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How KidStrong Solved the Seasonality Problem: Camps, Parties and Smarter Use of Time

Mosquito SquadⓇ Plus Franchisee Conference Showcases Growth, Innovation and Franchisee Excellence

Pigtails & Crewcuts Partners With Ronald McDonald House Atlanta to Provide Comfort, Care and Support to Families 

Mister Sparky Electric Signs 10 Franchise Agreements in Q1 2026 and Jumps 50 Spots in the Franchise 500® 

Stratford Crier: Griswold Stratford Celebrates 35 Years of Service

Minuteman Press Franchisees Talk 11 Years in Business in Bradenton, FL

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

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What financial performance data can I legally disclose? It’s a critical question for franchisors navigating franchise sales. It’s also one that carries legitimate legal risk when mishandled. While transparency can help attract qualified potential franchise owners, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) places clear limits on what financial information can actually be shared and how.Understanding where the lines are drawn is critical when it comes to protecting both the brand and franchisees.<h2>Understanding the Legal Guardrails</h2>The FTC’s Franchise Rule closely regulates Financial Performance Representations (FPR). Therefore, according to franchise attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-l-herman-b9258112a/">Mario Herman</a>, most financial data will be found within Item 19 of the&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-to-buy-a-franchise-what-is-an-fdd-2724901">Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)</a>.&nbsp;“Under the FTC’s Franchise Rule, codified in 16 CFR Part 436, franchisors are generally prohibited from making FPRs outside of&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/the-item-19-how-to-get-to-the-bottom-line-when-researching-franchise-concepts-2721856">Item 19 of the FDD</a> unless specific conditions are met,” Herman said.There are limited circumstances where sharing financial information outside Item 19 is allowed.“There are two permissible instances where financial information may be shared outside of Item 19,” Herman said. “First, when it concerns actual records of an existing outlet a prospective franchisee is considering purchasing. Second, when the information supplements the information already provided in Item 19 by providing more detailed information about performance at a particular location.”<h2>Where Franchisors Can Get Into Trouble</h2>Even without sharing hard numbers, franchisors can accidentally create prohibited financial performance representations.“The gray area where potential legal disputes could arise includes statements akin to promissory fraud about the prospective franchisee's potential earnings,” Herman said. Phrasing matters. And potentially misleading statements like, “you will double your investment in a year” or “you are guaranteed to make a profit” should be watched closely.<h2>Practical Takeaways for Franchisors</h2>So, what financial performance data can I legally disclose? Five considerations:<ul><li>Anchor all earnings discussions to Item 19 before providing any supplemental detail.</li><li>Avoid promises, projections or guarantees (even without numbers).</li><li>Use caution with comparisons that imply potential financial success.</li><li>Educate sales teams and franchisees alike on&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/understanding-financial-performance-representations-and-their-legal-ramifications-2703154">what constitutes an FPR</a>.</li><li>Monitor public statements made by franchisees that could be reflective of more systemwide claims.</li></ul>Bottom line: You can share less than many expect, and only under certain specific conditions. By paying particular attention to&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-franchisors-can-build-a-marketable-item-19-2727750#stories">FDD Item 19</a> and avoiding implied earnings claims, franchisors can stay compliant while building trust with potential franchisees.Handled correctly, transparency and compliance don’t have to be at odds. But the margin for error is slim.Want to learn more about franchise opportunities on 1851 Franchise? Be sure to visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/power-rankings">Power Rankings</a> to read more on brands making moves.

What financial performance data can I legally disclose?

What franchisors need to know about Federal Trade Commission rules, Item 19 disclosures and avoiding prohibited financial performance representations during franchise sales.

What Financial Performance Data Can I Legally Disclose? Practical Tips

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Caring Senior Service logo, franchise deep dive

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Caring Senior Service is a home care agency that provides non-medical in-home assistance to seniors.

Caring Senior Service Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

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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.

