Table of contents for Fall/Winter 2024 in Entrepreneur's Startups

We Sell Restaurants is a business brokerage serving clients looking to buy, lease, sell, or resell restaurants of all types. CEO Robin Gagnon shares the three things she’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ New technology! “Earlier this year, we launched a proprietary new technology platform that has been a game changer for our franchisees, streamlining their workflow and what can be accomplished in a day.” 2 ▶ New hires! “We recently made some strategic hires to lean into multiple technological advancements with new product offerings on the horizon.” 3 ▶ Virtual tours! “We are proud to be the first in the business brokerage sector to offer 360-degree virtual tours. A recent success story comes from our Charlotte, North Carolina, franchisee, who worked with a group from Indianapolis. They were…

Dave’s Hot Chicken is a fast-growing purveyor of chicken tenders and sliders, with heat levels ranging from “no spice” to “reaper.” CEO Bill Phelps shares the three things he’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ Increased marketing! “Our franchisees overwhelmingly voted late last year to increase the national spending rate by 50%. This forward-thinking vote gives us the marketing muscle we need to compete effectively, while providing a great return for franchisees.” 2 ▶ International expansion! “We have expanded into Canada, UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. We also have plans to open multiple locations in the UK early next year. Most importantly, our partner in the Middle East says that in a challenging business environment, Dave’s is performing incredibly well.” 3 ▶ Changed lives! “The most exciting thing is that…

Early in the pandemic, Zach Peyton, president of Superior Fence & Rail, met with Franchise FastLane, a firm that helps increase franchise sales. Peyton wanted to recruit new franchisees, but Franchise FastLane posed a roadblock by asking: Could Superior Fence & Rail handle the growth? Peyton wanted to say yes, but he couldn’t. Pandemicrelated supply-chain disruptions all but guaranteed any new franchisees he signed would end up sitting in an empty warehouse that should be full of fencing. He could have tried waiting out the supply-chain problems. Instead, he put his energy where it would have the most impact: Although he couldn’t recruit franchisees, he could build a bigger support team to ensure his future recruits would hit their numbers at record pace. So that’s what he did. In its…

Part of the Empower Brands family of franchises, Koala Insulation offers customers a variety of insulation installation and related services. President Cory Lyons shares the three things he’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ International expansion! “Koala Insulation is expanding internationally with the opening of its first location in Canada set for September. This makes us the first U.S.-based insulation franchise to have an international footprint.” 2 ▶ New ad campaign! “We launched our first national television ad campaign in August. [Past studies have shown that] 90% of homes are under-insulated, yet most Americans don’t think about their insulation needs. With our campaign, we want to bring that fact and more to the public eye.” 3 ▶ National partnerships! “Koala Insulation has become the preferred insulation partner with multiple companies…

Assisted Living Locators offers guidance and support for families seeking the right senior-care option for their aging loved ones. Founder and brand president Angela Olea, RN, shares three things she’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ A new tool! “We’re excited about the potential of developing a Zillow-like platform for senior living options. This comprehensive database would allow families to easily search, compare, and view detailed information about various communities.” 2 ▶ Technology integration! “We’re seeing a significant trend toward integrating advanced technologies, such as wearable health monitors, telehealth services, and smart home devices into senior care.” 3 ▶ Synergy! “As a member of Evive Brands [which also franchises Executive Home Care, Grasons Estate Sales & Business Liquidations, and The Brothers that just do Gutters], we’re uniquely positioned to integrate…

When things go wrong, ask yourself this question: Did I just run an accidental experiment? The answer might be yes. And once you realize this, you’ll feel a lot better. Because here’s the thing: Mistakes suck. But the “accidental experiment” concept completely reframes them. It gives you something to ponder, explore, and learn from. I stumbled into this idea recently after messing something up and feeling awful—until a friend helped me see the benefits of disaster. Here was the scene of the failure: I’d organized a webinar for some of my newsletter subscribers (join at jasonfeifer.com/newsletter). My friend Richelle DeVoe was hosting; she’s a consumer psychology expert, and was teaching the art of interviewing customers. Lots of planning went into this, and we met on Zoom for a 60-minute…

