I’m going to say something that might make some franchisors and franchisees in food-service businesses uncomfortable. I’m worried about food franchises. Not mildly concerned. I’m actually worried. A...
Op-Ed
Joel Libava
Updated! How $150 a Barrel Oil Would Crush Certain Franchise Sectors (And How Franchisees Can Make it Hurt Less)
$150 a barrel oil and franchising. Are you ready? Let’s talk about something most of the folks in the franchise industry won’t touch. Oil. And the impact of $150 a barrel oil* on specific franchise sectors...
Top Franchise Research Guide
A Quick Update on Consumer Sentiment for Franchising
First off, what is Consumer sentiment? Consumer sentiment measures how optimistic or pessimistic individuals feel about the current and future state of the economy. Specifically, it reflects perceptions of factors such...
SBA Employees Fired By Trump And Musk Just Because
For no apparent reason, supposed business genius Elon Musk, with the approval of President Trump, has just fired hundreds of SBA employees. But, what led to the recent SBA firings? It has to do with DOGE. So...
The Top 10 States For Franchise Growth in 2025 As Long As Musk Gets Fired
(Pictured: the U.S. Treasury. You’ll see why I used this image) According to research and analytical firm FRANdata, the firm responsible for helping put together the 2025 Franchising Economic Outlook, these are...
Are ‘The Most Profitable Franchises 2025’ Really The Most Profitable?
This post serves as a warning to anyone thinking about purchasing a franchise listed as one of the “Most Profitable Franchises” in the near future. Keep reading. The Most Profitable Franchises of 2025? Each...
New California Senate Bill 919 Regulates Franchise Brokers
It looks like the California Senate Bill 919 that regulates how franchise brokers can do business in the state is almost ready for prime-time. Note: the official name of the California bill is: Franchise Investment Law:...
It’s Way Too Easy To Franchise A Business, And I Know Who’s At Fault
Practically anyone with $15,000 or so can franchise a business idea these days. How? By finding a franchise attorney willing to draft a Franchise Disclosure Document for you and register it with the proper authorities...
The Franchise King vs. The ‘Responsible Franchising’ Initiative
A video about the Responsible Franchising Initiative: I mostly support the new “Responsible Franchising” initiative put forth by Matthew Haller, CEO of the IFA. Why? Because it has a lot of good things in it...
How QSR’s Are Dealing With California’s Historic Minimum Wage Increase
By Kareem S. Nassar, CEO of American QSR On April 1st, California Governor Gavin Newsome signed into law a bill that hiked the minimum wage of fast-food employees to $20 per hour from $16 per hour. As you might expect...
Does The New ‘Responsible Franchising’ Initiative Have Any Teeth?
Before I dive into whether or not the “Responsible Franchising” initiative put together by The International Franchising Association (IFA), will make franchising better, you first need to know what it is...
McDonald’s Ridiculously High Prices Are Hurting It’s McSales (Duh)
(Image created with Google Bard AI) McDonald’s missed its first quarterly sales mark in nearly four years. And I’m not surprised. Why? Because of McDonald’s high prices. In this case, consumers...
Franchise Failures: Why Did This Franchise Lose Almost 300 Franchisees?
Note: I have some strong opinions about franchise failures. Especially since this particular story concerns our Military Veterans. And please know this: the information I’m sharing here can be easily found online...
Are Franchise Startup Costs Getting Too High?
Yes. Franchise startup costs are starting to get too high. But why? Is inflation to blame? Are franchise ownership startup costs becoming higher because there’s so much interest in franchising? Or is it something...
