Many people dream of being their own boss, setting their own hours and having no boundaries on their potential. Creating a new business idea, however, can be harder than working nine to five for someone else. Getting that new business off the ground, too, can be the hardest thing a person will ever do. For those who want a reasonable guarantee of success, franchises are often the way to go.

The key to making sure success goes along with a franchise business is finding the right one for you. Some people are more suited to one type of business than another. Finding the right fit is vital for ensuring your drive stays high to get the business through its start-up phase. The amount of time and energy involved, even with a franchise, is more than many suspect, so a strong desire to succeed must be coupled with a lot of enthusiasm.

Another major consideration before choosing a franchise type is the fact different markets present varying opportunities for success for one type of business over another. A market study is almost required, or at least a good survey of existing businesses.

Here are some major points to consider before buying into a franchise:

* Your personal interests. If you love to make cookies and cakes, but hate to clean, a bakery franchise might be in order. A franchise that involves commercial cleaning would likely be a dud in your case. Half the battle in creating a successful business is the drive and enthusiasm of the people behind the business. If it doesn't sound like fun or at least very interesting, it won't be to you, your employees and most importantly your customers.

* Your market. Study the area in which you'd like to open. If there are 15 fast-food restaurants, but only one sit-down establishment, your niche is clear. If there's 10 carpet cleaning companies, but only two that handle full service cleaning of homes and offices, that might be the ticket. A market that's over saturated isn't good for a business' chances for success. Find a concept that will be unique or relatively so in your area that's also desired by the community and you should be able to maximize your potential for success.

* The acceptance level of the franchise you're looking at. Some franchises are almost guaranteed success based on their name recognition alone. Others will require more work, but can still be a hit depending on the quality of the products or services offered. Getting in on the ground floor of a new franchise can be very lucrative, but make sure you yourself believe in the product or service. If you don't, your customers probably won't either.

* Cost. The big name franchises can cost a lot to start up. The smaller, newer ones, however, often are much more affordable. These sometimes will even offer funding assistance. Just make sure the other criteria has been met before diving in.

A franchise can be a great way to get into owning your own business without having to endure the feeling of totally going it alone. With trademarked products and/or services, a good franchise offers recognition a new business can't generally get on its own.