Shortly after Ellie Mental Health started franchising in 2021, the company hosted its first discovery day at its very first clinic in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Four potential franchisees showed up. The next month, it was five people. And by month three—in October 2021—40 people and 17 groups came in looking to buy a territory. Chris Pash, Ellie’s senior vice president of growth and development, was floored—not just by how many people were interested in opening a therapy-based franchise business, but by how vulnerable they were with their personal stories. “I would ask them, ‘Why Ellie? Why mental health?’” says Pash. “And they all would share these stories that were emotional and deep. They were really going deep in the first five minutes of meeting me.” They mentioned children who were…

Gigglewaters is a 1920s-themed restaurant, bar, and movie theater, combining classic films with food and drinks. Founder and CEO Rachel Fine Wilson shares the three things she’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ Restaurants are back! “The return of full-service restaurants has been incredible. On a Friday or Saturday night, we can run up to a two-hour wait. While quick-service restaurants focus on transactions, full-service is about building relationships.” 2 ▶ Expansion! “We’ve just sold our first franchise. It’s exhilarating to connect with the trailblazers who will collaborate with our founders to build something remarkable from the ground up.” 3 ▶ Cinema Supper Series! “Recently we launched our Cinema Supper Series, where we follow the exact food cues of the film we’re showing, for a curated 10-course culinary event. This…

Franchising is built on strict adherence to mandated systems and operational controls. These include specific roles and responsibilities for franchisors and franchisees. Most simply: Franchisors are the brand. They grant licenses to franchisees to do business under the brand’s name and trademark. When a franchisee signs a franchise agreement, it’s crucial that they abide by their expected role and responsibilities to uphold the name and standards of the brand. Here’s what anyone hoping to enter this ecosystem needs to know about being a franchisee. The franchisee’s role Franchisees must adhere to a long list of demands related to owning and operating a licensed business, and not everyone is cut out for it. The role requires operating strictly within the confines of the brand’s proven business model, and remaining in compliance…

Special Strong offers adaptive fitness services to help people with mental, physical, and cognitive challenges. CEO Daniel Stein shares the three things he’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ New app! “We are excited to introduce Adaptive Fit, an app designed to make adaptive fitness accessible to everyone worldwide. It offers adaptive workouts tailored to individual needs, group classes, nutrition plans, and a community chat platform.” 2 ▶ New marketing strategy! “This year, we launched an ambitious omnichannel marketing strategy. Within six months of implementing it, we reached an average of 10 million monthly users across all channels, and we’re set to reach 50 million people per month by the end of 2024.” 3 ▶ A new company! “With the launch of our new marketing company, Adaptive Fitness, we are…

DonutNV is known for its hot mini doughnuts. It is not especially known for the trailers it produces at its 31,000-square-foot factory in Georgia. But those trailers have become the key to its business. Here’s why. DonutNV is a mobile operation, with franchisees selling doughnuts out of trailers at corporate events, graduations, and so on. The brand once relied on trailers purchased from third-party vendors—but in February 2023, shortly after it ramped up its sales operations, it foresaw a problem: What if the brand recruited franchisees faster than trailers were available? “It was kind of a necessity,” says Alex Gingold, DonutNV’s cofounder. So now, DonutNV can assemble custom-made trailers on its own schedule and have them delivered—which is both useful for newcomers and helps existing franchisees scale. But this…

Pool Scouts, part of Buzz Franchise Brands, offers pool cleaning, repairs, maintenance, and even renovations. President David Mele shares the three things he’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ New leadership! “As the new president of Pool Scouts, I am thrilled to join this dynamic team and elevate our brand to new heights. My career has been dedicated to working with diverse business owners, and I am eager to leverage that experience to accelerate Pool Scouts’ momentum.” 2 ▶ Giving back! “We’ve just concluded our May fundraiser for the Hope Floats Foundation, raising $22,000 to fund 1,000 swim lessons for underprivileged children.” 3 ▶ Growth! “We recently welcomed our first franchisee in Pennsylvania, expanding our reach to over 70 territories across 17 states. Together, we’re poised for remarkable growth and…

