Franchise Supplier Network
Franchise Supplier Network is a boutique advisory firm curating a portfolio of five franchise technology partners and facilitating vetted introductions between franchisors (independent brands, platforms, PE sponsors) and technology vendors via retainer and success-fee engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNorthbrook, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Franchise Supplier Network does
Franchise Supplier Network (FSN) is a private, boutique business development advisory firm founded in 2020 by Zack Fishman and Ryan Hicks, headquartered at 570 Lake Cook Road, #440, Deerfield, Illinois. Rather than operating as a technology vendor itself, FSN serves as a curated intermediary between franchisors (independent brands, platform companies, and PE sponsors) and a hand-selected portfolio of franchise technology partners. Its core function is vetting franchise technology vendors against an 11-criteria framework covering due diligence, franchise-specific expertise, and quantifiable impact, then facilitating introductions and placements via tailored advisory consultations. As of 2025, the boutique portfolio comprises five partners: Sales Chatz (digital marketing automation for franchise development), FranFunnel (text-first SMS lead engagement), Voxie (SMS compliance and campaigns), EZee Assist (AI-powered franchise support), and Cozee (intelligent operating system for franchise networks).
FSN generates revenue from two streams: recurring retainer fees paid by portfolio technology partners for ongoing advisory, go-to-market support, brand awareness, networking, and business development services; and success fees and/or equity warrants received when franchise brands are placed with portfolio partners. The firm employs 1-10 people and is led by five partners (Ryan Hicks, Zack Fishman, Jake Fishman, Brad Fishman, Lane Fisher), with no external institutional investors or funding rounds disclosed. Its go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct advisory consultations, content marketing via the monthly Franchise Unfiltered newsletter (1,000+ subscribers), a multi-column blog, the Modrn Business podcast (co-founded by Hicks and Fishman), and industry events such as UnConf 2025.
In 2025, FSN restructured from a broad franchise supplier directory (which had grown to 120+ members and a 1,000+ supplier database) to a narrower boutique portfolio model focused on technology companies that produce outsized results for franchise brands. The company has conducted 1,000+ franchisor consultations and made 2,000+ curated introductions between suppliers and franchisors since inception, and serves a customer base spanning founder-led emerging brands, multi-brand platforms, and PE portfolio operators seeking vetted technology partners.
Franchise Supplier Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Franchise Supplier Network
- Legal name
- Franchise Supplier Network
- Website
- https://franchisesuppliernetwork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Franchise Supplier Network is a boutique advisory firm curating a portfolio of five franchise technology partners and facilitating vetted introductions between franchisors (independent brands, platforms, PE sponsors) and technology vendors via retainer and success-fee engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Franchise Supplier Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Franchise Business Development Advisory
- akta.pro primary industry
- Franchise Resale & Franchise Brokerage (Transfers/Resales) (FSAEAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Supply Chain Strategy & Network Design (BPAHAHAA)
Keywords
Where Franchise Supplier Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Northbrook
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Franchise Supplier Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Advisory Retainers: Technology partners in FSN's portfolio pay a retainer fee for ongoing advisory, go-to-market support, brand awareness assistance, networking, and business development services provided by FSN.
- Success Fees and Equity Warrants: FSN receives success fees and/or equity warrants upon successfully placing franchise brands with their technology partners. This ensures FSN's compensation is tied to client outcomes, creating aligned incentives.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Franchise Supplier Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Franchise Supplier Network is a boutique business development advisory firm that represents a curated portfolio of franchise technology companies. It provides tailored advisory consultations to franchisors, platform companies, and PE sponsors, and delivers go-to-market support, networking, and curated introductions to its hand-selected technology partners. FSN is compensated through advisory retainers paid by technology partners and success fees or equity warrants tied to successful placements.
Product overview
Franchise Supplier Network is a business development advisory firm that represents a boutique portfolio of franchise technology companies rather than offering its own standalone product. Its portfolio consists of five hand-selected technology partners: Sales Chatz (digital marketing automation for franchise development), FranFunnel (text-first SMS lead engagement for franchise development), Voxie (SMS platform for franchise compliance and campaigns), EZee Assist (AI-powered around-the-clock franchise support), and Cozee (intelligent operating system replacing communication and project management tools). FSN advises technology partners on go-to-market, brand awareness, networking, and business development in exchange for retainers, success fees, and/or equity warrants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Franchise Unfiltered: Monthly insider newsletter for franchisors providing real perspective on franchise technology, trends, and growth strategies.
Products and services
- Franchise Technology Advisory Services Tailored business development advisory consultations delivered to franchisors, platform companies, and PE sponsors to help them modernize franchise technology, combat rising customer acquisition costs, leverage AI agents and automation, and modernize franchise development. Provided by a team of certified franchise experts with 30+ years of combined industry experience.
- Curated Technology Partner Introductions Vetted, curated introductions between franchisors and FSN's hand-selected boutique portfolio of franchise technology companies, supported by a rigorous vetting methodology with 11 due-diligence criteria and annual accountability reviews.
