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EMERGING FRANCHISOR ISSUE

The Founder Ceiling PG. 8

Dear Me, Watch the Window PG. 12

Find the Salty Ones PG. 14

Build Culture Before It Builds Itself PG. 18

Emerging Brands: Building Beyond the Niche PG. 30

How to Balance Legacy with Innovation as You Scale Your Franchise System PG. 34

Growing the Brand Means Growing the People Behind It PG. 38

Building Connections That Drive Franchise Growth PG. 26

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CONTENTS SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 • VOLUME 58 • ISSUE 5

FEATURES

The Founder Ceiling By Kyla Dufresne, Foxy Box

NASHVILLE, TN | NOVEMBER 16-18

Dear Me, Watch the Window

By Amanda Corrigan, Home Helpers Home Care

Find the Salty Ones

By Kristopher Stuart, CFE, Bloomin’ Blinds

Franchisee of the Year Awards

Build Culture Before It Builds Itself

IFA’s Franchisee of the Year Award is PUROCLEAN’S JOE THOMAS an honor recognizing outstanding NAMED A FRANCHISEE IFA member-company franchise OF THE IFA owners. SeeTHE thisYEAR year’sBY winners.

By Genevieve Custer Weeks, Tutu School

uroClean Franchise Owner Joe Thomas has been named a 2026 IFA Franchisee of the Year, proving that the true power of franchising is not measured by the success of one business, but by the success of an entire network. Before joining PuroClean, Thomas built an extensive network of relationships through the hospitality industry. He saw an opportunity to bring those relationships into property restoration, but instead of using

Building Connections That Drive Franchise Growth By Ryan Parsons, Evive Brands

Thomas’ story reflects the broader opportunity PuroClean offers entrepreneurs looking for a needs-based business with both B2B and B2C demand. PuroClean Franchise Owners provide full-service restoration for water, fire, mold, and biohazard damage, plus reconstruction while serving homeowners, businesses, property managers, insurance partners, and commercial clients. The model gives Franchise Owners diverse revenue streams while providing the training, systems, relationships, and infrastructure to pursue

Emerging Brands: Building Beyond the Niche

opportunities that are difficult for independents to secure. Thomas has put those capabilities to work for some of the most recognizable names in franchising. His team has helped other brands including Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Jimmy John’s, and Panera Bread recover following major property losses. It is a powerful example of what the PuroClean opportunity can become. Franchise Owners can begin by serving their local communities while gaining access to commercial large loss capabilities, national accounts, regional support, and a nationwide network built to collaborate when larger opportunities arise. Joe Thomas exemplifies everything franchising is meant to achieve. He has built an extraordinary business, but his greatest accomplishment is ensuring that others can build extraordinary businesses too. His vision has strengthened a franchise system, expanded opportunities for fellow entrepreneurs, and helped communities across the country recover when they needed it most.

By Cory Hibbard, Graze Craze

How to Balance Legacy with Innovation as You Scale Your Franchise System For information on building a scalable, highmargin franchise with PuroClean, visit PuroCleanFranchise.com

By Dr. Marianne Whitehouse, Creative World School Franchise

30 2 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Growing the Brand Means Growing the People Behind It

By Daniel Windon, Fractured Prune Donuts

FRANCHISING

FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT

WORLD

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Real Value Is Designed Into the Model, Not Discounted Onto the Menu By Steve Clough, Hungry Howie’s

MARKETING 60 42

Industry Spotlight on the Franchised Senior Care Industry

Rebrand or Refresh? Knowing the Difference

By Heather Cates, Home Franchise Concepts

EDITORIAL: Publisher Matt Haller, CFE Associate Publisher Jennifer Brandeen, CFE Editor-in-Chief Courtney Pettinella

By Huaiyi Jiang, FRANdata

MARKETING & PRODUCTION:

Creative Director Heather Bartlow, CFE

The Next Chapter of Senior Care: High-Tech, High-Touch and Built Around Choice

By Emma Dickison, Home Helpers Home Care

Senior Care: Navigating the Entire Aging Journey By Felicia Sanders, Assisted Living Locators, and Jeanette Weinz, Executive Home Care

TOPICS FRANCHISOR INSIGHTS 50

Could Franchise Ownership Be Your Next Act? By Amy Addington, Woofie’s

FRANCHISE OPERATIONS 53

Process Consistency Is the Difference Between a Brand and a Collection of Locations

By Jay Benge, Anago Cleaning Systems

FRANCHISEE INSIGHTS 64

What It Means to Run a Disaster-Response Business

By Paul Ebert, Lightspeed Restoration

IFA26 Emerging Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors

Graphic Designer Catherine Marinoff

ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION: Advertising Senior Director Carly Wooley, CFE Technology & Operations Director Sara Williamson, CFE Manager, Advertising Lauren Anderson, CFE

COLUMNS 4

From the Desk of IFA’s President and CEO

People & News

Featured Franchisees

FranPAC Report Card

Welcome New IFA Members

Franchising World (ISSN 1041-7311) “Volume 58, Number 5,” is published by the International Franchise Association, 1201 New York Ave., NW, Suite 300A, Washington, DC 20005. For advertising information, call: IFA Advertising Department (202) 628-8000. Franchising World welcomes views and comments from its readers. Correspondence should be addressed to Editor, c/o Franchising World at 1201 New York Ave., NW, Suite 300A, Washington, DC 20005. Franchising World reserves the right to edit letters for publication and also reserves the right to refuse advertising. With the publication of Franchising World, IFA is not offering legal, financial or any other professional advice or endorsements. Readers are encouraged to seek advice from professionals in specialized fields before acting on any information published herein. The views and opinions expressed in Franchising World are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of IFA members or staff. Supporting photography and illustrations sourced from stock.adobe.com and Adobe Firefly. Copyright © 2026 International Franchise Association.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 3

From the Desk of IFA President and CEO Matt Haller IFA’S MISSION

The Momentum Is Ours to Keep

awmakers can hear me talk about franchising all day, but it lands differently when hundreds of franchise owners walk into their offices and tell the story themselves. That’s exactly what happened in Washington this September at the 2026 IFA Advocacy Summit, the biggest we've ever had, with franchisees, franchisors, and suppliers coming in from all over the country. The turnout alone was worth celebrating, but what stayed with me was who made it up: local business owners who built their lives on this model and spoke up for its future. We need to keep that momentum going, because the bipartisan American Franchise Act still has a way to go in Congress. We’ve made real progress, but we’re not finished yet. This is our best chance in years to get clear rules on the joint-employer standard and protect the independence that makes franchising possible. We’ll keep working until we get there. Meanwhile, plenty is happening outside D.C. In November, we're heading to Nashville for IFA Emerging, which is built for the people shaping the next generation of franchise brands, NASHVILLE, TN | NOVEMBER 16-18 and right on its heels comes the first-ever IFA SCALE: The Franchise Growth & Capital Summit, where franchising and the investment community will sit down together and think seriously about capital, growth, and what comes next. Then in February, thousands of us will gather in Las Vegas for the IFA27 Annual Convention. The Advocacy Summit reminded me that our community is strongest when we show up — and we did just that in Washington. Let’s keep it up. I'll see you in Las Vegas.

Matt Haller, CFE President & CEO International Franchise Association

4 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

The International Franchise Association protects, enhances and promotes franchising.

IFA’S VISION

The preeminent voice and acknowledged leader for franchising worldwide.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Sam Ballas, CFE East Coast Wings + Grill/Sammy’s Sliders Chair Gary Robins The G & C Robins Company Vice Chair Dave Mortensen Purpose Brands, LLC Second Vice Chair Mary Kennedy Thompson, CFE BNI Immediate Past Chair

Bill Hall, CFE Treats Investment, LLC Treasurer Catherine Monson Propelled Brands Chair, IFA Foundation Board of Trustees Meg Roberts Head to Toe Brands Vice Chair, IFA Foundation Board of Trustees

Jesse Keyser, CFE Keyser Enterprises Chair, Franchisee Forum Emma Dickison, CFE Home Helpers Home Care Chair, Franchisor Forum Abby Schmidt Paychex Chair, Supplier Forum Advisory Board

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nate Garn Jyoti Sarolia Tushaar Agrawal Ellis Hospitality Group Marriott International Sizzling Platter Matt Haller Karen Satterlee, CFE Jerry Akers Hilton Worldwide Great Clips & IFA Holdings, Inc. The Joint Daniel Halpern Tiffany Atwell Jackmont Hospitality Heidi Schauer Ecolab Dustin Hansen, CFE The Wendy's Company Michael Seid, CFE Tom Baber InXpress MSA Worldwide IHOP/Money Mailer Jon Hixson Stephen Shields Marcus Banks Yum! Brands Wyndham Hotels Harvey Homsey, CFE Express Employment and Resorts, Inc. Express Employment 2026 Vice Chair, Franchisee Forum Bill Bode International Planet Fitness Joe Sieve Earsa Jackson, CFE Rob Branca Clark Hill Strasburger Tropical Smoothie Café Branded Management Tam Kennedy Group, Inc. Omar Simmons Twin City TJs Exaltare Capital Mitch Cohen Charles Keyser Partners Jersey Mike's Subs; Neonwax, LP Sola Salon Suites Christine Son Aslam Khan Ashley Coneff, CFE Dine Brands Global Falcon Holdings Inspire Brands Jeffrey Sopp Kevin King Adam Contos Kensington Hill Donatos Pizza Area 15 Ventures Partners Ali Kraus John Crawford Benetrends Financial Cheryl Stanton Jani-King 2026 Chair, Women's BrightStar Care International, Inc. Franchise Committee Brad Stevenson Randy Cross Neighborly John Lancaster Fish Window Cleaning Choice Hotels Sam Tatevosyan Kimberly Crowell International McDonald's Kalo Companies 2026 Chair, Diversity Corporation Institute Board Steve Danon John Teza Restaurant Brands Rolf Lundberg Stride Hospitality International Choice Hotels Partners Lynette Eaddy Smith International Carolyn Thurston Chick-fil-A, Inc. Ned Lyerly, CFE Wisdom Senior Care Starheel Ventures, LLC Clement Troutman Clint Ehlers FASTSIGNS of Daniel Mormino Tropical Smoothie Willow Grove, PA InfinitiHR Café and PJ’s Coffee and Cherry Hill, NJ of New Orleans 2026 Vice Chair, Supplier Forum Tim Evankovich Larisa Walega, CFE Advisory Board Oasis Senior Ziebart Advisors Franchise Shelly O'Callaghan Charles Watson System, LLC International Richard Weissman Dairy Queen Shane Evans, CFE The Learning Heights Wellness David Ostrowe Experience Retreats (Massage O&M Restaurant Steve White, CFE Heights Franchising) Group PuroClean Sean Falk, CFE Todd Recknagel Gabby Wong Just For Your PCRK Group, FranConnect Paws, LLC National Envy Tom Wood Rocco Fiorentino, CFE Development Floor Coverings Benetrends Financial Al Rodriguez International Sport Clips Lane Fisher 2026 Vice Chair, Fisher Zucker Paul Russell Franchisor Forum 7-Eleven Greg Flynn Tony Zaccario Flynn Group Nadia Sarangi Stretch Zone IHG Hotels & Resorts Robin Gagnon We Sell Restaurants

PEOPLE & NEWS Top

People ON THE MOVE

Peter Busse

Stephanie Knepp

Checkers & Rally’s has named Peter Busse chief development officer.

RockSalt Pilates has named Stephanie Knepp its new chief operating officer.

Kelli Schroeder

Kilwins has named Kelli Schroeder chief development officer.

Rachel Vaughn

Always Best Care has named Rachel Vaughn as its new chief marketing officer.

John Thuringer

WellBiz Brands has named John Thuringer as vice president of franchise growth.

Brands Expanding FASTSIGNS had a record-breaking first half of the year for franchise development sales in 2026, opening 13 new centers and signing 18 franchise agreements across domestic and international markets as the brand continues building momentum into the second half of the year. FASTSIGNS signed franchise agreements across multiple markets during Q1 and Q2, including several international deals in Australia, Canada, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom, expanding the brand’s global footprint. Domestically, the brand continued attracting new franchise partners while also growing alongside existing franchisees who expanded their portfolios through additional center agreements.

6 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Skiptown continued its strong growth trajectory in the second quarter of 2026, reporting 23 percent year-over-year revenue growth and achieving the strongest month in the company’s history this past June. The record-setting quarter was fueled by ongoing demand across pet services and system upgrades that strengthen recurring revenue. Following the signing of its first multi-unit franchise agreement earlier this year in Charlotte, Skiptown has expanded its franchise footprint with the signing of its first Colorado franchisee who will develop five locations throughout the Denver-Metro area.

JETSET Pilates is expanding in Tennessee with a new studio opening in Brentwood. Located at 205 Franklin Rd., Suite 100, the studio is owned and operated by local family Michael, Weslyn and Christian Reed. The family’s path to franchise ownership grew out of years of working together in local broadcasting and digital marketing. Michael spent over 40 years building a television business from a single station into a network of 21 before selling the majority of the stations in 2021, while Christian and Weslyn also built careers across media, reporting, and advertising.

PEOPLE & NEWS Awards & Honors

Koala Insulation plans to expand into the San Antonio metro area. With several new territories available across Greater San Antonio, the company is opening the door for local entrepreneurs to launch a mobile, eco-focused business that improves comfort, reduces energy waste and strengthens the regional economy. Big Chicken — the fast casual concept founded by basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal – is stepping off the court and into its first standalone location in Maryland, opening at Waugh Chapel Towne Centre in Gambrills.

Gordon Logan, founder and chairman of Sport Clips Haircuts, was named among “FORBES 250: America’s Most Successful Living Veterans.” Logan, 79, served in the Air Force before founding the company in 1993.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii spent the first half of 2026 building the operational foundation to support its next phase of growth. In addition to maintaining strong sales across its existing stores, Bad Ass Coffee moved its headquarters from Denver, CO, to Lexington, KY, opened a new East Coast distribution center, and expanded to 48 locations on the strength of its existing multi-unit owners. Central to that buildout is Tom Wylie, who joined as chief operating officer earlier in the year and has now been named president.

PuroClean has announced plans to expand throughout North Carolina, with six available territories across Greensboro and Durham. The brand is seeking qualified entrepreneurs to meet the growing demand for restoration and remediation services throughout Central North Carolina. In addition to everyday emergencies such as burst pipes, appliance leaks, sewage backups, mold growth, and fire or smoke damage, PuroClean Franchise Owners in North Carolina can maximize revenue by responding to residential and commercial losses caused by severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and tornadoes.

SPONSORED BY

Franchising Gives Back Drama Kids franchise owner Bridget Bateman, whose own son received a life-changing wish from Make-A-Wish at age 10, recently continued her four-year commitment to supporting Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida’s annual Wishmakers Ball as a Platinum Sponsor, helping contribute to an event that raised $1,227,147, enough to grant 153 wishes for local children facing critical illnesses.

The Wishmakers Ball is the organization’s signature fundraising event, bringing together community leaders, businesses, supporters, and wish families for an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of a wish. Funds raised through sponsorships, donations, auctions, and other fundraising initiatives help Make-A-Wish continue its mission of creating life-changing experiences for children and their families.

Predictive Performance Executive Search

www.capodice.com (941) 906-1990 Ranked Among America’s Best Executive Search Firms September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 7

NASHVILLE, TN | NOVEMBER 16-18

THE FOUNDER CEILING By Kyla Dufresne, Foxy Box

I started Foxy Box in 2012 with bartending tips, a treatment room, and absolutely no idea how to build a franchise.

didn’t finish high school. I didn’t have an MBA. I didn’t come from a corporate background, and there was certainly no beautifully mapped-out growth strategy sitting on my desk. What I did have was an enormous amount of belief, a willingness to figure things out, and probably an unhealthy tolerance for risk. In the early days, those qualities were my superpower. I could make decisions quickly. I could jump behind the front desk, wax a client, train a team member, handle a complaint, create a promotion and clean the bathroom; sometimes all in the same day.

8 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

When you’re building a business from nothing, being willing to do everything is often exactly what gets you through. But there comes a point in almost every founder’s journey when the thing that built the company becomes the very thing holding it back. That’s called The Founder Ceiling. And I know it well.

I Sold a Franchise Before I Understood Franchising

I sold my first franchise before I really understood what franchising meant. At the time, I thought I was selling someone a Foxy Box. I had built something that worked, people loved it, and I believed I could teach someone else how to do it too. What I didn’t fully understand yet was that I wasn’t just helping someone open another Foxy Box. I was becoming a franchisor. And my job had fundamentally changed. The problem was, I hadn’t changed with it. I was still in my treatment room waxing clients. I was still deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of my own stores. I was still trying to be the entrepreneur, operator, Vagician, problem solver and culture keeper and now, somehow, franchisor on top of all of it.

“

Eventually, I had to do something that felt completely counterintuitive to the entrepreneur in me.”

I thought working harder was the answer. For a while, you can get away with that. Founders are scrappy. We fill gaps. We figure things out. We work ridiculous hours and sometimes wear it like a badge of honor. But franchising changes the stakes. When another person invests their money, time, future and livelihood into your brand, your responsibility changes. It took me hiring a Franchise Business Coach when I knew I was in over my head to truly understand that my job was no longer just to make my business successful. My job was to build the infrastructure, people, systems and support that gave other people the best possible opportunity to make their businesses successful. That realization changed everything. Eventually, I had to do something that felt completely counterintuitive to the entrepreneur in me.

I had to pause. I had to step out of the treatment room and realize that supporting a franchise system required an entirely different kind of work. I had to take everything that had lived in my head — everything we had learned through years of operating Foxy Box — and turn it into something that could actually be replicated. That meant creating systems and standard operating procedures. Building out detailed build-out guides. Implementing learning management systems. Creating training programs, tools, resources and infrastructure that our franchise partners and their teams could rely on without needing me in the room. I had to stop being the person who knew how to do everything and start building a company that knew how to do everything without me. That was the real shift from operator to franchisor.

Hiring People Better Than You

I’ve actually always been comfortable hiring people who are smarter than me. I know what I’m great at and I’m also pretty good at knowing what I’m not great at. As we’ve grown, I’ve tried to be really intentional about looking at the gaps in my own skill set and hiring people who are strong where I’m not. People with experience I don’t have, expertise I don’t have and different ways of looking at the business. I don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. In fact, I don’t want to be. My job is to build the right room. The evolution for me has been learning how to surround myself with those people, give them the space to lead, and trust that they may build something differently — and better — than I would have built it myself. One of the questions I want to put to the room during The Founder Ceiling, the session I’m organizing for the 2026 Emerging Franchisor Conference, is: Are you hiring people you’d be nervous to lose to a competitor? Because I think we should be. Great leaders shouldn’t exist to make the founder feel more important. They should make the founder less necessary. That can be a hard pill to swallow.

