After hunkering down in their homes during the pandemic, many people are looking for new residences, and the booming real estate franchise industry is prepared to meet the demand.

5 Real Estate Franchises We Love

The former corporate strategist was inspired to join the fast-growing swim school brand after his daughter nearly drowned.

The Great Franchisee: Gary Cohen, Big Blue Swim School, Boston

Mexican food represents 8% of the national restaurant industry. Taco 'bout a good time to invest!

5 Taco Franchises We Love

After stay-at-home orders caused people to spend more time than ever in their residences last year, people are investing money to upgrade their homes, making now the perfect time to invest in a furniture franchise. 

5 Furniture Franchises We Love

After spending so much time in their homes last year, consumers are investing in new furniture more than ever before, making 2021 the perfect year to invest in a mattress franchise.

5 Mattress Franchises We Love

In the midst of the pandemic, many people focused on self-care. Now that we are emerging from pandemic restrictions, consumers are investing in their health and wellness — which makes now the perfect time to invest in a spa franchise.

5 Spa Franchises We Love

Take a slice out of the thriving pizza market with our top five pizza franchises. 

5 Pizza Franchises We Love

Here’s why franchise marketing pro Wilcock selected the fast-growing dog training brand as his first franchise investment.

The Great Franchisee: Colby Wilcock, Dog Training Elite, Utah

With nearly 287 million vehicles on the road in the U.S., the demand for cars, car services and car accessories is beginning to increase. Here are five automotive franchises to watch this year.

5 Automotive Franchises We Love

In the next four years, the swimming pool industry is expected to grow by approximately $3.5 billion, and there’s never been a better time to dive into the industry.

5 Pool Franchises We Love

As Entrepreneur.com releases its annual list of top restaurant and food franchises, Shuckin’ Shack pulls 10th place in the Miscellaneous Full-Service Restaurants category.

Entrepreneur: Shuckin’ Shack Ranks #10 in Miscellaneous Full-Service Restaurants Category 

With new plans on how to best serve consumers, some upstart brands seemingly had a blueprint for dealing with the COVID-19 crisis, including family-friendly seafood franchise Shuckin’ Shack.

FSR Magazine: How Emerging Franchises Like Shuckin’ Shack Weathered the COVID-19 Storm

Now that stay-at-home orders are lifted and people are gathering again, many businesses are having trouble finding interested and qualified candidates for employment.

Good Morning America: Shuckin’ Shack CEO Jonathan Weathington Speaks With GMA About the Current Hiring Crisis 

As the pandemic begins to subside, operators are facing a new dilemma — how to attract consumers as customer behavior continues to change radically.

Franchise Times: Shuckin’ Shack's VP of Marketing Discusses Ways Franchises Aim to Attract Consumers

After a man found shrimp tails in his Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, the social media world was aflutter with the latest viral meme. Capitalizing on the moment, Shuckin' Shack decided to create a viral tie-in item of its own: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Shrimp.

Franchise Times: Shuckin' Shack Oyster Bar CEO Jonathan Weathington Takes Advantage of A Social Media Moment by Adding Cinnamon Toast Crunch Shrimp to the Menu

