AVERAGE GROSSSALESFOR TOP25%OFTERRITORIES= $937,222
QUICK3-6MONTHRAMPUP WITHRECURRINGMONTHLY REVENUE
0%ROYALTYFEESFOR FIRST60DAYS
Why just camp at a Kampgrounds of America when you can own a campground yourself?
24 Hard, Good Knocks
Rolling with the punches at Mayweather Boxing + Fitness.
26 What’s New at Your Favorite Franchises
Quick chats with 11 brands’ leaders, starting here and spread throughout this issue.
28 Budget Businesses
You don’t need a lot of money to buy a great business.
36 Want to Own a Restaurant? Here’s how to do it.
40 Personal Business
This family’s Batteries Plus is a tribute to their late father and husband.
52 Across the Board Graze Craze brings brilliance to charcuterie.
68 Live, Work, Camp Kampgrounds of America can be a travel lover’s dream.
76 Nothing Dirty Here! What it really takes to run a PuroClean business.
84 Work Out the Kinks Massages changed her life, so she opened a MassageLuXe.
92 Cat Lovers Only?
You’ll be surprised who Happy Cat Hotel & Spa wants to work with.
116 The Big Moment? You’ll face many big decisions. Don’t overblow them.
6 How to Be a Wealthy Franchisee It’s not just about work. It’s about mindset.
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Some franchisees are slaves to their businesses. Others make great money and still have time to enjoy their lives. What’s the difference? Mindset and execution.
by SCOTT GREENBERG
David answers my call on his Bluetooth-enabled helmet from atop an Aspen ski slope. I catch him just before he pushes o to descend this powdery, blackdiamond heaven. He doesn’t need to take calls on vacation— he just likes being available. I assure him we can talk later. Certainly, we can wait until he’s reached the bottom.
David is one of the top franchisees in a brand of early childhood development centers. He has money, but equally important, he has time. He doesn’t always have to be at work, and his wife never has to be there. She practices law. Together, they bring in plenty of money to raise their family in a great neighborhood, travel, and ski. David runs his business. It doesn’t run him. David is a good example of the many wealthy franchisees I’ve met over the years. When researching the companies that bring me in to speak, I always ask to interview their superstars. And by that, I don’t mean the franchisor’s favorites. I’m talking about the ones with the highest pro ts and the best lifestyles. They are the wealthy franchisees.
Being a wealthy franchisee is a question of personality. Anyone can take on this personality. Anyone can embrace these high-performance habits and get the sameresults. Wealth is nothing but a byproduct of choices. You don’t need talent, education, or brilliance.
You don’t even need an idea— you’ve already paid your franchisor for one. Now you just need to execute.
That concept is simple to understand, but often hard
in practice. Most people don’t execute as well as they should. They don’t appreciate their role as a franchisee. They think they’ve bought a recipe for success. In a way, they have. Their franchisor tells them what ingredients to get and what to do with them. But the franchisor can’t control how well they measure, slice, stir, or bake.
Your franchisor can’t control how warmly you greet customers. They can’t force you to inspire your employees. They can’t shift your focus from the minutia to the big picture. So many elements of the business are on you. You are the biggest variable, and your impact on your operation can’t be overstated.
But that’s great news. It means you’re betting on yourself. You’re in control. When you work for someone else, you’re betting on them.
There’s a perception of stability when you have a job. Don’t believe it. In that situation, you can do everything right and still get burned.
Most businesses in your industry are underperforming. That works to your advantage. You’re competing against mediocrity. Lead with excellence, and you win. Excellence comes naturally for some franchisees. Others need to be more conscientious. But everyone has the potential to build franchise wealth.
A day in the life of a wealthy franchisee
Imagine you’re having a good day as the owner of a successful retail franchise operation. You start early. Co ee tastes best before the sun comes up. While the rest of the world sleeps, you read a
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business book and make some notes. Then you close your eyes and take a few nal moments to envision your day, until you hear footsteps: Time to parent.After getting the kids out the door for school, you open an app on your smartphone that shows what’s happening in your store. The lights are already on, and your employees are scurrying around, prepping for the day. You’ll check in there later. First, you’ll go to the gym.
After exercising and getting cleaned up, you stop at a discount warehouse to pick up some supplies and throw them in the back of your Lexus. (You really do use it for business.) When you get to your store, you decide to leave the supplies in the car for the moment. Today you want to enter through the front door, as a customer would.
The place feels pleasant and clean. You notice a balled-up gum wrapper on the oor and grab it. You straighten a few display items. A team member is helping customers. He gives you a warm nod as you head back.
Your manager greets you as you make your way to the o ce. She’s busy but in good spirits. She mentions over her shoulder that she’d like to go over a few things when you have a moment.
You enter the o ce and sit at the desk. Next to the keyboard is a note from an employee asking for a day o to take her mom to a medical appointment. You leave that for your manager to handle. There’s also an envelope with your name on the outside. It’s a note from last night’s shift leader. She apologizes that she can’t explain why the register closed out with an extra $20, which she’s clipped to the note (unaware you asked your manager to slip the extra money in the till yesterday to see what she’d do). You’re proud of her
and look forward to announcing her promotion to assistant manager. Your manager was right about her. She’s a keeper.
