Hi Derek,
My wife ran a sucessful sewing business out of our home until we moved out into the sticks and I ran a small roofing crew for a few years as side work to the tune of $80,000 gross my first 6 months part time. BTW, it was side work, and I did not work in the winter and I stopped in November becasuse of the chance that the shingles wouldn't seal, and I've have a leaky roof to repair once the ice set in.
As far as running a franchise, I have a friend that owned a few Curves stores and one that ownes a Sub store. The Curves is slowing down and he is trying to get out of that line since that craze is over, and he's looking for the next hot trend to sink his money into. So, if your looking at a franchise, one question you might want to ask is, 'Is this a temporary wave" or will it be sustainable for years and years to come? Also, will your local community support your franchise?
Good luck!