1851 Franchise

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

The Top 10 Low-Cost Franchises With High ROI 

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Franchise Legal Player:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanefisher/">Lane Fisher</a> Firm:&nbsp;<a href="https://fisherzucker.com/">FisherZucker</a><a href="https://fisherzucker.com/our-practice/our-attorneys/lane-fisher/">Lane Fisher</a> has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to franchise brands navigating growth, compliance and long-term risk. With experience advising early-stage and growth-oriented franchisors across multiple franchise-driven industries including health and beauty, home services, fitness, food and senior care, Fisher brings a practical, business-minded approach to franchise law. His work focuses on helping brands scale responsibly while protecting both the franchisor and franchisee experience.1851 Franchise connected with Fisher to discuss what franchisors often overlook, where legal risk hides during expansion, and the lessons that continue to shape their advisory philosophy.1851 Franchise: What originally drew you to franchise law, and what has kept you engaged over time?Lane Fisher:&nbsp;Franchise law is inherently multidimensional; it sits at the intersection of licensing, trademarks, corporate work, regulatory compliance and dispute resolution. That’s what drew me in initially, but what’s kept me here is the people and the growth curve. Franchising attracts entrepreneurial founders and strong operators, often in family-run businesses, and I enjoy helping them scale in a disciplined way. And because franchising cuts across so many industries — health and beauty, home services, fitness, food and senior care, just to name a small sample — you’re always learning. If your client’s brand grows, your work grows with it, and you can be part of that story from launch through an exit.1851: As franchising evolves, what legal issue do you see brands most often underestimating today?Fisher:&nbsp;If I had to pick only one, I’d say the impact of AI, and the jury’s still out on how the issue develops.Brands are racing to use AI in marketing, franchise development, screening, pricing, scheduling, performance benchmarking, etc. But a lot of franchise documents were written pre-AI and don’t clearly address who owns the data, who can aggregate it and how it can be used or monetized.There’s also a risk layer people miss: AI tools can create real-world expectations. If prospects rely on AI-generated performance projections or comparisons, you can end up with disclosure and misrepresentation issues, including “implied” financial performance claims.1851: Where do emerging franchisors tend to get tripped up from a compliance or documentation standpoint?Fisher:&nbsp;The biggest mistake is treating the FDD like a marketing brochure instead of a regulated disclosure document. Early-stage brands sometimes plug in estimates for initial investment without real calculations and then don’t update those numbers as actual experience comes in. They also underestimate training, especially around what salespeople can and can’t say and how to handle financial performance representations. If you’re offering Item 19, you need clean data, clear assumptions and documentation behind it.1851: How should franchisors think about risk management as they scale into new markets or add new growth strategies?Fisher:&nbsp;Prioritize quality over quantity. The fastest and easiest way to create long-term risk is awarding franchises to undercapitalized or mismatched operators. Strong franchisee selection and validation solve a lot of problems before they start.1851: What distinguishes your approach or philosophy when working with franchise clients?Fisher:&nbsp;I’m not interested in being an “FDD factory.” A franchise system should reflect a real, replicable business, so we’re candid with clients about readiness, and sometimes that means telling someone to wait. We also spend real time understanding the underlying unit economics. If a client is making an Item 19 disclosure, our job is to help them normalize the data, define the assumptions clearly and communicate it in a way that’s accurate and useful.More broadly, we coach clients to grow smart. Initially, that might mean selling smaller deals to better operators, disciplined expansion and, of course, documentation that matches how the business actually runs.1851: Looking back, what lesson has had the greatest impact on how you advise clients today?Fisher:&nbsp;Two things: (1) franchising isn’t for everyone and (2) preventable problems are expensive.The best systems respect the reality of independent business owners and are designed to motivate and support them, not just control them. And when disputes happen, the quality of the documents and the advice you got early on really matters. So we really counsel clients on disciplined growth: resist the temptation to “sell the most” and instead award franchises to better-capitalized, more capable operators. A little restraint upfront saves a lot of pain later.Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com/">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

2026 Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know: Lane Fisher — FisherZucker

1851 Franchise’s annual roundup of the Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know is back for 2026, spotlighting the legal minds helping shape the future of franchising.