You run some reports. This week’s sales are slightly down, but month-to-date you’re up 14%. You run a “how heard” report to see if your recent marketing initiatives are bringing in customers. There’s also lots of email to deal with, mostly invoices and shipping notices from vendors. Your corporate o ce has sent their weekly update. You read about upcoming franchises they’re opening and a new promotion rolling out next month. There’s a notice from Yelp; someone left you a ve-star review and mentioned one of your employees by name. You remind yourself to get her a gift card.
You pay a few bills and then do your walk-around. There are always adjustments to be made and work to be corrected, but you also acknowledge everything your team is doing right. You hand your car keys to one of your employees and ask him to unload the supplies. Then you make your way to the front to greet a few customers.
Later you sit down with your manager. There are a few repairs she needs you to approve. She updates you on employee performance. She herself would like to take a few days o to attend a friend’s wedding. You discuss how sales have been this week and brainstorm ideas to raise ticket averages. Finally, you tell her how grateful you are for her hard work. She thanks you and rushes out to help with a urry of customers who just walked in. Realizing you’re probably in the way at this point, you remove yesterday’s cash from the safe and exit through the back door.
You make a quick drop at the bank and then head to a weekly meeting with your networking
You’re acquiring a lifestyle. You’ll have more responsibility, more liability, and more surprises than you’ve ever had. And unlike a job, you can’t just quit. You’re on the hook.
group. You’re eager to speak with one of your colleagues who’s had a lot of success with new digital marketing initiatives. She actually seeks you out rst to see if you’d like to donate a prize and say a few words at a charity auction she’s chairing. Four hundred people will be there. Yeah, you’ll help her out.
You now have just enough time to get to your daughter’s volleyball game. On the way, you call your manager to tell her about the auction. She suggests donating three items and requiring the winners to come into the store to claim them. You like her thinking.
You’re greeted in the gymnasium by the school athletic director, who knows you well. So do all the parents. Every game, they see your sponsorship banner hanging on the wall beneath the scoreboard. Many come to chat with you after the game. Your daughter grows impatient. “C’mon—I have homework!”
You smile at the other parents. “Her majesty beckons!”
No one feels like cooking tonight, so the family stops for Italian. You all debate about whether you should hit another national park this summer or go back to Maui. Better enjoy these kids while you can. For a moment, your mind drifts back to those stressful corporate days reporting to that misera-
ble vice president. The money was good, but it was costing you your soul. Did you really spend 15 years there?
On the drive home, you pass a busy strip mall and notice a “For Lease” sign on an end cap. The location would be perfect for another store.
The life of a wealthy franchisee isn’t without stress. You’re going to have some rough days. Sales will slump. Stu will break. Employees will quit. Things happen.
Still, it’s a pretty good gig. And it’s probably a lot better than your jobs in the past. You get to do things on your own terms. You’re the boss. You no longer have to worry about how you’re treated. As a wealthy franchisee, you live your life by your own design.
Wealthy franchisees get to do what they want, as much or as little as they want. And they make plenty of money. That doesn’t mean trillions of dollars, but relative to what they’ve invested, they’re getting a great return. Wealthy franchisees live well.
The three elements of being wealthy
“Wealthy” is a subjective and relative term. Many people say having $1 million in the bank makes them wealthy, but some only need $100,000 and some need $100 million. In some parts of the world, you’re considered well-o if you have your own
IS YOUR PORTFOLIO DIVERSIFIED?
You probably don’t know about the home restoration business and how it can produce steady profit margins in an essential and recession-resistant industry. You don’t know about the home restoration business and how it can steady profit in an essential and recession-resistant
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cow. It all depends on your desires, your expectations, and where you live.
But even if you meet your nancial expectations, you must also consider the cost of building your wealth. The most basic report in business accounting is the pro t and loss statement (P&L). The top portion of the P&L lists all revenues. The total amount of revenues is meaningless until you subtract the bottom portion of the P&L, your expenses. The expenses tell us how much it cost to achieve the revenues. The di erence between the two is your pro t or loss.
But that bottom portion, the expenses, only tells us about the nancial costs of the revenues. It doesn’t tell us about the time that was invested. It doesn’t tell us how much stress was endured. It doesn’t tell us about the strain the business put on your health and your relationships.
If you’re working seven days a week and sacri cing all quality of life to stockpile cash, I don’t care how much money you have. You’re not a wealthy franchisee. You can always make more money, but you’ll never get more time. I don’t want an ulcer or a divorce. I
Being a wealthy franchisee is a question of personality. Anyone can take it on. Anyone can embrace these high-performance habits.
don’t want to miss the opening of the newest Marvel movie. And if getting rich means missing my kids’ games and recitals, count me out.
On the other hand, basketball shoes and ballet slippers cost money. So do car pay-
ments, gym memberships, and dog food. I want to be able to pay my kids’ college tuition, buy more cool stu , go out to dinner with my wife, and see the world. I want to give a lot more to charity and secure my retirement. Mostly, I don’t want
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to worry about money. When you buy a franchise, you’re getting more than a business. You’re acquiring a lifestyle. You’ll have more responsibility, more liability, and more surprises than any job you’ve ever had. And unlike a job, you can’t just quit. You’re on the hook. With a commitment like that, you’d better like what you’ll be doing. You’d better be excited about how you’re going to spend your time, because you’re about to spend a lot of it.
But that’s the reward! You actually get to spend time doing something you enjoy. You get to make money working for yourself. If you like what you do, then the time you spend on it won’t be a sacri ce. And if you’re smart, you’ll have plenty of time to do everything else you want. For our purposes here, the term “wealthy” refers not to a dollar amount but to a lifestyle. Wealthy franchisees are those people who build businesses that 1) make money, 2) free up time, and 3) maximize quality of life.
