Ask most emerging franchisors where they are headed, and one mystical goal tends to surface quickly: reaching 100 units. It is the milestone many brands begin chasing from the moment they start franchising—a marker of scale, validation and “proof positive” that the concept can grow beyond its beginnings. With fewer than 18% of franchise brands […]
Change of ownership is the biggest slice of SBA lending. SBA’s new lending changes just made it harder to finance a change of ownership. That’s the tension at the heart of SOP 50 10 8.1, SBA’s newly released lending changes, and it’s going to shape how your franchisees get funded starting this fall. […]
What are lenders learning after losing $200 million a quarter? SBA lenders have been working through unprecedented portfolio losses and asking real questions like “Should I be underwriting to a 15% decline?” That’s not a theoretical question – similar sentiments came up time and again from active franchise lenders. Simply said, franchisors and franchisees […]
The Small Business Administration has formally announced that the FICO Small Business Scoring Service (SBSS) Score will no longer be used for 7(a) Small Loans beginning March 1, 2026. This policy change has significant SBA SBSS sunset franchise financing implications for franchisors as lenders shift toward new underwriting requirements. For franchisors, the end of SBSS […]
Attending this year’s FSTEC reinforced one thing: restaurant operators remain an optimistic bunch. Ever since COVID, there’s been a resilient hope that tomorrow will be better, and that mindset continues to fuel innovation across the industry. One of the most striking data points shared at the conference was the 40% increase in restaurant wages between […]