We’ve had spectacular job growth in the past 2 years, yet the U.S. labor force is still about 1.8 million workers lower than at the start of the pandemic. Initially, many said the slow employment recovery was because of the Cares Act providing a safety net for many lower-wage employees who otherwise would have returned […]
FRANdata projects that franchise unit growth will rise 2.2% in 2022. While that doesn’t seem like a big percentage (and it is lower than 2021), it still represents about 17,000 new units. There are many economic factors influencing the appeal of franchising in the early stages of an economic recovery. The mood among franchise development […]
We clearly are seeing the impact of inflation as it increases operating costs across supply and labor inputs in 2022. Is there relief coming from this profit-eroding upward pressure? Small-business owners began signaling inflation concerns in the summer of 2021 and now it’s become a major concern. The most recent NFIB’s Small Business Economic Trends […]
Just how resilient is franchising? Franchising is a model designed for rapid expansion. Typically, when an industry shows attractive economic and social trend appeal, you will see more franchise activity. But what about during a pandemic, when whole swathes of the economy are challenged? Which industries continued to experience franchise growth and, conversely, which shrank? […]
As you begin to plan for 2022 and beyond, you now have another consideration. It’s been so long since we’ve had inflation concerns, it’s time to understand what that means for the economy, business, and your company’s profitability. As I noted in FRANdata’s annual economic forecast presentation at the Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in early September, […]