by Jason Pritchard, Interim CEO at Main Line Brands
With the start of a new quarter comes new franchising opportunities. Franchising offers immense potential for growth, but with a new franchise opening every eight minutes during a single business day, it can be difficult for prospective entrepreneurs to identify business ventures with lasting potential and those that are merely passing trends.
As aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners pursue new franchising opportunities throughout 2025, it is important to know what to look for in a franchisor and the essential factors that set sustainable franchises apart.
Community-Minded Franchisor Support System
A franchise’s longevity is only as strong as its commitment to core values, community impact and franchisee support. When considering a franchise opportunity, pay attention not only to how well a franchisor talks about its commitment to being a community-minded business, but also to how clearly that commitment is displayed throughout the franchise system.
At Main Line Brands, what makes us stand out is our expertise in every aspect of pest control and fitness equipment repair and maintenance service. From service protocols and training to treatments, our mission is to provide the best experience possible. This is made possible by the impact our franchisees have in their local communities and our corporate team’s dedication to evolving the ways we support our owners, helping them serve their local neighborhoods and beyond. We have spent years developing training programs for our portfolio brands that not only cover franchisee orientation and onboarding but also train local technicians so that they are fully equipped to support new locations, easing the burden on new franchisees. If a franchisor says they’re committed to setting up new franchisees with the tools and skills needed to succeed, make sure their systems, training and resources match that promise. Franchisees must truly become part of the communities they serve for their business to thrive. If you’re expected to care for the families, pets and neighbors in your service area, your franchisor should show that same level of care for you and your business from the start.
A sustainable franchise is dedicated to prioritizing reliable and community-oriented service that further establishes the brand as a preferred provider across its franchise system. These franchises encourage innovation from within their networks, providing franchisees the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from system-wide improvements based on their learned experiences in the field. For example, it was a McDonald’s franchisee who first introduced breakfast, and this idea was later adopted by corporate and rolled out nationwide. Look for brands that have franchisee-led teams within their corporate structure. These environments are likely where franchisees are encouraged to collaborate and where it’s clear that the franchisor finds value in their owners’ feedback.
Franchisees who thrive in these systems with franchisee-led teams are those who prioritize customer service, ensuring that clients receive expert care and attention while closely monitoring feedback. Whether answering a simple customer inquiry or addressing a complex service need, strong franchises promote a community-focused, collaborative approach… from the corporate office to the local level.
Franchisee-First Culture
As previously mentioned, the best franchisor fit is one that prioritizes the success of its franchisees through meaningful support. Brands that cultivate a franchisee-first culture lead by example, including ensuring their corporate leaders have firsthand franchising experience themselves, and they value the voices and opinions of franchisees in everything they do. Franchisors must provide comprehensive support in technology, marketing, and operations to help new franchisees build a solid foundation. This includes regular communication with franchisees to gather feedback on product rollouts, marketing strategies and operational tools.
At Main Line Brands, our franchisees are highly collaborative through internal social networks. We have established both Franchise Advisory Councils (FACs) and franchisee-led Marketing Advisory Councils to provide peer-to-peer support from those who understand the unique challenges of operating a franchise. This structure empowers franchisees to feel confident in their decisions while giving our corporate team a bird’s-eye view of the system’s needs, enabling us to make strategic moves that benefit both the franchise system as a whole and individual owners. A truly franchisee-first culture requires a heavy investment into franchisee resources and training. As mentioned, our team not only provides franchisee training and onboarding, but also hands-on technician training at our newly opened headquarters, which now includes a dedicated space for practical skills development.
When evaluating franchisors, be sure to ask about their training and onboarding process, especially if you’re joining an industry in which you may not have prior experience. Franchisors that invest in training both franchisees and their employees help ease the burden on new franchisees, who are already managing the steep learning curve of launching a business. This approach ensures a smoother, more confident start for franchise partners and provides early insight into how the corporate team functions within the franchise system.
Maximizing Growth Opportunities
A franchise with staying power offers its entrepreneurs the ability to scale far beyond one transaction. While growth through geographic expansion is a huge opportunity, franchisors should also provide the resources and flexibility for franchisees to grow in additional ways. This includes opportunities to diversify service or product offerings and to build a portfolio of client contracts in commercial services. A growth-minded franchise model enables franchisees to grow from working directly with individual clients to securing longer-term business-to-business contracts, increasing revenue streams and driving growth.
Being part of a larger franchise network that supports multiple brands also provides strategic advantages. A franchise system with more than one brand facilitates the exchange of innovative ideas, strengthens vendor relationships and promotes the sharing of best practices. At Main Line Brands, for example, a franchisee from one of our three brands might bring a great idea, connect us with a new vendor, flag a trending marketing strategy, or recommend a technology solution that they’ve had success with. If applicable, these innovations can be adapted across all our other brands to benefit the entire network. This collaborative environment encourages continuous improvement and empowers every franchisee to leverage the collective innovation of the entire network. Additionally, joining a franchisor with multiple brands opens the door to future multi-brand franchise ownership, creating yet another potential revenue stream for prospective franchisees.
Starting a new franchise business isn’t something you should have to do alone. The most worthwhile franchise opportunities are those that prioritize franchisee support and amplify franchisee voices at every level. When evaluating entrepreneurship opportunities, ask franchisors what resources are available to you and how they view the role of franchisees within the brand. Look for opportunities that will allow you to strengthen your local community while simultaneously giving you the confidence to contribute to the broader franchise system, grow your business and thrive within your new journey as an entrepreneur.
Jason Pritchard currently serves as interim chief executive officer at Main Line Brands, bringing more than a decade of experience in franchise operations, leadership and local owner support within the Mosquito Authority and Fitness Machine Technicians brands. Jason’s experience with the Mosquito Authority brand spans nearly 15 years, during which he held roles such as specialist, franchise operations director and franchise owner. His extensive experience in the pest control and fitness machine repair service industries, combined with his background as a franchise owner and operator, is instrumental in advancing Main Line Brands’ position as a leader in the home and commercial service industry.