2026-top-franchise-lawyer-lane-fisher-fisherzucker

A franchise marketing calendar does more than schedule promotions and social posts. It helps franchise systems stay organized, align messaging across locations and give franchisees a roadmap for local execution throughout the year. For franchisors trying to answer the question, “What should I include in a franchise marketing calendar?” the challenge is finding the balance between national consistency and local flexibility.According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-titus/">Andrew Titus</a>, president of&nbsp;<a href="https://unitedfranchisegroup.com/">United Franchise Group</a>, the best marketing calendars are built around collaboration, long-term planning and clear communication between the corporate office and franchisees.<h2>A Franchise Marketing Calendar Should Align Every Marketing Channel</h2>Titus said one of the biggest mistakes franchisors make is treating the marketing calendar as a simple list of promotions rather than a systemwide strategy tool.“The marketing calendar needs to align with every aspect of how the company is running and marketing the business,” he said. “Whether it’s PR, promotions, digital initiatives or social media, everything should work together. It can’t just be an email campaign or a few social posts. It needs to be a true multichannel marketing approach.”That means a franchise marketing calendar should outline far more than social media topics. National campaigns, local promotions, PR pushes, seasonal initiatives, digital advertising and budget expectations should all connect back to the same larger strategy.Titus also recommends building themes into the calendar to create consistency throughout the year. “I think it’s good to have a theme to the calendar,” he said. “Maybe each month has a different theme or each quarter has a different theme. Then you can build out the channels and approved budgets you’re going to use to support it.”For franchisors asking, “What should I include in a franchise marketing calendar?” one of the biggest priorities should be clarity. Franchisees need to know what campaigns are mandatory, what can be customized locally and how each initiative fits into the broader brand strategy.<h2>National Campaigns Need Local Flexibility</h2>While national marketing creates baseline visibility for the brand, Titus said local marketing is what makes a franchise feel connected to the community it serves.“We encourage each of our franchisees to upload pictures of their work on their local site to show what they’ve done in that market,” Titus said. “When they’re dealing with a large company, they’re part of a franchise system with 300-plus locations in 11 countries that’s been around for 26 years. But when they’re working with a local business or someone who only wants to do business with someone in their community, they can also market themselves as independently owned and operated and local to that area.”Franchisees have to be able to lean on the brand name without sounding distant from the people they serve. The calendar should give them a national message to work from, along with space for local projects, customer stories and community outreach.As franchise systems grow, that flexibility becomes even more important. Titus said many emerging brands naturally build their early marketing around the region where the first locations opened, but that approach eventually has to evolve.“When franchise systems start, they usually grow around the first location and kind of spiderweb from there,” Titus said. “If you start in Florida, the marketing calendar is naturally going to feel Florida-focused. But as you expand across the country, it has to change.”As brands expand, regional differences become harder to overlook. An October message built around colder weather might work well in Idaho, for example, but feel out of place in Florida.<h2>Franchisee Feedback Should Shape the Calendar</h2>Another major piece of what should be included in a franchise marketing calendar is franchisee input. Titus said corporate teams often overlook how valuable local operator feedback can be.“So many times, people at the corporate office look at themselves as the experts,” Titus said. “And yes, they are very knowledgeable, but the real experts are the people doing it day in and day out in their local markets.”At United Franchise Group, franchisees help guide decisions tied to the advertising fund and collaborate closely with the marketing department. Titus believes that communication helps create stronger campaigns and better systemwide alignment.Planning ahead is equally important. Titus said many franchisors wait too long to finalize the following year’s calendar because they are focused on finishing the current year strong.“If you’re going to do sales in January, February and March, you better be marketing for that in October,” Titus said. That lead time gives franchisees enough time to prepare budgets, build local promotions and execute campaigns effectively instead of scrambling after the year has already started.<h2>Practical Takeaways for Franchisors</h2>If you’re asking, “What should I include in a franchise marketing calendar?” these practical steps can help:<ul><li>Build the calendar around multichannel campaigns instead of isolated promotions or social posts.</li><li>Clearly separate mandatory national initiatives from customizable local marketing opportunities.</li><li>Gather franchisee feedback early and finalize the calendar before the new year begins so operators have time to prepare.</li></ul>For more information on franchise marketing, check out these related articles on 1851 Franchise:<ul><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/the-secrets-to-franchise-marketing-success-how-top-brands-drive-growth-2729269">The Secrets to Franchise Marketing Success: How Top Brands Drive Growth</a></li><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-do-franchise-marketing-funds-work-a-guide-2731131">How Do Franchise Marketing Funds Work? A Guide For Prospective Franchisees</a></li><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-marketing-leaders-2025-2729422">Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders of 2025: Driving Growth, Innovation and Local Success</a></li></ul>

