“Folks underestimate themselves — with the great training they get in the corporate world, they are in a position to run their own business,” he said. “They don’t know it, but they come with a skill set. As long as they bring the same focus and attention into something that is of great interest to them, it gives them the tools to be successful in their own small company.”

To be sure, prospective franchisees should also do their due diligence and examine the company, including its track record, business model, competition, training and support, and reasons for choosing South Florida, Peña said.

South Florida entrepreneur Emilio Braun spent two years looking for a franchising opportunity in South Florida, before settling on frozen yogurt.

After researching various brands, he signed a master franchise development contract with Tempe, Ariz.-based Yogurtini, for Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

He and his brother, Javier, opened their first shop in Coral Springs about five months ago, another in Davie last month, and plan a third in Kendall, which will open in March. In all, they hope to open at least 10 within five years.

The brothers, who have businesses in industries such as television and real estate, sold their 80 mobile phone stores in Mexico and funded the yogurt shops with their own capital.

They decided that franchising was their next best bet.

“When I started doing research, I saw that competition is very high in the States, so if you don’t do it the right way you are going to go out of business very quickly,” Emilio Braun said.

Franchise rules that govern everything from the size of the space to the type of sound system installed end up being advantageous in the long run, he said, allowing him to “compete in a saturated market.”

“I have support from the franchiser in marketing, in publicity, in operations. We do a conference call every two weeks to see how things are going, and they come and visit every month or two,” said Braun, 37. “So that is the price you are paying. I believe it is worth it.”

Nevertheless, franchising is not for everyone. Starting your own business without the constraints and costs of buying a franchise is far more appealing for some entrepreneurs.

“You don’t have to pay for a mentor if you find the right one,” said Todd Fener, who lives in Key Biscayne and owns four coin laundries. He found his own mentor in John O’Brien, a Fort Lauderdale entrepreneur who owns 17 coin laundries.

For many, the biggest hurdle to opening a franchise remains access to credit, Caldeira said. Loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration, once considered the last resort, have become the first option, he said.

In fact, the SBA has guaranteed more than 500 loans during the past six years, totaling $242.3 million, for franchisees south of Orlando, said Althea Harris, assistant district director of marketing and outreach at the SBA office in Miami.

“In many cases, it is easier to get a franchise financed than other businesses,” Peña said, citing franchiser financing and the possibility of using your own retirement funds.

Pein, for example, was able to finance her first 7-Eleven franchise by taking out a $200,000 loan with Citibank, which, at the time, had an arrangement with the company.

About Yogurtini, and YHI, Inc ®:

Created by Tempe, AZ natives and sisters, Natasha Nelson and Chelsey Nelson, Yogurtini® Self-Serve offers up to 16 rotating healthy and fat-free frozen yogurt flavors and over 70 toppings. Yogurtini® only serves real yogurt that contains live and active cultures approved by the National Yogurt Association.  The popularity of Yogurtini® and the brand has been recognized consistently by customers and the press in its native Arizona, where readers recently voted Yogurtini® as “Favorite Place to Chill” in 944 Magazine and “Best Sweet Spot” in College Affair Magazine. The accelerated growth of the franchise has been recognized by the national press including Fox Business News, The Wall Street Journal and Inc. Magazine. Yogurtini® boasts having some of the most knowledgeable yogurt innovators in the industry. Yogurtini’s top quality, taste, original flavors, and extensive toppings have been praised by the masses.

Yogurtini® keeps in touch with its customers through its social networking program. http://www.facebook.com/yogurtini or follow us on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/yogurtini. For more information on Yogurtini® visitwww.yogurtini.com. YHI, Inc is the franchise development company for Yogurtini. To learn more about being awarded a Yogurtini franchise visit www.yogurtini.com/franchise . Yogurtini is now offering frozen yogurt franchise area development agreements. Additional Yogurtini franchises are currently under construction and development in Florida, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Kansas, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Missouri.