Excellent point. Some franchise terms require significant net worth and have six-figure fees, but that is not the case across the board. I have heard that Chick-fil-A’s franchise fee is only $5,000 but also that they are very selective. Subway’s initial fee is in the $10-15k range[0] with the cost to open between $100-300k, and the company will provide and help with financing.

[0]: http://www.subway.com/en-us/ownafranchise/franchisingfaqs