Build a Team, Not a Following

There is a huge difference between building a team and building a following. A following looks to the founder for answers. A great team brings perspectives, ideas and sometimes hard truths the founder may never have come up with themselves.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 9

I call myself a servant leader. I’m constantly asking tough questions of our system: What’s missing? Where are we falling short? What do you need from us? How can I support you better? How can we improve? And sometimes you have to be willing to hear answers you don’t necessarily like. I think that’s part of our responsibility as leaders. We need to create environments where people feel safe enough to challenge us, disagree with us and tell us what’s actually happening — not just what they think we want to hear. It’s easy to surround yourself with people who feed your ego. People who agree with every idea, tell you you’re doing a great job and happily follow your lead. But that’s not the team that’s going to push you — or your company — to the next level.

“

I’ve had to learn that you can’t hire experienced, talented people and then expect them to simply execute every idea exactly as you would.”

As founders, we need to be asking the tough questions and then be brave enough to listen to the answers. I’ve had to learn that you can’t hire experienced, talented people and then expect them to simply execute every idea exactly as you would. You can’t tell someone you want them to own their seat and then climb into that seat every time they make a decision differently than you would. If we want great people around us, we have to give up some latitude. The goal isn’t to build a room full of people who agree with you. It’s to build a room full of people who care enough about the business to challenge you.

My Mistakes Are My Harvard Education

I’ve made plenty of mistakes learning this. I’ve held onto people longer than I should have. I’ve jumped back into roles because doing it myself felt faster. I’ve hired people and then not given them enough room to actually lead. I’ve learned that sometimes the person who was perfect for one chapter isn’t the person for the next one. And I’ve learned that sometimes that person is me.

10 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

I often say that my mistakes are my Harvard education. I’ve paid a lot of tuition. But those mistakes have forced me to become a different kind of leader. The question I’m trying to ask myself more often today isn’t: “How would I do this?” It’s: “What does the company need from me now?” Sometimes the answer is vision. Sometimes it’s a difficult conversation. Sometimes it’s making the final call. And increasingly, sometimes the answer is to get out of the way.

The Identity Shift Nobody Talks About

We talk a lot in franchising about systems, unit economics, franchise development, operations and profitability. We don’t talk nearly enough about the identity shift that happens when an entrepreneur becomes a franchisor. When you’ve built something from scratch, the business is deeply personal. You remember the first client. The first employee. The first location. The first time there wasn’t enough money in the bank. The first time you realized this crazy idea might actually work. Your fingerprints are on everything. So stepping away from pieces of it can almost feel like you’re becoming less important to the company you created. I’m learning that the opposite is true. The founder’s job isn’t to remain indispensable. The goal should be to build an organization strong enough that your fingerprints are everywhere, but your hands don’t have to be. And I am still learning how to do that. That’s exactly why I wanted to organize The Founder Ceiling for the Emerging Franchisor Conference. I’m not coming into this conversation as someone who has perfectly conquered mine. I’m coming into it as someone who has hit it, broken through parts of it, rebuilt, made mistakes and am hitting another version of it as we continue to grow. I want us to talk about the messy part. How do you transition from being the person who built the business to the person responsible for supporting other people in building theirs? And perhaps most importantly: Are we building companies that can grow beyond us — or companies that still need us at the center of everything?

Kyla Dufresne is the founder & CEO of Foxy Box. For more information about IFA franchisor member Foxy Box, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/foxy-box/.

MORROW HILL

A SMARTER MAP

FOR FRANCHISE GROWTH For franchise brands, growth isn’t simply about finding the next available territory. As a franchise expands, the bigger challenge is determining which markets offer the right conditions for the brand to grow, and understanding those opportunities before the real estate search begins. This means putting greater emphasis on market intelligence as an early part of franchise expansion. Morrow Hill’s Vision Map™ gives franchise brands a deeper view of the markets they are considering. By bringing together demographic, consumer, competitive and market intelligence, the platform reveals patterns and opportunities that aren’t always visible on the surface, giving franchisors a stronger foundation for deciding where to focus their growth. And sometimes, the data tells a different story than expected. A market that looks attractive at first glance may already be crowded with competitors. Another that has received less attention may have a strong concentration of a brand’s target customer, favorable growth patterns and room for expansion. Understanding those differences allows franchisors to look beyond

what appears promising and examine what is actually driving opportunity within a market. “Data is everywhere, but the real value is understanding what it’s telling you and how to apply it to your growth strategy,” said Jonathan Hill, Co-Founder of Morrow Hill. “Vision Map™ helps brands see their opportunities more clearly, so they can

can move forward with more confidence.” That approach continues to earn industry recognition. Most recently, Entrepreneur ranked Morrow Hill #1 in the Real Estate category among its 2026 Top Franchise Suppliers, marking the second consecutive year the company has earned the category’s top ranking. The recognition follows

Data is everywhere, but the real value is understanding what it’s telling you and how to apply it to your growth strategy. make more informed decisions about where they want to grow.” That intelligence also creates a natural starting point for the real estate strategy that follows. “The strongest growth strategies connect market opportunity with the real estate decisions that ultimately shape successful expansion,” said Jon Bolsins, COO of Morrow Hill. “When those pieces work together from the beginning, brands have greater visibility into the process and SPONSORED CONTENT

another significant industry distinction, with the International Franchise Association (IFA) naming Morrow Hill its Preferred Vendor for Project Management and Real Estate last year. Together, these recognitions reflect Morrow Hill’s continued role as a trusted resource for franchise brands navigating growth and expansion. For franchisors planning their next phase of growth, the opportunity isn’t always found in the most obvious market. Sometimes, it takes a better map to see it.

NASHVILLE, TN | NOVEMBER 16-18

DEAR ME, WATCH THE WINDOW By Amanda Corrigan, Home Helpers Home Care

Dear Amanda,

When IFA asked me to share my story ahead of the IFA26 Emerging Franchisor Conference in Nashville, I kept thinking about the version of me running nursing homes, years before I knew what an FDD was. So, I wrote her a letter.

12 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Right now, you’re a regional VP of operations with six facilities to oversee, and your biggest building, 300 beds, just lost its administrator. Someone asks what you want to do. You’re about to say, “I’ll sit it till we fill it.” I know why. Your first company never hired interim help. When an administrator left, the VP became the administrator on top of the regional job, and it started to feel like leadership. So you’ll move into that building and try to keep all six facilities on track from one desk. Eventually you’ll ask the right question: why am I doing this? You never had to carry the building yourself while you looked. An interim would have held it steady. You’re going to leave nursing homes for franchising. You left Louisiana after Louisiana Tech, started your career in Texas, and built your family there with your husband and three kids. You’ll move home unexpectedly, the same year Home Helpers Home Care hires you. Right now, franchising means McDonald’s to you. Home Helpers will hire you anyway, betting they can teach you franchising and that your healthcare, leadership and team-building experience is the harder part to find. Three and a half years in, you’ll be COO. You’ll still feel a little intimidated in rooms full of people who’ve done this for decades. Say yes when they ask you to speak anyway. The job won’t change as much as you’d think. As a regional VP, you don’t run the buildings. Your administrators do, and their licenses are on the line. You’re there to coach, support, oversee and protect quality. Swap administrators for franchise owners and you’ve described a franchisor. You’ll love this work for a reason anyone from Louisiana would understand. Franchising is gumbo. The roux is the foundation, and it doesn’t change. But walk through a gumbo cook-off in a church parking lot and every pot is different. Seafood in one, chicken and

sausage in the next. Some people even add tomatoes, which where we come from is a cardinal sin. That is not gumbo. The franchisor makes the roux. The franchise owners bring their own seasoning. That’s what makes this model the American dream. You’ll also end up on the IFA task force building the 2026 Emerging Franchisor Conference. You’ll want to tell those founders that the people they hire early are part of the roux. And you’ll want to teach them what that building is about to teach you: when to bring someone on for good, when to borrow the help you need, and when to stop volunteering yourself as the fill. That building is where you’ll learn the lesson, so let’s go back to it. Before you decide to sit it till you fill it, you need to understand what you’re actually choosing between. You already know the difference between coverage and ownership. When you’re short, you call the agency, and for a gap an agency nurse is exactly right. But she doesn’t know the resident in 214 eats better when her daughter calls first. When her contract ends, what she learned walks out with her. In franchising, the agency nurse is the consultant, the fractional hire, the outside firm. They’re often the smartest move a young system can make, bringing in real expertise without betting the runway on a salary. The trouble starts when the need stops being occasional. When you’re paying someone to relearn your business every month, you’ve crossed a line. So how do you know when you’ve crossed it? Three signals tell you a role is ready for a full-time owner. The need repeats, so you can predict next month’s version of the problem. Decisions come faster than a consultant’s schedule and pile up waiting for the next check-in. And if your contractor walked out tomorrow, too much knowledge would walk out with them. Be just as wary of the signals that lie. Revenue milestones. Unit count. Headcount envy: the brand at the next booth has a full-time person for that, so you should too. Size tells you what you can afford. It doesn’t tell you what you need. Timing matters in both directions, and you’ll miss on both sides before you figure it out. Think back to when you were an administrator and your social worker couldn’t keep up. You hired a second one, a friend who didn’t really know the job. Coaching a friend turned out to be almost impossible, and you ended up laying the position off. It drained money and left angst and uncertainty that hurt the culture more than the workload ever did. That role could have covered more than one gap. You hired too soon, and you hired someone you couldn’t hold accountable.

Hire too late and the bottleneck is you, which you’ll learn firsthand in that 300-bed building. Every decision routes through your phone at 10 at night. Either way, it becomes a costly correction. So watch for the window. Before you post the job, write down what this person will do on an ordinary Tuesday in their third month. If you can’t, the role isn’t ready yet, so borrow the help. If you can, and the three signals line up, stop waiting. That’s your window. A friend you can’t hold accountable is an expensive favor. And hire for what you can’t teach. Home Helpers did that with you. When a key seat opens before you’re ready to fill it, don’t make yourself the default. Interim help isn’t a failure to commit. It buys you time to hire right. That’s the idea behind a session I’m organizing for the 2026 IFA Emerging Franchisor Conference in Nashville, November 16-18, “Right Role, Right Window: Reading Your Org Before You Hire.” It’s built for franchisors with 25 units or fewer. This letter gives you the idea. In the room, founders at the same stage walk away with a practical framework for their next key hire, whether that’s operations, marketing, or franchise development. Being new to franchising, one of the best breaks you’ll get is a company that values the IFA and this conference in particular. So, to everyone reading over your shoulder, whether you’re brand new to the franchisor side or you’ve been here a while and want to grow: be part of the IFA and be in Nashville this November. It’s worth every bit of the time and money. And if you want a hand in shaping what comes next, get involved with an IFA committee or task force. So the next time someone asks what you want to do, don’t say you’ll sit it till you fill it. Call for help. Your own job is still waiting for you. With a little hindsight,

Amanda

P.S. If you’re a founder reading this, come find me in Nashville, November 16-18. Bring the hire you’ve been going back and forth on, and we’ll figure out if it’s your window. Amanda Corrigan is chief operating officer of Home Helpers Home Care and a member of the IFA task force for the 2026 Emerging Franchisor Conference. For more information about IFA franchisor member Home Helpers Home Care, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/home-helpers-home-care/.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 13

NASHVILLE, TN | NOVEMBER 16-18

FIND THE SALTY ONES By Kristopher Stuart, CFE, Bloomin’ Blinds

The fire service has handed its hard lessons from one generation to the next for well over a century. Franchising can do the same, if the veterans keep showing up and new brands know who to look for.

14 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

very firehouse has one. The salty firefighter who has seen it all and has very little patience for a rookie who asks the same question twice. You learn fast that their time is expensive. You also learn that if they’re standing in front of you at a Saturday morning training, they chose to be there. I spent twelve years as a firefighter and paramedic in Denton Co., Texas. I didn’t find my salty firefighters at my own station. I found them in a room full of FOOLS. The Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society takes its name from the leather helmets of the traditional fire service. It’s a highly committed group of firefighters and officers dedicated to the camaraderie and shared knowledge that preserve the craft from one generation to the next. It has existed since 1995 and now has chapters across the globe. I joined the Heart of Texas chapter, the HOT FOOLS, in 2015 and dove in with both feet. I served in several volunteer roles and eventually as a trustee supporting the chapter’s fundraising efforts. What I first noticed was who ran the trainings. Some were chiefs. Some were guys with one or two years on the job who had already seen more than their share. Rank never mattered, experiences did. Good people were willing to go back to the ground they started on and hand over what they’d learned the hard way. It was just the way it was done and everyone kept the momentum going. The handoff of experiences is how the American Fire Service has kept its reputation for generations. Each class of firefighters inherits the lessons of the one before it without having to pay for every one of them personally. Somebody else’s close call becomes the next training session. That’s why the brand of the American Fire Service is as trusted as it is today. Franchising could use that same culture right now.

Lessons Learned With Scale

My family started franchising Bloomin’ Blinds in 2014. I brought a fire service mindset with me, and most of it served us well. One piece of it didn’t. In the fire service, a probationary firefighter gets a lot of grace. They’re new and they’ll make mistakes. You make corrections and give them room to grow. I applied that same belief to franchisees who missed reports, slipped on standards or fell behind on royalties. I thought I was being a good leader. What I was actually doing was teaching the whole system what I and the brand would tolerate. There’s a phrase I wish I’d heard in my first year of franchising: what you accept, you teach. Grace without

accountability has cost us tens of thousands of dollars in surrendered royalties. It nearly cost us the brand as well. We caught it in time, thanks to mentors, and applied the lesson fast enough to avoid the outcome. Plenty of emerging brands don’t get that chance.

The Ones Who Showed Up for Me

When I did start asking for those lessons, I found the franchising version of the FOOLS. Brian Schnell, our outside counsel, and Jerry Akers, who built a franchisee empire of his own, are two of the best examples I know. Both are extremely busy industry titans and both remain overtly generous with their knowledge and their time; for me and for anyone else who might ask them for it. That’s the pattern I recommend you keep an eye out for. Find the veterans who come to the Emerging Franchisor Conference and stay after a teaching session to talk with a founder with only

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September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 15

four units. There’s no requirement to be there. They know what the lessons cost, and they’re willing to spend their time sharing theirs. They’re there to make the whole industry better, not just their own system.

For New Franchisors

Walk in expecting to find a mentor. It’s one of the most valuable things conferences offer. It doesn’t have to be formal either. And don’t be shy about the approach. When one of these franchising veterans hands you a card or a cell number, they’re not just being polite. They want you to use it. The fact that they keep showing up and keep sharing their contact information tells you everything about their intentions. There’s no need to second-guess it. Make the call. Send the email. Ask for the extra half hour. The knowledge is sitting right in front of you waiting to be claimed.

To Experienced Franchisors

Here comes the harder ask. The learnings emerging brands need are sitting with you, the ones who have logged the miles on this road of experience. Every avoidable failure in this industry burns someone’s life savings and chips away at the reputation of franchising itself. A price none of us want to pay. It’s on us to ensure the value of franchising is preserved for the generations to come. The fire service figured out long ago that you can’t protect the craft by only protecting yourself. Franchising works the same way. I’m asking each of you who consume this article to recognize the role you already hold and engage at a higher level. Teach a session. Sit on the panel and share the tough lessons. Take the call from the six-unit founder who’s about to make the same mistake you made ten years ago. And then tell them to tell someone else. I’m about to test this myself. John Ausmus is one of the salty firefighters I met through the FOOLS. He’s retired now, and I’m introducing him to franchising. One of the men who helped me learn the craft is about to become the Probie in my world.

Where to Find Us in Nashville

All The Right Pieces.

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16 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

My part this year is a session at the Emerging Franchisor Conference in Nashville on Financial Infrastructure, Benchmarking and KPIs. It’s built for brands in their first ten units with many miles of learning yet to travel. The session makes one well-studied argument: that every financial decision a young franchisor makes is cheap at unit one, expensive at unit twenty and nearly impossible to fix at unit fifty. Your chart of accounts is the least sexy topic at the company meeting but could be the most impactful downstream. Most founders only learn this stuff once they get into diligence for a transaction, when these lessons have an exponentially greater cost to them. Let the experienced operators hand it to you now, while the fix is still fairly cheap. That’s what the salty ones do. Go find yours and use the number and email they give you. They’re expecting it because someone probably did it for them.

Kristopher Stuart, CFE, is the president & CEO of Bloomin’ Blinds. For more information about IFA franchisor member Bloomin’ Blinds, please visit franchise.org/franchiseopportunities/bloomin-blinds/.