Making money
Without a doubt, there is a nancial aspect to being wealthy. I’m not saying that being rich is more important than being loved. I’m not suggesting that making money is more important than making a di erence. You shape your own values.
But making money does allow you to have more choices. And if you balance this component with the other two (time and quality of life), you’ll have enjoyable wealth.
How much is “a lot of” money? That’s subjective. I can’t name a number to de ne nancial wealth for you.
Some might say they just want enough money to be happy. So how much is that? There’s actually an answer to
that question: $75,000.
Princeton University’s renowned psychologist Angus Deaton and Nobel laureate psychologist Daniel Kahneman analyzed more than 450,000 responses to the GallupHealthways Well-Being Index. They discovered that $75,000 annual household income is the threshold for increases in emotional well-being, even among those who live in more expensive cities. The comforts a orded to those earning above that amount yielded little or no increases in happiness. Those who achieved higher degrees of emotional well-being got it from other sources.
Maybe you don’t believe it. That’s OK. Try it for yourself. There’s a good chance you can make more than $75,000 from your franchise, although you may have to adjust the number for in ation. (The Princeton report was published in 2010. In 2022, the number is probably closer to $102,000.) Do the work, and then you’ll know.
Prior to selling someone a franchise, franchisors are required to disclose everything about their company in their franchise disclosure document (FDD). Item 19 of the standard FDD provides details on the nancial performance of a franchise. It may provide earnings ranges, historical performance, costs, and other relevant information to give prospects an idea of their potential ROI. But item 19 is optional. Many franchisors are reluctant to share this data. This may be because the numbers are low (sometimes skewed down by the worst-performing franchisees).
For most franchises trading in U.S. greenbacks, top operators are pulling in around six gures of pro t per unit on the high end. Many franchisees make mil-
The best franchisees make themselves as unnecessary as possible for day-to-day operations. That’s not neglect; it’s the ultimate leadership.
lions of dollars by running multiple locations. Some of them are large corporate entities running hundreds of units, sometimes from multiple brands.
It’s up to you to set your own nancial goals. To keep it realistic, you may wish to aim for a percentile within your system, such as being in the top 10% of all franchisees in sales. You may also wish to include an annual rate of growth. Look to your franchise system and your industry to determine the average growth rate. Most important, set goals for pro t. What matters most is what you take home.
Of course, in evaluating your revenue, you also need to consider how long it takes you to generate it.
Control of your time
I once asked an audience of franchisees to raise their hands if they’d be happy making $1 million from their business. Most raised their hands. “Let me nish my question,” I cautioned. “How many of you would be happy making $1 million from your business over the course of 25 years?” Most hands went down. They were working way too hard to make only $40,000 a year for the next 25 years. I asked another question: “How many of you would be happy making $1 million in a year if it would cost you your family, your friends, and reduce your life span?” A few
hands went up, but not many.
There’s an important relationship between time and money. Making $70,000 by working part time may be a smarter model than making $100,000 working full time. This is especially true when the time you save is invested in a second business, whether it’s an additional location or another business altogether. Some franchise systems require franchisees to be fulltime operators. I understand this policy. They don’t want passive investors who aren’t committed to building the business.
At the same time, the entire concept of franchising is to create replicable systems that aren’t dependent on any one person. It’s all about scaling. As they say in the industry, if you only buy one location and run it yourself, you haven’t bought a business. You’ve bought yourself a job.
The best franchisees make themselves as unnecessary as possible for day-to-day operations. That’s not neglect; it’s the ultimate form of leadership. Great leaders breed more leaders. They create an infrastructure that frees them to focus on more important things. They invest a lot of time upfront so they have more free time later. Smart nancial investments yield more money. Smart time investments give you more time.
I opened my rst Edible Arrangements franchise with the intention of not needing to
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constantly be in my store. I could have saved on labor and maybe increased my revenues by running the franchise myself every day. But my objective was to run it part time while maintaining a slightly reduced speaking schedule. The net result was a signi cant increase in my annual income from multiple revenue streams, one of which was a tangible asset that would increase in value.
To accomplish this, I had to work smart, create systems, develop my team members, use technology, and focus on what mattered most.
My work had to make money and save time.
It worked well for us. Even though I wasn’t always there, we still became one of the highest-volume locations in the state. We earned stellar reviews for customer service and became a training store for other franchisees. We opened a second location and built that up as well. A smart time investment doesn’t necessarily mean full time. It means full commitment.
There is nothing more valuable than time. We can always make more money, but time is something we’ll only have less of. It’s precious. It’s like a bank account from which we only make withdrawals. None of us knows our remaining balance. All we can do with time is choose how we spend it.
Like nancial wealth, I can’t determine how you should spend your time. Only you know what makes you happy.
The important thing is that wealthy franchisees have options. They’re in control of their time. They can work 80 hours a week on their business if they want, but they don’t have to. They’re happy with the money they make given the time they invest.
Quality of life
Finally, we need to look at what your life is like with this business in it. Are you having fun, or are you stressed out? Do you feel proud of what you do? Does the business contribute to your life or take away from it? These are important questions to ask. And over time, the answers might change.
Wealthy franchisees live well and their business helps them do it. They may really enjoy the work itself, or perhaps they love the things the business allows them to do.
