Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2026 i Entrepreneur Magazine

ENTREPRENEURSHIP doesn’t always work out. Here’s why that’s OK. Last fall, I heard from a reader named Kaitlyn Allen. She’d been building a company called MendIt, which helped people find specialists to mend and repair clothing. The idea was to reduce waste and save people money. But it wasn’t succeeding. “I’m closing MendIt,” she wrote to me. “The purported demand for innovation in the fashion/apparel industry is just not there in a meaningful way, at least for repair. But at least I gave it my all, and I’m so glad I did, because I would have always wondered.” I love that attitude. Kaitlyn was sad, but she wasn’t bitter or regretful. She was grateful. Why? Let’s consider it—because once you understand Kaitlyn’s way of thinking, you will become bolder, try…

In the U.S., Baby Boomers own nearly 3 million businesses—many of them local and beloved. Over the next decade, 60% of those owners say they plan to retire. That’s a big opportunity for anyone looking to buy a business. But many of these mom-and-pops must be modernized, without sacrificing their old-school charm. What does this look like? Consider this little ice cream shop in Goshen, Indiana, called The Chief. The Chief was founded in 1962 by a local high-school coach and his wife. It’s a diminutive roadside shop with a devoted following. In 2018, the owners were ready to retire—and a local couple, Tracy and Chad Klopfenstein, bought the place. “The ice cream was delicious,” Tracy says, “but the cash was loose on shelves and coins were in a muffn…

Every startup wants to land the big client. But here’s a strategy most don’t consider: When your pitch bombs, be thankful. Then, use the client’s rejection as a roadmap for success. Sound like a roundabout way to get sales? Not to the healthcare company Ostro. It’s how they ended up signing multiple major pharma clients, and why they now train their internal teams to embrace the process. Yes, they learned, sometimes a rejection is just a rejection. But other times, a potential customer is telling you what they want—and that might be an even bigger opportunity than the one you’re chasing. Here’s what happened. Ostro began in 2019 as a telehealth platform. In March 2020, as telehealth boomed, its founders secured interest from the pharma giant Merck. The plan was…

Japan’s economy continues to demonstrate resilience and steady growth, supported by exports, innovation, and renewed domestic confidence. According to the IMF, the country’s GDP is projected to expand by around 1.2% in 2025, while Deloitte points to strong performance in advanced manufacturing and precision technology. Within this thriving environment, Japan’s optical and scientific instrument industries remain global leaders in quality and innovation. Among the most respected companies in this field is Vixen, a 76-year-old firm that has grown from a small telescope maker into Japan’s number-one binocular brand, holding the leading market share in the category. Under the leadership of President Kazushige Niitsuma, Vixen has evolved into a global enterprise while maintaining the craftsmanship and values that define Japanese industry. The company generates 3 billion yen in annual sales and…

Japan’s economy is regaining steady momentum that is attracting renewed global attention. The IMF projects growth of around 1% in 2025—an outperformer among advanced economies—supported by strong capital investment and export competitiveness. Deloitte similarly notes that Japan’s manufacturing renewal, driven by investment in next-generation technologies, is strengthening the country’s long-term economic position. As global industries move deeper into digitalization and advanced materials, Japan’s engineering precision and reliability continue to anchor its competitive advantage. One sector benefiting strongly from this environment is high-grade water treatment, particularly ultra-pure water (UPW) systems used in semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. According to McKinsey, global semiconductor capacity is expected to double by 2030, and each new fabrication plant requires UPW at purity levels beyond human visual detection. Japan’s deep expertise in filtration, membrane design, and purity engineering…

Japan’s economy in 2025 continues to show steady resilience, supported by rising domestic demand, corporate investment, and structural reforms. According to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook 2025, Japan is projected to grow by 1.0% in 2025, with a stable outlook into 2026 as inflation cools and manufacturers expand capital expenditure. The World Bank’s 2025 East Asia & Pacific Update highlights Japan’s “balanced post-pandemic recovery,” noting that the country’s push toward green innovation and advanced manufacturing is helping drive a new chapter of stable, innovation-led growth. Within this momentum, Japan’s environmental technology and recycling sector is becoming one of its most dynamic fields. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) notes in its 2025 Circular Economy Report that the country is accelerating investment in resource-efficiency technologies as part of its…