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NASHVILLE, TN | NOVEMBER 16-18

BUILD CULTURE BEFORE IT BUILDS ITSELF By Genevieve Custer Weeks, Tutu School

PHOTO CREDIT: ANDREW WEEKS

At this point, the team at Tutu School knows that when the topic of brand culture comes up, I’m likely to get downright giddy, and maybe a little geeky, discussing it.

can’t help it. When assigning credit for the success of Tutu School, there’s not much I would place higher value on than the culture we’ve crafted, cultivated, and fiercely protected. So, as a member of the task force helping to plan this year’s IFA Emerging Franchisor Conference 18 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

in Nashville, I practically jumped up and down to suggest culture building as a session topic. More specifically, there is one message I feel passionately about sharing with franchisors whose brands are in the early stages of scaling: Build culture before it builds itself. With so many important and competing priorities tugging at franchisors, it’s no wonder culture can slip lower on the never-ending to-do list, taking a back seat to sales, compliance, franchise development, operations, and brand engagement. The only problem? Every single one of those things is directly impacted, influenced, and, I would argue, exponentially improved by taking excellent care of your brand’s culture. What do we even mean when we talk about a brand’s culture? Personally, I believe a brand’s culture exists in the magic space between the promise it makes to the customers and communities it serves and the work it does internally to deliver on that promise. At Tutu School, we know, and say right in our mission statement, that “we exist to make space in the lives of children for creativity and joy.” Our culture is deeply defined and informed by that purpose. As a business whose purpose is to bring joy and creativity to children, it would be strange if we accomplished that without welcoming the ideas and

PHOTO CREDITS: ANDREW WEEKS

innovations of our franchisees, providing a caring and inspiring place to work at our corporate office (Tutu HQ!), or demonstrating loyalty to the Tutu School owners who first took a risk on our brand and helped dream it into existence alongside us. Culture can’t simply be what you say about your company. It has to be reflected in how you operate it. And when it is, it has an extraordinary impact on growth. I think of branding as the way a company communicates its promise to the people it serves. Becoming fanatical about the details of that branding ensures that even the smallest touchpoints communicate to franchisees and customers alike how deeply you value the quality of their experience. When you approach brand consistency this way, your branding doesn’t just live in rules and guidelines, lookbooks and specs. It becomes the water your team and franchisees swim in and the air they breathe. This is how brand evangelism is born: from the inside out. At Tutu School, we’re sticklers for the right typeface and Pantone, the tiniest details of our trade dress, and the quality and consistency of our curriculum and training. But here’s the really amazing part: When culture is created through real faith and trust in your brand, compliance becomes that much easier. Owners who care deeply about a brand want to do right by it. They want to be good ambassadors for it. They’ve bought into the whole package, the entire tapestry you’ve woven together, and they understand that even the tiniest threads contribute to the bigger picture. You’re much less likely to find yourself quibbling over every thread when your franchisees don’t want one out of place either. That strength of brand, and branding, ultimately translates to the customer experience. It helps cultivate the kind of customers who fall in love with your franchisees’ businesses and, in turn, with your brand as a whole. And then everyone wins. Another cultural component that makes brand consistency easier? Encouraging innovation. So many of Tutu School’s best ideas have come from our franchisees. When we got good at saying, “That’s an interesting idea. Why don’t we pilot that at your location?” we opened up a world of new possibilities.

But we also communicated something important to our franchisees: There’s no reason to go off script. Why run a rogue operation when you can bring an idea to HQ, collaborate on it, and gain the support and resources of the entire brand? Creating a culture where franchisees know their ideas are genuinely welcomed doesn’t weaken the franchisor’s ability to protect the brand. In our experience, it strengthens it. Then there’s growth. Because we’ve prioritized a culture of trust and loyalty with our Tutu School owners, one that is deeply franchisee-forward and respects individual development rights and timelines, we’ve grown to more than 150 signed locations with just under 60 ownership teams. Our first four franchisees are still Tutu School owners more than a decade into our franchise journey, and today they each own between six and 13 locations. That matters to me for reasons far beyond the numbers. It demonstrates something I wish more emerging franchisors understood from the beginning: Taking care of culture doesn’t distract from growth. It fuels it. The work it takes to lay a strong foundation for your franchise system’s culture from the very beginning, and to continually tend to it as your company grows, is nothing compared with the benefits that intentional culture will layer into your brand over time. Culture is going to develop whether you tend to it or not. The question is whether you will intentionally shape it while your system is still young enough for those choices to become deeply embedded in your brand, or discover later that a culture has formed without you. At the end of the day, we’re all looking for more than franchisees who have simply bought into our brands. We want franchisees who truly believe in them, who will protect them, champion them, challenge them to become better, and grow alongside them. Build that culture early. Then take very, very good care of it. Genevieve Custer Weeks is the founder and CEO of Tutu School. For more information about IFA franchisor member Tutu School, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/tutuschool/.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 19

COFFEE & ENERGY DRINKS COFFEE & ENERGY DRINKS

2026 2026 IFA IFA Franchisee Franchisee of of the the Year Year CONGRATULATIONS, CONGRATULATIONS, AARON AARON WISWELL WISWELL

Aaron’s journey with Aroma Joe’s began nearly a decade ago with two locations in New Aaron’s journey with Aroma Joe’s began nearly a decade ago with two locations in New Hampshire. Today, he owns 13 locations across three states, with six more in development. Hampshire. Today, he owns 13 locations across three states, with six more in development. Alongside development partner Bob Brennan, Aaron is building one of the fastest-growing Alongside development partner Bob Brennan, Aaron is building one of the fastest-growing partnerships in the system, including a Bangor, Maine, shop that achieved the highest openingpartnerships in the system, including a Bangor, Maine, shop that achieved the highest openingweek sales in Aroma Joe’s history. Grounded in his New England roots and a commitment to the week sales in Aroma Joe’s history. Grounded in his New England roots and a commitment to the communities he serves, Aaron leads with family, passion, and purpose alongside his wife, Alyssa, communities he serves, Aaron leads with family, passion, and purpose alongside his wife, Alyssa, and their children, Ayden and Avery. and their children, Ayden and Avery.

franchising.aromajoes.com franchising.aromajoes.com

Positively Positively Impacting Impacting People. People.

Pictures are for illustration use only. Actual products may vary. ©2024 AJ IP Holder, LLC. Aroma Joe’s® is a registered trademark of AJ IP Holder, LLC. Pictures are for illustration use only. Actual products may vary. ©2024 AJ IP Holder, LLC. Aroma Joe’s® is a registered trademark of AJ IP Holder, LLC.

CLEAN’S JOE THOMAS FRANCHISEE OF YEAR AWARD ED ATHE FRANCHISEE OF EAR BY THE IFA IFA’s Franchisee of the Year Award is an honor created to recognize outstanding IFA member-company franchise owners. This one-of-a-kind award for franchisees garners national attention and showcases the positive opportunity and impact of franchising in communities across the country.

ward recipients exemplify the very best of franchising. They are involved in the community, embody the entrepreneurial spirit, foster a strong and healthy culture with their workforce, and assist their fellow franchisees when called upon.

nchise Owner Joe them solely to grow his own been named a 2026 operation, he began thinking ee of the Year, proving bigger: How could those wer of franchising is relationships create opportunities Lightbridge Academy franchisee Becky Grovenstein New This Year receives thenetwork? IFA Franchisee Cornerstone Award, presented y the success of one for an entire franchise by Express Employment Professionals and joined by the success of an entire Lightbridge’s Lauren Standfast. The Franchisee That thinking helped lead to the creation of PuroClean’s National opportunities that Cornerstone Award uroClean, Response Team. independents to s This year, IFA is proud to introduce extensive network of put those capabili a new recognition that builds onthe the National Response Team Today, rough the hospitality of the most recogn Franchisee of the includes Year program:four independently led w an opportunitythetoFranchisee Cornerstone Award. franchising. His te divisions that coordinate PuroClean tionships into property brands including T The Franchisee Cornerstone Franchise Owners across the country instead of using Cafe, Jimmy John Awardto represents the highest respond to large-scale commercial recover following distinction among IFA’s losses and catastrophic events, giving Franchisee of the Year recipients. Selected from access to larger projects local offices It is a powerful exa this exceptional group of they may not have been able to take PuroClean opport franchise leaders, the award on alone. honors one franchisee whose impact extends far beyond Franchise Owners the walls of their business. An outstanding operator, Thomas’ reflects the broader their local commu dedicated brand ambassador, and true pillar ofstory their community, this individual exemplifies the very best opportunity PuroClean offers access to commer of franchising through exceptional leadership, service, entrepreneurs looking for a needs-based capabilities, natio and a lasting commitment to making a difference. business with both B2B and support, and a nat B2C demand. built to collaborat September/October 2026 /opportunities FRANCHISING WORLD 21 aris PuroClean Franchise Owners provide

(Sorted by Company Name) Keith McBride 1-800-Packouts of NW Philadelphia Holland, PA Jennifer Ashcraft 37 Enterprises, Inc. (Capriotti's Sandwich Shop) Huntsville, AL Allen & Christy Stanczak Aloha Auggies, LLC (Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii) Saint Augustine, FL Randi H. Beesing Any Lab Test Now - Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville, FL James Long and Stan Synkoski Apple Mountain, LLC (Applebee's Grill and Bar) Sandy, UT

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22 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

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David George and Rachel George Fastest Labs of Greater Seattle Puyallup, WA Kevin Wenck FASTSIGNS Allentown Allentown, PA Perry Ciambella FirstLight Home Care Cheektowaga, NY Omar E. Munguia, Jr. Five Star Unlimited Inc (Pacific Lawn Sprinklers) Mooresville, NC Michelle Monhollen and Robert Steffek Fully Promoted of Centerville Centerville, OH Rick and Heather McGregor Gotcha Covered of Frisco/McKinney/Celina Frisco, TX Cathy Abrena and Victoria Law Grasons of Bellevue and Grasons of Mount Vernon (Grasons Estate Sales & Business Liquidations) Bellevue, WA Rachel Wheeler Graze Craze Winter Park Winter Park, FL Fred Fisher and Samantha Lane Green Home Solutions Tucson, AZ Tracy Yarbrough Grumpy's Restaurant Neptune Beach, FL Beth and Phillip Dow Home Helpers Home Care of Newnan, GA Lone Oak, GA Thomas Murphy Huntington Learning Center Villanova, PA Kevin Poel and Nicole Poel Hydrate IV Bar Westminster & Lakewood Arvada, CO Jay and Danielle Mechtly i9 Sports Wilmington, NC Montu Patel IHM (Innovative Hospitality Management) (Choice Hotels) Doylestown, PA

PUROCLEAN’S JOE THOMAS NAMED A FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR BY THE IFA P

them solely to grow his own operation, he began thinking bigger: How could those relationships create opportunities for an entire franchise network? That thinking helped lead to the creation of PuroClean’s National Response Team. Today, the National Response Team includes four independently led divisions that coordinate PuroClean Franchise Owners across the country to respond to large-scale commercial losses and catastrophic events, giving local offices access to larger projects they may not have been able to take on alone. Thomas’ story reflects the broader opportunity PuroClean offers entrepreneurs looking for a needs-based business with both B2B and B2C demand. PuroClean Franchise Owners provide full-service restoration for water, fire, mold, and biohazard damage, plus reconstruction while serving homeowners, businesses, property managers, insurance partners, and commercial clients. The model gives Franchise Owners diverse revenue streams while providing the training, systems, relationships, and infrastructure to pursue

For information on building a scalable, highmargin franchise with PuroClean, visit PuroCleanFranchise.com

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Alex Tyler Tyler Ownership Group (Goldfish Swim School) Birmingham, MI Cheston C. Syma WheelHouse Partners (Sport Clips Haircuts) Katy, TX

Boima and Jumanatu Morray Wisdom Senior Care Fort Mill, SC Benjamin Rogers Ziebart of Bay City Bay City, MI

It is a powerful example of what the

24 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

FEATURE

BUILDING CONNECTIONS THAT DRIVE FRANCHISE GROWTH By Ryan Parsons, Evive Brands

26 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

As franchise leaders, we spend a great deal of time talking about growth.

e discuss unit development, lead generation, technology, operations and scalability. Yet one of the most powerful growth drivers in franchising is often overlooked: relationships. At Evive Brands, we recently launched National Networking Day, an initiative designed to bring franchise owners from across our family of brands together in local markets throughout the country. While the event itself is exciting, the bigger idea behind it is even more important. We believe meaningful connections between franchise owners can create opportunities that no technology platform, marketing campaign or operating system can replicate on its own. The inspiration for National Networking Day came from a simple realization. As Evive has grown into a platform of complementary franchise brands, many franchise owners operating in the same communities have never met one another. Yet they serve similar customers, face many of the same business challenges and often have opportunities to help each other grow. Before franchise owners can share referrals, collaborate on local marketing initiatives or explore business partnerships, they need something more fundamental: trust. And trust begins with relationships. Think about how referrals work in everyday life. We recommend restaurants we’ve visited. We suggest contractors we’ve worked with. We tell friends about businesses we know and trust. The same principle applies in franchising. Very few people are comfortable referring business to someone they have never met. That’s why relationship-building must come first. National Networking Day is designed to create those initial connections. Franchise owners will gather in local networking pods throughout the country to meet neighboring business owners from across the Evive platform. Through structured networking exercises, guided discussions and facilitated conversations, they will learn more about each

other’s businesses, customers and growth goals. To help make those interactions meaningful, Evive partnered with Business Networking International (BNI), one of the world’s leading business networking organizations. “Business growth is rarely the result of one big opportunity; it’s the result of hundreds of meaningful relationships built over time,” said Tony Mohorn, director of partnership with BNI. “For franchise owners and small business owners, strategic networking creates a steady pipeline of trusted referrals, stronger partnerships and long-term business growth. The businesses that invest in relationships today are the ones that create sustainable success tomorrow.”

“

We believe meaningful connections between franchise owners can create opportunities that no technology platform, marketing campaign or operating system can replicate on its own.”

My connection to BNI goes back long before franchising. Early in my entrepreneurial journey, BNI taught me how to talk about my business, how to build strategic relationships and how to generate referrals through trust rather than transactions. Those lessons helped me grow my business, and they continue to influence how I think about growth today. One of the most valuable skills franchise owners can develop is learning how to ask for and provide quality referrals. Many business owners make the mistake of being too broad. Saying, “If you know anyone who needs my services, send them my way,” rarely produces results.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 27

Successful referral partners are specific.

A gutter company may be looking for introductions to property managers who oversee multiple facilities. A home care provider may need connections within a specific senior living community. A cleaning company may want access to a particular neighborhood or homeowner association. The more specific the request is, the easier it becomes for a referral partner to identify opportunities. That level of intentionality transforms networking from a social activity into a growth strategy. The benefits extend far beyond referrals. When franchise owners build relationships, they exchange ideas, solve problems together and share market insights. They become resources for one another. In many cases, they discover opportunities to collaborate on community events, home shows and local marketing initiatives that would be difficult to execute independently. For emerging franchisors, this type of

connection becomes even more important as systems scale. Growth can sometimes create distance between franchise owners. As organizations expand, maintaining a strong sense of community requires deliberate effort. Culture doesn’t happen by accident. It must be cultivated through experiences that bring people together and reinforce shared values. That’s especially true within a multi-brand platform. At Evive, our long-term vision is to create stronger collaboration among complementary brands serving homeowners and families. But collaboration cannot be mandated from a corporate office. It must develop organically through relationships built at the local level. National Networking Day represents an important first step in that journey. Success won’t be measured by attendance numbers alone. Success will be franchise owners continuing conversations long after the event ends. It will be local groups deciding to meet regularly throughout the year. It will be stories of owners helping one another solve challenges, share opportunities and grow their businesses. Most importantly, it will be franchise owners recognizing that they are part of something larger than their individual business. As franchising continues to evolve, I believe the organizations that create the strongest connections between their owners will build the strongest systems. Relationships drive trust. Trust drives collaboration. Collaboration drives growth. And growth built on genuine relationships tends to last. Ryan Parsons is the CEO of Evive Brands, which includes The Brothers that Just Do Gutters, Executive Home Care, Assisted Living Locators, Grasons Estate Sales, Maid Brigade, Shine and Pacific Lawn Sprinklers. A veteran in franchising, Ryan transformed The Brothers that Just Do Gutters from a regional operation into a national franchise. Today, he leads Evive Brands with a vision of helping people live and thrive by connecting families and homeowners with trusted services that improve health, home and overall well-being.

28 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

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FEATURE

EMERGING BRANDS: BUILDING BEYOND THE NICHE By Cory Hibbard, Graze Craze

30 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Emerging franchise brands have a unique opportunity: they are paving a new path and sometimes redefining an industry standard, responding to today’s customers.

ut being an emerging brand also means building the brand as you grow. There isn’t always a playbook, a large team or an established infrastructure to fall back on. Success requires a willingness to experiment, learn quickly and, perhaps most importantly, build the foundation for growth before growth demands it. For emerging brands, innovation isn’t just about creating a new product or service. It’s about finding new ways to deliver an experience customers remember and franchisees can replicate.

“

Behind every growing brand is a team focused on execution, accountability and creating an environment where franchisees can succeed.”

Behind every growing brand is a team focused on execution, accountability and creating an environment where franchisees can succeed. Take Graze Craze, for example: we began franchising in 2021, and transformed the brand from an emerging concept into the nation’s largest charcuterie franchise specializing in boards, boxes, and catering. Some of the most important lessons we’ve learned along the way have little to do with charcuterie and everything to do with building a business.

Invest in Your Pioneer Franchisees

Early franchisees are more than just the first people to buy into a concept; they are helping shape the future of the brand. Emerging franchisors should build strong relationships with these pioneer franchisees and overinvest in their success. Their feedback can help identify what works, what needs to change, and what systems future franchisees will need. When early franchisees succeed, they become some of the brand’s most powerful validators for future franchise development. Creating a functional feedback loop is vital early on. At Graze Craze we have gathered a group of franchise owners to lead our Menu Innovation Committee, Advertising Fund, and in the process of launching our Franchisee Advisory Council, because we believe that most great ideas come from within and those that are working, living and breathing the brand day in and day out.

Build a “Do Whatever It Takes” Culture

Emerging brands rarely have the luxury of large teams and clearly defined departments. You have to be lean and mean, and everyone needs to be willing to jump in wherever they are needed. A “do whatever it takes” culture creates a team that is focused less on job descriptions and more on reaching our goals. It also creates a level of ownership and urgency that is critical when a brand is moving quickly.

Set Goals and Hold Yourself Accountable

It is impossible to get where you are going if you don’t know what the target is. One book our team often references is Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, which is about going beyond what customers expect and creating personalized experiences that make them feel genuinely valued. One of the lessons that has always resonated with me is that “it isn’t the lavishness of the gift that counts, it’s the pricelessness.” I think that philosophy extends beyond the customer experience to leadership, too. People want to feel seen and valued, and sometimes the most meaningful gestures are the simplest ones. As an emerging brand, you need to set clear goals, communicate them to your team, and make sure

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 31

strategy and support gives franchisees the tools they need to build awareness and drive sales while also protecting consistency across the brand. That investment needs to happen early, even when budgets are tight. In our experience, good marketing support can be just as important to a franchisee’s success as the operational and technical support that often receives more attention.

Staying True to Your Brand

Building an emerging franchise brand requires both sides of the equation. Innovation and creativity keep the brand relevant and give customers and franchisees new reasons to engage. However, you can’t stray too far from who you are. Innovation and creativity should complement the brand, not take it in a completely different direction.

“ everyone understands what you are working toward. You also need to recognize and celebrate your people along the way, because the team that believes in the vision and feels invested in it is essential to achieving those goals.

