Octomedia and the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) today launch a major new annual publication, the Australian Franchise Outlook, designed to articulate the industry’s crucial economic contributions and successes.
Launched at the National Franchise Convention, the publication has a strategic political purpose, FCA CEO Jay Westbury said.
“This will become a hallmark hard copy storytelling narrative that will be provided to every member of federal parliament and every federal senator,” Westbury said. “Its purpose in politics is to get them thinking about how much franchising matters, what our contribution is to the economy and how we celebrate the successes of our people and our industry.”
Views from executives, consumers and franchise buyers
A critical component of the inaugural Australian Franchise Outlook is fresh, independent survey data that brings together the perspectives of executives, consumers, and active franchise buyers.
Octomedia surveyed more than 500 consumers to find out how they engage with, and what they think of, franchising.
Consumers revealed, for instance, how often and why they used franchised businesses, and what would drive them to increase their engagement.
Octomedia also asked consumers about franchising as a career option. The survey reveals that just over a third have considered owning or operating a franchise. It also shows that affordability remains the biggest barrier to entry:
- 82% of consumers cited the cost of entry as the main obstacle to ownership.
- 56% expressed concern about the risk of failure.
This concern was echoed by a separate survey of over 70 prospective franchise buyers:
- 49.3% cited start-up costs as their major concern.
- 4.5.2% of franchise buyers were concerned by uncertainty around earnings.
The data confirms that prospective franchisees are significantly more confident in making the leap when they receive solid franchisor support. The franchise buyers surveyed highlighted the value of peer mentorship, legal clarity, and financial advice in particular.
In addition to the survey data, the publication features in-depth profiles of high-performing award winners, provides industry insights from executive leader round-tables, explores potential growth opportunities, and includes the FCA’s roadmap for the industry’s future.
The Australian Franchise Outlook aims to serve as a “catalyst for change,” according to Octomedia CEO Amie Larter.
“We’ve always wanted to build something that really supports raising the profile of franchising within Australia beyond the confines of the industry itself,” Larter said. “We knew we needed to bring together perspectives and insights from industry executives, franchise buyers and consumers. The Australian Franchise Outlook is our answer to that challenge.”
The Australian Franchise Outlook 2026 is now available for download.
