Stop Chasing Franchise Trends: How to Find the Right Fit Instead

Every week, someone calls me and asks the same question: “What is the hottest franchise right now?” I understand the impulse. When you are a corporate executive looking to break free, you want to back a winner. But as a franchise guide and franchise consultant, I can tell you that chasing trends is one of the fastest ways to end up in the wrong business.

On a recent episode of the Franchise Freedom podcast, I sat down with Brandon Johnson, a franchise development strategist with 16 years of experience across more than 10 industries. Brandon has held leadership roles at Subway, Chick-fil-A, and Maaco, and now works in development at Floor Coverings International. His dual perspective, both operational and developmental, gave us a conversation packed with hard-earned lessons for anyone considering investing in a franchise.

You can listen to more conversations like this one on our podcast page.

Why Chasing Hot Franchise Trends Can Backfire

Brandon made this point early and clearly: “I would encourage people to not go with trends, and also sometimes to not go with their passion.”

He used his own career as the example. When he joined Subway, it was the number one franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine for roughly a decade running, fueled by the $5 footlong phenomenon. Today, that same brand has dropped significantly in those rankings. Trends are temporary. A franchise agreement is typically 10 years.

As a franchise business consultant, I see this play out regularly. Someone falls in love with a brand, a concept, or an industry because it is popular right now. They skip the deeper questions: Does this match my lifestyle? Can I manage the staffing requirements? Do the unit-level economics actually work for my financial goals?

Those franchise ranking lists can be useful data points, but ask yourself what criteria drove the ranking. Was it franchise growth? Revenue? Did brands have to sponsor their placement? A growing system is great, but it does not tell you whether the business fits your life or whether the franchisees themselves are thriving.

The Myth of Fully Passive Franchise Ownership

This one comes up on nearly every call I take. Brandon addressed it head-on: “If you wanna have an absentee business model, own an ATM, invest in the stock market, so you can set it and forget it. It’s not in franchising.”

He backed it up with firsthand experience. At Chick-fil-A, Brandon served as the operating partner for a single location doing $4.2 million in annual revenue with 65 employees. Even with that level of staffing and leadership infrastructure, the franchise owner was in the business every single day. He was checking schedules, monitoring cash flow, watching cameras. It was his livelihood, and he treated it that way.

Semi passive ownership is absolutely a real model in franchising. Many candidates I work with as a franchise business advisor build toward a structure where they are not in the day-to-day operations. But that is a destination, not a starting point. Year one and year two are what I call the builder years. You are hiring your team, learning the systems, reinvesting profits, and laying the foundation. Taking a step back comes later, once the right people and processes are in place.

Anyone telling you that you can buy a franchise and immediately have time freedom is not giving you the full picture.

Follow the System or Risk Failure

Brandon shared an observation that mirrors exactly what I have seen in my 20 years in franchising: “Anytime I see people that go out early on, like they’re in the business for about one to two years and they can’t make it to year three, it’s pretty much because they can’t follow the business model.”

His advice was blunt: “Do not try to recreate the wheel. When you do, that’s when things go wrong.”

This is precisely what you are paying for when you invest in a franchise. You are buying a proven system, established vendors, tested marketing, and operational playbooks that work. That does not mean you cannot contribute ideas. The $5 footlong at Subway reportedly came from a franchisee. The Filet-O-Fish at McDonald’s was a franchisee suggestion. Good franchisors welcome input. But the intent is never to overhaul a system that is already producing results.

The two primary reasons franchisees struggle are running out of capital and failing to follow the model. As simple as that sounds, I watch it happen repeatedly. Candidates who try to swap vendors, cut marketing budgets early, or run the business “their way” from day one put themselves at a serious disadvantage.

How to Properly Validate a Franchise Before You Buy

Brandon emphasized that validation, speaking directly with existing franchisees, is where the real picture comes together. He encouraged candidates to be strategic about it rather than randomly calling names from the franchise disclosure document.

His approach: talk to franchisees at different stages. Speak with someone in their first year to understand the ramp-up. Talk to owners two or three years in who are more established. Find someone whose life situation mirrors yours. If you have young kids, talk to a franchisee with young kids. If you are approaching retirement, connect with someone in that same chapter.

As a franchise coach, I tell every candidate the same thing. Validation is where most people either skip steps or do not go deep enough. Talking to one franchisee is not sufficient. You need multiple perspectives: full-time owners, semi passive owners, top performers, and those who have faced challenges. Ask who the top franchisee in the system is and request an introduction.

The other critical moment is discovery day. Whether it happens in person or virtually, this is your chance to meet the leadership team. I always say you want to meet the captain steering the ship. If that captain cannot articulate where the brand is headed over the next five to 10 years, that is a red flag worth paying attention to.

Home Service vs. Brick-and-Mortar: Choosing the Right Model

Brandon offered a clear-eyed comparison of the two main franchise venues, drawing on direct experience with both. His biggest differentiator was ramp-up time.

A well-structured home service franchise can have you through training and generating revenue within three to four months of signing your agreement. A brick-and-mortar concept can take eight to 12 months or longer once you factor in build-outs, permits, and local approvals. Brandon put it plainly: “If I sign a franchise agreement today, and I’ve got an eight to 12-month build-out, I’m not seeing anything until 2027, and that just is too far away.”

Home service businesses also tend to carry lower startup costs since you avoid monthly rent, build-out expenses, and the risk tied to choosing the right physical location. On the other hand, brick-and-mortar businesses keep your team under one roof, which can simplify management. Home service models require more of a project management mindset, coordinating installers, salespeople, and networking events all moving in different directions simultaneously.

Neither model is inherently better. The right answer depends on your financial position, your tolerance for a longer launch timeline, your management style, and how you want your daily life to look. As a franchise consultant, I help candidates use these practical filters, rather than brand excitement, to narrow down their options.

Bet on Yourself and Get Educated

Brandon closed with a thought that stuck with me: “The only way in life that you can bet on yourself is if you’re a small business owner.”

He is right. Corporate roles come with golden handcuffs, but they also come with layoffs, budget cuts, and private equity acquisitions that are entirely outside your control. A franchise gives you a vehicle to build something with real enterprise value and eventual resale potential.

My advice to anyone sitting on the fence: get educated before you get excited. Write down what your ideal business looks like before you look at a single brand. Work with a franchise business consultant who can prescreen companies and match opportunities to your specific goals. Talk to real franchise owners, even if you just buy lunch for the franchise owner around the corner from your house. You will learn more in that one conversation than in hours of searching online.

As Brandon reminded us, referencing The Millionaire Next Door, the wealthiest people in your neighborhood are often not who you expect. They are the home service business owners, the ones who built quietly and consistently while everyone else chased flash.

Find the franchise that is a right fit for you at https://ggthefranchiseguide.com/right-fit