Build Systems Before You Need Them The best time to build scalable systems is before you desperately need them. That means establishing processes and investing in technology and resources that can support the next stage of growth, not just the current system. At Graze Craze, we are fortunate to be part of United Franchise Group, the global leader for entrepreneurs with four decades of franchising experience. We are able to lean on members of United Franchise Group’s other affiliated brands for guidance as we navigate growth.

Invest in Marketing Support Early Marketing is another area where emerging brands can be tempted to wait until they feel they can afford more support. The investment usually comes with some sticker shock, especially for an emerging brand. In reality, it is one of the areas where franchisees often need the most guidance. While some franchisees may understand their local markets, that doesn’t make them a marketing expert. Providing strong marketing resources,

32 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

The best time to build scalable systems is before you desperately need them.”

As Graze Craze continues to grow, we are introducing new catering concepts, creating unique and customizable experiences for customers, ranging from individual servings to grazing tables to a charcuterie cart. Grazing tables and charcuterie carts demonstrate how an emerging brand can innovate while remaining focused on what made them successful in the first place. A grazing table can scale the signature product for a large group, while a mobile cart adds an interactive element that invites guests to customize selections and engage with the brand. Both catering options create shareable experiences that can serve as a new revenue stream and a marketing opportunity. Innovation is only one part of building a successful franchise brand. Today, Graze Craze has more than 130 locations in the U.S. and internationally, and we continue to learn and evolve as we grow. For us, that means balancing creativity with the people, processes, and support needed to grow the brand while maintaining consistency across the network. Cory Hibbard is the president of Graze Craze. For more information about IFA franchisor member Graze Craze, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/graze-craze/.

FEATURE

HOW TO BALANCE LEGACY WITH INNOVATION AS YOU SCALE YOUR FRANCHISE SYSTEM By Dr. Marianne Whitehouse, Creative World School Franchise

Today’s franchising landscape is more competitive than ever.

34 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

ith trends shifting by the week and more new brands entering the market, franchisors face decisions, challenges, and opportunities that can mean the difference between record growth and a stalled system. While everyone is learning as they go, staying competitive comes down to a key balancing act: knowing what to protect and what to innovate. Since my parents opened the first Creative World School over 50 years ago, the world has changed immensely, yet our core concept still

stands strong, making a difference in the lives of our families, franchisees, and communities every day. When I stepped into my role as CEO, I learned quickly that honoring that legacy while driving the company forward is the ultimate test of leadership.

Weighing What Stays and What’s Due for a Change

When new franchisees come onboard, they’re investing in a proven system. Therefore, factors like the core educational philosophy, policies, and standards that made the brand successful should remain in place. At our schools, that means our enrichmentfocused approach to learning, safety standards, cleanliness, and attention to the environment. Meanwhile, how and where people communicate, how to stand out in local markets, economic trends, and state regulations have all changed throughout the years. If your franchise system doesn’t change with them, chances are it may struggle to survive. Deciding what and when to change is just as important as deciding to change in the first place, and this is where keeping a regular pulse on your system’s performance, customer and franchisee feedback, and team collaboration come into play.

Learning from Your Franchisees

Over the years, some of the most impactful changes we’ve made have come from our franchisees. Nearly a decade ago, our owners shared feedback that more families wanted a digital way to keep up with their children’s learning and connect with their teachers. That feedback helped us become an early adopter of a mobile app, long before most brands had one. Our collaboration with owners also identified a variety of fun and unique events to connect with families in their communities. These events have been so successful that we created resources to allow them to be replicated throughout the system. A huge part of our success comes from our Exploratorium™, the space in all of our schools where wonder, creativity, and inquiry come to life. Recently, franchisees shared that our younger kids were disappointed they had to wait until they were older to experience it. Together, we came up with a solution that would give our younger students the “wow” experience and meet their developmental needs. “WOW Time” brings this to life, as an Exploratorium teacher visits those classrooms with props, themed lessons, and STEAM-focused enrichment. These are the kinds of innovations that happen when you listen to the people closest to your customers.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 35

Getting Franchisees on Board with Innovation

At Creative World School, we believe people, not just children, learn by doing. Just like we learn from our franchisees, our franchisees also need room to try, learn, and grow. There will always be things that need fixing, but what separates a good leader from a great one is recognizing what really needs immediate intervention and what can serve as a learning opportunity. Franchisees are more likely to trust their home office team and adopt new initiatives when they’ve also been given chances to try some of their own ideas (provided they’re aligned with brand standards, of course). It’s also important to remember that just because you roll something out doesn’t mean it’s successful. Welcoming feedback and discussing ways to improve on a regular basis is key to maintaining a healthy and productive franchisor-franchisee relationship.

Maintaining Standards as You Scale

Another crucial part of growing a franchise is ensuring consistency across locations. We learned early on that replication is not as simple as “copy and paste,” nor is it a matter of one-time training for your franchisees and staff. Maintaining your standards is an ongoing process, and scaling efficiently means being proactive. Too many brands wait until locations start to struggle before hiring support staff or building processes and find themselves playing an endless game of “catch-up.” The critical question to ask yourself is: Do we have the support in place that we’ ll need once more locations open?

36 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

To scale smoothly, you also need people who know the business inside and out. Bringing someone in from a completely different field creates a steep learning curve. Investing in a team that truly “gets the nuances” makes building and scaling much more efficient. Just as importantly, leadership must invest in franchisees like they’ve invested in you. As Creative World School has grown, I’ve stayed personally involved—visiting schools, meeting with owners, and reminding them that their voices are vital to system-wide success. When I can walk into a school, greet staff by name, and ask about their families, they’re reminded that although they may be one of many, they are not “just a number.” Even as you grow, putting effort into those relationships is non-negotiable. On any given day, I can be pulled in a thousand directions, but maintaining those connections remains one of the best uses of my time.

Full Speed Ahead

One of the greatest privileges in my life has been getting to carry on my parents’ legacy while also making room for new and exciting chapters at Creative World School. When I took over as CEO, I had the opportunity to add my own “flair” to the polished and professional brand my parents had built, introducing a whimsical and fun twist that reflects the families and children we serve. While our momentum, curriculum, and distinct concept are as strong as ever, we’ve evolved in ways that continue to resonate across each new market we enter. For me, balancing legacy with innovation was never about choosing one over the other. It’s about knowing what is worth protecting, having the courage to evolve what isn’t, and bringing the people who make the brand what it is along for the journey. Even as we continue to grow and work toward our goal of 50 locations by 2030, one thing’s for sure: The learning is never done. Marianne Whitehouse, PhD, is the CEO of Creative World School. The daughter of Creative World School founders Billie and Duane McCabe, Dr. Marianne Whitehouse received her master’s degree in sociology from Indiana University — Bloomington, followed by a PhD in education from the University of Iowa. Marianne joined the company as CEO in 2000, building on the family’s legacy of educational excellence. She launched franchising for the brand in 2004 to expand its mission of nurturing young learners and inspiring the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and creators. Today, she remains deeply involved in the business, focusing on exceptional learning experiences, franchisee success, and growing with impact. For more information about IFA franchisor member Creative World School, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/ creative-world-school-franchising-co-inc/.

See Item 19 of the FDD for financial performance details.

FEATURE

GROWING THE BRAND MEANS GROWING THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT By Daniel Windon, Fractured Prune Donuts

For an emerging franchisor, growth can feel like the ultimate measure of progress.

ow many locations are in development? How many franchise agreements have been signed? Which markets are next? Those numbers matter, but they only tell part of the story. Sustainable franchise growth requires more than adding units. It requires building an organization, a culture, and a network of people capable of supporting those

38 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

units as the system becomes larger and more complex. At Fractured Prune Donuts, I have had the unique opportunity to approach growth from the perspective of a nearly 50-year-old brand entering a new chapter. We have history, brand recognition, and a concept that has built a loyal following, but we are also applying the mindset of an emerging franchisor as we strengthen our foundation and prepare the brand for responsible expansion. That experience has reinforced an important lesson: You cannot grow a business without growing the people behind it.

Build the Foundation Before You Build the Footprint

There is a natural temptation for emerging brands to move quickly. When franchise interest increases and

new market opportunities emerge, saying yes can feel like progress. But growth exposes weaknesses just as quickly as it creates opportunities. Before expanding the footprint, franchisors need to ask whether the organization is truly prepared to support it. Are operating procedures clear and repeatable? Is training consistent? Do franchisees understand not only what to do, but why they are doing it? Can the corporate team provide the same level of support at 50 locations that it provides at 10? Emerging franchisors should treat infrastructure as an investment in growth rather than something to build after growth occurs. Strong systems create consistency, and consistency gives franchisees a better opportunity to execute the brand experience customers expect. At the same time, systems should never become so rigid that a brand stops learning. Emerging concepts have an advantage because they are still close enough to the business to listen, adapt, and improve quickly. The goal is to establish clear standards while maintaining the flexibility to evolve when better ideas emerge.

Treat Training as an Ongoing Investment

Training cannot end when a franchisee opens the doors. The opening process is only the beginning of a franchisee’s development. As operators gain experience, their questions change. The support they need in year three may look very different from what they needed during their first 90 days. That is why professional development should be viewed as an ongoing process across the entire organization. For franchisees, that can mean continued education around operations, leadership, local marketing, financial management

and team development. For corporate employees, it means creating opportunities to strengthen their expertise as their responsibilities grow. For leadership, it means continuing to learn from franchisees, employees, customers and peers within the broader franchise community. The strongest organizations create a culture where learning moves in every direction. Franchisors certainly have a responsibility to provide expertise and establish standards, but some of the most valuable insights can come from franchisees who interact with customers and team members every day. Creating opportunities for those operators to share feedback and best practices can make the entire system stronger.

Develop Leaders, Not Just Operators

A successful franchisee needs to understand how to operate the

business, but long-term success requires something more: leadership. As franchisees grow from one location to multiple units, they must make the transition from working in the business to leading an organization. They need to learn how to develop managers, delegate responsibility, build culture, and hold teams accountable. Franchisors should help prepare them for that transition. The same principle applies internally. As an emerging brand grows, corporate team members who once handled a narrow set of responsibilities may suddenly find themselves managing people, departments or larger areas of the business. Investing in their professional development helps create the leadership bench a growing franchise system will eventually need. Developing people before the organization desperately needs them is far more effective than trying to fill leadership gaps after rapid growth has already created them.

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Stay Close to the Business

Professional development is just as important at the executive level. One of the risks of growth is becoming disconnected from what is happening inside the four walls of the business. Leaders need to stay curious and close to the people executing the concept every day. For me, that means listening. It means having conversations with franchisees, understanding what team members are experiencing and paying attention to what customers respond to. It also means being willing to challenge assumptions, including your own. Experience is valuable, but experience should never turn into complacency. Franchising, consumer expectations, and technology continue to evolve. Leaders who assume that what worked five or 10 years ago will automatically work risk holding their brands back tomorrow. The best leaders I have encountered remain students of their businesses regardless of how long they have been in the industry.

Grow at the Speed Your Organization Can Support

There will always be pressure to grow faster, particularly when a concept begins gaining momentum. But the goal

40 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

should not be to become the biggest brand as quickly as possible. The goal should be to build a brand capable of sustaining the growth it achieves. That requires discipline. Sometimes the best decision an emerging franchisor can make is to strengthen a system before adding another market, invest in training before accelerating development, or spend more time developing the right franchise partners rather than simply adding more of them. Growth is ultimately a people strategy. Locations do not build brands. People do. Franchisees, managers, team members, and corporate leaders are the ones who translate a brand’s vision into an experience customers can see and feel. When emerging franchisors invest in those people with the same intensity they invest in development, they create something much more valuable than a larger footprint. They create an organization capable of growing well.

Daniel Windon is the CEO of Fractured Prune Donuts, a nearly 50-year-old made-to-order donut brand known for its hot, fresh, and customizable approach. With more than two decades of experience with Fractured Prune, Windon brings a unique perspective to the brand’s leadership, having experienced the franchise system firsthand before ultimately taking ownership of the company.

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Senior Care

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT ON THE FRANCHISED SENIOR CARE INDUSTRY By Huaiyi Jiang, FRANdata

A Diverse Range of Senior Care Franchise Models Senior Care Franchise Brands by Service Model Senior Support Services Assisted Living Adult Day & Senior Wellness Programs

Senior Placement & Care Advisory

6% 3%

11% 71%

42 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

In-Home Care

enior care franchising encompasses a range of business models designed to address varying care and daily living needs among the aging population, representing 2.0 percent of all active franchise brands. The industry includes in-home care, senior placement and care advisory, adult day care and wellness programs, assisted living, and specialized support services. In-home care represents 70.5 percent of senior care franchise brands, followed by senior placement and care advisory at 11.5 percent and adult day care and wellness programs at 9.0 percent. Assisted living concepts account for 6.4 percent, while senior support services represent the remaining 2.6 percent. Startup costs vary significantly across senior care franchise models. Senior support services had the lowest average initial investment range at approximately $50,000 to $66,000, followed by senior placement and care advisory concepts at approximately $85,000 to $112,000. In-home care brands averaged approximately $104,000 to $188,000. These businesses generally operate from a home or office and have limited facility requirements. In comparison, adult day and senior wellness programs had an average range of approximately $326,000

to $635,000, while assisted living concepts averaged approximately $1.0 million to $2.0 million due to their real estate, renovation, furnishing, and equipment requirements.

No. of Franchised Establishments (Senior Care) 9,000 8,000

Franchise Expansion and Unit Performance

7,000

6,675

6,822

7,147

ercent

8,477 7,720

Thousands

6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: FRANdata

Key Trends Shaping Senior Care Franchising in 2026 Demographic Demand and Caregiver Capacity The aging U.S. population continues to expand the addressable market for senior care services. Approximately 66.6 million Americans, or 19.5 percent of the population, were ages 61 to 79 in 2025, while AARP projects that one in four Americans will be over age 65 by 2050. Meanwhile, senior housing occupancy

reached 89.5 percent in the first quarter of 2026, as new construction fell to its lowest level since 2012. Caregiver demand is also increasing, with approximately 59 million family caregivers providing 49.5 billion hours of care in 2024 and employment of home health and personal care aides projected to grow 17 percent from 2024 to 2034. A growing senior population, constrained housing capacity, and increasing caregiver needs support sustained expansion of senior care franchises, particularly those providing in-home and alternative care solutions.

Average Unit Revenue (Senior Care) $1,200 $1,000

$1,045 $924

$941

2021

2022

$1,104

$1,112

2024

2025

$800 Thousands

Based on FRANdata’s research, the number of franchised locations across the senior care industry increased from approximately 6,700 in 2021 to nearly 8,500 in 2025, representing a CAGR of 6.2 percent. Annual growth accelerated from approximately 2 percent in 2022 to nearly 10 percent in 2025. Several in-home care brands contributed to this expansion, including SYNERGY HomeCare, which added more than 200 franchised locations during this period, and Seniors Helping Seniors, Amada Senior Care, FirstLight Home Care, and HomeWell Care Services, each of which added at least 100 locations. The segment also includes several established brands operating at significant scale, with Home Instead, Comfort Keepers, Right at Home, and Visiting Angels each exceeding 500 franchised locations in 2025. Average unit revenue among the senior care franchise brands included in the analysis increased from approximately $924,000 in 2021 to $1.1 million in 2025, representing a CAGR of 4.7 percent. Interim HealthCare reported the highest average unit revenue at approximately $4.5 million, followed by Home Instead at $2.8 million and BrightStar Care at $2.4 million. While all three brands provide in-home care, Interim HealthCare and BrightStar Care have a greater focus on skilled nursing and medical staffing services, while Home Instead focuses primarily on non-medical senior care. Several brands also reported strong multiyear growth, including Senior Helpers, FirstLight Home Care, and CareBuilders at Home, with 2021–2025 CAGRs of 9.7 percent, 9.3 percent, and 8.5 percent, respectively.

.2 p Rate = 6 Growth

$600 $400 $200 $0

2023

Source: FRANdata

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 43

Technology and Operational Efficiency

Technology adoption is increasingly improving the scalability of senior care operations. In February 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched a caregiver AI competition offering up to $2.5 million for tools supporting caregiver training, well-being monitoring, scheduling, and documentation. Separately, an AxisCare survey of more than 400 home care leaders found that 91 percent were already using or planning to use AI for operational management. For franchise systems, these technologies support growth by allowing franchisors to standardize caregiver matching, scheduling, documentation, and training across an expanding network of locations. Greater automation also reduces administrative requirements at the franchisee level, allowing operators to manage larger client and caregiver populations without proportionate increases in administrative resources.

Rising Care Costs and Affordability Pressure

Senior care costs are climbing across major service categories, creating affordability concerns while expanding the revenue opportunity associated with care delivery. According to the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, the national median rate for non-medical in-home care increased 3 percent to $35 per

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FranchiseWithAlwaysBestCare.com *Average annual gross revenue per Item 19 of the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Some outlets achieved these results; yours may differ. There is no assurance you will earn as much. Not a franchise offer; offers are made only through an FDD.

44 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

hour, equivalent to approximately $80,080 annually based on 44 hours of care per week. Assisted living costs rose 5 percent to a median of $6,200 per month, or $74,400 annually, and a semi-private nursing home room reached $114,975 annually. Rising costs influence how families purchase senior care, creating greater demand for flexible service models that allow care intensity and hours to be adjusted as needs change. This dynamic has the potential to support in-home care and care advisory franchises, which can offer alternatives to full-time residential care while helping families navigate increasingly complex and expensive care options. However, continued affordability pressure could also constrain utilization, making pricing, service mix, and labor management increasingly important to franchisee performance.

