Business buyer behavior

Two Thirds of Franchise Prospects Say AI Impacts Their Interest in Business Ownership

April 1, 2026 – The 2026 Franchise Development Lead Generation Survey showed that more than 88% of franchise brands surveyed will be using at least one AI tool for lead generation by the end of 2026. But what are prospects themselves thinking will be the impact of artificial intelligence on their path to business ownership? The Franchise  Insights Small Business Startup Sentiment Index™ (SSI) survey completed the last week in March revealed that two thirds of respondents believe AI will have an impact on their interest in business ownership (34% said there would be “no impact”). 

How Do the Options for Ownership Stack Up in the Eyes of Business Buyers?

November 12, 2025  – Individuals seeking business ownership preferred the option to “buy a franchise” over acquiring an existing business by a wide margin in the October 2025 Startup Sentiment survey. While over 60.7% indicated interest in the franchise purchase option, only 41.8% were interested in buying an existing business for sale.

Franchise vs. Startup or Existing Business: Which is preferred?

May 29, 2025  – Individuals seeking business ownership preferred the option to “buy a franchise” over acquiring an existing business by a wide margin in the April 2025 Startup Sentiment survey. While over 61% indicated interest in the franchise purchase option, only 39.5% were interested in buying an existing business for sale.

Franchisee Prospects Continue to Focus on Just a Few Concepts for Research

June 19, 2024 – Franchise buyer behavior has changed in many ways in the four years since the global pandemic began. One aspect, however, has stayed the same: most prospects still only focus on a single concept when requesting information about franchises, despite the thousands of offerings across dozens of categories in the franchise directories of the FranchiseVentures lead generation platform. 

Aspiring Business Owners Choose Franchises Over Startups or Businesses For Sale

March 13, 2023 – In a February 2024 survey, aspiring business owners preferred the option to “buy a franchise” over buying an existing business by more than a two-to-one margin. While 65.3% indicated interest in the franchise purchase option, only 31.6% indicated an interest in buying an existing business for sale.

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