What Should I Include in a Franchise Marketing Calendar? - Question of the Day - 1851 Franchise

A strong franchise marketing calendar aligns national campaigns, local promotions and multichannel strategy while giving franchisees flexibility to connect with their communities.

What Should I Include in a Franchise Marketing Calendar?

what-should-i-include-in-a-franchise-marketing-calendar

<a href="https://1851franchise.com/goodspark/why-franchise-systems-break-and-how-to-fix-whats-holding-you-back-2731998">Franchise profitability</a> is one of the most important factors in long-term system health, yet many brands spend more time talking about growth than they do about unit economics. So, how do I build franchise model profitability? The answer starts well before a franchisee opens the doors and extends into nearly every operational decision a franchisor makes.Strong unit economics create healthier operators, stronger validation and more sustainable expansion. When franchisees are profitable, they are more likely to reinvest, open additional locations and become advocates for the brand. When profitability slips, growth often becomes harder to sustain.<h2>Profitability Starts Before the Grand Opening</h2>When franchisors discuss profitability, the conversation often turns to marketing, promotions or increasing sales. Those factors matter, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/minahaque/">Mina Haque</a>, CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tonyromasfranchise.com/">Tony Roma's</a>, believes the foundation is established much earlier.“The honest answer is that unit-level profitability is built before a franchisee ever signs a deal,” Haque said. “It is built into site selection, build-out cost discipline and the labor model baked into the prototype. Franchisors tend to focus on marketing and LTOs because those levers are visible, but the profit ceiling of a unit is largely set on day one.”That view puts more weight on the decisions made before opening, rather than the short-term tactics that come later. A smaller footprint, a more efficient kitchen design or a labor model with fewer hours per shift can affect profitability well beyond the first marketing campaign.Haque pointed to several areas where franchisors can make meaningful improvements, including reducing build-out costs, designing more efficient operating models and ensuring supply-chain savings reach operators.“If a franchisor wants healthier units, the fastest path is usually to right-size the footprint, simplify the menu or service model and renegotiate the supply chain,” Haque said. “Pushing more top-line promotions is rarely the answer.”<h2>Aligning Franchisee Success With the Franchisor's Revenue Model</h2>Another common challenge for growing systems is balancing&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-much-can-franchisees-make-a-guide-expert-tips-2731076">franchisee profitability</a> with the franchisor's own revenue streams. The healthiest franchise systems create alignment between both parties so that everyone benefits when units perform well.“The model breaks when the franchisor's P&amp;L depends on fees that don't correlate with franchisee success,” Haque said. “Royalties tied to gross sales are sound because both sides win when the unit grows. The friction shows up in technology fees, mandatory vendor markups and marketing fund contributions, where the franchisee cannot see a clean line from spend to return.”Transparency plays a significant role here. Franchisees are generally willing to invest in tools, technology and support when they understand how those investments help their businesses perform better. Problems tend to emerge when operators struggle to see a connection between the costs they incur and the value they receive.“The principle I operate by is simple: Every dollar a franchisee sends up the chain should connect to something that grows their top line or protects their margin,” Haque said. “If you cannot make that connection clear, the fee structure will eventually create resentment, and resentful operators do not reinvest.”