Honestly, I wasn’t passionate about fruit, but I really liked being in the special-occasion
business. People just lit up whenever they saw our fruit arrangements. At parties, they would gather around a basket and moan with pleasure as they bit into a juicy chunk of pineapple. I felt deep pride on a busy day watching all the activity in my stores. Employees were buying clothing for their kids with money they made by working in my business. Customers would hide engagement rings in boxes of our chocolate-covered strawberries. And the more experience I gained by owning and working in this franchise, the more material I had for my speaking business. The professions complemented each other.
I had bad days and plenty of problems as a franchisee. If you had caught me on the right day in the wrong mood, I would have handed you the keys for free. (I’d say the same thing about my kids.) Invariably, though, those moments passed. Most days were good. Generally speaking, having the business made my life better. (Also true of my kids.)
I reject the notion that work is something to be endured. Sure, we must all pay our dues. But there’s a di erence between hard work and su ering. When my son’s basketball coach asks him to run ve more “suicides,” he’s working, but he’s not suffering. Running suicides is a
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pain he appreciates because it’s part of the training process, and he feels great when he’s done. But a receptionist who is verbally abused by her boss, feels her work is meaningless, and goes home each night in tears— she’s su ering.
Remember, you’re not just investing in a business. You’re buying a lifestyle. Owning a franchise should make your life better. Wealthy franchisees are happy people living full, rich lives, and their business makes it possible.
To be wealthy is to balance money, time, and quality of life in a way that works for you. If you can remember this, you’ll sustain your success a lot longer.
I’ve asked a lot of franchisors to tell me about their “top franchisees,” and it’s always interesting to hear their criteria for “top.” Some mention the franchisee with the highest-volume unit. Others choose the operator with the most locations.
Multi-unit operators have sophisticated operations and generate a lot of revenue for the franchisor. That gets them a lot of attention, but it doesn’t necessarily qualify them as wealthy franchisees.
I met one multi-unit franchisee who had one of the biggest enterprises in the company. His combined stores generated $6 million in sales annually. His franchisor loved him for that, touting him as an exemplary franchisee. But he con ded to me that the pro t of all his locations put together was less than what many good single-unit operators generate. He had much more responsibility and little to show for it. Some years, he actually lost money.
I recommend multi-unit operation. It’s the best way to make big money. But it starts by performing well at the unit
level, and that requires highlevel thinking.
Three levels of franchisees
In his book Above the Line (Penguin, 2017), Ohio State’s former championship-winning football coach Urban Meyer discusses his “10-80-10” principle. Ten percent of football players are elite—skilled, self-disciplined, and committed. Eighty percent are compliant: They’re reliable, but they’re not as driven to succeed as the elite players. The nal 10% are resistant—they’re just coasting, not interested in trying to succeed as long as they can skate by with little e ort. Meyer and his coaching sta worked with the elite players, but most of their time was spent trying to elevate the compliant players into elite players. That was the team’s biggest opportunity for improvement. He estimates that by the end of their 2014 championship season, 30% of their team quali ed as elite.
Most franchisees also fall into three categories, which I call “wealthy,” “typical,” and “struggling.” The franchisees I highlight in this book are all among the top sales performers within their systems. They also meet the criteria for “wealthy” I described above. Struggling franchisees rank lowest within their systems. Many in this group have succumbed to anger. They’re also resistant. They’ve given up but haven’t yet gotten out. They’re just biding their time.
But the majority of franchisees are “typical.” They’re the 80%. They’re paying the bills and maybe even making a decent living, but they often feel stuck somewhere between hopeful and discouraged. They really want to grow. They want to get wealthy. They want to be among the elite. They just can’t
They can work 80 hours a week if they want, but they don’t have to. They’re happy with the money they make given the time they invest. can money
seem to gure out how. It’s always fascinating to ask franchisees which of these three groups they think they’re in. Most feel they’re typical—including the wealthy franchisees. I sometimes facilitate workshops for top performers. When I describe the three groups, most of them identify with the typical franchisees, despite their high rankings. It turns out that humility and ambition are also part of the wealthy franchisee pro le. I talk with franchisees at all three levels before every presentation. I want to know their perspectives so I can speak directly to their experience. Not only have I learned what wealthy franchisees have in common, but I also see what typical and struggling franchisees have in common. Getting to know them has helped me further distinguish their high-performing counterparts.
Wealthy franchisees aren’t extraordinary people. In fact, they’re really no smarter or more talented than their lower-performing colleagues. They just manage their thoughts as well as they manage their business, making them operationally superior. Their mind ow leads to cash ow. Fortunately, their mental habits can be replicated, and so can their success.
Wealthy franchisee myths
It’s hard to reproduce someone else’s success if we don’t know
how they achieved it. There are a lot of misconceptions out there, and a lot of guessing.
I meet a lot of franchisees. I ask the best ones why they’re successful. I see who they are and what they do. Then I talk to the struggling franchisees and ask them what they believe their high-performing counterparts have going for them. Often there’s a huge disconnect. I also talk with the franchisors. They have a wider perspective, as they see the results over a wide eld of franchisees running the same operations. They also tell me about the misperceptions many franchisees have about their top performers. Let’s explore the most common ones.
Myth 1 They have winning locations.
A fellow franchisee once told me how lucky I was to have my store location. I was a little insulted. He knew nothing about our operation or our customer service. He only knew our address, which was close to Beverly Hills. In his mind, rich people were lining up with stacks of Benjamins to buy enormous fruit baskets. But that wasn’t our customer base. Our prestigious territory came with little parking, constant tra c (making deliveries tough), and high rent. I wouldn’t sign that lease today. Our high sales weren’t because of where we were. They were because of what we did.
