⏳ Read time: ~4 minutes

Octomedia and the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) released the Franchise Outlook Survey 2026 last year. If you missed it, here is what you should know and how to apply it.

It surveyed both consumers and actual prospective buyers. The data confirms what I've been seeing in training for years.

And it explains exactly why most franchise recruitment marketing fails.

The gap nobody talks about

Nearly 40% of people have thought about owning a franchise.

Only 11.6% describe it as "very appealing."

See the problem?

Interest exists. Confidence doesn't.

When you look at where buyers actually are:

50.6% are just starting to explore.

19.4% are actively researching specific franchises.

Only 10.4% are ready to invest within six months.

That means half your audience isn't ready for "apply now" messaging.

They need reassurance. Explanation. Social proof.

What the research actually says

The survey asked prospects directly: what would make you feel more confident?

56.2% want mentoring from current franchisees.

53.4% want help understanding legal documents.

43.8% want financial planning or funding advice.

34.2% want case studies or success stories.

Notice what's missing?

Polished testimonials. Brand slogans. Stock photos of happy families.

A FACT YOU SHOULD KNOW

82% of consumers say the cost of entry is their biggest barrier.

Yet most franchise campaigns never address cost until the first call.

The real barriers (and what to do about them)

The survey laid out the top concerns. Here's what you can actually create to address each one:

Barrier: Startup costs (82%)

What to create:

Example: Record your CFO or a franchisee breaking down the P&L for their first 90 days. Send it after every enquiry.

Barrier: Risk of failure (56%)

What to create:

Example: We have a podcast episode where a franchisee talks about making $400 in his first month and wanting to quit. Then explains what changed. Prospects watch it multiple times.

Barrier: Lack of independence (41%)

What to create:

Example: Jim did a video called "What you can and can't do as a Jim's franchisee." Seven minutes. No fluff. People reference it in training.

Barrier: Legal complexity (23.3%)

What to create:

Example:

Create a "Disclosure Document Explained" series.

Five-minute videos on key sections.

Send them between enquiry and discovery day.

Barrier: Difficulty securing finance (35%)

What to create:

Example: We recorded a franchisee explaining how he used his super to buy in. Got 200+ views from prospects researching that exact option.

The distribution part everyone skips

Creating this content is the easy part.

Getting it into prospect hands is where most franchisors fail.

Here's what works:

After someone enquires: Auto-responder with three videos: "Here's what it costs," "Here's how control works," "Here's what funding looks like."

Before the first call: Manual email from your sales rep with a specific video based on the prospect's situation. Subject line: "Thought this might help before we chat."

During the sales process: Reference specific content in conversations. "Did you see the video where Sarah talks about her first year?"

In your nurture sequence:

Week 1: Cost breakdown video

Week 2: Franchisee interview (risk and reality)

Week 3: How control works

Week 4: Funding options

The goal is saturation.

By the time they're ready to sign, they should have consumed 10+ hours of your content.

What I see every week in training

I train over 1,000 new franchisees a year.

I ask them: "How did you find us?"

The answers are consistent.

"I watched 30 YouTube videos before I enquired."

"I listened to every podcast on my commute."

"I stalked franchisees on LinkedIn and sent them messages."

"I asked ChatGPT if buying a Jim's franchise was a good idea."

People are doing 20+ hours of research before they make contact.

That's not an accident. That's the trust engine.

What to do this week

Monday: Pick one barrier from the list above. Record a 10-minute video addressing it. Just talk. Don't script it.

Wednesday: Send that video to your current pipeline. Subject line: "Thought you'd find this useful."

Friday: Add it to your post-enquiry auto-responder.

The truth about trust

27.8% of people surveyed said they're likely to purchase a franchise within 12 months.

That's not a cold audience. That's a warm middle.

Your job isn't to convince them that franchising is good.

Your job is to convince them your franchise is trustworthy.

And trust doesn't come from brochures.

It comes from hearing real people talk honestly about real experiences.

The data proves it.

Joel

Each week, I interview marketing experts or share insights from the strategies I have used to help grow Jim’s by 2,000+ franchisees.

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