The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
A. Which Wich
Which Wich is crushing it. Not only are they a fantastic restaurant chain, their founder, Jeff Sinelli, is going through a conscious capitalism shift and so much attention is being placed on value for both the customer and the community. It's the recipe for success.
- Corey Blake, Round Table Companies
A. Jimmy Johns
I've always been impressed with the Jimmy Johns business model. Everyone seems to love them (I barely ever hear negative things about the chain), their menu is simple and they have the systems perfected to deliver their product almost instantaneously. If I was looking at buying a franchise, I'd definitely consider JJ.
- Patrick Conley, Automation Heroes
A. Auntie Anne's
I would recommend someone just analyze the process of how Auntie Anne's run their franchise. They seem very unsuspecting -- a mall staple that seems to fly under the radar, but they were ranked the top franchise brand in 2012. You don't get to that place without having some real know-how and strong professionals at your helm.
- Rob Fulton, Matikis
A. Anytime Fitness
Anytime Fitness offers some of the lower startup costs amongst the top-ranked franchises for entrepreneurs -- as low as roughly $60,000.
- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
A. School of Rock
School of Rock is an awesome franchise option for aspiring entrepreneurs. The startup costs are relatively low (less than $150,000 in some cases), and their mission is fantastic: to "Inspire kids to rock...on stage and in life." For anyone who loves music and is looking to start a business that has meaning in the community, this chain could be great.
- Brittany Hodak, ZinePak
A. Five Guys
Five Guys has a great franchise model and its fan's love the product. They have high requirements for franchisees, but this only helps to ensure that their high quality standards are maintained at all franchise locations.
- Josh Weiss, Bluegala
A. Craft Beer
It may seem like a fad, but craft brews seem to be a trend that doesn't want to go away. There are still plenty of locations around the country that are thirsty (pun intended) for something like a World of Beer or Brass Tap. The locations around me always stay very busy.
- Logan Lenz, Endagon
A. Panera Bread
Have you ever been to a Panera Bread that wasn't near full or full during breakfast, lunch or dinner? As an entrepreneur, this seems like a food franchise option that is a no brainer. Their variety of options keep people coming back time after time to hold meetings, grab coffee with a friend or pick up dinner for the family.
- Jason Grill, JGrill Media | Sock 101