Scenthound specializes in routine hygiene and wellness care for dogs, helping to keep their skin, coat, ears, nails, and teeth healthy and clean. CEO Tim Vogel shares three things he’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ Technological innovation! “Our team is consistently working on new innovations to improve our customer experience. We are committed to bettering operational excellence on all fronts through technological efficiencies.” 2 ▶ New products! “Based on consumer demand, our team is working to pioneer new products for our exclusive retail line, Houndswell. Our veterinarian grade formulas are pet-parent-approved, and we’re ecstatic about the potential to share them with consumers on a wide scale.” 3 ▶ Growth! “Scenthound opened its 100th location in July, marking a huge milestone. With no plans of slowing down anytime soon, we…

Tierra Encantada is a daycare and preschool set apart by its bilingual education program and fresh-cooked meals. Founder and CEO Kristen Denzer shares the three things she’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ A new investor! “The thing I am most excited about is our first institutional investor. Their patient capital and operational resources allow us to deepen our proven ability to provide a premier experience for families and franchisees.” 2 ▶ New talent! “Having the right people in the right seats to accelerate our national expansion is a major focus this year. I am thrilled we were able to hire two talented C-suite leaders, our chief marketing officer and chief financial officer, and their early efforts have already had a tremendous positive impact.” 3 ▶ Technology upgrades! “Informed by…

Zoom Room expected to have 45 total locations open by the end of 2023. It hit more than 60. That growth caps an incredible turnaround story. Zoom Room’s past troubles are notorious. Shortly after it started franchising in 2009, the company made some bad deals. It was “picking the wrong franchisees and growing without a plan,” says Mark Van Wye, who was the company’s COO at the time. In 2016, the year Van Wye took over as CEO, the franchise had just 10 locations—down from 14 the year prior. So his first act was to implement a two-year moratorium on sales of new franchised locations. He used the hiatus to build out the support team, bring on a VC partner, and improve unit economics. Eventually, the company started growing again.…

For more than 45 years, Mountain Mike’s Pizza has been serving up slices to families throughout the western U.S. CEO Jim Metevier shares the three things he’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ Innovative flavors! “We’re introducing an array of exciting menu items this fall. From a globally inspired pizza flavor to new flavors of our tasty, zesty wings, there will be something new for all adventurous palettes to enjoy.” 2 ▶ Expansion! “By year’s end, Mountain Mike’s will surpass 300 restaurants, with another 100-plus under development across 15 states.” 3 ▶ A key partnership! “For the past six years, we have proudly been the official pizza of the San Francisco 49ers, and we recently re-signed for another three years, underscoring our longstanding commitment to families, sports fans, and communities.…

You’ve decided to take your career to the next level by buying a franchise. Now what? The answer is a balance between objective performance indicators and gut-level instinct. Before you begin, write a list of your wants, your needs, and your budget, as well as the things you’re good at and enjoy doing versus those you’re not good at and hate doing. You don’t have to do all of this alone—nor should you. Plan to have a team behind you: a broker (if you’re buying an existing location) with a lawyer and an accountant when you’re in the final stages. But in the end, you will be one of your own most critical resources when researching the franchise opportunity that could change your life. 1 ▶ Start with yourself. Before…

Kampgrounds of America (KOA) offers camping accommodations ranging from tents to cabins to RV spaces. President and CEO Toby O’Rourke shares three things she’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ Momentum! “According to our research, one of every four leisure trips last year involved camping! Our industry-leading Camping and Outdoor Hospitality report shows a 23% increase in camping households over the past decade and a sizable shift to younger and more diverse demographics over time.” 2 ▶ New headquarters! “We recently built and opened a new corporate headquarters. We are proud to have achieved LEED Gold certification, and we had a formal dedication this summer.” 3 ▶ 60 years! “We are thrilled to be celebrating 60 years of franchising, with three of our franchised locations in Wyoming crossing the 60-year…

Accelerated Waste Solutions franchisees offer valet trash collection for apartments and bulk junk removal. Vice president of franchise development Todd Leonard shares the three things he’s excited about this year. 1 ▶ New technology! “We are launching a new operations management and marketing app-based platform for our franchisees. During testing, our corporate teams experienced increased efficiency, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth.” 2 ▶ Growth from within! “Over 45% of owners are expanding into additional territories. That has me excited for the future of our company, with so many proven and successful owners doubling or even tripling down on the brand.” 3 ▶ Needs-based opportunities! “We have been able to adapt to market conditions, good and bad. From services like valet trash adding a needed amenity to apartment complexes, to clearing…