Correction: SmallBiz-Small Talk-Little-Known Franchises

NEW YORK (AP) — They're not household names like McDonald's or The UPS Store, but small franchises beyond the usual restaurant groups and retailers are attracting buyers who want something new or different and see greater challenges and opportunities with lesser-known businesses.

Franchise buyers are taking chances on ideas like a nursing service, a personal assistant company and a used clothing retailer — companies that are tiny or growing, but don't yet have the name recognition of thousands of locations.

A service business, especially one that helps new families grow closer and live happier, offers something that money can't buy.

[...] to be sure that a smaller franchise like Let Mommy Sleep would be a good deal for him, Wicklow had asked a mentor from SCORE, the organization that gives free advice to small business owners, to evaluate the franchise agreement papers first.

Fast-food restaurants and hotel chains have the most outlets, along with a smattering of retailers and service providers like auto repair companies.

[...] 80 percent of the 1,200 franchise parent companies who belong to the International Franchise Association have fewer than 200 locations, and of that subset, 80 percent have fewer than 100, says Scott Lehr, a senior vice president of the trade group.

Some of the hard parts are already taken care of — there's a logo and marketing campaign, and if it's a restaurant, there's a menu and decor.

Charmaine Hunt, who used to work for a startup that sold medical devices and liked the job, didn't want a well-known company with a long track record when she began her franchise search.