STARTERS
Meet a Typical Wealthy Franchisee
JEFF TOREN
Kitchen Tune-Up; Malvern, Pennsylvania
Je Toren has been number one in sales at Kitchen Tune-Up, once doubled his sales performance in a year, and has won multiple awards.
He says it’s because he’s all about “belief.” That word came up several times in our conversation and is clearly the reason for his success. He shared a story of seeing the phrase “100% Growth” on a slide being presented by Kitchen Tune-Up president Heidi Morrissey. She was actually advocating for 100% of locations to grow, but Je wasn’t paying attention and thought she meant all franchisees doubling sales. He was already number one in the system by far, doing $2 million in revenue. But when he saw her slide, he envisioned $4 million in annual sales. OK, we can do that ter-of-factly, and got to work.
Je is humble, yet hungry. He’s constantly reading books and listening to audiobooks and podcasts. That helps him take calculated risks. He’s replaced himself four times, hiring more people to keep himself out of the weeds. It’s been scary, but acting courageously has enabled him to focus on growth.
“Mindset is the key,” he told me. “If you don’t have that, everything else goes down to a lower level. You’re not going to drive, you’re not going to increase your marketing, and you’re not going to hire that one more person to help you grow.”
Je ’s Wealthy Franchisee Success Tips:
Build a great team and inspire their passion.
Stretch yourself, believe you can grow, and keep investing in the business. Slow down when you get scared. Revisit your beliefs in your success, but tackle problems head-on. Get help from someone else with an objective perspective.
Constantly feed yourself with positivity, motivation, and healthy messages.
Continuously learn and grow.
Find your why, go after it, and believe in it.
Location matters in franchising, especially for restaurants and retail. Demographics, population density, foot tra c— they make a di erence. You’ve got to sh where the sh are. Your franchisor can help with this. They know their customer pro le and should be able to analyze your territory—at least on paper—and assist with site selection. Sometimes a great location can compensate for lackluster operations. It can also make some franchisees feel a little more con dent
about their business acumen than they should.
But a great location may be hard to identify. It may be too expensive or not available. That’s OK. Ultimately, the franchisee makes or breaks the business. Franchisors all have stories of amazing operators tearing it up in locations where others failed. Their loyal customers travel longer distances to repeat a great experience. Their dedicated, well-treated employees work harder to create those experiences.
Just ask Burke Jones, who twice bought struggling locations of The UPS Store. One was in an average neighborhood without any demographic advantages. The other was four doors away from a FedEx O ce store. But with his stellar customer service, he built each location (on separate occasions) into the number-one unit in the entire network of almost 5,000 stores. Wealthy franchisees look for great locations but don’t rely on them. For them, “good enough” is all it takes.
Give the top franchisees in your system more credit. Their excellent operations make locations look better and may be easier to replicate than their ZIP codes.
Myth 2
They’re workaholics. Wealthy franchisees work hard and put in the hours. So do many typical and struggling franchisees, of course. Hard work isn’t the secret to success. It’s the prerequisite. Lots of franchisees are sacri cing and sweating, but not all of them are getting results.
The high performers I meet aren’t always putting in more hours; they’re putting in better hours. They know the di erence between activity and productivity. They work on their business, not just in their business. They develop leaders rather than manage employees and put the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure they don’t have to do it all themselves.
A franchisee who owns 20 locations has no more hours in the day than someone with just one. With the right people, training, and systems, their work yields more results. They’re no busier than other franchisees; they’re just more productive.
Myth 3
They have previous experience.
Yes, business experience can give you a head start. The next time I open a business, I’d like to think my experience with Edible Arrangements will give me an enormous advantage.
But “business” is a broad word. You can develop skills in one endeavor that don’t translate into another. Past success in one career is in no way a guarantee of success running your own business. You have no boss; you must self-motivate like never before.
PHOTOGRAPH
STARTERS
And business ownership is di erent from franchise ownership. Independent business owners can do whatever they want. Forging a partnership with a franchisor, hewing to company standards, having others out there representing the brand—it’s miles apart. Some folks struggle with that distinction.
Franchisors complain to me that many new franchisees with a lot of outside experience have a di cult time embracing their systems. They come with knowledge and biases that make it hard to trust the company methods. They have a hard time unlearning old ways of doing things and believe they know better than the franchisor. They try to Outsmart the Model. Most wealthy franchisees stick to the system. When I try to convey this concept onstage, it can make me sound like a corporate shill, but it’s true. I don’t meet franchisees who’ve gotten wealthy by defying brand practices.
But I do meet a lot of great franchisees who don’t have extensive business experience. They come in fresh and open and curious. They trust the ops manual, bring the right mindset, and execute better than anyone else.
So yes, experience is advantageous—provided it doesn’t conict with proven systems or close your mind to new ways of doing things. And if you don’t have experience, don’t worry. Running a franchise is the perfect way to acquire it.
Myth 4
They’re educated. I’m grateful for the higher education I was privileged to get. It made me a better, smarter, more informed person. But it didn’t make me a better franchisee. Books and lectures can tell you
a lot about swimming, but they can’t make you a swimmer. If there was ever a discipline that needed to be learned in the eld, it’s running a franchise. I watched one of my neighboring Edible Arrangements franchisees drive his business into the ground. He had a master’s in engineering. A less educated franchisee with more relevant skills bought the business and made it pro table.
