Walk down any Main Street and you will see it. Small business owners power the heartbeat of a community. They sponsor youth teams, hire local talent, raise funds for local causes, and create places where families can connect and grow together.
At Unleashed Brands, those small business owners and community champions are franchisees. They are local entrepreneurs building community impact with the strength of a proven system behind them.
The Economic Power of Small Business
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses make up 99.9% of all U.S. firms, employ about 59 million people (nearly half of the private workforce), contribute 43.5% of U.S. GDP, and pay 39% of private-sector payroll.
Those numbers tell a compelling story. But behind them is something even more powerful: people investing in their neighbors, schools, and futures.
Why Franchising Fuels Small Business Success
Franchising gives entrepreneurs a faster, more supported path to ownership. With established playbooks, brand recognition, training, and technology, franchisees can focus on what matters most: serving families and building relationships.
Research shows that new franchised businesses have higher one-year and two-year survival rates than independent startups. That means more staying power. It means more stability for local economies, more consistency for families, and more long-term impact.
Franchisees in Action: Local Owners, Lasting Impact
Across the Unleashed Brands portfolio, franchise owners are living proof that small business ownership can transform communities.
Chad and Tiffany Mussmon, longtime The Little Gym owners, expanded into Snapology to meet growing demand for STEAM education. “Our children grew up at The Little Gym, and now we get to develop our Snapology locations,” Chad said. “It is a family continuing to invest in families.”
In Jackson, Mississippi, Urban Air owner Ginamarie Soto made a bold commitment to her city. “I put five million dollars into that location. I was going to make waves.” That is local ownership choosing local impact.
Class 101 franchisee Karen DeRosa in Dayton, Ohio, helps families navigate college planning. “We knew we were hitting on a need in our community,” she said. Her small business is changing futures, one student at a time.
Beyond daily operations, Unleashed Brands franchisees lead with heart. They organize toy drives, host blood donations, and lead local charity events that bring communities together.
The Franchise Advantage
What helps franchise owners succeed while keeping their communities strong?
A faster path to launch. Established systems, marketing, and training shorten the path from idea to open doors.
Shared expertise. Franchisees tap into a network of peers and corporate support teams that help them continue improving and innovating.
Mission-driven brands. Every concept under the Unleashed Brands umbrella is designed to help kids learn, play, and grow, aligning business success with community enrichment.
The Bottom Line
Small business owners are the backbone of the American economy, and franchisees are some of the most powerful among them.
Franchising gives entrepreneurs the structure, support, and resilience to focus on what they do best: creating jobs, serving families, and building the kind of communities people are proud to call home.
If you are ready to own a business that makes a difference, franchising can be the multiplier that turns your dream into lasting local impact.