Payment Pressure and State-Level Regulation

Reimbursement challenges and varying state regulations are adding to the operational complexity of senior care. Medicare payments to home health agencies are expected to decrease 1.3 percent, or approximately $220 million, in 2026, possibly compressing margins for Medicare-certified providers amid higher labor and administrative expenses. Home care requirements also differ considerably by state. Connecticut is addressing caregiver training, registry enforcement, and Medicaid reimbursement; Kentucky providers face licensing delays and low Medicaid reimbursement rates; and Michigan and Virginia are considering workforce policies involving minimum wages and paid sick leave. These differences affect labor expenses, caregiver qualifications, licensing timelines, recordkeeping, and reimbursement across markets. Although these challenges can weigh on profitability, they also reinforce the value of established franchise infrastructure. Multi-state franchisors can provide centralized billing, statespecific compliance guidance, standardized caregiver training, and payroll and scheduling tools, helping franchisees navigate local requirements and enter new markets more efficiently. Looking ahead, senior care franchising is likely to evolve beyond traditional care delivery toward more integrated models that address multiple stages of the aging journey. As consumer needs become more diverse, opportunities may emerge for franchise systems to broaden service offerings, develop complementary revenue streams, and build longer-term relationships with clients and families, collectively providing additional pathways for the sector’s prolonged development and expansion. Huaiyi Jiang is a research analyst at FRANdata, specializing in franchise performance analysis, financial benchmarking, and industry research. Her work focuses on evaluating franchise concepts, identifying performance trends, and translating financial and operational data into actionable insights for lenders, franchisors, and other industry stakeholders. She holds a master’s degree in financial mathematics from Brandeis University. For more information about IFA supplier member FRANdata, please visit franchise.org/suppliers/frandata/.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Senior Care

THE NEXT CHAPTER OF SENIOR CARE: HIGH-TECH, HIGH-TOUCH AND BUILT AROUND CHOICE By Emma Dickison, Home Helpers Home Care

Aging demographics are accelerating demand, but the brands that lead will pair scalable systems with deep human care.

enior care is entering a defining era. By 2030, every Baby Boomer will be 65 or older, and roughly one in five Americans will be retirement age, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As this growing population shifts expectations for what it means to age, so does demand for in-home care. 46 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Older adults want independence, choice and control, and their families want confidence that the people they love are safe, connected, and receiving consistent care. Often, those families are coordinating care among siblings, physicians, and caregivers, some of whom are living hundreds of miles away. That makes communication,

responsiveness, and visibility essential parts of the care experience. As expectations evolve, so does the definition of senior care. It now extends beyond assistance with daily activities to supporting the whole person through personal care, companionship, nutrition, safety, family communication, and technology-enabled monitoring. Tools such as remote monitoring, personal emergency response solutions, smart scheduling, caregiver matching, and responsible predictive analytics are quickly becoming core capabilities. The principle is simple: Technology should extend human care, not replace it. Through the Cared-4® Comprehensive Care Program and Direct Link® 24/7 Monitoring, Home Helpers® Home Care provides solutions to help clients remain independent at home. The best technology becomes almost invisible and allows families to experience peace of mind. This need-driven demand also makes senior care a compelling and purpose-driven franchise sector. People continue to age, chronic conditions require support, and families need reliable help

Over the next few years, the greatest opportunity is to become the trusted platform for aging in place, connecting caregivers, wellness, technology, monitoring, family communication, and community resources. The brands that lead will combine human connection and local execution with the systems and scale needed for consistency. The next chapter is not about replacing people with technology. It is about using better technology and better systems to make human care more accessible, consistent and personal. Emma Dickison is the CEO & president of Home Helpers Home Care. For more information about IFA franchisor member Home Helpers Home Care, please visit franchise.org/franchiseopportunities/home-helpers-home-care/.

across economic cycles. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of home health and personal care aides to grow 17 percent from 2024 to 2034, compared with 3 percent for all occupations. Still, demographic momentum does not guarantee business success. High-performing franchise owners pair empathy with leadership, financial acumen, operational discipline, and strong local referral relationships. Prospective franchise owners should examine unit economics first, then mature-location revenue and client-hour trends, client and caregiver retention, fill rates, referral-source diversity, satisfaction, and performance consistency across markets.

Sources • U.S. Census Bureau, “By 2030, All Baby Boomers Will Be Age 65 or Older” — https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/12/by-2030-allbaby-boomers-will-be-age-65-or-older.html • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Home Health and Personal Care Aides,” Occupational Outlook Handbook — https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/ home-health-aides-and-personal-care-aides.htm

“

The next chapter is not about replacing people with technology. It is about using better technology and better systems to make human care more accessible, consistent and personal.”

The workforce remains the industry’s central operating challenge. BLS projects 765,800 openings for home health care aides each year on average through 2034. Successful franchise owners will build a caregiver experience that attracts and retains exceptional people, hiring for attitude, teaching skills, and supporting them with transparent compensation, thoughtful onboarding, predictable scheduling, strong communication, meaningful recognition, career growth opportunities, and the right client matches. September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 47

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Senior Care

SENIOR CARE: NAVIGATING THE ENTIRE AGING JOURNEY

By Felicia Sanders, Assisted Living Locators, and Jeanette Weinz, Executive Home Care

For years, the growth story in senior care has centered on demographics.

merica is getting older, millions of baby boomers are entering retirement and demand for senior services is increasing. The numbers are significant. By 2030, all baby boomers will be older than 65, and one in every five Americans is projected to be of retirement age, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. The more important shift for senior care franchise systems is happening within families themselves. Today’s families aren’t simply looking for a service. They’re trying to navigate an increasingly complex aging journey — often without a roadmap. A parent may be living independently today, need a few hours of support at home tomorrow and eventually require skilled assisted living or memory care. Adult children may be helping make those decisions from another state. Families are weighing safety, independence, cost, geography, lifestyle and personal preferences, sometimes while dealing

48 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

with a health crisis that suddenly makes the decision urgent. For senior care franchisors and franchise owners, that changing journey presents both an opportunity and a responsibility.

Aging Isn’t a Single Decision

One of the biggest misconceptions about senior care is that families make one major decision about where or how a loved one will receive care. AARP’s 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey found that 75 percent of adults age 50 and older want to remain in their current homes as they age, while 73 percent want to remain in their communities. At the same time, 44 percent anticipate that they may eventually have to move. More recent research underscores the range of choices families may face. In a 2026 Pew Research Center report, 60 percent of adults age 65 and older living independently said that if they could no longer live at home without assistance, they would

prefer to remain there with someone providing care. Another 18 percent said they would prefer assisted living. The senior care industry has traditionally organized itself around individual services. Families don’t necessarily see the world that way. They see Mom or Dad, a changing situation and a series of questions they don’t always know how to answer. That means our industry needs to think beyond individual transactions and focus more intentionally on helping families understand their choices and navigate what comes next.

Local Trust Will Become Even More Important

Senior care franchising has an advantage that is particularly important in this environment: the combination of national resources and local relationships. Senior care remains inherently local. Franchise owners and advisors build relationships with senior living communities, home health, hospice, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, healthcare professionals, social workers, elder law attorneys and other organizations serving older adults. Those relationships create an ecosystem of support around families.

As demand grows, successful senior care franchise systems will need to help franchise owners become more than service providers. They need to become trusted local resources people know before a crisis occurs.

We Need to Help Families Start Earlier

Perhaps the greatest opportunity for the senior care industry is also one of its greatest challenges: encouraging families to talk about aging before they have to. Too many conversations begin after a fall, hospitalization, dementia diagnosis or other event forces an immediate decision. By then, families are often making significant choices under enormous emotional pressure. Our industry can help change that. Senior care professionals have an opportunity to normalize conversations about aging in much the same way families discuss retirement and financial planning. Where would you like to live as you age? What kind of support would allow you to remain independent? Who should help make decisions if your needs change? What can you realistically afford? These aren’t easy conversations but having them earlier gives older adults a greater voice in their own future.

Purpose and Performance Must Grow Together

Senior care will continue to attract franchise owners because of its growth potential. But the strongest operators understand that this is also a business built around vulnerable moments in people’s lives. Franchise systems therefore have to grow responsibly. That means strong training, operational standards, ethical

practices, local market knowledge and a culture that keeps the senior and family at the center of decisions. It also means recognizing that success in this category cannot be measured only by the number of territories sold, clients served or families assisted. Trust, quality and the impact franchise owners have within their communities matter enormously. The demographic opportunity ahead of senior care franchising is undeniable. By the end of this decade, one in five Americans will be of retirement age. At the same time, tens of millions of family caregivers are already navigating increasingly complicated care responsibilities. Those numbers tell us there will be tremendous demand.

But demographics alone won’t define the next generation of successful senior care brands. The organizations that lead this next chapter will be those that understand something more fundamental: Families don’t experience aging as a collection of separate services. They experience it as a journey. Our opportunity is to help them navigate it. Felicia Sanders is brand president of Assisted Living Locators, a member of the Evive Brands family. Jeanette Weinz is brand president of Executive Home Care, a member of the Evive Brands family.

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September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 49

FranchisOR INSIGHTS

COULD FRANCHISE OWNERSHIP BE YOUR NEXT ACT? By Amy Addington, Woofie’s

ranchise owners tend to be a diverse group, including women, veterans, and people of color, at disproportionately higher rates than in many other forms of business ownership. For many — about 65 percent of franchise owners — their new role as franchise owner is a career transition versus their first business venture, with many coming from corporate management, followed by sales and marketing. Could franchise ownership be a fit for you as a “second act”? From leaving the corporate grind, to striving for greater work/life balance, to pursuing AI proof careers, following are some considerations to assess if becoming a franchise owner might be a good next career choice for you.

It’s estimated that there are 845,000 franchise units operating in the U.S. this year, an increase of 1.5 percent over 2025. 50 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Break from Corporate Grind: Are you seeking greater flexibility, better work/life balance or to leave the corporate grind and be your own boss? Sixty percent of self-employed workers say they are highly satisfied with their jobs, compared with 49 percent of those who aren’t, according to Pew Research. We also hear from our franchise owners that the leading reason for them to become a franchise owner is “wanting to be in business for themselves and make more

money.” With franchises across hundreds of industries, there are many options. Consider what you see yourself doing and various roles required to fill as a franchise owner. While you may be able to better balance work/life, you will also likely need to put sweat equity in to get the business going, and may occasionally need to fill in for other employees.

AI-proof Careers: While no career is completely AI-proof, some may be more resistant to it than others, especially those that involve providing quality or skilled service, or leveraging human connection, decision-making, emotional intelligence, creativity, or trust. Businesses and careers focused on providing services, healthcare, and education may be more immune. Many also suggest that AI will likely increase jobs in technology, legal, regulatory, healthcare and mental health, and other spaces.

Leverage Existing Skills: While younger people are entering franchise ownership, the average age of franchise owners, overall, is mid-40s (Zippia). Many franchise owners also tend to draw on executive, management, or leadership experience, or backgrounds in sales, healthcare, corporate America or the military that can translate well to franchise ownership. Woofie’s of Farmington Hills owner Michele Peterson, for instance, combined her entrepreneurial dream and Fortune 500 experience in becoming a franchise owner. Before her current role, Peterson spent 30+ years in senior leadership in automotive and marketing technology at Publicis Groupe, Ford, and other global brands. She brings that same structured, service-oriented approach to providing reliable pet sitting, dog walking, and grooming.

4 Established Business Model: Franchise owners tell us they like systems and support of working with a franchisor over going into business themselves, and cite it as a leading reason to buy a franchise. Keegan Cravo, owner of Mosquito Squad in Hartford, Connecticut, says having fellow franchisees to learn from and share best practices with has been a plus. Consider resources the franchisor offers, including: • Access to apps: CRM, marketing, management and other software, and phone support • Marketing across paid, organic sources, and online presence • Access to an experienced franchisor management team • Training and mentorship with other franchise owners

Build a Family Business: Franchise ownership can provide families with shared purpose, while creating the possibility to build generational wealth. It can increase family bonds in working toward a shared goal and enable members to focus on how they can best contribute their specific skillsets. Kelley and Rob Gludt operate Woofie’s of North BaltimoreOwings Mills with their teenage son and business partner Romi. Michele Peterson is joined by her son, recent Miami University (Ohio) grad, Gabriel, as operations manager. Consider your family’s shared interests

and desires to become business owners and if it could be a good investment for your future.

Pursue Your Passions: What motivates you? Could franchise ownership be an opportunity to further your career, work more closely with your family or community (85 percent of franchise owners live where they do business), pursue a love, or learn something new? Many consider franchise ownership to provide greater meaning in their lives. Consider the franchise business and culture, its alignment with your goals, the ability to give back or do things that inspire you, and grow. From evaluating the business model to the market, processes and support, technology and systems, and details of the Franchise Disclosure Document – franchise ownership is not a decision to be taken lightly. However, for many it is also a fulfilling next chapter. Could it be a fit for you? Consider your favorite brands, examine the opportunities, talk with other franchise owners, and do the research. Amy Addington is co-founder and president of Woofie’s, an Authority Brands company and premium pet services brand focused on pet sitting, dog walking and mobile pet spa services, that she built after leaving a successful corporate tech career more than 20 years ago. For more information about IFA franchisor member Woofie’s, please visit franchise.org/franchiseopportunities/woofies-pet-ventures-llc/.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 51

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Franchise Operations

PROCESS CONSISTENCY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BRAND AND A COLLECTION OF LOCATIONS By Jay Benge, Anago Cleaning Systems

In service franchising, process consistency turns local execution into a reliable brand experience.

n service franchising, consistency is easy to discuss and difficult to execute. Customers don’t experience a franchise system in a boardroom or manual. They experience it through the person who shows up, the work that gets done and the way the team communicates when something changes. If every location operates differently, the system may share a name, logo and service category, but it’s not yet functioning as a true brand. The difference between a collection of local businesses and a scalable franchise organization is process consistency.

Why Consistency Matters

The need for operational discipline is clear. Franchise Business Review’s 2026 Cleaning & Maintenance

Franchise Performance report found that one in five cleaning and maintenance franchisees rate operational procedures below average, while 32 percent rate technology below average. It also notes that successful cleaning operators tend to excel at operations management, team leadership, process consistency and proactive communication. For commercial cleaning and facility services, process matters because work happens across offices, schools, healthcare facilities, industrial spaces and multi-site accounts, often after hours. It depends on frontline teams, supervisors, inspections, supplies, ongoing education and client communication. A missed supply order, unclear scope change or undocumented complaint can turn a routine account into an urgent problem.

A common example is an account that begins smoothly, then changes gradually. A tenant adds space. A client adjusts the schedule. A supervisor makes an informal accommodation that is never captured. Over time, small shifts create confusion for the team and disappointment for the client.

Turning Standards into Daily Practice

A strong franchise system gives local owners a way to deliver consistent service without reinventing the business every day. It creates common standards for scheduling, onboarding, quality checks, issue escalation and customer support. Those standards strengthen local ownership by giving owners a structure for applying leadership and market knowledge consistently. This is especially important for new franchise owners. Many enter the system with work ethic, leadership ability or sales experience, but may not yet know how to translate those strengths into repeatable operations. Clear processes shorten that learning

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 53

curve by showing what to inspect, measure, coach and escalate. That structure becomes more important as the system grows. Early expansion can be powered by energy, hustle and relationships, but those qualities are not enough at scale. As more franchisees, clients and employees represent the brand, the organization needs a shared operating language.

“

A strong franchise system gives local owners a way to deliver consistent service without reinventing the business every day.”

That language should answer practical questions: What does a quality visit look like? How do you onboard a new team member? What happens when a client concern is raised? How are inspections documented? In strong systems, managers and frontline teams reinforce these answers through routines they can use. The best operators don’t rely on memory alone. They create simple rhythms: review the week’s schedule, verify supplies, document exceptions and follow up with clients before frustration builds. These routines are not glamorous, but they often separate a stable account from one that requires constant rescue.

Using Process to Support the Field

Process consistency also helps franchisors support better. With common tools, standards and expectations, field teams can identify patterns faster, see where a franchisee needs coaching and spot where the system needs improvement.

54 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Finding the Right Balance

Repeated inspection issues at one account may point to site-specific execution gaps, while the same issue across several markets may reveal a process that needs clarification. The same principle applies at the system level. If several owners struggle with the same step, the answer is not always to push harder. Sometimes the process is unclear, the onboarding is too theoretical, or the technology doesn’t fit how work happens in the field. Good operations leadership treats those signals as useful feedback.

Protecting the Customer Relationship Consistency protects the business relationship, too. In facility services, clients are often buying reliability as much as the service itself. They want to know work will be completed, standards will be followed and concerns will be addressed before they become larger problems. When a franchise owner has strong processes, client conversations become more productive. Instead of vague assurances, the operator can point to inspections, checklists, communication routines, supervisor follow-ups and corrective action. That builds trust. Those conversations also change the tone of accountability. When expectations are documented, accountability becomes less personal and more operational. The question shifts from who is at fault to what part of the process broke down and how to correct it.

Process consistency should never mean rigidity. Every market is unique, every account has specific needs and every franchise owner brings a different experience. The goal is a reliable foundation that lets good operators adapt without drifting from the brand standard. A franchise system should be disciplined enough to protect what matters and flexible enough to serve the client in front of it. A process that looks good in a manual but doesn’t help in the field will not create consistency. If a checklist is too complicated, the standard will fade.

“

When a franchise owner has strong processes, client conversations become more productive.”

That’s why strong franchise brands treat operations as a living discipline. They review, refine and reinforce processes, listen to franchisees, identify what works in the field and turn best practices into systemwide standards. At its core, franchising is a promise to franchisees joining a system built to help them grow, to customers expecting a dependable experience and to employees who need coaching, support and clarity. Process consistency makes that promise real. A name may make a business recognizable, but consistent execution makes it a brand. Jay Benge is the COO of Anago Cleaning Systems. For more information about IFA franchisor member Anago Cleaning Systems, please visit franchise.org/franchiseopportunities/anago-cleaning-systems/.

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Franchise Development

REAL VALUE IS DESIGNED INTO THE MODEL, NOT DISCOUNTED ONTO THE MENU By Steve Clough, Hungry Howie’s

Many of the biggest names in QSR are leaning into headlinemaking promotions right now.

ive-dollar meal deals. Buy-oneget-one offers. Flash discounts that move traffic fast and disappear just as fast once the offer ends. I’ve spent years on the development side of QSR, and I keep coming back to the same conclusion. The strongest value stories aren’t manufactured through discounts. They’re built into the operating model that supports the price in the first place. That difference is easy to miss in a strong year. It becomes unmistakable once costs climb, traffic softens, and franchisees need

the model to carry more of the weight. Value that’s designed into a business protects margin, simplifies operations, and gives a franchisee room to compete. Value bolted on through a promotion is usually a temporary answer to a permanent question, and eventually the bill comes due, usually to the franchisee.

