As part of a new ‘Question of the Month’ initiative, the BFA asked members in a survey: ‘How confident do you feel about your business plans for the year ahead?’ Businesses comprised franchisors, franchisees and service providers and ranged from single owner operators to multi-unit brands, with large numbers of franchisees and/or employees.
What were the results?
The results showed a significant level of confidence across the BFA membership; 28.30% stating they were ‘very confident’, 49.06% ‘fairly confident’ and 20.75% ‘a bit uncertain’. Only 1.89% said they were ‘not confident right now.’ Meanwhile, no members said they were ‘Not confident at all.’
What is driving that confidence?
While comments were overwhelmingly positive, many remained realistic.
Graham Duckworth, franchise sales director at Driver Hire said: “Our outlook for 2026 is positive, however, the degree of success will be influenced by external factors, notably ongoing economic uncertainty and the potential implications of the Employment Rights Bill/Act. While these macro conditions present challenges, our own activities should help ensure we remain well-positioned to perform strongly.”
Strong fundamentals
Phil MacKechnie, QFP, director of franchise development at Radfield Home Care said: “We’re seeing strong fundamentals across the home care franchise sector heading into 2026. Yes, there are headwinds – the Employment Rights Bill, cost pressures, competitive intensity – but these are benefiting established operators with proven systems and satisfied franchise partners. The demographic trend is undeniable, demand continues to grow, and franchise entrepreneurs who can navigate regulatory complexity in our sector will find genuine opportunity. Our confidence for 2026 is high, tempered by realism about the execution challenges ahead, but backed by the strength of our network and the quality of partners we’re attracting.”
Sentiment remains upbeat
Pip Wilkins, CEO of the BFA said: “It was heartening to see that 77% of members who responded to our new survey were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ confident about their business plans for 2026, which mirrors the sentiment we are hearing across our membership. Our failure rate is the envy of many business sectors and we’re proving that using a tried and tested business model, combined with expert training and support, is still a recipe for success.”
For more information head to the bfa website.
