Are Franchises with a Proven Track Record of Earnings Just for the Rich and Super-Rich?

I had a conversation with a friend of mine taking his first step as a small business owner and since we cannot all be inventors, he said he is considering getting a franchise but there lies his problem:

1. Franchise fees and Total Investment Outlay is simply unaffordable for him (Ex Siomai House P250,000, Zagu P300,000 to P500,000, Dunkin Donut P200,000 to 500,000; Mang Inasal P1M or more)



2. Rent, CUSA, aircon and other charges in a good mall ranges from P25,000 to P40,000.

3. Add Security Deposit of 3 to 12months (P100,000 to P400,000)

4. How about Working Capital for the first 12 months of Operation?

5. There are ads on Entrepreneur Phils Magazine for siomai, waffle, noodle and what have you for less than a P100,000 but I do not see them in the known malls and am not sure how strong is franchisor support.

Maybe we are now talking about P500,000 to more than a Million bucks if we choose the established brands!!

For the small business entrepreneur with limited funds, what is he to do??????

I hope I am wrong.