Real Estate, Menu, and Everything Between The gap between those two comes down to order of operations. Most

brands build their real estate footprint, kitchen, staffing model, and supply chain around what’s standard for the category, and turn to marketing to find value to offer afterward. I think that’s backwards. If a brand wants to compete on price without bleeding margin, those decisions must happen before a single item gets priced. That means how much space to lease, understanding kitchen complexity, and knowing the number of vendors that need to be involved. Hungry Howie’s is a useful example, mainly because the model was built this way from day one instead of being retrofitted later. The delivery-and-carryout format keeps the footprint lighter than a full dine-in build, and it keeps staffing simpler too, since there’s no dining room to run. That’s a structural decision

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 57

that was made well before price wars took over the category, and it’s a meaningful part of why the brand has room to compete on price without always needing a promotion to do it. The same logic plays out on the menu. Adding a new item generally goes one of two ways. Either it runs through the kitchen, supply chain, and staffing already in place, or it requires something new, like a vendor, a piece of equipment, or extra preparation, that eventually turns into a cost somebody has to absorb. That discipline carries into how Hungry Howie’s approaches new items and limited-time offers.

“

When a new item runs through the kitchen and supply chain a system already has, it protects the margin a franchisee is counting on. When it requires a workaround, that cost usually shows up later as a fee, an upcharge, or added labor.”

Rather than building a promotion from scratch to manufacture a few weeks of excitement, new menu moments tend to draw on what’s already authentic to the brand — things like its Flavored Crust® legacy or bringing back a nostalgic fan favorite, so they still run through the kitchen, supply chain, and staffing already in place. This is the part that matters most for franchisees, and it’s also the part that discount-driven value can’t

58 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

really offer — pricing power that survives as the menu gets bigger. When a new item runs through the kitchen and supply chain a system already has, it protects the margin a franchisee is counting on. When it requires a workaround, that cost usually shows up later as a fee, an upcharge, or added labor. Multiply that across 10 menu additions, and the difference compounds for any franchise. Under one model, a franchisee’s unit economics hold up, and sometimes even improve. Under the other, they likely don’t.

Why This Discipline Matters More Right Now

The current operating environment makes this discipline matter even more. Restaurant365’s 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry research shows net margins staying compressed even as food and labor costs have climbed sharply since 2019. Every promotion must get funded from somewhere, and in a franchise system, that pressure usually works its way back to the operator. Technomic’s Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report points to a similar pattern at the industry level, with overall chain sales growth slowing for four straight years even as more brands lean on short-term discounting to hold onto traffic. In an environment like that, a heavy promotional calendar gets harder to sustain unless the business was already built to support everyday value instead of manufacturing it.

The Questions That Tell You the Truth

None of this requires a brand’s financial statements to evaluate.

A few questions tend to surface it quickly, whether you’re a franchise development team looking hard at your own model or a prospective franchisee doing the same on someone else’s. • How does the space compare to average unit volume? A smaller footprint doing comparable sales is generating more revenue per dollar of rent. • How many SKUs does the kitchen run, and how long does it take a new hire to perfect them? Complexity that looks impressive on a menu board tends to show up later as turnover and inconsistent execution. • When something new gets added, does it require a vendor or new equipment, or does it run through what’s already in place? • Could this brand’s value proposition survive a quarter without promotions? If the honest answer is no, the value was never structural to begin with. • For a prospective franchisee, does the brand’s value come from the system, or from whatever happens to be on the promotional calendar that month? That’s the test worth applying to any concept. Value that must be discounted into existence isn’t really value. Value that’s built into the business from the start doesn’t need the discount, and it doesn’t disappear when promotions go quiet.

Steve Clough is the vice president of franchise development for Hungry Howie’s. For more information about IFA franchisor member Hungry Howie’s, please visit franchise.org/franchise-opportunities/hungryhowies-pizza/.

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MARKETING

REBRAND OR REFRESH? KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE By Heather Cates, Home Franchise Concepts

A brand is a promise, and every franchise system eventually needs to ask whether that promise still reflects the business behind it and how the brand can continue evolving alongside the business, its customers, and the marketplace.

60 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

t Home Franchise Concepts, we introduced Bark & Mane this June as the next chapter for Aussie Pet Mobile, building on the brand’s 30-year legacy and the strong foundation it created — a decision that came only after carefully considering how to preserve that heritage while positioning the business for its next phase of growth. That process taught us a great deal about how franchisors should approach brand evolution, and it’s worth sharing with other leaders weighing a similar move.

Know the Signals: When It’s Time to Evolve Your Brand

Rebrands rarely start with a single “aha” moment. More often, they surface as a pattern of smaller signals that suggest an opportunity for the brand to better reflect how the business, customer expectations, and marketplace have evolved. Things franchise leaders should keep an eye out for: • Your name or visual identity may not fully communicate the breadth, experience, or value the business delivers today. • Customer expectations or category perceptions have evolved, creating an opportunity to sharpen how your value proposition is communicated. • Franchise development conversations suggest an opportunity to tell an even stronger, more differentiated story about the business model and its future. • Competitors have repositioned around changing customer expectations, creating an opportunity to reinforce what makes your brand distinctive. • Internal teams and franchisees see strengths or dimensions of the brand that aren’t fully reflected in the marketing. For us, the signal was cumulative. As the mobile pet grooming industry matured and pet parents began treating grooming as part of overall wellness, we saw an opportunity to build upon everything Aussie Pet Mobile had established and express our value proposition even more clearly for today’s pet parent: 30 years of experience, being among the largest networks of certified mobile pet groomers in the country,

and a firm commitment to safety, trust, and pet well-being. The goal wasn’t to walk away from the equity we had built; it was to carry that credibility forward in a way that could resonate with the next generation of customers and franchise owners. Recognizing opportunities like this while a brand is strong allows franchisors to evolve from a position of momentum rather than necessity.

Rebrand vs. Refresh: How to Decide

Not every brand evolution calls for a full rebrand. A refresh — updated colors, typography, or a modernized logo — can help a brand evolve while preserving the identity and equity it has built over time. A rebrand, which may include a new name, is warranted when the opportunity extends beyond visual expression to positioning, customer relevance, or the long-term growth strategy. Ask these questions first: • Is the opportunity primarily about how the brand looks, or is there an opportunity to evolve what the brand communicates? The former may call for a refresh; the latter may warrant a broader rebrand. • Does the current name fully communicate your category,

services, and value proposition to today’s customer? If there is a meaningful gap, a broader evolution may be worth considering. • Can you achieve differentiation within the existing name, or would a new identity create greater opportunity for differentiation and future growth? • What is the cost of doing nothing? Sometimes the more expensive choice is staying still while the market evolves.

Balancing Brand Consistency with Local Market Flexibility

One of the most important considerations of a franchise rebrand is protecting national consistency while giving local operators room to compete in their own markets. What worked well for the Bark & Mane rebrand was having corporate marketing own positioning and tone while local owners and operators bring the brand to life through their own channels and relationships. We also built digital asset libraries and guidelines to make it easier for franchisees to activate the brand consistently while maintaining local relevance.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 61

The Business Case: ROI, Risk, and Franchisee Buy-In

Rebrands are significant investments, and franchisors owe their system a clear, honest business case before asking franchisees to fund and adopt one. Start by defining the opportunity. Understand how an evolved brand could strengthen customer relevance, lead quality, franchise development, customer acquisition, or differentiation — and weigh those opportunities against the equity already embedded in the existing brand. Build the ROI case around measurable outcomes: stronger digital visibility and search performance, improved lead-to-sale conversion, higher average unit volumes, and a more compelling story for prospective owners. The strongest rebrands connect the creative evolution to tangible business objectives rather than treating the change as purely aesthetic.

Address risk directly rather than downplaying it. Franchisees will reasonably ask about transition costs, disruption to local search rankings, and how existing customer relationships will be protected. Come prepared with a phased rollout plan, a realistic budget range, and support like signage programs, co-op marketing funds, or extended timelines for capital-intensive changes. Finally, involve franchisees early in the process. Systems that navigate rebrands most successfully treat franchisees as partners in the decision, not recipients of it. When owners understand the data, see how the new brand builds on the strengths of what came before, and see a credible plan for local support, they become advocates.

Looking Ahead

A rebrand done well is worth the time, energy, and investment. At its best, a rebrand doesn’t erase what

THE PATH TO BECOMING A CERTIFIED FRANCHISE EXECUTIVE TM (CFE) APPLY TODAY! BEGIN TODAY! Visit: franchise.org/certification Email: cfe@franchise.org

came before. It preserves the strongest elements of a brand’s heritage while creating new energy, relevance, and opportunity for the future. That has been our experience with Bark & Mane so far. We’ve received enthusiastic feedback from pet parents and franchisees who’ve noticed a jump in engagement from community members. In June, the same month we introduced Bark & Mane, the system experienced its best month in its 30-year history. While it is still early, we’re encouraged by the excitement and momentum surrounding the brand and what it represents: not a departure from Aussie Pet Mobile’s legacy, but an evolution of it.

Heather Cates is the chief marketing officer of Home Franchise Concepts.

Application.

Applications may be completed online at franchise.org/cfe

Acceptance.

Applicants will receive email notification regarding acceptance of CFE candidacy and next steps to launch your CFE journey.

Acquire credits.

You will be provided with a CFE Getting Started Guide that explains the program requirements and details for selecting the education courses that best fit your schedule and goals.

Program completion.

Program requirements can be satisfied through a combination of professional franchise experience, approved event participation, and authorized education courses.

Congratulations! You’re a Certified Franchise Executive!

You now join the ranks of thousands of franchise leaders worldwide who have earned the esteemed CFE designation!

62 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Registration Now Open April 27-30, 2027 | Caesars Forum, Las Vegas

Network. Learn. Grow. Find your people. Be ready for what’s next.

At MUFC, the world’s largest gathering of multi-unit, multi-brand franchisees, you’ll network with brands, lenders, and operators, learn what’s really working, and grow with your next unit, brand, or deal. Your network is your net worth. MUFC is where you build it. www.multiunitfranchisingconference.com

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FranchisEE INSIGHTS

WHAT IT MEANS TO RUN A DISASTERRESPONSE BUSINESS By Paul Ebert, Lightspeed Restoration

No one calls a restoration company on a good day.

y the time a homeowner or business owner finds us, a pipe has burst, a fire has damaged a kitchen, or a hurricane has taken the roof off a house they spent years paying for. That is the business we are in, and every franchisee who has built a successful restoration company understands a truth that does not show up in most operating manuals, which is that you are not

64 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

just selling water mitigation or reconstruction services. You are stepping up to help someone through maybe one of their worst days. That distinction in our business matters more than most franchise systems admit, and it is worth unpacking for anyone building a business in restoration, home services, or any category where customers show up in crisis rather than in comfort.

Empathy Isn’t a Soft Skill — It’s the Whole Strategy

In most industries, empathy is a nice-to-have layered on top of the product. In restoration, it is the product. Homeowners in the middle of a loss are scared, disoriented, and often being approached by multiple contractors at once. The franchisee who slows down, explains what is happening to the structure, and walks a family through the recommended next steps is differentiating

themselves in a market where trust is one of the most valuable parts of our relationship with the client. We see this play out constantly across our franchise network, but one story stands out. Larry Wilkie, who owns Lightspeed Restoration in Covington, Louisiana, with his partner Todd Fernandez, took a 13-person crew to Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida, in the fall of 2024 after Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit within weeks of each other. His crew arrived in neighborhoods that were, in his words, overwhelmed. Homeowners didn’t know where to start, insurance adjusters hadn’t shown up yet, and a second storm was bearing down before the first round of work was finished. Larry’s team had to leave mid-project, then come back and pick up where they left off once Milton passed. What Larry and his team did next is what made a difference. Rather than rushing estimates to lock in jobs before the competition arrived, his team focused on giving homeowners clear information up front, making sure every estimate lined up with what insurance would cover, and backing every decision with data rather than guesswork. It would have been easy, and profitable in the short term, to move fast and move on. Instead, Larry’s crew stayed longer than other companies working the same neighborhoods. They were, by his account, the last team to leave, because the job was not finished and leaving early was

not something he was willing to do. That decision was not accidental. Larry has talked openly about being taken advantage of by a contractor himself during Hurricane Katrina, which is an experience that has shaped how he trains his own team. When you have been on the receiving end of someone taking advantage of you during a disaster, you tend to want to build a business that’s never the reason for someone else feeling that way.

Marketing Urgency Without Exploiting It

Most restoration franchisees eventually have to answer a harder question than “how do we generate leads.” It is “how do we market urgency without sounding like we are profiting from someone else’s hardship.” Hurricane season, which peaks for the Gulf Coast and Atlantic seaboard starting in September, puts that question to the test. Storm response is time-sensitive, as water damage that sits for 48 hours is likely to become mold damage and homeowners need an immediate response. However, there is a difference between communicating urgency because it serves the customer and manufacturing urgency because it serves your business. The franchisees who do this well lead with information. They publish content before storm season arrives, so families already know what steps to take and who to call

before the emergency hits. They price transparently and document thoroughly, so an estimate never feels like a number pulled out of thin air under stress. And they measure success not just in jobs closed, but in referrals generated after the fact, which can be a lagging indicator of whether people felt cared for or felt sold to.

Running a Business on Other People’s Bad Days

There is a version of this industry built purely on volume and speed, chasing the next disaster and moving on. There is another version, the one we try to build at Lightspeed Restoration and Home Franchise Concepts, where the disaster is an introduction to a relationship. Franchisees who understand that difference tend to outlast the storm-chasers because their growth comes from the community they served two years ago, not just the one flooding this week. Hurricane season will keep testing every operator in this space, this year and every year after it. The franchisees who thrive will be the ones homeowners still trust to call when the next bad day comes around.

Paul Ebert is the brand president at Lightspeed Restoration. For more information about IFA franchisor member Lightspeed Restoration, please visit franchise.org/franchiseopportunities/lightspeed-restoration/.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 65

PREFERRED VENDORS

IFA's preferred vendors offer franchisors and franchisees products and services to advance their brands. www.franchise.org/ifa-preferred-vendors

AnswerConnect is an industry leader in live reception services, offering complete support for your entire franchise system—whether it’s franchise development or individual franchisees. Available 24/7/365, AnswerConnect expertly handles calls, sets appointments, qualifies leads, transfers calls, integrates with CRMs, and much more. answerconnect.com/franchise

As the authority in franchise funding, Benetrends has been funding America’s most popular brands for 40 years. Benetrends' innovative and comprehensive suite of funding solutions not only helps franchisees successfully launch their dreams, but also helps catapult growth of franchise systems. www.benetrends.com

Constant Contact simplifies digital marketing for franchisors with an all-in-one platform for email, social, landing pages, and more. Whether you’re an emerging franchise or an established system, our platform empowers franchisors to decide how much control to maintain at the top while giving franchisees the flexibility they need for local marketing success. www.constantcontact.com/partners/ franchise

Consumer Fusion helps franchise systems maintain brand consistency, safeguard their reputation, and accelerate digital growth. From AI-powered reputation management and sentiment analysis to streamlining social media and local SEO, Consumer Fusion delivers franchise-specific technology and strategic support. www.consumerfusion.com

Morrow Hill is a technology-driven commercial real estate firm that exclusively represents tenants with an unbiased, market-true lens. Through our Build + Design + Manage Services, we provide expert site selection, space planning, and project management supported by a dedicated client team. www.morrowhill.com

Paychex is a leading provider of integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, benefits, human resources, and insurance services. We’re a digitally driven HR leader on a mission to help franchise businesses succeed by making complex challenges brilliantly simple. www.paychex.com/franchise

Scorpion is the leader in helping franchises succeed by focusing on what truly matters—driving revenue. Our digital marketing solutions support your network every step of the way, helping tell your story online, attract more of the right customers, and turn those opportunities into measurable results. www.scorpion.co/ifa

NASHVILLE, TN | NOVEMBER 16-18

THANK YOU!

2026 Sponsors

activecampaign.com/franchise adp.com/franchise Whether you’re a franchisor looking to build and protect your brand, or a franchisee focused on growing your business, ADP can help you get there. ADP supports business owners from organizations of all sizes with preferred pricing and ongoing HR training and support.

Contact Information:

Chris Rawley Franchise Marketing Manager christopher.rawley@adp.com

ActiveCampaign HQ is the all-in-one marketing automation solution for franchises and multi-location brands. Multilocation teams can create, personalize, send email and SMS campaigns across multiple customer bases from a single dashboard. Connect up to hundreds of accounts, instantly sync templates, and consolidate your revenue reporting to power on-brand experiences for every customer. All while giving each location its own personalized voice.

Contact Information:

achq@activecampaign.com

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 67

answerconnect.com/franchise People are precious, business is personal. Connect your callers to a real person when it matters most. AnswerConnect provides 24/7 live answering services, ensuring businesses never miss a call. Human receptionists handle every call with warmth and efficiency, following customized scripts set by franchisors to deliver a consistent, on-brand experience.

Contact Information:

Karen Booze Director of Growth and Partnership karen@answerconnect.com

artesiancpa.com Artesian CPA delivers external audit services tailored to franchisors, start-ups, and growth stage companies. With Big Four expertise, national recognition, and Shark Tank alumni clients, we combine specialized expertise in franchisor audits with advanced automation and AI. Expect accurate, efficient, and affordable audits.

Contact Information:

Craig Denlinger Founder & Managing Partner, CPA craig@artesiancpa.com

www.e-arc.com ARC helps franchise organizations manage printing, signage, graphics, and digital ordering across 140 locations. With centralized ordering, local production, and coordinated fulfilment, we make it easier to support franchisees, open new locations, and keep every location on brand.

Contact Information:

Dilo Wijesuriya Chief Operating Officer dilo.wijesuriya@e-arc.com

68 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

bbsi.com BBSI is a nationwide PEO that combines local support teams, essential business services, and modern technology to deliver comprehensive workforce management solutions to businesses of every size, stage, and industry.

Contact Information:

Tipton Shonkwiler National Manager, Franchise & Private Equity Relations tipton.shonkwiler@bbsi.com

benetrends FINANCIAL

benetrends.com Benetrends Financial helps entrepreneurs turn business ownership goals into reality through innovative funding solutions. With over 40 years of experience, Benetrends specializes in ROBS, SBA loans, and other financing options, providing expert guidance and personalized support to help aspiring and existing business owners confidently fund their next venture.

Contact Information:

Ali Kraus, CFE CMO akraus@benetrends.com

careerplug.com CareerPlug is the only software built for franchise brands by franchise hiring experts. With 10+ years of experience serving 400+ franchise brands and 60,000+ locations nationwide, we help franchisors and franchisees move hiring and retention from reactive to systematic, pairing smart technology and expert coaching to build winning teams everywhere.