It’s one thing to look at a genius advertising campaign and say: “I wish I could do something like that.” It’s something else to say: “I want to do something like that, and I’m confident trying because I know why it worked.” Too often, as entrepreneurs, we rely on instinct, intuition, and the idea of “marketing magic,” but not enough on evidence. That’s what brought the two of us together—MichaelAaron, an entrepreneur who’s built nine companies based on behavioral science, and Richard, who’s written three books on the topic. We’re both marketing experts, searching for ways to make our work more effective. We realized that all around the world, researchers are running randomized controlled trials, testing interventions, and publishing papers that show how humans actually make decisions. But their findings…

STARTED FRANCHISING / 1976 TOTAL UNITS / 5,782 COST TO OPEN / $603.9K-$2M Ace Hardware is doing what once seemed impossible: Making online shopping feel local. The franchise is known for its good-neighbor vibes and service, and it has managed to maintain its hyperlocal reputation even as it leans into digital innovation to drive sales. Case in point: Digital revenue increased 34.9% in Q3 of 2025 versus a year earlier, and 93% of all those digital orders were fulfilled by the customer’s local store. Eighty-six percent of digital purchases are picked up by the customer; eight percent are delivered to the customer’s door via the store. “That makes a digital purchase feel a heck of a lot more local,” says Andy Enright, senior vice president of retail strategy and operation.…

STARTED FRANCHISING / 1980 TOTAL UNITS / 5,833 COST TO OPEN / $57.1K-$608.98K The UPS Store knows its most valuable assets are its franchisees. So the company’s latest effort has been helping those franchisees to help each other. In 2025, a new internal webcast was launched to support peer-to-peer learning among franchisees, specifically to share operational best practices around the franchise’s new tech tools. “These are virtual networking sessions that are created by franchisees, for franchisees,” says Sarah Casalan, president of The UPS Store. “This idea exchange lets us come together with quick, actionable insights from experienced franchisees, and helps them all learn from each other. That all ladders up to driving growth.” Casalan says the company is still riding the tailwinds of the pandemic delivery boom, and is seeing…

Franchisee stories don’t get any more classic than this. When he was a 17-year-old kid in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Raul Larez started working at a Batteries Plus store after school. He kept going through college, and eventually became manager. In his first year, he increased the store’s revenue from $700,000 to $1 million. He kept growing the numbers until the pandemic hit in 2020, and the owners decided to close shop. That night, Larez came home and told his wife, Megan, that the store was closing. “Why don’t we buy it?” she replied. And so they did. Today, they own two locations that were on track to do $1.8 million in 2025, and they plan to open a third this year. It was a lot of work at first, but…

You may not know me, but if you’ve ever had a plate lunch (two scoops of rice and a scoop of mac salad with your entrée), then we are connected. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, which made Hawaiian barbecue famous around the globe, started with humble beginnings over 40 years ago. My business partner, Johnson Kam, and I transformed L&L Drive Inn, an obscure family restaurant, into an international restaurant franchise, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. We built a new business model in franchising in the process. I did not know what I was doing. But it worked. We succeeded in building a new food segment in the restaurant industry and a successful international restaurant chain. There is more than one way to build a viable franchise company. I did it differently. L&L started the…

When I was young, I dreamed of owning Ken Griffey Jr.’s Upper Deck rookie baseball card. “The Kid,” they called him. He defined the sport in the ’90s. The card cost $80, which might as well have been $1 million. My 10-year-old brain thought: I’ll know I’m a success when I can afford that card. Then life happened. I stopped collecting. After school I became a personal trainer, then started a business. And another. Eventually, I released 32 different products and services: a few strikeouts, mostly bloop singles, and two home runs. Somewhere along the way, my self-identity got wrapped up in the next project, with my mood dictated by short-term wins (yay!) and losses (dang it!). I’d become driven by external expectations—a continuous and ruinous cycle of ups and…

