PE Profit Ladder Articles
Should You Start with a Franchise?
On this episode of Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat., we sit down with Alicia Miller, author of the award-winning book Big Money in Franchising, to explore why franchising is one of the most accessible—and misunderstood—paths to entrepreneurship. Miller explains that franchising gives aspiring business owners a unique opportunity: the ability to run and grow a business using a proven system. Instead of building every process from the ground up, franchisees follow an existing model that provides training, support, and brand recognition. This makes it an appealing option for those who want to become entrepreneurs without starting from scratch. But, as Miller emphasizes, not all franchises are created equal. With over 400 new brands launching every year—and many fading just as quickly—due diligence is everything. She walks us through the importance of evaluating your own skills and lifestyle goals before choosing a concept, and explains why buying an existing franchise resale can sometimes be a smarter bet than launching a new unit. We also discuss private equity’s growing interest in franchise brands and how that can impact both franchisees and franchisors. If you’re thinking about starting a business—or wondering whether franchising is a shortcut to ownership—this episode is packed with perspective, strategy, and cautionary tales.
Bubbakoo's Burritos Acquired By Thompson Street Capital Partners
Franchise M&A is alive and well (despite recent economic headwinds) for high quality brands with the right stuff. This week's example: Bubbakoos Burritos. Beloved Jersey shore QSR Mexican offering that delivers quality and strong value for customers, protein forward, fun and irreverent branding - and passionate franchisees. Other things to note: - M&A trades just UNDER the largest PE firms active in franchising (e.g. KKR, Roark, Blackstone, etc) remains a great place to be, knowing there are large upstream buyers for brands that can increase scale and create strong franchisee outcomes. Thompson Street Capital Partners made a shrewd pick here. With steady and thoughtful nurturing this brand is primed for scale. - Focus on executing the model, not fast franchise sales. This brand is growing fast but in steady and controlled way. Quality over speed and the speed will take care of itself. - Founders - choose a proven partner. TSCP has a solid track record and good things are expected here too. - Did you know that of the franchises that at some point in their history reach $100M in systemwide sales, 23% never exceed $150M? (Source: FRANdata) Having the right support and scaffolding in place is critical to reach the next level. If you hit an inflection point, bringing in the right capital and strategic partner can make all the difference.
Modrn Business Podcast: 2025 FRANdata
The franchise ownership model is evolving. On a recent episode of the Modrn Business podcast, hosted by Zack Fishman, CFE joined by guests Edith Wiseman and Alicia Miller, NACD.DC, CMAA, CFE dives into the trends that are redefining franchise growth, funding, and private equity interest—with expert insights on: - Why today’s franchisees are entering with a 5–10 year exit mindset How franchisors must rethink support and scalability to stay investable - The growing impact of credit risk scores like FUND on brand performance - What private equity and lenders are now both demanding from franchisors - Why resale activity is rising—and what it signals about system health
Market Uncertainty Increases Focus on Growing with Experienced Franchisees
Current market headwinds are prompting more franchise systems to proactively reach out to existing franchisees in other concepts to keep the growth flywheel spinning.
Gen Z, Skilled Trades, And Franchise Entrepreneurship
Gen Z is more and more aware of AI risk/opportunities to various jobs and it's driving more Gen Z to seek different careers compared to their parents. What does this mean to franchising? - We can expect continued, robust interest in entrepreneurship from Gen Z; some may be taking over their parents' businesses, others want to strike out on their own. - Gen Z entrepreneurs expect a tech-forward approach to running the business. It's a hard pass if your system is using antiquated tech. This includes unsophisticated marketing and highly manual training / support / documentation. Allow your franchisees and their employees to ask questions via AI to find faster solutions. Don't make them hunt and peck through a clunky operating platform to find things that turn out to be dated anyway. - Continued sale premium and demand (both PE buyers and franchisees) in categories perceived to have resilient customer demand & sustainable labor/profitability models. - Increased urgency to find viable consolidators in scale concepts. This is especially true in categories that are under extreme labor cost pressure and less likely to attract the next generation of entrepreneurs who are hypersensitive to various category risks. This means more PE-backed consolidation in some scale systems, working with strong operators. Some franchisors have been reluctant to accept this reality and even are putting in guardrails to try to keep the PE tail from wagging the franchisor dog in the relationship. If restrictions are taken too far, PE simply moves to greener pastures. Think carefully about long term ownership trends, franchisee tenure, and potential turnover before implementing overly restrictive PE-only covenants.
Emergent Managing Director Alicia Miller Recognized as Top 100 Franchise Influencer
The Top 100 Global Influencers in Franchising list recognizes the most impactful and influential figures in the franchise industry. These individuals have not only built world-renowned franchise brands but have also leveraged their success to shape the global franchising landscape.
Why A Franchise’s Reputation in the Lending Community Is a Signal to Private Equity
Consider lender feedback a harbinger of PE feedback. If you can’t convince lenders to underwrite franchisee growth, you’re unlikely to convince PE buyers that you're a must-have asset. Do you know what your FRANdata FUND score is?
Private Equity in Franchising: Impact, Trends & 2025 M&A Forecast
Presented by the New England Franchise Association and Boston Franchise Business Network: Private equity has created a dominant position in franchising, with broad implications for all franchise stakeholders. In this dynamic session, we covered recent trends and made predictions about the 2025 M&A landscape. We also discussed how to be proactive and thoughtful about your strategy to engage with PE, whether you're a franchisor, franchisee, supplier, or even corporate employee. Live event with audience participation and questions.
Top 3 New Books for Entrepreneurs in 2025 - Axiom Book Awards
The Start-Up Club honors Axiom's top 3 business book picks in 2025. Every great business starts with a story—and this year’s Axiom Business Book Award winners in the Entrepreneurship & Small Business category have shared some of the best.
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PRIVATE EQUITY’S IMPACT ON FRANCHISING
EMERGING BRANDS
TRENDS
BUILDING SMART
PROSPECTIVE FRANCHISEES
TURNAROUNDS & CASE STUDIES