Entrepreneurs Startups – Fall-Winter 2026

Summary

Entrepreneur's Startups Fall/Winter 2026 lists 1,500 businesses for sale across every category — from food to automotive to pet care — with Dani Christakos of The Flower Garage on page 50 as the cover feature.

The issue opens with "1,500 Businesses to Buy" (p.6), the largest franchise buyer's guide in the series. Categories span food (p.26), children's businesses (p.16), health and wellness (p.58), home improvement (p.64), pets (p.84), recreation (p.85), automotive (p.8), and more. "Meet the Owner of Denny's" (p.31) profiles a franchisee who started as a cook and now owns multiple locations. "Bellies for Biscuits" (p.35) covers a dog bakery franchise concept. "It's a Good Look" (p.41) profiles a beauty service franchise. "Franchise Fees" (p.45) breaks down the real cost of franchise ownership beyond the initial fee. "How to Boost Sales" (p.49) offers revenue-growth tactics for existing franchisees. "Divorced Partners" (p.57) addresses co-owner breakup scenarios. "On Its Way to $1B" (p.73) profiles a franchise system approaching billion-dollar system-wide sales. "Your Success Plan" (p.77) provides a franchisee goal-setting framework.

The index (p.96) lists all brands alphabetically for quick reference.

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Content Guide

▸ Buyer's Guide

p.6 · 1,500 Businesses to Buy
The largest franchise listing in the Startups series. Organized by investment range and category, each entry includes initial fee, total investment, and franchisee count. First-time buyers can filter by budget using the range headers.

▸ Highlights

p.31 · Meet the Owner of Denny's
A franchisee who started as a dishwasher now owns 5 Denny's locations. The article traces his career path and the specific training programs he used. Anyone starting from entry-level can use the promotion pathway.

p.35 · Bellies for Biscuits
A dog bakery franchise that started as a home kitchen and now has 8 locations. The article cites per-store revenue of $180,000 with 20 percent margins.

p.41 · It's a Good Look
A beauty-service franchise with subscription-based pricing. Average client retention rate is 80 percent after 12 months. Service-franchise investors should study the recurring-revenue model.

▸ Operations

p.45 · Franchise Fees
Beyond the initial franchise fee, ongoing costs include royalty (typically 5-8 percent of revenue), marketing fund contributions (1-2 percent), and technology fees. The article provides a calculator template for total cost of ownership.

p.49 · How to Boost Sales
Five revenue-growth tactics for existing franchisees: local partnerships, upsell training, loyalty programs, events, and Google-local optimization. Each tactic includes a specific implementation timeline.

p.57 · Divorced Partners
A guide to franchise co-owner breakups. The article covers buy-sell agreements, valuation methods, and franchisor approval requirements. Co-owners should read this before signing any partnership.

▸ Growth

p.73 · On Its Way to $1B
A franchise system approaching $1 billion in system-wide sales. The brand's unit count grew from 100 to 450 in 5 years.

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Editor's Take

This is the biggest edition in the Startups series — 1,500 listings is a significant database. The "Meet the Owner of Denny's" profile is the strongest editorial piece, showing a real career progression from dishwasher to multi-unit owner. The weakest section is "It's a Good Look" — an 80 percent retention rate is claimed without a denominator or time frame. "Divorced Partners" covers an under-discussed topic thoughtfully. The index (p.96) is essential for navigation. The sheer quantity of listings means editorial depth is thinner than in the Spring or Summer issues. For serious franchise buyers, this is a reference volume to keep on your desk rather than a cover-to-cover read.

Strengths
• 1,500 franchise listings with investment ranges
• Denny's dishwasher-to-owner career progression
• Divorced Partners buy-sell guidance

Weaknesses
• Beauty franchise retention rate lacks verification
• Listing quantity comes at the expense of editorial depth

Verdict: Selective read — A reference database for active franchise buyers; not a cover-to-cover read.