Special Features
We know that timely, professional advice is crucial to
making smart business decisions.
Our Expert Advice Articles are written by industry leaders with proven experience in the franchising sector. Our experts cover financial, accounting and legal issues in addition to sound business strategies to help you succeed.
Entrepreneurship Without the Gamble: How Home Service Franchises Reduce Risk
By Colt Florence Investing in a franchise inevitably involves risk. The aspiring franchise owner is placing a big bet on the franchise system, the business model and most importantly on their own abilities as an operator. Crucially, they are also betting on a...
EMS To You Franchisee and Reigning Mrs. Massachusetts Shines at Mrs. America Pageant
Jenny Heverly advocates for women navigating loss, postpartum struggles, and the silent battles that often come with motherhood. While Jenny Heverly didn’t take home the crown at last night’s Mrs. America pageant in Las Vegas, the EMS To You franchisee and...
The “Home Improvement” Culture Fueling the Rent-to-Own Furniture Industry
With interest rates at an all-time high and home renovations expected to reach a record $509 billion in 2025 (The Currency, 2025), the needs of the modern home are constantly evolving. The limited housing market and rising cost of new construction are leading...
The Magic of Music: Rock Island Sound’s Journey to Franchising
Rock Island Sound has always been more than a music store. Since its inception in 2004 in Rye, New York, the company, spurred on by its founder Paul Bessolo, has embodied a passion for music in its purest form, interweaving the technical aspects of the craft...
Service Industry Newcomers Have Bright Future in Franchise Ownership
By Wanda Hoegren It's all too common for professionals in need of change to eye a thriving service industry and think, “I could do that if only I had industry experience." But here’s the thing: Time spent working in a service industry is not a prerequisite to...
Orca Franchising: The Dawn of the Private Equity Age of Empire Building
Close your eyes for a moment and think back to the day you opened your first franchise. The lights flickered on, the doors opened, and a nervous energy ran through you. Would customers come? Would your staff deliver? Would the risk you took pay off? Day by day,...
Ford’s Garage Accelerates Expansion with Multi-Unit Agreements
At Ford’s Garage, we like to say that dining with us is more than just a meal, rather it’s an experience. From the moment guests walk in, they’re transported back in time to a 1920s service station, complete with vintage Ford vehicles, gas pumps, and classic...
Scaling with Purpose: How Firehouse Subs Fuels Multi-Unit Franchise Growth
When I opened my first Firehouse Subs restaurant in 2002, franchising wasn’t part of my family’s plan, or even on my radar. I come from a family of attorneys, and my background was in telecom, so restaurants weren’t exactly in my blood. When I first told my...
The Power of the Parent: How Multi-Brand Home Service Companies Create Value
Families function best when parents give their children roots and wings. It is no different for a parent company in franchising. A successful multi-brand parent company offers both the stability (roots) a brand needs to grow with a solid foundation and the...
Q&A With Craig Murray, Chief Development Officer at Lightbridge Academy
How would you describe Lightbridge Academy’s current development strategy? What’s guiding your decisions about where and how fast to grow? Our development strategy is focused on sustainable, responsible growth. We’re expanding into strong markets with the right...