It takes a substantial amount of money to buy a franchise, not to mention cover the costs of supplies, overhead and, in some cases, building a location. Understandably, many franchisees find that kind of capital tough to secure. But rest assured: If you're considering buying a franchise, money doesn't have to be an object. Throw away any preconceived notions about needing to be born rich or have $1 million in savings to get into franchising--these franchisees are living proof that a dream, perseverance and financing options can create a perfect recipe for franchise ownership.

ALL WRAPPED UP

When Stan Harris tried to purchase his Charlotte, North Carolina, Great Wraps, he had no luck securing a loan from financial institutions to fund his wrapped-sandwich restaurant. Even the bank where he worked as a mutual funds sales representative rejected his loan application. No banks provided Harris a formal reason for not approving the loan, other than they were unable to fund such a project.

His frustration mounted. "I put a lot of time and effort into creating my business plan and trying to make this happen," says Harris, 44. Rather than give up, he forged ahead, fired up by his belief that the wrap concept would explode in popularity in the near future.