1/Speakers meant to be seen. Even when it’s off, the 8-inch round Ikea Solskydd Portable Bluetooth Speaker [$80; ikea.com] will turn heads. Its bold orange checkerboard pattern looks like art; you can hang it on a wall or carry the nearly 3-pound speaker by its stand. Its built-in battery runs up to 25 hours and has simple top-mounted controls. There’s no fussy app; just connect through your phone like you would a pair of earbuds. Want a punchier alternative to your TV’s soundbar? Pair two for true left-right stereo. 2/A masterpiece in bricks. It’s a weekend project that turns into a humblebrag: The Lego Vincent van Gogh Sunflowers [$200; lego.com] is fun to put together, and then hangs nicely in your office or Zoom background. Just like Lego’s Mona Lisa…

Japan’s economy is showing renewed momentum, with global institutions noting a clear, broad-based upswing. The International Monetary Fund recently highlighted Japan’s “resilient domestic demand” and upgraded its growth outlook, citing robust consumption and stronger-than-expected capital investment. Deloitte has similarly reported that Japan’s economic transformation—driven by manufacturing strength, innovation, and financial-sector reform—is placing the country “on a stable path of sustainable medium-term growth.” After years of stagnation, Japan is once again asserting itself as one of the world’s most technologically advanced and forward-looking economies. Within this macroeconomic revival, Japan’s financial services sector stands out as one of the country’s most rapidly evolving industries. Structural reforms, demographic shifts, and a national effort to encourage citizens to move “from saving to investing” have triggered a transformation across asset management, securities, and advisory businesses.…

Pacaso reached unicorn status fast. From the date of its founding in 2020, it took only five months and 23 days. Why? Because a lot of people believed in it. The startup raised more than $90 million and $1 billion in debt financing, and upon announcing its valuation, cofounder Austin Allison proclaimed: “Our mission to democratize second homeownership has resonated with people looking for a refuge.” A month later, a “Stop Pacaso” sign popped up. As it turns out, it didn’t resonate with everyone. And Allison hadn’t seen that coming. He’d started Pacaso with Spencer Rascoff, a cofounder of Zillow. They envisioned a new real-estate marketplace that solved a problem for people who wanted a luxury vacation home but couldn’t afford it. Pacaso made their getaway dreams possible by letting…

STARTED FRANCHISING / 1964 TOTAL UNITS / 8.746 COST TO OPEN / $934.8K-$4.3M At Taco Bell, more is always more. The fast food brand, known for its frequent menu introductions and limited-edition offerings that keep a rabid fan base on its toes, set out to double the pace of menu innovations in 2025—and delivered. From a Y2K menu with favorites from the early aughts to customer-created offerings dubbed Fan Style, Taco Bell whipped up new recipes all year. “Menu innovation generates PR,” says Meghan Farren, president of North America at Taco Bell. “It’s almost its own media driver for us.” In addition to novel dishes, in 2025, the brand rolled out new Luxe Cravings Boxes (specialized value meals first introduced in 2024) and a beverage line called Refrescas. The buzz…

STARTED FRANCHISING / 1958 TOTAL UNITS / 23,400 COST TO OPEN / $73.1K-$165.4K Angelo Chavez believes in the power of Kumon. He’s been a certified instructor of the methods that made Kumon a global success, and has spent 31 years at the after-school learning program franchise—climbing the ladder to his current role as assistant vice president of franchise development. In short: He knows the 68-year-old company is a solid, reliable business. But he doesn’t take the company’s success for granted. “What’s keeping me up at night is: How do I future-proof this established brand?” he says, pointing to the ever-increasing chatter around AI, especially in the world of education. But rather than run from new tools, Chavez says he’s focused on a “slow kind of digital transformation” to supercharge Kumon’s…

STARTED FRANCHISING / 1984 TOTAL UNITS / 3,148 COST TO OPEN / $15.2M-$25.96M With strong name recognition comes strong consumer expectations. Hampton by Hilton’s growth strategy is meeting those expectations. Hampton by Hilton is a name that travelers know, with a reputation for consistency. That, combined with the brand’s afordable, upper-midscale price point, is an increasingly appealing ofering, especially as consumers feel the squeeze on their wallets. The cost of travel in the U.S. was up more than 20% compared to prepandemic levels, according to an October report from the U.S. Travel Association; hotel prices are a big contributor, with lodging alone seeing a nearly 10% spike. “As costs rise, expectations rise,” says Shruti Gandhi Buckley, senior vice president and global brand leader for Hampton by Hilton. “We’ve doubled down…

