#franchisee-success

#franchisee-success

Burger King UK has secured a £60 million financing package from lenders to support its expansion plans, which include opening over 30 new restaurants in 2026. The majority of these will be company-owned, while some will operate under franchise agreements.

"Vending is NOT fully passive income. I'd call it semi-passive, like 70% passive. Social media makes it look like you fill machines once a month and money rains in."

Youth 4 Youth was built by players who are currently living the journey. We're taking the doors we've walked through and holding them open for the next generation.

Multiple entities associated with Friendly Franchisees Corporation, owner of 65 Carl's Jr. locations across California, have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, raising concerns about the future of these franchises.

Franchise Discovery Day has a reputation for being the moment when candidates decide whether to 'buy in.' In reality, the day is less about selling and more about revealing. It's a structured opportunity for both sides to determine whether they can operate together through growth, setbacks, and the daily demands of running a business.

To be part of our Hall of Fame, a company must rank for at least 25 years consecutively. In the Hall of Fame, brands are listed in descending order based on the number of years they have been ranked - starting at the top, with the three companies that have ranked every year that the Franchise 500 has existed.

For years, Lorraine Pater had her eyes on the prize - making partner at KPMG, one of the Big Four accounting firms. She had interned at the company for two summers in college and joined its ranks of auditors right after graduating. She recalls spending one New Year's Eve doing an inventory audit of diamonds - counting them, measuring them and looking at their color and clarity to ensure they passed inspection.

This is where it starts. You need a franchise that is profitable, that offers a product or service people can get excited about. Look at your franchise disclosure document and the revenue reported in item 19. This is important for people buying a franchise; for many, it's the first thing they look for. A critical part of sales is the sales process; everyone has one, but not everyone has one that makes sense or is used consistently.

When you take the leap of faith to bring your vision, your idea, to life and start your company, you wear many hats and take on many tasks. You develop the business plan and deck pitch, help build a great product or service offering, create and implement the marketing strategies, make sales, handle customer service and get take-out for everyone during the late nights they're working.

Putting yourself out there is difficult. Rejection is tough. And feeling like you've gotten the rug pulled out from under you is the worst. When you're in charge of business development, where you're responsible for growing your revenue within your current client portfolio as well as seeking out new potential opportunities, you can easily vacillate from feeling like a hero to feeling like a zero, depending on what kind of results you're getting from your efforts.

As an Asian-American kid growing up to an immigrant mom in North Carolina, I was taught to follow the rules (no exceptions). I was a Boy Scout, graduated top of my class and was hired by Goldman Sachs immediately after graduating undergrad. I had followed what I thought was the "right" path. I was living in the greatest city in the world (New York City, of course) and working at one of the best companies in the world ... but none of it felt right.

A colleague and I launched a new company after our previous employer closed. We divided responsibilities so she handled manufacturing and distribution while I managed digital content and marketing. My side of the business grew steadily. But within six months, her operational area began to falter. I began to step in to keep physical projects moving, and key infrastructure on her side wasn't maintained. Despite having access to shared digital project management tools, she frequently framed it as a communication problem.

But if you're innovating within your industry, it's a problem you should expect and prepare for because it means having to operate in two realities-the internal reality where you know the challenges in your industry and how you're going to solve them, and the external reality where nobody else has recognized the problem that needs to be solved. In a highly regulated industry like healthcare, safety, and stability create an inertia that often works against innovation.

You can still build a successful, scalable business without high-profile investors. In fact, doing so often allows for greater long-term control and strategic clarity. The best business opportunities are hiding in your backyard. Real disruption often lies in solving everyday problems in industries that are overlooked by investors focused on trendier sectors. More money sometimes does mean more problems. Taking money means giving up some control to investors who may lack your industry knowledge, which can be challenging.