<h2>Why Some Franchise Models Struggle to Maintain Profitability</h2>For brands asking, “How do I build franchise model profitability?” it can be equally valuable to understand where systems commonly go wrong.According to Haque, one issue stems from aggressive development strategies that prioritize signed agreements over long-term operator success. Another involves brands that have failed to update their economic assumptions despite significant changes in labor costs, occupancy expenses and consumer behavior over the last several years.“Labor costs, occupancy and consumer behavior have all shifted significantly post-2020, and many systems are still operating off pro formas that assume pre-pandemic margins,” Haque said.As a result, some brands are operating with prototypes and financial models that no longer reflect market realities. Revisiting those assumptions may require difficult decisions, but ignoring them can create larger problems over time.<h2>What Operational Practices Support Long-Term Profitability?</h2><a href="https://1851franchise.com/leveraging-technology-in-modern-franchising-2726374">Technology continues to attract significant attention throughout franchising</a>, and many brands are investing heavily in dashboards, reporting tools and operational software. Haque supports those investments but cautions against viewing technology as a substitute for operational support.“There are many advanced tools available, and I am genuinely a fan of much of the technology coming into the franchise space,” Haque said. “But technology is only as useful as its utility on the ground. If franchisees do not adopt it, do not participate in the training and do not build it into their daily operations, they will never see the benefit.”According to Haque, operators need more than a clean sales report to protect profitability. They also need a close read on food, labor and other costs before those issues hit the bottom line.“The practice that matters most is also the least glamorous: a real-time P&amp;L visible to the operator, ideally daily, with food cost and labor cost benchmarked against system peers,” she said. “Most franchise dashboards report sales beautifully and costs poorly, which is backward. Operators already feel their sales. What they need is early warning on the cost side.”That visibility becomes even more valuable when paired with experienced field support teams capable of identifying operational drift before it becomes a financial problem.“Beyond that, the highest-ROI investment is usually in field operations: experienced people visiting units, coaching teams and catching drift before it shows up in the numbers,” Haque said. “Technology is a multiplier, but it does not replace a strong field ops culture.”<h2>Practical Takeaways for Franchisors</h2>For franchisors wondering, “How do I build franchise model profitability?” a few priorities stand out:<ul><li>Revisit the prototype often enough to make sure the labor model, occupancy costs and overall unit economics still hold up in the current market.</li><li>Look closely at each fee, vendor relationship and required expense to make sure franchisees can understand what they are paying for and how it helps the unit.</li><li>Put enough support around operators to help them spot rising food, labor or other cost issues before those problems start hurting profitability.</li></ul>The strongest franchise systems rarely achieve profitability through a single initiative. More often, it comes from consistently improving the fundamentals that shape unit economics from the day a franchise agreement is signed through the daily operation of the business.For more info on franchise profitability, check out these related articles on 1851 Franchise:<ul><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/why-average-franchisee-performance-may-be-the-best-growth-story-2732268">Why Average Franchisee Performance May Be the Best Growth Story</a></li><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/what-are-the-most-profitable-franchise-industries-a-guide-2730936">What Are The Most Profitable Franchise Industries? A Guide</a></li><li><a href="https://1851franchise.com/why-franchise-growth-breaks-when-unit-economics-dont-work-2731341">Why Franchise Growth Breaks When Unit Economics Don’t Work</a></li></ul>