Contact Information:

Josh Coleman Business Development Representative jcoleman@careerplug.com

cassels.com businessfinancedepot.com Business Finance Depot specializes in franchise lending solutions. We work hard to align small business owners with financing programs that make sense for them. Our small business focus allows us to dedicate the time to truly understand your business and provide financing options tailored to fit your unique needs.

Contact Information:

Marisol Cruz COO - Franchising marisol@businessfinancedepot.com

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is a Canadian law firm focused on serving the transaction, advocacy, and advisory needs of the country’s most dynamic business sectors. At Cassels, your success is our priority.

Contact Information:

Claudia Mitzel Business Development Specialist cmitzel@cassels.com

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 69

cinch.io ceterus.com Ceterus is a modern FranTech platform purpose-built for franchise businesses, combining affordable, consistent bookkeeping with technology that turns financial data into actionable insights. Ceterus helps franchisees better understand their financial performance while giving franchisors greater visibility through compliance reporting, benchmarking and AIpowered insights to support stronger, more profitable franchise systems.

Contact Information:

Cinch is an AI-driven lifecycle marketing platform for multi-location service businesses. From lead capture to retention, it gives franchisors and franchisees one system for the customer journey. Cinch AI builds segments, campaigns, and schedules instantly, so every location can perform like your best one, without a marketing expert on staff.

Contact Information:

Michael Critchfield Account Executive michael.critchfield@cinch.io

William Worthy Chief Revenue Officer williamw@ceterus.com

citrincooperman.com/Industries/Franchise

chengcohen.com Cheng Cohen is a franchise law firm providing uncompromising service to brands worldwide. We offer a unique blend of legal and real-world business experience, delivering curated business, trademark, and dispute resolution solutions for franchisors.

Contact Information:

Amy Cheng Partner amy.cheng@chengcohen.com 70 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Whether you’re a franchisor or multi-unit franchisee, our CFE accredited professionals can assist brands with required financial reporting, tax compliance, back-office automation, perform buy-side/sell-side quality of earnings reports, full outsourcing, dashboarding and many other franchise advisory services. We are passionate about franchising!

Contact Information:

Michael Iannuzzi Partner, Franchise Practice Leader miannuzzi@citrincooperman.com

constantcontact.com/partners/franchise

cozeeai.com

Constant Contact helps emerging franchisors build a marketing foundation designed to scale. With Constant Contact Teams, franchisors can manage marketing across locations, maintain brand consistency, and empower franchisees to connect with local customers. As your system grows, gain the visibility, control, and tools to grow together without added complexity.

Building a franchise is hard, and every new franchisee multiplies the texts, calls, and repeat questions landing on you. Cozee centralizes it all in one governed AI workplace, with chat, meetings, and your manual together, so franchisees get answers from your playbook and running the brand feels like a breeze.

Contact Information:

Tim Johnson Head of Customer Success tim@getcozee.ai

Yuliya Kozyreva Senior Growth Marketing Manager yuliya.kozyreva@constantcontact.com

consumerfusion.com Consumer Fusion is an AI-powered reputation management platform that helps franchise brands manage & improve their online presence. Our platform provides reputation management, review generation, review monitoring, local SEO, listings management, social media management, and AI-driven business insights. Backed by white-glove support, Consumer Fusion helps organizations build trust & improve local visibility.

Contact Information:

Xan Gulish VP, Business Development alexander@consumerfusion.com

Contact Information:

delightree.com Delightree is the AI-Native Franchise Operating System that turns insights into action. We identify performance gaps and orchestrate the workflows, coaching and corrective actions needed to close them. From launch playbooks and training to audits and compliance, we replace scattered tools with one source of truth. Trusted by 6,000+ locations.

Contact Information:

Dan Lamm Head of Marketing danlamm@delightree.com

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 71

enspireforenterprise.com discovered.ai Discovered helps franchisors and franchisees build repeatable hiring systems that attract better candidates, speed up hiring, and reduce turnover. Our platform combines applicant tracking, automated recruiting, assessments, structured interviews, and hiring support in one place, helping growing brands hire high performers and build stronger teams across every location with consistency.

Contact Information:

Fletcher F. Wimbush CEO fletcher@discovered.ai

Enspire for Enterprise helps franchise and multi-location brands turn digital marketing into measurable growth. With 20+ years of experience, we combine strategic expertise, AI-optimized technology, education, and high-touch support to drive local performance, strengthen franchisee success, and help emerging and mid-size brands confidently scale their networks.

Contact Information:

Michele L. Brevig VP, Sales & Service michele.brevig@enspireforenterprise.com

Career Ownership Coaching

futureofranchising.com enderezalaw.com What if your lawyer actually understood your business? At Endereza Law, attorneys work as part of your team to protect your brand, manage risk, and help grow business without draining budget. Led by nationally recognized franchise attorney Elena Villaseñor Sullivan, Endereza Law brings business-savvy legal strategy to client relationships.

Contact Information:

Elena Villaseñor Sullivan Founder & Managing Partner info@enderezalaw.com 72 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

For more than 40 years, The Entrepreneur’s Source® has taken a different approach to franchise development. Our Career Ownership Coaches® help aspiring entrepreneurs clarify their goals, assess their readiness, and understand what they’re looking for before exploring franchise opportunities— creating more informed candidates, meaningful discovery conversations, and stronger franchise growth.

Contact Information:

Jackie Stillwell Marketing and Relationship Development Specialist jstillwell@franchisesource.com

franfast.io FranFast is a franchise execution and network management platform, built on Salesforce, that gives multi-unit brands real-time visibility, streamlined compliance tracking, and coordinated store openings, replacing scattered spreadsheets with one operational system for scaling franchise networks with confidence.

Contact Information:

Rogelio Martinez Creator of FranFast & CEO of Fast Cloud Consulting rmartinez@fastcloudconsulting.com

gtlaw.com/en Greenberg Traurig is a global law firm with approximately 3,200 attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in 51 locations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm’s attorneys help clients bridge diverse legal systems and cultures, with a focus on strategic advice and legal services.

Contact Information:

Katherine Dennis Senior Marketing Coordinator katherine.dennis@gtlaw.com

holateams.com www.franlift.com FranLift is the franchise development team behind growing brands. We combine experienced franchise sales leadership, proven processes, broker relationships, and hands-on execution to turn franchise growth plans into signed franchisees. Simply put, we don’t just advise brands on growth... we help make it happen.

Contact Information:

Designed for growing franchise systems, HolaTeams helps standardize processes, improve visibility, simplify collaboration, and manage the franchise lifecycle from prospect to ongoing operations efficiently.

Contact Information:

Abir Bou Hadir Operations Manager abouhadir@holateams.com

Deora Pollock COO deora@franlift.com

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 73

hibu.com/franchise

franchiselawsolutions.com

Hibu unifies franchise growth across corporate and local levels. Our AIpowered platform combines proprietary technology, expert guidance, and human support to scale your brand vision to every franchisee. We partner to understand your strategy, then execute customized digital marketing that drives measurable revenue while maintaining brand consistency.

The Internicola Law Firm helps founders and franchise leadership teams build, protect, and scale franchise companies. Trusted by 350+ brands nationwide, the firm delivers proactive franchise counsel, compliance infrastructure, and growthfocused legal systems supported by FranIQ®. Recognized by Chambers USA, Internicola is ranked the #1 Franchise Law Firm by Entrepreneur.

Contact Information:

AJ Shull AVP Brands & Franchise aj.shull@hibu.com

Contact Information:

Kelley Rosequist Franchise Growth Advisor kr@businessandfranchiselaw.com

ifranchisegroup.com

kaemark.com

iFranchise Group is the leading franchise consulting firm helping businesses evaluate, build, and grow franchise systems. With decades of experience across hundreds of industries, our experts provide strategy, legal coordination, operations, marketing, training, and franchise sales support—guiding brands from initial concept through responsible, sustainable expansion nationwide and globally.

Kaemark designs, engineers, and manufactures custom millwork, cabinetry, treatment tables, and equipment for beauty, wellness, med spa, and healthcare brands. With over 50 years of U.S. manufacturing experience, Kaemark provides end-to-end solutions— from design and engineering through manufacturing, logistics, and installation— helping growing brands create consistent, durable, and scalable environments.

Contact Information:

Todd Houghton CEO info@ifranchisegroup.com 74 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Brad Spitz Business Development Director bspitz@kaemark.com

limitlessfranchisegrowth.com Limitless Franchise Growth (LFG) is a boutique franchise development firm. With over 151 years of combined franchising expertise, LFG focuses on growing responsibly, empowering brand partners, and creating lasting legacies. Our team combines deep experience with a passionate commitment to your brand’s success. We are a family of top tier sales talent, dedicated to achieving outstanding results with integrity and confidence.

Contact Information:

Lance Freeman Info@limitlessfranchisegrowth.com

nixonpeabody.com Nixon Peabody’s franchise and distribution attorneys help emerging brands grow with confidence. We advise on system structuring, FDD preparation and registration, trademark protection, multiunit expansion, franchisee relationships, system management, international growth, and strategic transitions, including family succession, private equity transactions, and royalty transactions, delivering practical counsel for ambitious franchise businesses.

Contact Information:

Julia Phalen Senior Business Development Specialist jphalen@nixonpeabody.com

marketing360.com/franchise-marketing

go.paychex.com/ifa

Marketing 360 empowers franchise brands with a centralized platform for corporate control and local market growth. Our AI engine, MADI, analyzes network performance to drive smarter, data-backed marketing decisions. From provisioning localized franchisee websites to automating on-brand SEO, social media, and content, Marketing 360 helps every single location scale seamlessly.

Paychex, Inc. is the digitally driven HR leader that is reimagining how companies address the needs of today’s workforce with the most comprehensive, flexible, and innovative HCM solutions for organizations of all sizes.

Contact Information:

Luke Barnes Chief Business Development Officer luke@marketing360.com

When a franchisor partners with Paychex, their entire franchise network can benefit. Reach out to us today to talk about the specific needs of your franchise network. Payroll | Benefits | HR Services | 401k | Hiring Platforms | Compliance / State Law Compliance tools

Contact Information: ifa@paychex.com

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 75

prestigefranchisepartners.com

qvinci.com

Prestige Franchise Partners provides strategic franchise development support designed around each brand’s growth goals. From lead generation and qualification through candidate engagement and franchise sales, our experienced team delivers a hands-on, collaborative approach that helps emerging franchisors navigate development with the strategy, infrastructure and support to grow intentionally.

Qvinci® helps franchise brands transform fragmented financial and operational data into actionable intelligence. Qvinci Data™ automates data collection and standardization, Qvinci Intelligence™ delivers actionable insights, Qvinci RoyaltyHub™ streamlines royalty management, and Qvinci Services™ provides expert support to accelerate profitable growth.

Contact Information:

Naki Carter Director of Marketing naki@prestigefranchisepartners.com

Contact Information:

Aaron Proulx Sales Development Representative AaronP@Qvinci.com

pryzeapp.com smbfranchising.com

Pryze is an app that rewards hourly employees for putting their phones away, staying focused, and completing goals during their shifts. Through gamified “locked in” sessions, live leaderboards, and a rewards marketplace, it uses dopamine-driven incentives and behavioral psychology to boost motivation and engagement, while giving managers real-time performance visibility.

Since 2009, SMB Franchise Advisors has helped 600+ brand founders prepare, launch and grow in franchising. We guide founders through the entire process, educating on the essentials of finance, operations, marketing and development taking the time to get to know you while helping your brand reach its full potential.

Contact Information:

Tim Hylton Co-Founder & COO tim@pryzeapp.com

76 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Brian Luciani Chief Growth Officer hello@smbfranchising.com

spadealaw.com Spadea Lignana is a national franchise law firm with decades of experience. We focus on practical solutions that maximize return on legal dollars spent, with strategies tailored to each client’s needs. Our proprietary software streamlines compliance, and our flat-fee policy ensures predictable costs, helping founders build legacy and generational wealth.

Contact Information:

Lina Alibegil Director of Business Development ralibegil@spadealaw.com

unifibooks.com UniFi is a franchise-focused accounting firm providing bookkeeping, tax, and advisory services designed to help franchise brands and owners build financial clarity and consistency across their businesses.

Contact Information:

Sarah Dickinson Director of Sales sarah.dickinson@unifibooks.com

vdigitalservices.com franchising.t2bbsolutions.com Top 2 Bottom Business Solutions helps franchise brands and franchisees achieve financial clarity through standardized bookkeeping services. We align with each brand’s chart of accounts, deliver clean and consistent monthly financials, and provide the insights franchisors need to support system growth and franchisee success.

Contact Information:

Gretchen Johnson Franchise Relationship Manager gjohnson@t2bbsolutions.com

V Digital Services delivers full-service digital marketing tailored for emerging franchisors. By integrating our first-party data solution, Prospect Hub, with our core marketing services, we eliminate guesswork. We help attract qualified franchise candidates while simultaneously arming early franchisees with brandcompliant, localized digital campaigns engineered to maximize market foot traffic.

Contact Information:

Kenny Stocker VP Partnerships & Sales kenny.stocker@vdigitalservices.com

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 77

vonigo.com zoho.com

Vonigo helps home services franchise organizations standardize operations, improve visibility across locations, and deliver a consistent customer experience. From scheduling and dispatching to payments and reporting, Vonigo provides a platform built to help home service companies scale with confidence. Millions of jobs have been booked and managed with Vonigo.

A leading global technology company with a solution-focused platform of 55+ business software helping 1 million franchisors, franchisees, and other businesses run end-to-end, successful, growth-oriented, and effective operations on the cloud.

Contact Information:

Ali Shabdar Director of Strategic Growth ali@zohocorp.com

Mike McWilliams Senior Account Executive mike.mcwilliams@vonigo.com

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FEATURED FRANCHISEES The International Franchise Association is proud to celebrate our franchisee members. See below to learn more about some of our Featured Franchisees — why they got into franchising, their unique backgrounds and how they contribute to their local communities.

The Hoopers, PIRTEK Franchisees, Atlanta, Georgia

THE HOOPERS

80 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

The Hoopers are a classic American family story; however, franchising wasn’t always part of the plan. For Sharon Hooper, building businesses and serving critical industries has been part of her story for decades. Before becoming a PIRTEK franchise owner, Sharon spent much of her career working with government contractors across environmental services, infrastructure, and military support, helping manage large-scale projects ranging from Hurricane Andrew recovery efforts to power grid construction in Kuwait and Afghanistan. After years of working in high-level operations and procurement, Hooper and her husband, Alan, began exploring the idea of going into business together. The opportunity came unexpectedly when their son, Wes, who had been a technician at a PIRTEK location, introduced them to the franchise model. What started as one territory quickly grew into six across Georgia. The Hoopers’ growth has been fueled by trust, communication, and a shared commitment to staying in their respective lanes while making major decisions together. For Sharon, the most rewarding part of the journey has been watching Wes grow into a leader. From entering the business with hands-on technical experience to helping lead a six-territory operation, Wes has become a driving force behind the family’s success. Today, the Hoopers continue building their PIRTEK business with the same philosophy that has guided them from the start: family comes first, but failure is not an option.

FEATURED FRANCHISEES

TREY THOMAS-PIAZZA

AMANDA ALVAREZ

Trey Thomas-Piazza, Service Experts Franchisee, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Amanda Alvarez, Scenthound Franchisee, Tampa, Florida

Before becoming the first franchisee in the Service Experts system, Trey Thomas-Piazza built his career from the inside out. After spending 10 years in management with Lowe’s and serving as a paramedic earlier in his career, Thomas-Piazza transitioned into home services when he joined Service Experts as a commercial accounts manager. Over time, he held multiple leadership roles across maintenance, installation, and operations before eventually becoming General Manager of the Tulsa market. When Service Experts began franchising in 2025, Thomas-Piazza saw an opportunity to take what he had already helped build and make it his own. “I was hesitant at first,” said Thomas-Piazza. “But the idea of still having the strength of a national brand behind you, with the systems already built out, while being able to own it for yourself instead of corporate shareholders was a game changer.” As the brand’s first franchisee, Thomas-Piazza has embraced the opportunity to help shape Service Experts’ future while continuing to grow locally. Since taking ownership, the transition has been smooth, with strong support from the corporate team, vendor partners, and employees who stayed on through the change. For Thomas-Piazza, franchising is a way to continue serving his community while building something of his own. Whether sponsoring local schools and sports teams or helping customers on difficult days, he sees home services as an extension of the service mindset that first drew him to public safety. For entrepreneurs considering franchising, he says the key is finding a brand with proven systems and a willingness to adapt, something he found firsthand with Service Experts.

After spending more than 15 years building and scaling conference and trade show portfolios alongside executive leaders, Amanda Alvarez found herself searching for something more substantial. While she had built a successful career crafting meaningful experiences for people, she wanted her next venture to be rooted in community, purpose and leadership. As a longtime dog parent, busy working professional and mother of three, Amanda understood the challenges many pet parents face in balancing daily responsibilities while ensuring their dogs receive proper care. Although she and her husband, Adrian, already owned a franchise in the beauty industry, they were looking for another opportunity that offered a deeper sense of purpose, and they found it in Scenthound. The brand's focus on proactive and preventive dog wellness immediately resonated with Amanda and her husband. She recognized a significant gap in the pet care industry, where many pet parents, including herself, often overlooked routine services such as nail trimming, ear cleaning and dental care between grooming appointments. To Amanda, Scenthound offered a practical, accessible solution that fit seamlessly into busy lifestyles while helping dogs live healthier, happier lives. More importantly, the franchise provided an opportunity to make a meaningful impact within her community. Through education, relationship-building and routine wellness services, Amanda and her team are now able to empower pet parents to become more proactive caretakers. For Amanda, becoming a Scenthound franchisee was never just about opening a business. It was about building something purposeful that improves the lives of both dogs and the families who love them.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 81

FEATURED FRANCHISEES

TODD SOUTHERN

Todd Southern, Bishops Cuts/ Color Franchisee, Evansville, Indiana

When Todd Southern opened his Bishops Cuts/ Color franchise, he knew almost nothing about the hair industry. After a decade in sports marketing, followed by roles in direct-to-consumer and automotive marketing, Southern was ready to run his own business. But rather than starting from scratch, he turned to franchising, betting that a proven system could fill in what he lacked in industry experience. That bet paid off in ways he didn’t expect. Beyond strong operational support, Bishops’ model gave him permission to build something different and offer the community a unique alternative to the traditional barbershop experience. The brand’s laid-back, inclusive atmosphere, along with its focus on local artwork and music, stood out as a differentiator. For Southern, leaning into that identity became core to building his customer base. Southern has faced his share of challenges. After a record-breaking opening weekend for Bishops in 2017, stylists had to wait for walk-ins as they worked to build a loyal clientele. A few years later, COVID pushed his timeline back nearly two years and forced him to dig into savings to keep staff paid and in place. That investment proved to be worth it, with stylists staying on and building the trusted relationships that turned first-time customers into regulars. Since 2023, that patience has been rewarded with a growing roster of stylists and a loyal customer base. Southern’s willingness to lean into what makes Bishops different, paired with his commitment to his staff, is exactly what took the business to the next level. That growth was recognized when he was named Franchisee of the Year for Bishops Cuts/Color.