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By combining brand power, operational systems and carefully selected franchise partners, Tide is expanding beyond dry cleaning to become a complete laundry solution.

How Tide Services Plans to Win a Fragmented $15 Billion Laundry Market Through Franchising

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A&nbsp;<a href="https://moneywise.com/managing-money/how-to-earn-money/franchising-billionaire-greg-flynn-restaurants-ai-proof-career">recent Moneywise article</a> by&nbsp;<a href="https://moneywise.com/author/becky-robertson">Becky Robertson</a> highlighted an often-overlooked path to wealth creation: franchising. Prompted by the rise of&nbsp;<a href="https://flynn.com/">Flynn Group</a> founder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.franchise.org/people/greg-flynn/">Greg Flynn</a> as what is believed to be the franchising industry's first billionaire, the piece examined how ownership of established brands has quietly helped build fortunes for entrepreneurs willing to take on the work and risk involved.<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-ownership-ai-era-economist-2732276">Flynn's story is unusual in scale, though not necessarily in structure</a>. He began by acquiring eight Applebee's restaurants and eventually built a portfolio of more than 3,000 locations spanning brands including&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pizza-hut-franchise-deep-dive-2722519">Pizza Hut</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/taco-bell-franchise-deep-dive-2720788">Taco Bell</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-wendys-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2722520">Wendy's</a>. The Flynn Group also operates more than 140&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-planet-fitness-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2723399">Planet Fitness</a> locations across multiple countries.The example offers a reminder that franchising has long been a vehicle for upward mobility. According to the Moneywise article, business owners and entrepreneurs account for 88% of millionaires and 91% of people with net worths exceeding $5 million. Before the rise of today's technology giants,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-mcdonalds-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-for-2025-2720737">McDonald's</a> was often credited with creating more millionaires than any other company.Still, the path is hardly automatic.Franchise ownership requires substantial financial resources and a willingness to operate within another company's system. Startup costs can include franchise fees, equipment, real estate expenses and inventory, followed by ongoing royalty payments and day-to-day operating costs. Some brands offer financing options, but prospective owners typically need significant liquidity before they are approved.Even among household names, the economics vary widely. Moneywise noted that McDonald's applicants must have at least $500,000 in liquid assets and can face startup costs exceeding $1 million.&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/the-rise-of-chick-fil-a-americas-number-one-chicken-franchise-2727483">Chick-fil-A's</a> initial investment requirements are considerably lower, though the brand is known for its selective approval process.The appeal of franchising lies in the balance between entrepreneurship and structure. Owners gain access to established operating systems, brand recognition and proven business models, while accepting limitations on how much they can alter the concept.For some, those trade-offs outweigh the potential rewards. Online forums are filled with cautionary tales from former operators who cite difficult landlord relationships, operational challenges and disagreements with franchisors. Others have built careers that far exceed the earning potential of traditional salaried roles.As Flynn's milestone illustrates, franchising may not attract the same attention as Silicon Valley startups, but it remains one of the country's most enduring wealth-building models.Read the original article&nbsp;<a href="https://moneywise.com/managing-money/how-to-earn-money/franchising-billionaire-greg-flynn-restaurants-ai-proof-career">here</a>.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.

Franchise billionaire Greg Flynn, Applebees, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Planet Fitness

Greg Flynn's rise from eight Applebee's restaurants to more than 3,000 locations shows both the upside and challenges of building wealth through franchising.

What Franchising's First Billionaire Reveals About the Industry's Wealth Potential

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How Do I Benchmark Franchise Performance? Tips for Franchisors

Right at Home Franchise Owner Jobin Mathai to Share Journey From McDonald’s to In-Home Care Success

HIITCore Fitness Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

Why One of Tide Cleaners’ Largest Franchisee Groups Is Expanding Into New Laundry Category

How Do I Manage a Franchise Supply Chain? An Expert Guide for Franchisors

2026 Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know: Joseph J. Fittante — Larkin Hoffman

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