You’re thinking of starting your own business by purchasing a successful franchise in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. That’s certainly the way to go in terms of brand awareness and loyalty, training, and support.
Franchising can be a particularly appealing option if you’re a first-time business owner who’d value the support and guidance of an established company that has crafted a model for success. Many entrepreneurs have launched their businesses in Raleigh, also known as the City of Oaks, since the economic climate here makes it a no-brainer.
Why Raleigh Is Such a Franchise Goldmine
Success breeds success. The 2025 Milken Report named Raleigh the nation’s best-performing business city. The Report ranks U.S. cities for robust economic performance based on a range of factors, including job growth, wage growth, education, housing affordability, and others.
The Milken Report of the previous year ranked Raleigh second in the nation, behind Austin, Texas. In fact, Raleigh has been ranked in the Top 20 cities in this survey for at least the last 13 years.
One advantage is the tax structure in the city and state. There’s no city tax for corporations or franchises, and the state is on the road to eliminating the corporate income tax by 2030.
Technology is another major draw for entrepreneurs here. As part of the Research Triangle, which also includes the North Carolina cities of Durham and Chapel Hill, Raleigh is known for its technology and major university sectors. The healthcare and biotech sectors are also thriving here. This makes tech work a key component of Triangle area franchises.
The Raleigh city population has almost doubled since the year 2000, and the metro now has more than 1.5 million people. That rate of growth is good news for entrepreneurs thinking of starting a company or buying a franchise downtown, in the ‘burbs, or outlying towns. After all, residents are customers.
Furthermore, those residents and customers have money to spend. The per capita income of Raleigh residents is above that of the national average.
These and other factors add up to the Raleigh city and metro being a particularly fruitful environment for your franchise business.
Top-Performing Franchise Categories in Raleigh
While the business franchise model, in general, holds a promising outlook for many investors, some Raleigh franchises hold even greater potential than others.
One determining factor for franchise success is the business sector or category you’ll be a part of. Will you be a retailer, part of the tech or service economy, or deal with consumer or commercial accounts? You’ve got plenty of choices in franchising.
Here are some that are particularly dynamic and worthy of your attention in Raleigh.
The Tourist Sector, Capturing an Audience With Money to Spend
Raleigh and the entire Wake County region have a strong tourist economy. Keep that in mind as you investigate opportunities in restaurants, hotels, and entertainment.
If you have particularly deep pockets, or have drafted a Wall Street team of investors, explore the potential of such luxury brand hotels as the Marriott, Wyndham, or Ritz-Carlton. Or go more mainstream with the Holiday Inn or Days Inn.
Also keep in mind that tourists — especially young families — tend to dine quick and casual. So check out such fast-food franchisors as McDonald’s, Burger King, or Taco Bell. Or go a little more upscale with franchisors such as Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar.
The Tech Economy Means Serious Business
Remember, Raleigh is one of the touchpoints of the region’s Research Triangle. That means tech is king here — and techies can thrive. And as the economy in general hums, those growing Raleigh businesses need tech support in cyber-defense, ecommerce, web engineering, and other areas of digital workflow.
If your mind runs naturally to ones and zeroes, check out Raleigh opportunities with such technology franchisors as TeamLogic IT, CMIT Solutions, Cyber Global, NerdsToGo, and other franchises available at various price points.
It’s not all about business-to-business, either. You might also take a peek at operations such as Daisy, a franchisor that helps consumers adapt smart home technology.
Insurance, Because … Insurance
Everyone needs it, whether they want to think about it or not. That’s why insurance sales will always be a hot topic, no matter where you choose to do business, but especially in an environment with education, money, and a blooming population.
Think about it. How many established adults do you know who don’t have at least one of the following policies: life, auto, or other vehicle, homeowners, renters, or one or more lines of business insurance?
Vow to market your talents in a fast-growing region with a thriving economy, and you can’t not consider insurance as a viable franchise model. Brand-name and established operations such as Freeway Insurance can become your franchise of choice at a comparatively low start-up cost. From that point, you can start to return a profit quickly and reach whatever goals you set.
