The franchise industry is a fast-moving landscape where some brands expand rapidly while others struggle to gain traction. The key question is “why does one brand skyrocket while a similar concept remains stagnant?” In a recent Entrepreneur article, five standout franchise systems were highlighted for their impressive growth: Zoom Room, Superior Fence & Rail, Mister Sparky, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.
As a franchise CFO, I wanted to examine these brands through a financial and strategic lens. What specific strategies have fueled their expansion, and how can emerging franchisors replicate their success?

The Growing Franchise Market
Franchising continues to see steady growth. In 2024 alone, the U.S. is expected to add 15,000 new franchise units, bringing the total to 821,000 nationwide. While the industry as a whole is projected to grow by 1.9%, emerging franchisors often experience significantly higher expansion rates. These brands attract early-stage franchisees eager to invest in promising new opportunities, making it crucial to understand what separates high-growth franchises from the rest.
I’ve analyzed the financial and strategic moves that have propelled these five brands forward. Here’s what they all have in common:
The 4 Key Factors Driving Franchise Growth
1. Proven Business Models That Scale
Successful franchises refine their business models over time, ensuring profitability and efficiency. They don’t just work in one location; they prove they can succeed across different markets. Franchisees want to see that a concept isn’t just a local success story—it’s a replicable system with real scalability.
Take Superior Fence & Rail’s system-wide growth as an example:

- 2019: $17.1M
- 2020: $23.2M
- 2021: $55.7M
- 2022: $106.9M
- 2023: $188.5M
Rather than focusing on the numbers, look at the trend. The steady increase in revenue highlights how the brand has refined its model, marketing, and operations, making it an attractive and sustainable investment for franchisees.
Having trouble articulating value in your franchise sales process? A few quick tips here.
2. Enforced Systemwide Marketing Commitment
Most franchise agreements include a required marketing spend—but many emerging franchisors fail to enforce it. This is a major mistake. Both unit-level growth and overall system expansion are heavily influenced by aggressive, consistent marketing efforts.
One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning mandates that franchisees allocate 8-12% of gross revenue to local advertising and promotion. This ensures that each location actively drives customer acquisition rather than relying solely on national branding. The result? A predictable pipeline of new customers and steady revenue growth.
Additionally, the most successful franchises invest in pre-opening marketing support, including lead generation strategies, SEO-optimized websites, and comprehensive brand-building campaigns. The brands highlighted in this analysis all require substantial marketing investments, reinforcing a commitment to growth and visibility at every franchise location.
3. Strong Unit Economics
Attractive unit economics—profitable locations with predictable returns—are non-negotiable for sustainable franchise growth. Without strong financial performance at the unit level, scaling a brand becomes nearly impossible.
For example, Superior Fence & Rail’s franchisees see impressive revenue numbers:
- Top third: Median revenue of $5.34M
- Bottom third: Median revenue of $1.14M
- Startup investment: $130,500 – $206,800
These figures demonstrate a solid return on investment, with scalable, recurring revenue from fence maintenance and repair. Likewise, Zoom Room, a pet training franchise, benefits from a high customer retention rate (87%) and a Net Promoter Score of 90. Their customers return again and again, with lifetime spending up to 100x the initial acquisition cost.
Emerging franchisors should take note: A high-retention, recurring revenue model drastically improves long-term profitability.
Ready to learn more about Financial Management for Franchisees? Read more here.
4. Smart Use of Capital and Financing Strategies
Franchising isn’t just about making money—it’s about having the capital to grow. Underfunded brands struggle to expand. However, strategic capital deployment can bridge this gap.
Top-performing franchises offer creative financing solutions, including franchise fee financing, conversion incentives, and growth rewards for existing franchisees.
- Benjamin Franklin Plumbing & One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning offer franchisees the ability to finance up to 75% of their initial franchise fee, repaid over 36 months at 12% interest.
- Conversion incentives allow existing businesses to switch to a franchise brand with reduced or deferred franchise fees, with performance-based loan forgiveness.
- Multi-unit incentives provide discounts for existing franchisees who expand, reducing franchise fees by up to 30%.
By lowering the barrier to entry and making growth financially viable, these brands create a scalable, profitable system that attracts serious investors.
Lessons from Zoom Room: Carving Out a Profitable Niche
Zoom Room’s success highlights the power of a strong niche. Instead of trying to compete with big-box pet stores, they focus exclusively on premium dog training services, positioning themselves as the go-to brand for engaged pet owners.
What Emerging Franchisors Can Learn:
- Recurring revenue is key – Membership-based models create predictable cash flow and strong customer retention.
- Specialization leads to pricing power – By catering to a high-demand, underserved market, Zoom Room can charge premium prices without competing on cost.
- Operational efficiency improves margins – Franchisees don’t need to manage large inventories, reducing overhead and maximizing profitability.
Emerging franchisors should aim to identify a niche with a loyal customer base, strong brand differentiation, and the potential for recurring revenue.
Authority Brands: Leveraging Private Equity for Scalable Growth
Brands like One Hour Heating & Air and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing benefit from being part of Authority Brands, a private equity-backed franchise group that provides shared infrastructure and resources. This allows for:
- Centralized marketing and technology support
- Economies of scale in purchasing and operations
- Faster expansion through conversion franchise programs
While private equity isn’t necessary for every franchise, emerging franchisors should consider partnerships, strategic investors, or franchise development consultants to accelerate growth.
Final Thoughts: Scaling Like the Best
The franchise brands seeing the most success today have one thing in common: They are intentional about growth. They enforce marketing requirements, prioritize unit profitability, leverage creative financing, and operate within strong, scalable business models.
Emerging franchisors should take these lessons to heart. Scaling isn’t about luck—it’s about strategy. By focusing on proven systems, aggressive marketing, strong unit economics, and efficient capital use, your brand can follow in the footsteps of the best in the industry.
Looking for guidance on scaling your franchise? As a CFO specializing in emerging brands, I help franchisors develop financial strategies that drive long-term, sustainable growth. Book a free consultation call today and let’s talk.