Many franchising legends never went to college. Peter Cancro was only 17 when he bought Mike’s Subs, eventually turning it into Jersey Mike’s. Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas dropped out of high school and got his GED at age 61.
To be a wealthy franchisee, you don’t have to be a college graduate as much as an ongoing student. What you know is less important than what you’re willing to learn.
Myth 5
They love the business.
I’ve heard di erent opinions on this. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop CEO Paul Damico told me that, without question, his top performers had a passion for their food and the experience they provide. I heard similar sentiments from Erin Walter, vice president of brand marketing at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. Their best franchisees also love delighting customers with their brands’ comfort foods and treats. When I asked Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s CEO Charles Watson what his top franchisees have in common, the rst thing he said was “passion for the brand.”
But Great Clips vice chair Rhoda Olsen disagreed. “‘Do what you love’ is BS,” she said. “This is work! We don’t believe people need to be passionate about hair. They need to be passionate about the elements that
“Are you having fun, or are you stressed out? Do you feel proud of what you do? Does the business contribute to your life or take away from it?” what
build their business.”
My take is that what franchisees love about their business is less important than that they love something. Whether it’s the product, the process, or the people, some element of their business should jumpstart their heart. I had no great love for fruit or gift baskets, but I did love the way Edible Arrangements made people feel. I really enjoyed talking to customers about their special occasions and helping them nd ways to celebrate. Running a franchise is tough. It’s important to balance the challenges you face with something personally meaningful to make the di cult times worthwhile.
The truth about wealthy franchisees
When you speak to enough superstar franchisees, as I have, you start to see what they have in common. If all the wealthy franchisees I’ve met had MBAs, I’d point that out. If they all spent twice as much as their peers on marketing, I’d write a book on franchise marketing. If they all operated in dense urban settings, I’d obsess over commercial real estate. These are factors, but they aren’t the reasons.
What’s important are the internal traits they share, and how those impact external results. They don’t just have winning businesses—they have winning outlooks. Their mindset is an
asset to their business, as much as a great location or a superior sta . The way they think makes the di erence.
Some franchisees don’t believe this. They think top franchisees have a great attitude because they lucked into a successful business. They don’t understand that a high-performance mindset is not the result of franchise success. It’s the cause.
Mindset drives operational performance. Marketing isn’t just about promotion; it’s about patience. Management isn’t just about directing employees; it’s about engaging them. Customer service isn’t just about nancial transactions; it’s about human connections. With a better understanding of how these emotional qualities a ect your operations, you will run your business a lot more e ectively.
My point? You can do this! You can adjust your thinking and your behavior. You can have a better experience running your business. You can make money, save time, and improve your life. Wealthy franchisees are just ordinary people getting extraordinary results by working and living the concepts I’ve outlined. Nothing is guaranteed. There’s a lot you can’t control. But if others are succeeding in your system, chances are you can, too.
This article was excerpted from The Wealthy Franchisee by Scott Greenberg. Find the book at entrepreneur.com/bookstore
LIST ING S
The 2022 Buyer’s Guide
Looking to buy a business? Here’s our comprehensive guide to 1,346 franchise opportunities you can pursue now.
by TRACY STAPP HEROLD
Many people dream of owning a business. It’s not as crazy or far-fetched as it sounds. Each year, we compile and print one of the most comprehensive lists of franchise opportunities in the country. The list grew to more than 1,340 companies this year—the result, no doubt, of how the franchising industry has thrived in the past few years, despite the unpredictable economy. Established brands have innovated and grown, new brands have risen, and certain categories (like low-cost brands that can be operated out of your home) are on re.
We’re con dent you’ll be able to nd a product or service in our list that syncs with your life’s passion and can show you a pathway to owning and running your own business. These companies have already done the heavy lifting of developing a winning product, identifying a lucrative market for it, and writing the playbook for success. All that’s missing is you.
This list is not intended to endorse, advertise, or recommend a particular company. Be sure to do your own thorough research: Consult with a lawyer and an accountant, read the company’s legal documents, and talk to franchisees who are already in business with the company you are interested in. All information listed on the following pages was provided by the companies and has not been veri ed for accuracy. We present this listing as a service to our readers.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BUYING A FRANCHISE, VISIT ENTREPRENEUR.COM/FRANCHISE.
