How Technology Is Revolutionizing the Franchise World

Small businesses are benefiting more than ever from advances in low-cost technology, including mobile solutions, point-of-sale systems and timesaving apps. But franchising has been slow to adapt—disappointingly so, as it’s one of the business models that stands to gain the most from cloud computing and other digital solutions. 

Tariq Farid is an exception. A die-hard tech geek, he started Wallingford, Conn.-based Edible Arrangements in 1999 with technology at its core. But he says he doesn’t find many kindred spirits in the franchise world. 

“Saying that many franchise systems are stuck in the ’90s is being kind,” he says. “I think franchising is an amazing model, but technology is not in the comfort zone of a lot of franchise leaders. They don’t understand that the point of technology is to make life easy so franchisees can focus on growing their business, not running their business.”