What’s turbocharging franchise growth in 2025? To find the answer, just look at these five brands—which all made major leaps in this year’s Franchise 500 ranking. Their growth levers were all different. A tanning salon used automation to drastically reduce labor costs. A home painting company implemented a new management training program, which improved location performance. A niche fried chicken brand combined big-shot investors and experienced franchisees—and it was a recipe for virality. And more. On the following pages, we break down exactly what these five brands did to grow so much in 2025—and how any franchise can follow in 2026. JUMPED 208 SPOTS Dave’s Hot Chicken Last year ranked at No. 453, this year jumped to No. 245 Dave’s Hot Chicken is a very modern success story. It involves…

Who are they? And what do they expect from franchising? Franchisees are all different. But if you look at their hopes, dreams, and expectations, you can see important patterns—both in who they are and what their journey feels like. On the following pages, you’ll find insights from a survey of 3,561 new franchisees, conducted by the franchise advisory group FRANCHISE SIDEKICK, and from their pool of 73,000 franchisee leads. → Who They Are Age Younger than → 40 23.7% 40s → 36.6% 50s → 30.4% 60 or older → 9.4% Net Worth $50K–$500K → 24% $500K–$1M → 25% $1M or More → 51% Experience Level 67% possess prior business experience 72% have day jobs while shopping for franchises “This means that, for most people, they’re actively planning a transition from…

The Franchise 500 is more than just the world’s first and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Now in its 47th year, this ranking is a snapshot of the franchise industry—capturing what has changed, what has stayed the same, and why franchising continues to be such an attractive model both for business owners looking to grow their brands and entrepreneurial hopefuls looking for a business to start. In this year’s ranking, you’ll find brands and industries of all types. Some have been around since our first Franchise 500 (and even earlier!). Others are innovative newcomers, including companies in novel industries such as virtual reality, hormone replacement therapy, and indoor air-quality services. They’re all proof that franchising is still a powerful engine for growth, and that, for prospective franchisees, the possibilities are almost…

1/For sales, you need someone with high EQ in the room. “The sales process has been automated in some productive ways, but I’ve had situations where something has gone wrong—and one of the unique attributes of a living, breathing person is the ability to read a room when things aren’t going well. People on the other side are often making decisions based on the emotions caused by the problem. Effective sales and partnership leaders need high EQ and a multisensory intuition that simply cannot be automated. I hope they also know how to use AI—I certainly do—but I can’t trust software with my livelihood or to protect my brand.” —ARI BLOOM, founder and CEO, A-Frame Brands 2/When ‘selling a feeling,’ intuition is irreplaceable. “AI should be used in every facet…

Gregory Constantine had a wild idea: What if he could suck carbon dioxide out of the air and turn it into sustainable fuel for airplanes? With an MBA at Harvard, he’d met Stafford Sheehan, who got his Ph.D. at Yale working on the technology to do it. So when they cofounded Airco in 2017, Constantine asked a very different question: While we work on our big idea, what can we make and sell now? This is a critical tactic, often employed by the most visionary thinkers. It’s the stepping stone to making their bold ideas a reality—by first taking something simpler to market, and using the earnings to fund more ambitious work. Examples abound. Tesla CEO Elon Musk always wanted to create an affordable electric vehicle, but he knew the…

Japan stands as a cornerstone of global business — a nation where tradition and cutting-edge innovation coexist, creating a highly favorable environment for foreign investors. According to the International Monetary Fund, Japan is expected to see renewed momentum in the coming years as real wages rise and structural reforms take hold, creating fresh opportunities for growth and strengthening investor confidence. Over the past decades, Japanese companies have built reputations for quality, reliability, and global reach. Today, with renewed political and economic energy, many international investors are turning to Japan not just as a manufacturing hub but as a gateway to advanced supply chains, technological innovation, and stable returns. Increasingly, global firms view Japan as a strategic base for expanding operations across the broader Asia-Pacific region, benefiting from its stability, connectivity,…

