. This can be an important feature, as over 80% of millennials actively want to work with companies that they feel aligned to. However, the mission statement can additionally direct all future planning, performance analysis, and goal-setting activities. It provides clear guidance for all stakeholders and employees. Whether you’re dealing with internal dilemmas or interacting with customers, a powerful mission statement is something that can be revisited time and time again to reestablish a sense of clarity. In turn, this may help the business stay on track while avoiding distractions and wasting time or money. If you don’t have a mission statement, ambiguity can impact your productivity and profitability. Mission statements can be used by companies across all industries; they’re just as good for local brick-and-mortar firms as they are for eCommerce retailers. How to Write a Mission Statement for Your Business You’d be forgiven for thinking that writing a paragraph of no more than 100 words could be completed in a matter of minutes. However, the influence a mission statement has on your daily and overall functions means that you absolutely must get it right, not least because the content of the paragraph is unlikely to change much over the years to come. As such, you can expect the process to take hours, days, or even weeks depending on the size of your business. Indeed, many companies will hold several in-depth meetings to perfect their mission statement. The following business mission statement template should help you master the process in style. Step 1: Research Before writing your mission statement, you must first take the time to interview key people to gain an understanding of how they view the business. You should ask them about the following issues: The challenges your company works to solve What attracted them to the company The company’s purpose  What separates you from other firms The company’s overall public brand image After this, you can analyze the findings to spot trends and common themes. In turn, you’ll be able to build a mission statement that is clear, attainable, and motivational. It should feel unique to your company by setting out its USPs. Aside from inspiring your team, it can create the consistency to boost sales by up to 23%. Step 2: Write After collecting the necessary and relevant information about your company profile, you can focus on actively using the template mission statement to confirm your core values. To complete your mission statement, you should: Write down a sentence or two about the fundamentals of what your business does. List the core values and then combine them into a sentence or two. Write down why your company serves the purpose it does. The final stage is to combine the sentences and turn them into a more concise paragraph. The statement must be all killer, no filler while simultaneously showcasing your brand personality. There should also be room for inspiration and interpretation rather than just facts. This way, employees can turn back to the statement for motivation when they need to improve their productivity or get their ideas back on track. In most cases, it’s also wise to avoid industry jargon or buzzwords. Your mission statement should be clear, concise, and relevant to you, not just a series of cliches. Step 3: Review After writing your mission statement, you should be left with a single thought that encapsulates your company's purpose and values. However, you should be prepared for the idea to be finalized through the process of iteration. This is because: The company mission statement needs to be approved by all leaders. It must cover all key aspects without missing any relevant info. You will probably use the same mission statement for several years. With this in mind, you’ll find that you have several options to present to the leaders of your company. This is what allows the iterating process to hone in on the perfect solution. It can be a little frustrating, especially when your short defining paragraph feels close to the mark. Nonetheless, it will all feel worthwhile when you land on the right choice. And you’ll know when you do. Mission Statement Templates for Business and Beyond While a generic mission statement template can be used by all companies, you may want to think about your specific industry or sector too. This is a step that can improve all of your intended outcomes, from sounding more professional to providing guidance to your teams. For example, a real estate mission statement template can give you a real edge over firms that focus on a more generic approach. As a service-based business, you will be focused on the customer and what you can achieve for them. The statement should be simple, humble, and authentic while focusing on the problem your business solves. If you’re running a nonprofit organization, you’ll want to use a nonprofit mission statement template, because the purpose of the organization is different to that of a business. Rather than being driven by financial gains, it’ll exist to support a cause or community. This philosophy should feature in the mission statement. Mission Statement for Non-Business Matters Mission statements do not have to be limited to businesses either. A family mission statement is defined by Stephen Covey as follows: A family mission statement is a combined, unified expression from all family members of what your family is all about — what it is you really want to do and be — and the principles you choose to govern your family life. A family mission statement template is very similar to a business one. You will want to call a family meeting to discuss the key issues (family purpose, what you want to be, what issues you see within the family, and family responsibilities and principles). In turn, you should be able to develop a concise statement that your family can live by and use for guidance. Meanwhile, personal mission statement examples show that a statement can be used for guidance and motivation in your own life. The personal mission statement template is very similar, except the research phase is completed alone. Think about who you are and what your purpose in life is for optimal results. Mission Statement vs Vision Statement As well as a mission statement, most companies will find that they can benefit from writing a vision statement. These two brief definitions of your business are certainly in the same ballpark, but individuals who use the two terms interchangeably are technically incorrect. The mission statement sets out to establish what the company is, looking at its purpose and how it differentiates itself from the crowd. Conversely, LifeHack.com offers the following definition of a vision statement: A vision statement is like a photograph of your future business, which gives your business shape and direction. As such, it’s really a tool used to think about what the company wants to be, which will subsequently allow all parties to consider what steps are required to make that happen. Like a template mission statement, it helps identify the company’s unique characteristics to promote clarity across the organization. However, the vision statement gives further insight into the company’s strategy, whereas the mission statement focuses on the values. Some vision statement examples are listed below: To move with velocity to drive profitable growth and become an even better McDonald’s serving more customers delicious food each day around the world. (McDonald’s) To become the worldwide leader of all retailing. (Walmart) Our VISION, quite simply, is to be: “The World’s Premier Food Company, Offering Nutritious, Superior Tasting Foods To People Everywhere.” Being the premier food company does not mean being the biggest but it does mean being the best in terms of consumer value, customer service, employee talent, and consistent and predictable growth. (Heinz) The above examples show why many people think that the two statements are the same thing. However, the wording highlights that the focus of a mission statement is different to that of a vision statement. As such, the latter often builds upon the foundation established by the former. Further Reading What Do Customers Want? - 37 Customer Service Statistics What Is a CRM Software? A Beginner's Guide Best CRM for Small Business: Our Top 6 Picks Conclusion As shown by customer loyalty statistics, keeping people focused on your company and developing strong bonds is a tough job. Mission statements are a valuable tool that can help define your business and make it a household name that will stick in everyone’s minds.  And it’s not just that - vision statements make business owners, employees, stakeholders, and clients think about the purpose the company serves while also considering the how and why. Crucially, a mission statement should do this in no more than 100 words. Businesses of all sizes across all industries can benefit from taking this approach. When writing yours using a mission statement template, be sure to make it concise, accurate, attainable, and unique. The right statement is one that can support the organization throughout its business journey.