If you’re looking for inspiration on the best field  to start your own business in, you could do a lot worse than look at  what’s hot in the booming US franchise sector. Here are the 4 biggest growth areas:

1. Quick Service Restaurants
This sector shows no sign of slowing but there’s been a shift. Speed and cheapness are no longer enough. Quality of food and the dining experience are becoming increasingly important.

2. Maintenance
Residential properties need regular maintenance, including cleaning. Home owners are increasingly time-poor and looking to sub-contract the work involved in cleaning and maintaining their home. The great thing about this type of business (particularly cleaning) is that start-up costs are minimal.

3. Children’s Businesses
Parents are becoming increasingly competitive, and worried about their children’s future. So anything that can give them an edge is finding a hungry market. Tutoring businesses are doing well as are ones that can teach children extra-curricular skills.

4. Personal Care
Health and fitness is still growing. Many successful franchises are based around interesting and unusual workout programmes, often avoiding the fancy gym route. That’s great news for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of cash to invest

Individuals are always on the lookout for the next ‘fun’ activity and companies are always keen to find new ‘team building’ activities to boost morale. With that in mind, I give you Bubble Soccer!

Bubble soccer is a growing trend in the United States. Much like traditional soccer, the sport involves kicking a ball into a goal, except in bubble soccer, the players are wearing large plastic bubbles that surround their heads, arms and torso. The objective of bubble soccer is to score goals and knock each other down while trying. The U.S. Bubble Soccer Association had five members last summer but has more than 100 today.

There are already several companies offering Bubble Football in the UK, but it’s still in its infancy compared to the US. Is it the start of a massive trend or a short term fad? Do a little research and decide for yourself.