A new era of franchise marketing is emerging. New AI and technology tools are democratizing marketing execution. Franchise brands aren’t just saying they’re getting smarter; they’re putting real money behind it. New data from the 2025 FRANdata/International Franchise Association Franchisor Survey shows that 73% of franchisors plan to increase their marketing spend this year, and […]
Produced by FRANdata in partnership with the International Franchise Association (IFA), the 2026 Franchising Economic Outlook projects continued growth across the U.S. franchise sector despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. The report forecasts that franchised businesses will total approximately 845,000 establishments, employ nearly 8.9 million workers, and generate more than $920 billion in economic output in […]
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 […]