AUTOMOTIVE
Appearance Services
Colors On Parade O O
Auto paint and dent repair
BEGAN: 1989, Franchising: 1991
UNITS: US: 218, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 6
COST: $16.1K-$84K, RTY: 7-30%
FINANCING : Yes
QUALIF: $10K-$500K net worth w/$10K$200K liquid
Maaco
Auto painting and collision repair
BEGAN: 1972, Franchising: 1972
UNITS: US: 407, CAN: 18, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $301.6K-$619.9K, RTY: 9%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $900K net worth w/$420K liquid
Ziebart
Auto detailing, films, appearance and protection services
BEGAN: 1959, Franchising: 1962
UNITS: US: 78, CAN: 112, INTL: 198, CO: 12
COST: $416.8K-$566.1K, RTY: 5%/8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $350K net worth w/$150K liquid
Car Washes
DetailXPerts O O
Eco-friendly mobile vehicle wash and detailing; commercial cleaning
BEGAN: 2002, Franchising: 2008
UNITS: US: 14, CAN: 0, INTL: 78, CO: 36
COST: $88.5K-$195.1K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K-$1M net worth w/$35K-$75K liquid
Fleet Clean USA O Mobile commercial-fleet washing and facility cleaning
Oil changes, tune-ups, brakes, and repair services
BEGAN: 1980, Franchising: 1982
UNITS: US: 76, CAN: 0, INTL: 21, CO: 1
COST: $209.3K-$798.6K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $450K net worth w/$150K liquid
Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change
Oil-change services
BEGAN: 2016, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 18, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 28
COST: $217.9K-$287.4K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$250K liquid
Take
5 Oil Change
Oil changes
BEGAN: 1984, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 96, CAN: 32, INTL: 0, CO: 508
COST: $217.97K-$911.99K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$350K liquid
Valvoline Instant Oil Change
Oil changes and preventive maintenance
BEGAN: 1986, Franchising: 1988
UNITS: US: 770, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 663
COST: $178K-$3.3M, RTY: 4-6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1M net worth w/$600K liquid
Repair & Maintenance Services
AAMCO Transmissions and Total Car Care
Transmission and general auto repairs, diagnostic services
BEGAN: 1963, Franchising: 1963
UNITS: US: 549, CAN: 6, INTL: 0, CO: 13
COST: $223.6K-$330.5K, RTY: 7.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$65K liquid
Advanced Maintenance
Commercial-fleet maintenance, repair, and management services
BEGAN: 2000, Franchising: 2006
UNITS: US: 21, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $132.4K-$185.1K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $35K liquid
Auto-Lab Complete
Car Care Centers
Auto repair and maintenance
BEGAN: 1987, Franchising: 1989
UNITS: US: 17, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $130.8K-$319.5K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K-$400K net worth w/$250K liquid
Carstar
Auto collision repair
BEGAN: 1989, Franchising: 1989
UNITS: US: 395, CAN: 322, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $298.2K-$804.3K, RTY: 1.5%+
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$300K liquid
Christian Brothers Automotive Auto repair
BEGAN: 1982, Franchising: 1996
UNITS: US: 238, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $454.3K-$582.4K, RTY: Varies
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$85K liquid
Eagle Transmission
Transmission repair and replacement
BEGAN: 1983, Franchising: 1990
UNITS: US: 26, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $229K-$492.5K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$150K liquid
O Home-based/mobile
O Kiosk/express option
O Franchise can be started for less than $50K
BEGAN: Year business began
FRANCHISING: Year franchising began
$K: Thousands
$M: Millions
Operating Units
US: Number of operating franchise units in the U.S.
CAN: Number of operating franchise units in Canada
INTL: Number of operating franchise units in other foreign countries
CO: Number of operating company-owned units
Costs/Fees
COST: Startup costs as reported in the FDD, including franchise fee
RTY: Royalty fee
FINANCING: In-house or third-party financing available?
QUALIF: Net worth and cash liquidity requirements
Fix Auto USA Collision repair
BEGAN: 1997, Franchising: 1998
UNITS: US: 162, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $167.7K-$3.1M, RTY: 4%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $500K net worth
GExhaust
Mu er repair and custom performance exhaust shops
BEGAN: 2013, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $180.5K-$247.8K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $35K net worth w/$35K liquid
LISTINGS
MAYWEATHER BOXING + FITNESS
Hard (But Good) Knocks
Kathy Davis took up boxing in her mid-50s. When she opened the second Mayweather Boxing + Fitness franchise, she learned the true meaning of rolling with the punches. by KIM KAVIN
When Kathy Davis was in her early 30s, she started a personal training business and spent the next two decades trying everything from bodybuilding to spin classes to triathlons and marathons. By the time she was in her mid-50s, she was living near Nashville, and the gym where she trained brought in a professional box-
ing instructor. She loved the sport so much that in November 2019, she and a couple of partners opened franchise number two of Mayweather Boxing + Fitness. Four months later, COVID shut down gyms nationwide. It was a blow, on top of the already complicated act of being an early franchisee. Here, Davis explains how she bobbed and weaved her way through.
always wanted to do a franchise. the pandemic?
We did virtual workouts at no cost until we could open back up. There was no income coming in at all, but we took all the precautions to make people feel safe, so if they were willing to come in, we were there.
Did you experience growing pains as an early franchisee?
In a growing franchise, your
once-small, very close-knit team will expand. So your initial person, who you’ve bonded with since discovery day, may no longer be your go-to person. The positive side to this, of course, is that the brand is growing and bringing on additional experts to ensure our overall success.
What were some things that didn’t work at first?
We switched to a new contract with a di erent vendor because they were not meeting the needs of the brand. We also had equipment that didn’t look like newer franchisees’ equipment due to changes here and there in the equipment package, which made our fairly new studio look different from the others. But the franchisor recognized this and provided ways for us to make the updates if we desired. There were also tweaks to class programming, due to feedback directly from us franchisees and our customers on what was or wasn’t working. The main point here is that nothing starts o perfect. Being at the front end of a franchise means you will endure trial and error, and you must be patient and nimble enough to endure. Overall, it’s exciting to be a part of a journey like this.
What’s one of the ways that you’ve learned to empower other women in the studio? It’s really great to see women, or anyone for that matter, come out of their shells when they start hitting the bag condently. They just have to work on it and build their strength.
