How Non-Food Franchises Build Wealth with Jon Ostenson

What It Covers

Jon Ostenson, franchise consultant and multi-brand franchise owner, explains why non-food franchises in sectors like home services, senior care, and health and wellness offer structural advantages over food franchises, including higher margins, fewer employees, lower capital expenditure, and stronger resale multiples.

Key Questions Answered

• •Non-food franchise advantages: Non-food franchises in sectors like insulation, pool cleaning, and senior mobility solutions typically require fewer employees, operate fewer hours, carry lower capital expenditure, and face less sophisticated competition than food franchises. The $52 billion U.S. insulation industry, for example, has no nationally recognized brand, creating an opening for franchise operators to dominate fragmented local markets.
• •Franchise resale premium: Research shows franchises sell at slightly higher valuation multiples than comparable independent businesses in the same industry. Strong franchise units rarely reach the open market because existing franchisees within the system acquire them first, making internal mergers and acquisitions a common wealth-building path for operators who start with one or two locations.
• •FDD due diligence framework: Every franchise system publishes an annual Franchise Disclosure Document with 23 sections. Item 7 details the total investment range; Item 19 provides historical financial projections. Prospective buyers should cross-reference Item 19 data with direct conversations with existing franchisees, who can speak openly about ramp-up timelines, mistakes, and actual performance beyond what the document discloses.
• •Funding mechanisms: SBA loans are the most common franchise funding method. Two additional options exist: the ROBS program allows buyers to deploy an existing 401(k) to purchase a franchise without early withdrawal penalties, and a margin loan against a non-retirement brokerage account provides another capital source, making franchise ownership accessible without liquidating investment portfolios.
• •Semi-involved ownership model: Buyers can enter franchising as executive owners by hiring a full-time manager on day one rather than operating the business themselves. This model works when a qualified operator is secured upfront, such as a former colleague or family partner. Ostenson cautions that the business still requires active oversight and that a part-time competitive posture produces weak results.