We sat down with Matt Haller, president and CEO of the ⁠International Franchise Association⁠, to unpack a powerful new report on the value of franchising and why the future of this business model depends on smart advocacy, real data and bold storytelling.

And yes … we also talk about the biggest event in franchising happening next week in Vegas. 👀

The IFA partnered with ⁠Oxford Economics⁠ to create a comprehensive, ⁠data-backed report⁠ on the impact of franchising across the U.S. economy.

But why now?

“We’re always trying to create conversation about franchising … Data is really important for us to tell the story,” Matt said.

In a world where opinions travel faster than facts, the IFA wanted something irrefutable. This wasn’t anecdotal. It includes:

• 3,000 franchisees surveyed

• Representation across 300+ industries

• Payroll data comparing franchise vs. non-franchise businesses

The goal? Ground the conversation in real numbers and protect a business model that creates wealth, jobs and opportunity.