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 […]
How Leading Franchise Lenders Use FUND Scores to Improve Franchise Loan Performance In a lending environment defined by tightening credit standards and rising risk awareness, franchise lenders are increasingly turning to data-driven franchise lending insights to improve decision quality and portfolio outcomes. FRANdata’s latest analysis of more than 18,000 SBA 7(a) loans shows how measurable […]
Franchise financing outcomes vary widely across systems, but new evidence shows that brand-level creditworthiness plays a measurable role. FRANdata analyzed more than 18,000 SBA 7(a) loans issued to franchisees from 2010 to the present—representing roughly $8 billion in total financing—to quantify how FUND Scores relate to loan performance. The findings confirm a statistically significant relationship […]
Former Macrolease executive joins FRANdata to help suppliers succeed in the franchise ecosystem through data-driven market insights. Arlington, VA — [October, 2025] — FRANdata, the leading research and advisory firm providing data-driven insights across the franchise ecosystem, is pleased to announce the addition of Ashley Markowski to its sales team as Client Advisor. In this […]
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 […]