82 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

OLIVIA HILL

Olivia Hill, Exit Factor Franchisee, West St. Louis, Missouri

After more than a decade as an insurance consultant, Olivia Hill wanted to build something of her own using the skills and experience she had gained helping agency owners grow. Her search led her to Exit Factor, where she works with business owners to maximize value in preparation for a profitable exit. “Exit Factor stood out because its mission goes beyond revenue,” she said. “It's about helping owners build valuable, transferable businesses that give them real freedom and options, not just growing revenue that's drowning them.” At Exit Factor of West St. Louis, Hill’s work spans growth, operational efficiency, scalability, leadership development, and exit planning, all aimed at building businesses that don't depend entirely on the owner to run. “I especially enjoy helping owners see possibilities they hadn't considered and turning those into a real, workable strategy,” she said. Hill earned her MBA while raising two young children, working full time in a corporate position, and running a business of her own – all at once. She also knows firsthand the reality of ownership; she owns a short-term rental company, and her husband, Cameron, has two businesses of his own. “That mix of consulting and real ownership experience shapes how I work with clients today,” she said. As an Exit Factor franchisee, Hill is excited about helping other entrepreneurs get the freedom they sought when they first went into business, and proud to show her children that if you put your mind to something, you can achieve it.

FEATURED FRANCHISEES

DEE BURKHARDT

Dee Burkhardt, Multi-Unit Signarama Franchisee, Wisconsin

Dee Burkhardt likes to say she “plans in pencil,” which may be how she came to own multiple sign shops. “I’ve been in business long enough to know that things change,” she explained. “A good plan gives you direction, but having alternatives gives you the ability to adjust when circumstances — or opportunities — change.” Burkhardt had owned an independent sign company for decades when she converted it to a Signarama franchise in 2016. By 2024, she had three locations; she now owns four Signarama shops in Fond du Lac, Appleton, Menomonee Falls and Pewaukee, Wisconsin, and owns a multi-territory Yesco Service Franchise. The growth wasn’t planned, and Burkhardt didn’t seek the new locations; in each case, the seller approached her first. But she was ready for the opportunity. She soon realized she couldn’t simply multiply a successful single-location operation. But she learned to adapt, and her operations thrived. A self-described “total geek,” Burkhardt regularly researches and tests innovations like AI applications to enhance operations and customer experience. She previously served on the Signarama Franchise Advisory Council. She’s proudest of her team members’ development; many have grown into industry leaders under her mentorship. “We’ve inherited some very talented people through our acquisitions,” she said, “and they bring ideas, processes and experience with them. Sometimes their way is better. The challenge is figuring out what should be standardized across the organization and where local knowledge and flexibility make us better.”

JORGE AND MARCELA VALENCIA

Jorge and Marcela Valencia, Kitchen Tune-Up Franchisees, Long Island, New York

Jorge and Marcela's journey to franchise ownership is a story of family, resilience, and shared vision. Originally from Colombia, the couple's path took them from Bogotá to Dubai and eventually to Miami, where they built their lives for over a decade before settling in Long Beach, New York. Their partnership began by chance at a New Year's party 27 years ago — a twist of fate neither could have predicted would lead to both a marriage and a business built together. Before franchising, Jorge spent years in high-value logistics and operations management, while Marcela built a career as an architect specializing in finishings. When their children — now 11, 12 and 19 — were old enough to be more independent, the couple felt the timing was finally right to pursue something of their own. After Jorge's earlier attempt at entrepreneurship taught him the challenges of starting from scratch, franchising offered a proven path, structure, training, and support already in place. Kitchen Tune-Up, part of the Home Franchise Concepts portfolio of home service brands, was a natural fit, blending design and craftsmanship with Marcela's architectural background. As Hispanic business owners, Jorge and Marcela bring deeply rooted family values to everything they do — values reflected not just in how they run their business, but in who runs it alongside them. Jorge's sister Catalina handles sales, their niece manages organic content in social media, and their daughter recently joined the team fresh out of high school. For them, Kitchen Tune-Up is proof that families can build something meaningful together, transforming not just kitchens, but their own future, one project at a time.

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 83

FRANPAC’S CURRENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF FEDERAL CANDIDATES AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2026. =

REPORT CARD

IFA’s political action committee, FranPAC, supports pro-franchise, pro-business candidates for U.S. Congress.

2025-2026 Cycle Expenditures: $582,000

Republicans...........................$412,500 Democrats.............................$169,500 U.S. House of Representatives

NAME Rep. Nick Begich III Rep. Shomari C. Figures Rep. Barry Moore Rep. Dale Strong Rep. Gary Palmer Rep. Robert B. Aderholt Rep. Steve Womack Rep. Greg Stanton Rep. Eli Crane Rep. Juan Ciscomani Rep. Paul Gosar Rep. Adam Gray Rep. Ami Bera Rep. Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr. Rep. Jim Costa Rep. Jimmy Panetta Rep. Jimmy Gomez Rep. Josh Harder Rep. Lou Correa Rep. Pete Aguilar Rep. Scott Peters Rep. Kevin Kiley Rep. David Valadao Rep. Jay Obernolte Rep. Gabe Evans Rep. Jeff Hurd Rep. Lauren Boebert Rep. Aaron Bean Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez Rep. Jimmy Patronis Jr. Rep. John Rutherford Rep. Laurel Lee Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart Rep. Mike Haridopolos Rep. Randy Fine Rep. Scott Franklin Rep. Austin Scott

STATE AK AL AL AL AL AL AR AZ AZ AZ AZ CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CO CO CO FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL FL GA

PARTY Republican Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Republican Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic Democratic Independent Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican

84 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

AMOUNT $1,000 500 3,500 1,000 2,500 1,000 1,000 2,500 1,000 4,000 1,500 2,500 5,000 1,000 8,000 3,000 2,000 2,500 5,000 2,500 6,500 3,000 2,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,500 2,500 1,500 2,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 2,000

Rep. Brian T. Jack GA Rep. Ed Case HI Rep. Ashley Hinson IA Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks IA Rep. Eric Sorensen IL Rep. Mike Bost IL Rep. Jefferson Shreve IN Rep. Jim Banks IN Rep. Mark Messmer IN Rep. Rudy Yakym III IN Rep. Derek Schmidt KS Rep. Tracey Mann KS Rep. Morgan McGarvey KY Rep. Brett Guthrie KY Rep. James Comer Jr. KY Rep. Troy Carter LA Rep. Mike Johnson LA Rep. Steve Scalise LA Rep. Jake Auchincloss MA Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr. MD Rep. Andy Harris MD Rep. Hillary Scholten MI Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet MI Rep. Bill Huizenga MI Rep. Jack Bergman MI Rep. Tim Walberg MI Rep. Tom Barrett MI Rep. Brad Finstad MN Rep. Michelle Fischbach MN Rep. Pete Stauber MN Rep. Tom Emmer Jr. MN Rep. Ann Wagner MO Rep. Bob Onder MO Rep. Eric Burlison MO Rep. Jason Smith MO Rep. Mark Alford MO Rep. Mike Ezell MS Rep. Don Davis NC Rep. Addison McDowell NC Rep. Mark Harris NC Rep. Pat Harrigan NC Rep. Richard Hudson NC Rep. Tim Moore NC Rep. Virginia Foxx NC Rep. Julie Fedorchak ND Rep. Mike Flood NE Rep. Chris Pappas NH Rep. Donald Norcross NJ Rep. Josh Gottheimer NJ

Republican Democratic Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Democratic Democratic Republican Democratic Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Democratic Democratic

3,000 1,500 7,000 2,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 3,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 3,000 1,000 1,000 7,500 15,000 10,000 1,000 4,000 1,000 5,000 2,000 2,000 5,000 5,000 1,000 1,000 2,500 2,000 5,000 1,000 1,000 1,500 2,000 5,000 1,000 1,500 2,500 500 1,000 2,000 1,000 10,000 1,000 1,000 2,500 2,500 4,000

Rep. Rob Menendez NJ Rep. Chris Smith NJ Rep. Hakeem Jeffries NY Rep. Tom Suozzi NY Rep. Andrew Garbarino NY Rep. Mike Lawler NY Rep. Nick LaLota NY Rep. Nick Langworthy NY Rep. Nicole Malliotakis NY Rep. Greg Landsman OH Rep. Dave Joyce OH Rep. Max Miller OH Rep. Michael Rulli OH Rep. Mike Carey OH Rep. Kevin Hern OK Rep. Stephanie Bice OK Rep. Tom Cole OK Rep. Janelle Bynum OR Rep. Madeleine Dean PA Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon PA Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick PA Rep. Dan Meuser PA Rep. Glenn W. Thompson Jr. PA Rep. Guy Reschenthaler PA Rep. John Joyce PA Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. PA Rep. Scott Perry PA Rep. Joe Wilson SC Rep. Russell Fry SC Rep. William Timmons IV SC Rep. Chuck Fleischmann TN Rep. David Kustoff TN Rep. Matt Van Epps TN Rep. Scott DesJarlais TN Rep. Henry Cuellar TX Rep. August Pfluger II TX Rep. Beth Van Duyne TX Rep. Jake Ellzey TX Rep. John Carter TX Rep. Keith Self TX Rep. Lance Gooden TX Rep. Michael Cloud TX Rep. Nathaniel Moran TX Rep. Pat Fallon TX Rep. Pete Sessions TX Rep. Roger Williams TX Rep. Eugene Vindman VA Rep. Ben Cline VA Rep. Jen Kiggans VA Rep. Morgan Griffith VA Rep. Rob Wittman VA Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez WA Rep. Michael Baumgartner WA Rep. Bryan Steil WI Rep. Derrick Van Orden WI Rep. Glenn Grothman WI Rep. Carol Miller WV Rep. Riley M. Moore WV

Democratic Republican Democratic Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Democratic Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Democratic Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican Republican

1,000 1,000 10,000 1,500 7,000 9,000 6,500 5,000 5,000 1,000 2,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 10,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 2,500 2,500 8,500 2,500 1,000 2,000 1,000 4,000 2,500 1,000 2,000 2,500 1,000 2,500 1,000 1,000 5,000 2,500 5,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,500 1,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 2,500 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 2,500 3,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 7,500

U.S. Senate NAME

STATE PARTY

Sen. Dan S. Sullivan

Republican

AMOUNT

Sen. Tom Cotton

Republican

7,500

Sen. John Hickenlooper

Democratic

6,000

Sen. Chris Coons

Democratic

5,000

Sen. James E. Risch II

Republican

2,500

Sen. Jerry Moran

Republican

5,000

Sen. Roger Marshall

Republican

5,000

Sen. Rand Paul

Republican

1,000

Sen. Bill Cassidy

Republican

8,000

Sen. Angela D. Alsobrooks

Democratic

7,500

Sen. Angus King Jr.

Independent

5,000

Sen. Susan Collins

Republican

3,000

Sen. Eric S. Schmitt

Republican

3,000

Sen. Josh Hawley

Republican

5,000

Sen. Tim Sheehy

Republican

1,500

Sen. Maggie Hassan

Democratic

1,000

Sen. Ben Ray Luján Jr.

Democratic

1,000

Sen. Jon A. Husted

Republican

3,000

Sen. James Lankford

Republican

3,000

Sen. John Thune

Republican

5,000

$1,000

Sen. Mike Rounds

Republican

4,000

Sen. Bill Hagerty

Republican

2,000

Sen. Mark R. Warner

Democratic

1,000

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito

Republican

7,500

Sen. John A. Barrasso

Republican

1,500

Party Committees & Leadership PACs NAME

AMOUNT

ALABAMA FIRST PAC

$5,000

ALSOPAC

5,000

AMERICAN EXCELLENCE PAC

5,000

AMERICAN REVIVAL PAC

5,000

Blue Dog PAC

5,000

BUILDING A NATIONAL KNOWLEDGEABLE SECURITY PAC

5,000

CBC PAC

2,500

CHC BOLD PAC

5,000

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

5,000

DSCC

15,000

LASTING INVESTMENTS STRENGTHENING AMERICA PAC

5,000

MAINTAINING AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS PAC

1,000

MITTEN PAC

1,000

MODERATE DEMOCRATS PAC

5,000

MOUNTAINEER PAC

5,000

National Republican Senatorial Committee

15,000

National Republican Senatorial Committee

15,000

New Democrat Coalition Action Fund

5,000

NRCC

15,000

NRCC

1,000

VICTORY AND FREEDOM PAC (VAF PAC)

5,000

September/October 2026 / FRANCHISING WORLD 85

FEBRUARY 22-24, 2027 | LAS VEGAS, NV

WWW.FRANCHISE.ORG

UPCOMING IFA EVENTS IFA26 EMERGING

November 16-18, 2026 | Nashville, TN

IFA26 SCALE

November 18-19, 2026 | Nashville, TN

IFA27 ANNUAL CONVENTION

February 22-24, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV

INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE SHOW LONDON

April 16-17, 2027 | London, England Partnership event with Business Show Media

MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISING CONFERENCE April 27-30, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV

IFA27 LEGAL

May 2-4, 2027 | Washington, DC

IFA/IBA JOINT CONFERENCE

May 4-5, 2027 | Washington, DC

FRANCHISE GROWTH AND MARKETING CONFERENCE June 15-17, 2027 | Atlanta, GA

IFA27 ADVOCACY SUMMIT

June 21-23, 2027 | Washington, DC

IFA WORLD FRANCHISE SHOW

September 10-11, 2027 | Washington, DC

FRANCHISE LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE October 19-21, 2027 | Atlanta, GA

IFA27 EMERGING

November 15-17, 2027 | Nashville, TN

franchise.org/events

WELCOME Franchisors Abbott’s Frozen Custard Rochester, New York Contact: Brenden Drew www.abbottscustard.com

ALC Franchise LLC

Jacksonville, Florida Contact: Dr. Brian Anderson www.alcfranchise.com

All Dry Services

Tequesta, Florida Contact: Mr. Peter Waxman www.myalldry.com

Black Sheep Coffee Franchising LLC Miami, Florida Contact: Lewis Blakey blacksheepcoffee.us

DX3 Brands

Tampa, Florida Contact: Matthew Warren www.DX3BRANDS.com

Farmer Boys Restaurants Riverside, California Contact: Mr. John Lucas www.farmerboys.com

Galt Phranchise System™ Atlanta, Georgia Contact: Mike Harley galtfranchise.com

Gigglewaters

Clearwater, Florida Contact: Matthew Warren ownagigglewaters.com

Hissho Sushi

Rock Hill, South Carolina Contact: Mr. Brian Kiel www.hisshosushi.com

K-9 Companions-Boot Camp Franchises LLC

Mt. Juliet, Tennessee Contact: Karen Duet www.k9companions-bootcampfranchises.com

LOTTE GRS Co., Ltd.

Seoul, South Korea Contact: Sung Eun Kim www.lottegrs.com/eng/business/brand.jsp

petbar

Contact: Dr. Tim Weiderhoft, CFE www.petbarinc.com

88 FRANCHISING WORLD / September/October 2026

Prestige Holding & Management Corp

HolaTeams

Prestige Trucking Insurance

Inflection Alignment, LLC

Sentinel Care Group

InFran

Tamarac, Florida Contact: Juan Pablo Salcedo prestige.holdings

Tamarac, Florida Contact: Juan Pablo Salcedo www.prestigetrucking.com/franchising Gretna, Nebraska Contact: Brian Petranick www.sentinelcaregroup.com

Speedy Freight

Irving, Texas Contact: Kody Slade us.speedyfreight.com

Structural Elements Franchising, LLC Hagerstown, Maryland Contact: Ms. Susan King Glosby www.structuralelements.com

Techtron Environmental Solutions Anoka, Minnesota Contact: Ed Baldwin www.techtronenv.com

Tex’s Chicken & Burgers Mineola, New York Contact: Shehrose Raja eattexs.com

Wake Up and Waffle, LLC Sandusky, Ohio Contact: Lauren Krueger wakeupandwaffle.com

Suppliers Clear PEO

Newtown, Pennsylvania Contact: Anthony Walls www.clearemployerservices.com

dbSeer, Inc

McLean, Virginia Contact: Mr. Mahyar Ghasemali www.dbSeer.com

DEWALT Stanley Black & Decker New Britain, Connecticut Contact: Kathryn Simpson www.dewalt.com

Endereza Law, PLLC

San Antonio, Texas Contact: Elena Sullivan enderezalaw.com

Miami, Florida Contact: Mr. Ziad Dalal www.holateams.com Ashburn, Virginia Contact: Ms. Erika Spalding inflectionalignment.com

Contact: Jurabek Kulnazarov in-fran.com

Inszone Insurance Agency Schaumburg, Illinois Contact: Dennis Powers inszoneinsurance.com

Marketing360

Fort Collins, Colorado Contact: Luke Barnes www.marketing360.com

Red Palm Studios

Bridgeport, Texas Contact: Chris Gray redpalm.us

Signation Sign Group

Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Contact: Hunter Schwehr ssgix.com

Startup Loans USA

Meridian, Idaho Contact: Chuck Westberg startuploansusa.com

WorXsiteHR Insurance Solutions Inc. (HealthWorX Program) Oxnard, California Contact: Colby Nelson www.worxsitehr.com

THE ULTIMATE

FRANCHISE AUTHORITY

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71.4%*

resource for reaching qualiﬁed franchise buyers

highly afﬂuent readers — 70% of which are looking to start or buy a business within 1 year

of Entrepreneur readers have $1 million or more in household assets

ADVERTISE WHERE IT COUNTS Brent Davis VP, Franchise Sales (949) 622-7126 bdavis@entrepreneur.com Sources: *Ipsos 2025. ^MRI Spring 2025 and Entrepreneur Survey.