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Framework
A man in a cap looks out over a city at dusk.

Selecting a small first group in the Bay Area

Own the next chapter.

Framework turns skilled workers into business owners. We back experienced Bay Area professionals, invest in their launch, help bring in customers, and handle much of the business side.

Apply nowLearn more

No fee to apply. About 5 to 8 minutes.

Demand generation for each business we back
$25,000
Demand generation for each business we back
Our stake. No fees, no royalties, you keep control
7%
Our stake. No fees, no royalties, you keep control
Bay Area first cohort
5 counties
Bay Area first cohort
Across trades, healthcare, and professional services
11 businesses
Across trades, healthcare, and professional services

Where we're starting

Built for the Bay Area. Five counties first.

Every business in the first cohort launches in one of five counties. That is where we know the market, the licensing, and the neighborhoods, and where we can show up in person.

  • Marin CountySan Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley
  • San Francisco CountyThe city, all neighborhoods
  • San Mateo CountyDaly City to Menlo Park
  • Alameda CountyOakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward
  • Contra Costa CountyWalnut Creek, Concord, Richmond

Live outside these counties? Apply anyway and tell us where. We expand based on where strong candidates are.

OaklandSan RafaelWalnut CreekRedwood CitySAN FRANCISCOSAN MATEOCONTRA COSTAMARINALAMEDA

Eleven paths to ownership

Pick the business you already know.

Eleven kinds of businesses where skilled people are in demand and ownership is realistic.

What we do

You bring the skill and reputation. We help build everything around it.

  1. Setup

    Year 1 costs covered

    Entity formation, licensing coordination, insurance, banking, bookkeeping. All the boring stuff that has to be right before the first customer.

  2. Software and playbooks

    Year 1 costs covered

    Scheduling, invoicing, phones, CRM, and a written playbook for running the business day to day, so you are not inventing a process on the job.

  3. Demand generation

    $25,000 per business

    We put $25,000 into demand generation for each business we back, and we run it with you: brand, website, ads, referral programs, and lead response.

  4. Hiring

    No recruiting fees for your first 10 hires

    When it is time to add a technician, cleaner, clinician, or office help, we help you recruit, screen, and onboard so the business can grow beyond you.

The Framework deal

We invest up to $25,000. We take 7%.

Read the full terms
  1. We put up to $25,000 into customer acquisition for each business we back.
  2. Framework also covers year-one setup and software costs where applicable, and works alongside you on systems, hiring, and growth.
  3. You own and control the company.
  4. There is no franchise fee and no ongoing royalty.
  5. If your business becomes more valuable, our 7% becomes more valuable too.

Some regulated professions, including law practices, require a different legal structure with similar economics. We review the exact terms with you, in writing, before anyone commits.

Who we back

We're not looking for business ideas. We're looking for people we'd bet on.

You already know the work. We're looking for the judgment, reliability, ambition, and reputation to build a company around it.

  • Excellent at your profession
  • Reliable and trusted by customers or clients
  • Interested in working independently
  • Ambitious about what you could build
  • Willing to take responsibility
  • Interested in eventually growing beyond a one-person operation

What you don't need

  • You do not need to have started a business.
  • You do not need a business plan.
  • You do not need to have quit your job.

We care about whether you're exceptional at the work and serious about ownership.

We care about whether you're exceptional at the work and serious about ownership.

Apply now

If we back you

What the first months look like.

A visible path, not a vague promise of help. Timing varies by business and by license status.

  1. Weeks 1–2

    Phase 1: Form the business and the launch plan

    • Entity, bank account, insurance
    • Launch plan agreed in writing
    • Licensing path mapped

  2. Weeks 3–4

    Phase 2: Brand, systems, licensing, pricing

    • Brand and website live
    • Phones, scheduling, invoicing set up
    • Pricing and service menu

  3. Month 2

    Phase 3: Customer acquisition starts

    • $25,000 in customer acquisition begins
    • Fast, disciplined lead response
    • First customers and a repeatable acquisition channel

  4. Month 3+

    Phase 4: Grow revenue, hire, systematize

    • Route or calendar fills
    • First hire when the numbers support it
    • Playbook so the business runs without you doing every job

You won't be doing this alone.

The first people Framework backs will launch alongside a small group of other Bay Area professionals building businesses of their own, comparing notes and learning from each other's launches, with the Framework team involved in every one.

Our story

Who's behind Framework

The people who create the value should have a path to owning it. We're a funded team building that path.

We're investing our own time and capital in the first cohort because we want to prove this model alongside the first people we back, not sell a course or a franchise.

  • James Evans

    Co-founder

  • Vinay Ayyala

    Co-founder

Meet the team on LinkedIn

  1. Skill should lead to ownership.

    The people who do the work well should have a realistic path to owning the business, not just a job at one.

  2. The business side shouldn't be yours to figure out alone.

    Setup, systems, and marketing are learnable. Nobody should have to work them out by themselves, at night, after a full day on the job.

  3. A real business outgrows its founder.

    We are not here to help people freelance. We are here to help build companies that can hire, last, and be worth something.

The questions you're actually asking

What's the catch?

No franchise fee. No royalty. No rented brand.

You build a company of your own. Framework participates as a minority investor with a 7% stake. The full deal is on one page.

What does Framework take?
Our standard structure is 7% ownership in the business we help launch. There is no franchise fee and no ongoing royalty. You keep control of the company and the large majority of the upside. Some regulated professions may require a different legal structure with similar economics.
Who owns the business?
You do. You own and control the company. Under our standard structure, Framework owns a 7% minority stake.
Why would anyone put $25,000 into my business?
Because we are investors, not a vendor. The $25,000 in demand generation is part of what we put in for our 7%, alongside setup, software, and hiring support. We only do well if your business does.
What if it doesn't work?
We plan for that up front. What happens if the business does not reach its goals is part of the agreement we discuss before launch, so you are not guessing later.

Not ready to apply?

Stay in touch.

Leave your email and we'll let you know when we're taking applications for your business and when we open in your county.

Occasional updates only. Unsubscribe any time.

The Golden Gate Bridge at dusk with the Marin hills behind it.

A stronger tomorrow

More independent businesses. A stronger Bay Area.

We're investing in the people who keep the Bay Area running, and helping them build businesses that create opportunity, locally.

Apply now

Let's build what's next, together.

Apply now·No fee