Home Services, Meeting Suburban Growth Demands
Remember what was said about this fast-growth city and region. The point to keep in mind here is that all of those residents — both new and established — require affordable housing. And they want to keep their homes well-maintained and aesthetically pleasing, and their property resale values high.
That means looking into franchise opportunities with real estate agencies, landscaping firms, house painters, plumbers, building contractors, and others who work with consumer housing.
Take a look at franchisors such as RE/MAX, Century 21, RooterMan, CertaPro Painters, Window Ninjas, and the previously mentioned Daisy (making homes smart), among countless others, at all entry cost ranges.
Also, keep in mind that many of the franchisors in this category that handle residential clients can also serve the commercial sector. Your client list just potentially doubled.
Fitness and Wellness in a Health-Conscious Market
Raleigh came in 7th place in this ranking of America’s healthiest cities. That was no accident. The city has been recognized for everything from its number of young and educated residents to its clean water, healthy sleep habits, and clean air, and other attributes that make a region a great place to live (and own a business).
Look for franchise prospects in this category in the City of Oaks, and you’ll find plenty. Make contact and crunch the numbers at the likes of Planet Fitness, Anytime Fitness, or Club Pilates.
Or see if you can support vegan, vegetarian, or healthier eats or drinks by becoming a Pandora Greenbox, Maoz Vegetarian, or Smoothie King franchisor in Raleigh.
In short, there are numerous ways of taking part in and promoting the health-conscious lifestyle you’ll find in Raleigh, one of the nation’s most liveable (and lovable) cities.
Health Care and Senior Care Serves Raleigh’s Growing Population
It’s not all about youth. In this ranking, Raleigh came out as the sixth-best city in the U.S. for retirees.
You can’t get around it. More people means more opportunity for investors focusing on healthcare, and the needs of an aging (or eventually aging) population. Therefore, you might consider such highly successful home care franchises as Visiting Angels and Right at Home.
The idea behind this franchise model is for non-healthcare workers to perform such much-needed tasks as light housekeeping, errand-running, and visiting with homebound seniors who want to stay in their own places for as long as possible.
A Pair of Raleigh-Based Franchise Success Stories
As you’ve discovered, Raleigh invites entrepreneurial spirit. In this survey reported by Forbes, Raleigh was ranked the 9th best city in America for entrepreneurship.
It’s not just business start-ups in general that make the city stand out. Here are a pair of franchise success stories linked to Raleigh that are worth evaluating.
Golden Corral
Perhaps the best-known Raleigh-based franchise operation is Golden Corral, a brand with which you are likely familiar. With its almost 400 franchise locations across most of the country, Golden Corral is the nation’s largest buffet-style grill and casual dining restaurant franchise.
The first Golden Corral restaurant was started in nearby Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 1973. The chain began its franchising operation a decade later. Today, you can find a Golden Corral restaurant in at least 41 states and its headquarters right here in Raleigh.
Pool Scouts Raleigh Franchise
Pool Scouts is another franchise with a Raleigh story to tell. While the pool-cleaning business began in Virginia Beach, the first franchisee was Tiffiny Consoli, who built the local operation into a successful, $3 million a year business.
She did this despite having no pool-cleaning experience of her own, but by taking advantage of the franchisor’s comprehensive training program.
Make Your Freeway Insurance Franchise Another Raleigh Success Story
By now you’ve seen what a remarkably supportive environment Raleigh is for those who want to start their own business, particularly in franchising operations. That’s why we hope you see the Raleigh location as a great base for your Freeway Insurance franchise.
Freeway is a well-known and trusted brand with a great reputation and the marketing support of national advertising campaigns. Your customers already know your brand and will seek out your products as soon as you put your sign on the door.
You’ll find successful Freeway franchisees operating coast-to-coast. Each entrepreneur owns their own business, but has first been comprehensively trained and is given 24/7 guidance when they need and want it.
Freeway is a highly affordable franchise, too. You can start small, as your solo employee, maybe working out of your home, and expand from there. You won’t have to spend six figures on physical inventory or the latest automation technology. Go into business with little more than your laptop, phone, and business cards.
Interested? Just contact a Freeway Franchise representative by calling us at 877-822-3024.
You can also give us your contact information, and we’ll reach out to you.
