News & Media All News CEO Update Franchising in the News IFA in the News IFA Thought Leadership Posted January 20, 2026 Entrepreneur | Raise Prices or Cut Staff? How about Neither. Share Smarter Than Raising Prices or Cutting Staff: How 5 Franchise Brands Reengineered Value When rising costs put pressure on customers and franchisees alike, the traditional responses have been to raise prices or cut staff. But a new wave of franchise leaders is taking a different path: value reengineering — cutting what doesn’t matter to customers while reinvesting in what does. In the latest Entrepreneur Franchise 500 feature, written by IFA President and CEO, Matt Haller, five brands are profiled on how they confronted real operational challenges without sacrificing service or profitability. Their approaches range from updating outdated technology to streamline customer experiences, to redesigning costly remodel requirements in partnership with franchisees, simplifying sales processes with AI, clarifying product offerings to drive higher comps, and building shared digital platforms for more efficient operations. Each case provides practical insight into improving the customer experience while strengthening unit economics. Read the full article on Entrepreneur: Raise Prices or Cut Staff… How About Neither? Try The Strategy That Worked For These 5 Brands 👉 https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise-500/raise-prices-or-cut-staff-how-about-neither-try-the-strategy-that-worked-for-these-5-brands