The Fundamental Motivations for Business Ownership
By: Michael Alston for Franchise Insights
July 29, 2026 – It is more desire for agency, than the financial rewards, that drives individuals to own their own businesses.
While the pandemic opened the door for remote work and vaulted the need for work flexibility among the characteristics that aspiring owners sought in their franchises of interest, “being my own boss” remains at the top of the list, and above financial rewards.
As we’ve seen in over six years of surveying small business startup sentiment, control over one’s destiny is the primary driver to pursuing a business purchase.
Consistent with our very large sample of interested franchise buyers, “being one’s own boss” remains the primary motivator cited by entrepreneurs researching franchise ownership across the Franchise Ventures network of online franchise lead generation brands.
- “Be my own boss” was the most selected response when asked “Why do you want to own your own business?”– at 80.6% of the respondents in June 2026.
- The survey allowed for multiple responses, and many entrepreneurs also selected “Income Potential” as an additional reason – it ranked a strong number two at 63.5% in June, similar to the responses in our last two surveys..
- “Lifestyle Rewards” regained the position as third most common motivation, at 46.5% of respondents, close to the 47.1% in December 2024. This driver spans the benefits of working from home, setting flexible hours or running a seasonal business. Aspects of work flexibility rank closely behind financial considerations among characteristics that prospects find attractive in franchises, with some differences between women and men seeking franchises. The pandemic gave individuals a taste of greater work flexibility, and they now seek opportunities with the confidence that a flexible work schedule can be productive and help to achieve better work-life balance, while employers have largely enforced “back to office” requirements.
- “Side Business to Supplement Income” resumed fourth place among motivations. This driver suggests interest in shared or part-time ownership, or a less-risky path to starting a new business while retaining other income streams. Cited by 38.2% of respondents, this motivation ranked fourth in June 2026.
- Finally, “Tired of Climbing the Corporate Ladder” was fifth at 25.3%, suggesting that at least a fourth of aspiring small-business and franchise owners bring a depth of professional experience to their new ventures. In our June 2026 survey of aspiring business owners, 42.5% were leaving full-time jobs.
Many of these individuals already have experience with business ownership. In the most recent Small Business Startup Sentiment survey, 15% of respondents said they were already current business owners, and the businesses owned by franchise buyers often include other franchises.
Franchise buyers want to know “what’s in it for me”. Knowing what motivates buyers is key to sales.
The benefits of business ownership, including the control of one’s destiny and the perceived returns from the hard work of building a business are worth the risks, and for many, the disruptions of the pandemic became the impetus for taking the first steps.
This analysis is drawn from June 2026 surveys of individuals inquiring about franchises for sale among the brands of Franchise Ventures.
Franchise Ventures is the leading franchise lead-generation platform for potential franchisees to thousands of growing franchise systems in the United States and Canada. Its franchise lead generation brands include Franchise.com, Franchise Solutions, Franchise Gator, Franchise Opportunities, Franchise For Sale, SmallBusinessStartup.com and BusinessBroker.net, and together they provide the largest aggregation of prospective franchise buyers in the U.S.
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Published on Tuesday, July 28th, 2026.