A faster funding method that changes the economics of franchise systems
Article by: Sam Phelps, President | Franchise Now
In the course of franchise development, for far too long we’ve long focused on the big variables: capital access, unit economics, brand strength, and market demand. But as 2026 dawns, with the potential for another year of progress before us, one factor has quietly distinguished itself in becoming the most powerful harbinger of success — time itself.
Simply put, as we like to say around here at Franchise Now, “time kills deals.”
Today’s franchisors clearly understand the routine importance of establishing strong unit economics, recruiting qualified candidates, and planning for significant territory expansion. But one thing that’s becoming abundantly clearer, however, are the issues that are preventing consistent progress in meeting these standardized goals. Even in today’s lightning fast world of expectations, the ease at which momentum can be lost in the time between signing an agreement and getting to the new franchisee’s grand opening can be staggering. In such a scenario, even well-qualified candidates can get stuck spinning their wheels as the traditional funding process drags out for months on end.
Hindsight reveals that our traditional franchise funding timelines were built for a slower era. Today’s candidates are much more informed, more discerning, and of course – far less patient. When financing drags on for months, momentum fades, enthusiasm cools, and deals that once looked inevitable flame out. The result is lost opportunities, not just for franchisees, but for franchisors, brokers, and the broader ecosystem that relies on a healthy sales and development pipeline.
This is why we believe that the economics of franchise growth have reached an inflection point. Time saved now compounds value – across the entire ecosystem. To that end, we now have a modest proposal to consider…
The introduction of Franchise Now’s DreamStart™ Funding Program drastically reduces the traditional development timeline by prequalifying candidates early and advancing immediate same-day payment of franchise fees upon receipt of executed agreements. This allows new franchisees to commence training, complete their onboarding process, and launch the business of their dreams up to 60-120 days faster than traditional financing methods. Likewise, franchisors also benefit from an accelerated development timeline that increases conversions, improves the candidate experience, and expedites royalty payments – thereby ensuring the long-term health of franchise brands.
But the progress doesn’t stop there. Like a string of dominos falling in perfect order, brokers and consultants benefit by getting compensated quicker for the value they create, allowing them bandwidth to close on more deals. And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, candidates themselves experience clarity and confidence at a moment when uncertainty once derailed actual progress. As we now can clearly see, the problem was never access to capital — rather it’s the speed at which capital moves through the sales pipeline.
The DreamStart™ Funding Program literally flips the script, paving the way for a new era of progress ahead. Accelerated funding doesn’t just speed up transactions; it introduces more accountability, control, and transparency where, historically speaking, there has only been guesswork.
Franchise Now’s DreamStart™ Funding Program applies to all of the most common funding methods including SBA-backed loans, ROBS (Rollovers for Business Startups), or a combination of both. And the platform places an emphasis on providing a clean user experience for candidates with the use of an intuitive dashboard that guides them through the entire lending process with checklists, reminders, real-time updates, and personalized support. Franchise Now asserts control and oversight of the process, so that teams can remain focused on maintaining the momentum of their franchise sales and development efforts. Brands wishing to enroll in the DreamStart™ Funding Program will be guided through the onboarding process with Franchise Now, including the creation of a personalized funding profile, FAQs, scripts, and templates – all with the ability to integrate development workflows through the brand’s existing CRMs.
As the franchise industry continues to evolve, one reality is becoming clear: growth will favor systems that move as quickly as the ambition behind them. The brands that succeed won’t just offer strong concepts — they’ll remove unnecessary delays between intent and action.
In 2026 and beyond, time isn’t just money. It’s trust, momentum, and growth — and, as the franchise industry continues its path of progress and potential, can we really afford to waste it?
About the Author
Sam Phelps is the President of Franchise Now, Inc., a franchise funding firm focused on improving how capital moves through the franchise development process. Through its DreamStart™ Funding Program, the company uses AI-enabled workflows and real-time data to pre-qualify candidates and advance franchise fees upon execution of a franchise agreement, bringing greater accountability, control, and transparency to the path from commitment to business launch — and significantly reducing the traditional 60–120 day
funding timeline. He can be reached at sphelps@franchisenow.com.