- Franchise Unfiltered Newsletter Monthly insider briefing newsletter for franchisors and platform brand leaders covering franchise technology trends, deals, tactics, and unfiltered industry perspective. Delivered on the first Thursday of every month to 1,000+ franchisors and platform brand leaders.
Quantifiable outcome
- 120+ franchise suppliers in directory
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Franchise Supplier Network
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Franchise Supplier Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Franchise Supplier Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core portfolio partner.
- Sales Chatzcore portfolio partnerSales Chatz is franchising's premier digital marketing automation platform purpose-built for franchise development growth. It is part of FSN's boutique portfolio of hand-selected franchise technology partners.
- FranFunnelcore portfolio partnerFranFunnel is franchising's only text-first lead engagement platform built exclusively for franchise development, engaging franchise candidates via personalized SMS in under 60 seconds.
- Voxiecore portfolio partnerVoxie is the only SMS platform built for franchise compliance and campaigns, empowering franchise leaders to grow revenue and cut operational costs without increasing workload.
- EZee Assistcore portfolio partnerEZee Assist is a platform that amplifies support and strengthens franchise relationships by using AI to provide around-the-clock support to franchise owners and staff on all operational topics.
- Cozeecore portfolio partnerCozee is the intelligent operating system for franchise networks, replacing tools like Slack, Zoom, Drive, and project management with a shared Brand Brain that captures collective wisdom.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Franchise Supplier Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Neighborly: Neighborly is a multi-brand franchising platform for home services — another example of a large franchise platform company that fits FSN's 'Platform Companies' segment for cross-brand technology adoption advisory.
- Driven Brands: Driven Brands is a large multi-brand franchising platform in automotive services — represents the kind of large platform company buyer that FSN targets as a customer segment for its PE sponsor and platform segments.
- Authority Brands: Authority Brands is a multi-brand franchising platform (parent of franchises such as Authority Brands' portfolio) that operates as both a buyer of franchise technology and a reference customer base for FSN's portfolio partners.
- FranConnect: FranConnect is an established franchise operations and technology platform serving franchisors across the lifecycle — a broader incumbent whose software capabilities intersect the franchise-tech ecosystem FSN curates partners within.
Direct peers
- 1851 Franchise: 1851 Franchise is a franchise media and lead-generation platform connecting emerging franchisors with prospective franchisees and suppliers, comparable in its role as a curated connector within the franchise ecosystem.
- Franchise Business Review: Franchise Business Review is a franchise research and benchmarking company that produces franchisee satisfaction data and advisory content for franchisors and franchisees, overlapping FSN's research-plus-advisory positioning.
- Franchise Times: Franchise Times is a long-running franchise media and events brand that combines journalism with industry intelligence and networking — directly comparable to FSN's content-and-network go-to-market model in franchising.
- FRANdata: FRANdata is a franchise research, analytics, and advisory firm providing benchmarking and economic-impact studies to franchisors and the franchise ecosystem — directly comparable to FSN's franchise advisory and intelligence role.
Others
- Fishman PR: Fishman PR is the franchising-focused public relations firm where FSN co-founder Zack Fishman leads growth — adjacent and ecosystemically linked through shared leadership and overlapping franchisor clients.
- International Franchise Association: The IFA is the principal trade association for franchising, providing events, advocacy, and member services — adjacent and ecosystemic, overlapping FSN's conference-driven and educational engagement with franchisors.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Franchise Supplier Network social profiles
Digital presenceFranchise Supplier Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Franchise Supplier Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Franchise Supplier Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Franchise Supplier Network M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Franchise Supplier Network
What does Franchise Supplier Network do?
Franchise Supplier Network is a boutique business development advisory firm that represents a curated portfolio of franchise technology companies. It provides tailored advisory consultations to franchisors, platform companies, and PE sponsors, and delivers go-to-market support, networking, and curated introductions to its hand-selected technology partners. FSN is compensated through advisory retainers paid by technology partners and success fees or equity warrants tied to successful placements.
Is Franchise Supplier Network a public or private company?
Franchise Supplier Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Franchise Supplier Network founded?
Franchise Supplier Network was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Franchise Supplier Network based?
Franchise Supplier Network is headquartered in Northbrook, United States, in the North America region.
How does Franchise Supplier Network make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advisory Retainers are the primary driver. The others are success Fees and Equity Warrants.
Who are Franchise Supplier Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Neighborly, Driven Brands, Authority Brands and FranConnect. Direct peers are 1851 Franchise, Franchise Business Review, Franchise Times and FRANdata. Others are Fishman PR and International Franchise Association.
Does Franchise Supplier Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Franchise Supplier Network.
What industry is Franchise Supplier Network in?
Franchise Supplier Network's product category is Franchise Business Development Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAIAG, Franchise Resale & Franchise Brokerage (Transfers/Resales), with a secondary code of BPAHAHAA, Supply Chain Strategy & Network Design.