How Do I Build Franchise Model Profitability? - 1851 Franchise Question of the Day

Tony Roma's CEO Mina Haque discusses how franchise brands can strengthen margins by improving unit economics and operator performance.

How Do I Build Franchise Model Profitability?

how-do-i-build-franchise-model-profitability

Beef 'O' Brady's Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is a family sports pub concept built around community, casual dining and lifelong local loyalty.

beef-o-bradys-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Newk’s Eatery is a fast-casual restaurant brand serving made-from-scratch sandwiches, salads, soups and pizzas rooted in Southern hospitality.

Newk’s Eatery Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

newks-eatery-franchise-costs-fees-profit

Franchise Legal Player:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-robinson-2646422b/?originalSubdomain=ca">Frank Robinson</a> Firm:&nbsp;<a href="https://cassels.com/">Cassels Brock &amp; Blackwell LLP</a><a href="https://chambers.com/lawyer/frank-robinson-canada-20:1546303">Frank Robinson</a> has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to franchise brands navigating growth, compliance and long-term risk. With experience advising emerging, scaling and mature franchisors across restaurants, hotels, consumer products, automotive, home care, fitness, home services and other consumer-facing industries, Robinson brings a practical, business-minded approach to franchise law. Their work focuses on helping brands scale responsibly while protecting both the franchisor and franchisee experience.1851 Franchise connected with Robinson to discuss what franchisors often overlook, where legal risk hides during expansion, and the lessons that continue to shape his advisory philosophy.1851 Franchise: What originally drew you to franchise law, and what has kept you engaged in the space over time?Frank Robinson:&nbsp;The practice of franchise law is dynamic, the clients we serve are talented, creative and diverse, and the franchising sector continues to evolve and create new opportunities for all stakeholders. As a franchise lawyer, our clients require advice and support in a broad range of areas, including franchise compliance, intellectual property, M&amp;A, real estate, litigation and so on. This keeps the practice varied, interesting and never dull. Our clients span an immense spectrum of industries, from restaurants and hotels to consumer products, automotive, home care, fitness, home services and more. We benefit from being able to participate in so many different businesses. More recently, increased interest in the franchise model from private equity, public markets and other capital partners has fostered areas of growth and opportunity that pull our clients — and us with them — into new and exciting places. It has never been a better time to be a franchise lawyer.1851: As franchising continues to evolve, what legal issue do you see brands most often underestimating today?Robinson:&nbsp;Whether it has to do with the evolution of franchising, or not, an often-overlooked area — that can create downstream legal risks — is the tolerance of deviations from quality standards, often small to start, that erode the integrity of the system and relationship dynamics over time. Many new franchisors regret or resist having to “police” their franchisees, but a failure to enforce a healthy degree of respect for franchise protocols and contractual compliance can transform pesky nuisances into a widespread undermining of the system. Oversight, communication, mutual respect — and the occasional hard conversation — go a very long way.1851: In your experience, where do emerging franchisors tend to get tripped up from a compliance or documentation standpoint?Robinson: Do it once. Do it right. This is what should guide any emerging and responsible franchisor when considering documentary compliance. As a franchisor, your primary assets are the revenue-generating franchises that follow the model and receive value for their adherence to standards. While much of this is sustained by the quality of the business and relationship, it is rooted in the franchise documents, especially the franchise agreement. Mistakes in the documents are multiplied by the number of franchises in the system and can compound over time. Reversing course once agreements are signed is challenging. Franchise systems should invest in quality documents from the start, and know how to use them.1851: What distinguishes your approach or philosophy when working with franchise clients?Robinson:&nbsp;Never losing sight of the client’s goals, whatever they are, however they evolve. Most clients desire growth and sustainability of the franchise system and the franchisees who make it up. Our philosophy is to fully align with clients on that path. In many ways, we see ourselves as a part of their franchise development teams, facilitating the sale and support of their networks. In all cases, our approach is founded on a deep and intimate knowledge of the business of franchising, understanding the needs and goals of our clients, offering practical, responsive and actionable advice, and sharing in and taking responsibility for the outcomes of our clients, whether celebratory or disappointing.1851: Looking back, what lesson from your legal career has had the greatest impact on how you advise clients today?Robinson:&nbsp;Working in a law firm, most problems are answered with a legal response. But, our clients operate in a dynamic and integrated environment in which the legal implications to any problem are one of a multitude to be considered when choosing a way forward. The effectiveness of a lawyer is increased dramatically when he or she can develop the sense and confidence to understand the place and limitations of the law in the context of a complex business problem — and then offer solutions that work in real time.Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com/">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

Frank Robinson — Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

1851 Franchise’s annual roundup of the Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know is back for 2026, spotlighting the legal minds helping shape the future of franchising. 