Most franchises succeed precisely because people invest too much into it. They put themselves into a position where they can't afford to fail. On the downside, you never totally own a franchise. Usually they want part of the action in the form of residual income. The Internet has made it easier than it's ever been to dream a dream and turn it into reality.
Affiliate programs make it possible to sell products independently.
Others develop the products. In most cases, you don't even have to buy the product to sell it to others. Most affiliate programs don't charge you anything to join. You can easily create an affiliate program to sell your products also. We develop special expertise in subjects where we have a strong personal interest.