I’m a successful professional that is looking for additional businesses to own. I do not want to engage in day to day operations and be onsite, but have capital available for investment in promising opportunities. I know that if employees are needed, they should be good and trusted employees, which is probably the biggest hurdle in making an absentee business successful. I would consider partnering with the right person where they do the day to day work and I provide the capital and provide my business expertise. I understand that I could not be totally absentee and would expect to devote several hours (~10) per week to the operation. I would want it to be something local where I could drop in unexpectedly and make sure the wheels weren’t falling off.
I would consider (but do not prefer) a franchise. As for commercial real estate, it seems that the risk/reward ratio is somewhat askew in this part of the country, so I am leaning in a different direction.