Owner-Operator franchisees are heavily involved in the daily operations of the business. These franchisees want full control over their investment and consider running the franchise a career. Typically, owners/operators are single unit franchisees. This type of ownership will help the franchise owner learn the ropes of the industry, especially if they don't have prior franchise business experience. While being the operator of a franchise store or other business takes up a lot of your time, this type of franchise ownership is great for those who are looking for a career change.

As Owner-Manager you own and administer with broad oversight rather than being involved in the day-to-day operations. Your job is to use your professional experience and knowledge to successfully lead your business and manage your staff, with a strong focus on business development and financial management.

An Owner-Executive can check in on their franchise business while having ample time to pursue other business opportunities. This is a hands-off kind of franchise ownership that allows you to make money while still working a day job or functioning as a multi-unit franchisee.

For entrepreneurs who want to own a franchise, investing in a single unit is the easiest way to get started. A single-unit franchise ownership usually includes a protected territory, which can be measured by miles or population, depending on the brand. Single-unit franchisees are usually the owners/operators, so they can work on-site or in the field. Additionally, single-unit franchises can start off as small operations and can be scaled in different ways, such as by adding vehicles (for service-based franchises) or by hiring more employees.

Multi-unit franchisees own more than one location. This allows them to share resources among locations. Franchisees should be business-minded and growth-driven. They need to hire employees and managers to take over some of the daily operations. A benefit of owning multiple units is that they are usually sold at a reduced rate-per-unit, lowering the overall cost of your total investment.

An area developer opens a certain number of units in a territory for a franchisor. The area developer is similar to a multi-unit franchise owner because both own multiple locations; however, the area developer has more units that encompass a larger territory. The franchisor provides training and support to the area developer.

A master franchisee is the representative of a franchisor in a given area; can be a region or an entire country. The master franchisee can be thought of as a “mini franchisor” since they receive fees from the individual franchisees in their territory. The territory of a master franchisee can include dozens or hundreds of units. A master franchisee could be considered a sub-owner of a brand, as they bought the right to sub-franchise in a certain area.