Growing a Franchise
As franchise development becomes more competitive, smart franchisors are shifting from "Are they qualified?" to "Are we aligned?" Modern qualification demands deeper insight.
For years, franchisors relied on simple qualification tools like BANT — Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline — to determine whether a franchise candidate deserved to move forward in the process. But selling franchises in 2026 requires a completely different approach. Today’s candidates are more informed, more cautious and more discerning. They are comparing brands, cultures and long-term support long before they ever submit a form.
“The traditional Buyer, Authority, Need, Timeline qualification process is outdated, as it really only assessed if a candidate was worthy of the franchisor’s time,” said Dan Brunell, senior vice president of franchise development for Spherion Staffing & Recruiting. “The Challenges, Authority, Money, Prioritization (CHAMP) model puts more emphasis on the candidate’s needs and their alignment with the franchisor’s operating model and values.”
The shift from BANT to CHAMP represents a broader industry evolution — from transactional sales to relationship-driven evaluation, from gatekeeping to guidance and from checking boxes to building trust.
Brunell says the most meaningful difference between the old and new qualification frameworks is where the conversation begins.
“Hard qualification criteria like capital and experience are easy to assess,” he said. “But understanding the candidate’s motivation and outlook is also critical. Franchisors need to do more than talk about a list of values. Their sales process should illustrate how their corporate values guide how they operate, and how they actually influence their culture.”
In BANT, the franchisor screens the candidate. In CHAMP, both sides evaluate whether the partnership makes sense.
This gives development teams a clearer understanding of who will thrive in their system — and it gives candidates a more honest look at what the business demands, financially and operationally.
One of the biggest mistakes franchisors make during qualification is assuming candidates understand franchise finance. Many don’t — especially first-time business owners. “Financial requirements are often misunderstood with franchisee candidates,” Brunell said. “For many, it is their first business, so they are not yet aware of how business funding works, or all of the components that determine operating expenses.”
Even candidates comparing similar brands struggle to make sense of inconsistent or incomplete information. “While some companies like Spherion build an adequate amount of working capital into the total investment,” Brunell said, “others only include enough working capital for the first month or so in order to make the total investment appear lower.”
This is risky. A franchisee who enters the business underfunded faces tremendous pressure in their first year, which affects performance, satisfaction and long-term system health. “Franchisors need to be completely transparent about the funds truly needed to break even,” Brunell said. “New franchisees need the right amount of working capital to get them through to the cash flow break-even point.”
With rising interest rates, leaner borrowing options and a crowded franchise marketplace, franchisors have to work harder to stand out. Brunell says CHAMP helps development teams identify the proper fit.
“Clearly, understanding the candidate’s lifestyle objectives, earning expectations and qualifications is paramount,” he said. “They need to be a financial, cultural and skills match for your process to succeed.”
But he also says the biggest differentiator in 2026 won’t be the framework — it will be the brand’s reputation.
“Every company has an online reputation,” Brunell said. “This is one of the key factors when evaluating the strength of a brand, so aside from the sales process the franchise system needs to strive for quality customer service. This needs to be measured constantly and shared widely, because at the end of the day, customer satisfaction is critical to franchisees’ long-term success.”
In other words, qualification is about the franchisor demonstrating they are worthy of partnership — that candidates can trust the brand, its leadership and its support structure.
The best-performing franchise development teams in 2026 will be those that treat qualification as a two-way evaluation designed to build alignment, clarity and confidence.
BANT ensured candidates checked the boxes. CHAMP ensures both parties understand the relationship. With greater financial transparency, stronger cultural alignment and a consultative approach to discovery, franchisors not only bring in better owners — they build stronger systems.
Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisors grow their franchises with confidence? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and see what we can do for you.
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