Entrepreneur

WE ARE OBSESSED with the wrong question. We ask this question whenever we experience something new. Or create something new. Or see something new. We ask this question of new innovations. We ask it of new relationships and partnerships. Maybe we even

You can’t take yourself too seriously,” Barbara Corcoran says. Sure, on Shark Tank, she’s a powerful investor who does not hold back her criticisms. But when she’s off the TV set, she’s often making goofy TikTok videos and cracking jokes at her own e

“I believe in giving as much autonomy as possible—so much so that we, the founders, need to be retrained periodically on how our systems work. For example, we recently spent a full day at our warehouse learning how to pick and pack orders, print ship

When Pat Flynn disagreed with people, he knew what to do: Agree to disagree, and move on. Isn’t that how civilized people act? he thought. Value productivity over endless fighting? But back then, Flynn was a solopreneur running his company Smart Pass

After college, I took an internship at a PR and marketing firm called Maloney & Fox. Margie was one of the firm’s cofounders and my boss. I loved her motto: “Let me be the wind beneath your wings. Tell me what you want to do here, and if it also help

Right?! That word can be the key to viral success, according to people who regularly crank out internet-stopping memes and brand videos. But to be clear, you shouldn’t say “right?!” in a video yourself. Instead, you must make videos that inspire your

Q People often talk about what kind of leader they are—but as a first-time founder, I don’t really know. How do I figure that out? –LIZA, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK YOU SHOULDN’T copy most things—like product ideas, marketing copy, or someone else’s homework.

Set aside, for a moment, that Blake Lively is very famous. Let’s tell a story that so many entrepreneurs have lived: It started with the dinner parties. Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds (yes, fine, also very famous), hosted them for their friend

I don’t love crisis. Nobody does. But I’ve experienced a lot of it in my life, and have learned to greet it like an old friend. That’s because of something I’ve discovered along the way: We are at our best when we’re out of options. At that point, we

I’m so distracted at work,” Jesse lamented one day. He was slumped on my couch, looking utterly defeated. “I can’t focus on anything.” “Why?” I asked. “We’re in a recession! Have you heard about all the layoffs at startups and tech companies lately?”

Have you ever messed up, and then obsessed over how you could have done better? I should have said this. I should have done that. Psychologists have a name for that. It’s called “counterfactual thinking”—in essence, thinking about things that could h

How can you be positive, when there’s nothing to be positive about? That was the unexpected question facing Cyndie Spiegel, who had built a public persona around “positive psychology”—the scientific study of well-being, which emphasizes strengths tha

I used to follow other people’s advice. I’m so glad I stopped. It began with my mom. “Be a teacher,” she had said, because she was a teacher herself. So I did it. Six years later, I leveled up into a quasi-administrative role and started craving more

STARTED FRANCHISING/ 1964 TOTAL UNITS/ 7,900 COST TO OPEN/ $575.6K-$3.4M The Mexican Pizza was a goner. Or so Taco Bell thought. It was 2020, and the pandemic had upended the food business. Like most restaurants, Taco Bell was busily simplifying the

STARTED FRANCHISING/ 1976 TOTAL UNITS/ 3,851 COST TO OPEN/ $383.5K-$3.5M Last year was Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen’s 50th anniversary, but it was more than just a milestone. It was also an opportunity to amplify its message and continue its momentum. I

STARTED FRANCHISING/1987 TOTAL UNITS/ 2,253 COST TO OPEN/ $194K-$954.6K Peter Cancro, the founder and CEO of Jersey Mike’s Subs, thought that his company might open 230 new franchise units in 2021. But by the end, they had opened 252—the most stores

STARTED FRANCHISING/ 1980 TOTAL UNITS/ 5,464 COST TO OPEN/ $122.2K-$508.5K To understand what’s driving The UPS Store’s growth, just look at Greenville, South Carolina. That’s where, in 2021, Rami Michael, M.D., opened a new location. Michael, an Egy

STARTED FRANCHISING/1955 TOTAL UNITS/ 12,957 COST TO OPEN/ $437.5K-$1.8M Dunkin' executives were nervous when the pandemic halted the morning commute, but the company’s drive-thru capabilities saved the day. Now, almost three years on, Dunkin’ is set

STARTED FRANCHISING/1958 TOTAL UNITS/ 26,527 COST TO OPEN/ $67.4K-$145.6K Kumon’s enrollment numbers shrank at the heart of the pandemic, but bounced back big. For the first time in three years, Kumon North America had 400,000 enrollments in 2022. An

STARTED FRANCHISING/1976 TOTAL UNITS/ 5,674 COST TO OPEN/ $292K-$2.1M At the beginning of 2022, Ace Hardware president and CEO John Venhuizen was determined. His brand saw massive growth during the pandemic, as people stayed home and revamped their l

STARTED FRANCHISING/ 1988 TOTAL UNITS/ 871 COST TO OPEN/ $2.3M-$5.8M By one measure, Culver’s had a low-key year: The Wisconsin-based burger joint opened only approximately 55 locations in 2022, and it’s the smallest brand in the Top 10 in terms of t

STARTED FRANCHISING/ 1984 TOTAL UNITS/ 2,824 COST TO OPEN/ $12.3M-$22.8M Guests may not notice some of Hampton by Hilton’s big changes of 2022—but that’s the point. “We continually balance the profitability for our owners with the comfort and happine

STARTED FRANCHISING/ 1998 TOTAL UNITS/ 1,873 COST TO OPEN/ $315.3K-$948.1K Wingstop continues to spread its wings with an aggressive expansion of its marketing and its marketplace. The result is nearly 20 consecutive years of same-store sales growth,

A big year can make a big difference. Just ask some of the brands on our list that made giant leaps from their place on last year’s ranking. In fact, some brands that didn’t even make last year’s Top 500 are now in the middle of the pack! How to expl

We all have big questions about the economy. Are we heading into a recession? Are we already in one? How high can interest rates go? Will inflation cool anytime soon? How long will “help wanted” signs linger? Where is the stock market’s bottom? But i

Let’s say you find a brand you love. You do your research. You run the numbers. You and the franchisor make sure you’re a good fit. And then, if you’re still interested, it often all comes down to what’s called “Discovery Day.” That’s where you meet

In 2015, as the travel industry in Croatia began to expand, Roko Živković and Tomislav Pamuković wanted to create a tourism experience that was unique and unconventional. So they opened what they called Museum of Illusions—where visitors can experien

So you’ve decided to buy a franchise. You’ve done your research, and have narrowed it down to a short list of companies that excite you personally, are profitable, and have management teams you are willing to bank on. Still, you haven’t answered the

David answers my call on his Bluetooth-enabled helmet from atop an Aspen ski slope. He doesn’t need to take calls on vacation—he just likes being available. I assure him we can talk later. Certainly, we can wait until he’s reached the bottom. David i

Franchising sounds great, in theory: You can have your own business, where you’re the boss, while also operating inside an established brand that’s committed to helping you be successful. But wait. Before you go any further, there’s an important ques