THE FRANCHISE 500'S BIG MOVERS

Some brands leapt more than 100 spots on our list this year. What did they do right? We asked them.

- ADAM SOCCOLICH

A big year can make a big difference. Just ask some of the brands on our list that made giant leaps from their place on last year's ranking. In fact, some brands that didn't even make last year's Top 500 are now in the middle of the pack!

How to explain the big jumps? There's a quantifiable answer to this: Companies move up or down on our list based on many factors, including growth rate, franchisor infrastructure, and audited financial statements. (See the list itself for a more thorough explanation.) But of course, numbers only tell part of a story. That's why we got in touch with some of this year's biggest movers, to ask exactly what they have done recently to drive significant growth.

Their answers tell you a lot about good business fundamentals, as well as what it takes to succeed in franchising. We heard about brands identifying and fixing weak spots in their businesses, such as complications that franchisees had faced in opening brick-and-mortar locations, as well as others who invested wisely or spent years laying the groundwork for explosive growth.

On the following pages, you'll hear from the leaders of 11 brands-six that made the list last year and five that didn't listed in alphabetical order. Read closely, because their insights might help inspire next year's biggest movers!

100% Chiropractic +158

100% Chiropractic is a national wellness center that strives to offer cutting-edge chiropractic services and help its clients to live fully. It moved up 158 spots this year, to hold No. 296.

CEO Jason Helfrich explains/