2025 was another record-setting year for my company.
We’ll end right at $50M in revenue across our portfolio of brands.
2026 marks a big milestone. In May, it’ll be my 10-year anniversary as a franchise owner.
It took me 5 years to go from $0 to $5M in revenue.
Over the next 4.5 years, we went from $5M to $50M.
I share this not to brag but as an example of what’s possible.
Once you own a business, your future is 100% determined by your mindset, strategy, and execution.
So what are my plans for 2026?
It’s going to be a major year for anyone in business.
Here’s why:
We’ve got AI replacing jobs while giving us incredible leverage at our fingertips.
We’ve got an economy where the stock market hits record highs while consumers get crushed by rising costs.
We have a labor market where it feels like nobody values hard work.
And we have 10,000 baby boomers retiring every single day.
1 in 10 of those own a small business.
That’s 1,000 businesses hitting the market daily.
A lot of these businesses will either shut down or get sold at a discount.
Here’s what most people miss:
All of these forces are putting major pressure on business owners who don’t have their house in order.
The ones without solid systems, strong teams, and clear financials? They’re going to be motivated sellers.
I’m getting ready for one of the biggest “buyer’s markets” of my career.
People who are prepared and confident will have opportunities to acquire businesses for pennies on the dollar.
It’s going to be even more dramatic within franchising.
The franchise agreements we sign create unique pressure points that don’t exist in regular small businesses.
When a franchisee struggles, they can’t just “wait it out” forever.
I’ve identified three specific scenarios playing out right now that are creating acquisition opportunities I haven’t seen since 2020.
I’m also making some changes to how I structure deals in this environment and adjusting which opportunities I’m targeting.
I’m hosting a free live workshop next week to break all of this down:
- The macro trends reshaping franchise ownership in 2026
- The 3 scenarios creating distressed sellers (and how to find them)
- My specific acquisition criteria for this market
- How I’m positioning my portfolio for what’s coming
See you there!
Brian