Japan’s economy has shown signs of both resilience and cautious momentum as we move through 2025. According to the International Monetary Fund, following a very modest estimated growth of just 0.1 percent in 2024, real GDP is projected to expand by around 1.2 percent in 2025. This suggests that the world’s thirdlargest advanced economy is slowly pulling itself into a new growth phase, supported by rising wage growth, improving private consumption and accommodative financial conditions. While the pace of growth remains modest by international standards, the outlook is meaningful for businesses and investors eyeing Japan as a strategic market. In this broader economic backdrop, the healthcare, pharmaceutical and life-sciences sector in Japan stands out as a vibrant and strategically important field. Japan’s demographic profile—an increasing share of older citizens—and the…

Japan’s economy continues to demonstrate resilient momentum, supported by steady consumer demand, technological innovation, and rising business investment. According to the IMF, Japan’s GDP growth is projected to strengthen as inflation stabilizes and corporate reforms deepen, helping unlock new competitiveness across key industries. The World Bank similarly notes that Japan’s ability to pair advanced manufacturing with digital transformation has positioned it for “sustained, moderate but stable growth” over the coming years — an encouraging backdrop for companies seeking to expand domestically and abroad. Among the industries benefiting from this renewed confidence is Japan’s fashion and apparel sector, long known for its craftsmanship and attention to detail. Consulting firms such as McKinsey have pointed out that global consumers increasingly associate Japanese fashion with premium quality and precise tailoring, placing the country…

Everyone wants to know: How do you win in franchising? And every year, Entrepreneur publishes the world’s greatest answer to that. It is this, the Franchise 500—the most robust survey of what’s working, what’s not, and how the most resilient and dynamic brands are pulling ahead. So, what did we see this year? Let’s back up. This year, Entrepreneur evaluated 1,354 total franchise brands. Five hundred of them made the ranking—and those 500 represent an outsized 89% of all units from the brands that applied. In raw numbers: The 500 brands in our ranking had a combined 550,929 units. Across the entire data set (all 1,354 brands), there were 618,945 units. In other words: The strongest brands don’t just grow. They define the industry. The brands on the Franchise 500…

STARTED FRANCHISING / 1998 TOTAL UNITS / 2,818 COST TO OPEN / $298.2K-$1M T he Tbrand’s made-to-order wings are why fans love Wingstop, but personalization takes time. The average order has historically taken around 20 minutes, and on busy Friday and Saturday nights, CEO Michael Skipworth admits that the wait could creep up to 45 minutes. “Our back-of-house kitchen was pretty archaic,” he says. “Not a lot had changed in 30 years. We were running off printed tickets.” The brand new Wingstop Smart Kitchen, which just rolled out across the country, not only digitizes operations, but also utilizes machine learning to create a demand forecast unique to each restaurant. The goal: Staff should have wings ready to come out of the fryer when an order is placed. Data points include…

STARTED FRANCHISING / 1988 TOTAL UNITS / 1,020 COST TO OPEN / $2.6M-$8.6M A few years ago, Julie Fussner boarded a bus with colleagues to embark on a tasting tour. The goal was simple: to understand where Culver’s ranked among the market’s most loved chicken sandwiches. Ten stops later, her stomach was not happy. “It was a horrible day; I was so sick by the end,” says Fussner, who was promoted to CEO of Culver’s in early 2025. “Our first stop was Popeyes, and theirs is so good, and I was hungry. And then, even if you only take a small bite [at each stop]…” The 10-sandwich bellyache proved worth the pain. Valuable lessons came from that day of marathon eating—primarily, the realization that among all the sandwiches in America’s…

Year Y began/franchising since This shows how long a company has been in business and how long it has been franchising. Both are good to know when you’re trying to decide whether you should go with an established system or a newer concept. Available A U.S. regions and Seeking int’l.? Check out these columns if you want to know whether a franchise system is expanding in your area and whether a company requires franchisees to buy master licenses or multiple units. Number N of franchises/Company-owned See a franchise company’s size and how quickly it’s growing. Here we list the numbers of franchises and company-owned units open and operating worldwide as of July 31, 2023, 2024, and 2025. Startup costs/Franchise fee Look here for the total initial investment to open a…