Franchising has always been built on replication and shared infrastructure. In 2026, the brands that succeed won’t simply chase the newest technology. They’ll be the ones that strengthen the fundamentals, standardize systems, and build financial clarity across every unit.
To explore what this looks like in practice, SingerLewak brought together two franchise leaders—Chris Stone, CPA, Director in the Assurance & Advisory Group, and Lara Buitrago, CPA, Partner in the Business Services Group. Their message was simple: growth comes from fortifying what already works and ensuring it scales with consistency.
- Standardized Accounting Systems Come First
“Everyone’s thinking about AI tools,” Chris shared, “but you need standardized systems in place before technology can reinforce them.”
For emerging and middle-market franchise brands (roughly 10–100 units), inconsistent reporting is one of the biggest barriers to scalable growth. Many systems still rely on disconnected accounting tools, POS platforms, and scheduling software that don’t integrate cleanly.
Standardization at the franchisor level, across accounting platforms, charts of accounts, reporting timelines, and KPIs, creates a turnkey environment franchisees can rely on from day one.
Why it matters:
- Produces consistent, reliable financial reporting
- Strengthens audit readiness and lender confidence
- Reduces compliance risk
- Creates a foundation for future analytics and automation
As Lara noted, “Franchisees invest because they want a proven system. They expect something they can plug into and run.”
- Data Cleanup Unlocks Powerful Benchmarking Opportunities
Benchmarking is no longer limited to enterprise brands, but it only works when the data is clean.
With today’s technology, franchise systems can compare unit performance by size, location type, or operational profile (such as revenue per labor hour). This allows brands to identify outliers, spot trends, and intervene earlier.
“There’s technology that can benchmark for you,” Chris explained, “but the data has to be structured first.”
When done well, benchmarking helps franchisors:
- Identify profitability gaps and high-performing units
- Track goal achievement across the system
- Detect early warning signs before issues escalate
Clean data leads to clearer insights, and better decisions.
- Empowering Franchisees with Financial Skills
Even the best reports fall flat if franchisees don’t know how to interpret them.
In 2026, high-performing brands will focus on building franchisee financial literacy, teaching owners how to read P&Ls, understand KPIs, and diagnose unit-level performance.
“When you buy into a franchise, you’re buying into a proven concept,” Lara said, “but it doesn’t automatically teach you how to read financial statements.”
SingerLewak helps bridge this gap through advisory-led education focused on:
- Financial fluency and KPI literacy
- Unit-level diagnostics
- Consistency without sacrificing ownership
The goal isn’t more dashboards, it’s better understanding.
Now Is the Time to Build
The franchise brands that thrive in 2026 won’t be chasing noise. They’ll be investing in structure, clarity, and discipline.
By standardizing systems, cleaning data, and empowering franchisees with financial knowledge, brands can scale with confidence, without losing control or consistency.
SingerLewak’s franchise specialists are ready to help turn fragmented reporting into actionable insight and owner uncertainty into financial fluency. The future of franchising is coming quickly. The question is whether your infrastructure will be ready.