The Growth Coach O O Business and sales coaching for SMBs
BEGAN: 2002, Franchising: 2003
UNITS: US: 39, CAN: 1, INTL: 12, CO: 0
COST: $42K-$63.9K, RTY: 15%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K liquid
Preveer O O
Outsourcing, business consulting, business services
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 5, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $25.8K-$50K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $25K liquid
Valenta O
Consulting, digital transformation, sta augmentation, training
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 18, CAN: 9, INTL: 19, CO: 0
COST: $64.9K-$93K, RTY: 0
FINANCING: No
ZorForum O O
Peer groups for emerging franchisors
BEGAN: 2020, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 1, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $7K-$12.1K, RTY: $500/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
Coworking Spaces
Intelligent O ce
Physical and virtual o ce space for mobile executives and small businesses
BEGAN: 1995, Franchising: 1999
UNITS: US: 41, CAN: 12, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $359K-$1.2M, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $750K net worth w/$250K liquid
Khospace
Coworking o ce spaces for therapy and wellness providers
BEGAN: 2017, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $218.5K-$753K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $55K net worth w/$55K liquid
O ce Evolution
Virtual o ce services, coworking spaces, executive-suite and conference-room rentals
BEGAN: 2003, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 65, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 10
COST: $393.7K-$1.3M, RTY: 7.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $750K net worth w/$300K liquid
Regus
Flexible/virtual o ces, coworking spaces, meeting and training facilities
BEGAN: 1989, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 205, CO: 2,392
COST: $549K-$998K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1M net worth w/$350K liquid
Venture X Coworking spaces
BEGAN: 2012, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 37, CAN: 5, INTL: 3, CO: 0
COST: $360.6K-$3.6M, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1M net worth w/$250K liquid
WHAT’S NEW AT…
Tommy’s Express Car Wash
Since it began franchising in 2016, Tommy’s Express has become one of the fastest-growing car wash chains in the United States. Here, a quick chat with CEO Alex Lemmen.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year?
Tommy’s added over 150 new team members to the corporate team, with the goal of increasing equipment production capacity as well as corporate support for our growing franchise community. We have added 80 sites in the last 18 months and are accelerating our construction and growth e orts to meet the demand we have in place to achieve 500 locations in the next two to three years.
What trends in your industry are you watching right now?
We aren’t the only ones growing; our competitors are trying to grow at an accelerated pace, too. Some are doing this through acquisition or consolidation, and some are growing through new sites. Good locations are going fast and at top dollar, and we’re seeing competitors build in close proximity to one another. Guest experience and the ease of doing business is going to be the key di erentiator with so many brands ramping up so quickly.
Networking Groups
Network In Action O O
Professional networking and referral groups
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 76, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $19.7K-$47.7K, RTY: 9%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K net worth w/$25K liquid
Network Lead Exchange O O
Business referral networks
BEGAN: 2018, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 68, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $9.95K-$21.8K, RTY: 25%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $10K liquid
Printing/Marketing Services
Allegra Marketing-Print-Mail Printing, marketing, direct mail, signs, promotional products
BEGAN: 1976, Franchising: 1977
UNITS: US: 195, CAN: 58, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $125.8K-$378.2K, RTY: 1.5-6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K-$400K net worth w/$100K-$250K liquid
AlphaGraphics
Printing, marketing communications, signs and graphics
BEGAN: 1970, Franchising: 1980
UNITS: US: 242, CAN: 0, INTL: 22, CO: 0
COST: $263.7K-$363.3K, RTY: 7-3%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $400K net worth w/$125K liquid
EagleOne
Customer experience, lead generation, and digital marketing solutions
You don’t need to spend a lot of money to buy a great business. Here’s why. by JEFF CHEATHAM
One of the biggest myths about franchises is that they’re prohibitively expensive. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite: Franchises are available at every price point. Yes, big-name legacy brands like KFC, 7-Eleven and Planet Fitness can require initial investments above $1 million. However, many valuable concepts cost considerably less
to own and operate. Indeed, low-cost franchise brands are a wise option for entrepreneurs looking to get into the franchising industry—and there are several advantages to going the budget route.
Newcomer nirvana
If you don’t have millions in the bank, or maybe even a half-decent nest egg, you can
still nd many franchise concepts that command a lower investment level—and that could be a wise and practical way to get started. These franchises typically have operational requirements that are far less labor- and resource-intensive than high-pro le brands. As a result, running a low-cost franchise gives owners the chance to be a big sh in a small pond— which isn’t a bad place to begin building an enterprise.
Smaller size, same benefits
As opposed to starting a business from the ground up or buying an existing company in a resale opportunity, franchises o er entrepreneurs the ability to start with established and proven business models that o er owners a roadmap to success—that is, provided they follow through. But regardless of whether you
invest in a big-name brand or a low-cost budget franchise, the operating systems provided to owners are essentially the same. Even the most a ordable concepts o er proven systems, tools, and resources. In fact, for the most part, even with a lower-cost franchise, you can expect the same level of training and ongoing support that a more expensive franchise o ers—and possibly even more.
Less hassle equals less risk
Many low-cost, a ordable franchise concepts aren’t exactly complex operations. Many don’t require an established brick-and-mortar location, a massive inventory of supplies or even a large sta . Some low-cost franchise concepts are home-based; others are mobile operations. Together, these factors help lower overhead operating costs. Not only does this reduce the number of obstacles to franchisees, but it also signi cantly decreases the overall risk of time, money, and resources put into the venture.
No matter the cost of the business, nding the right franchise opportunity still requires due diligence. Franchisees should search for a concept that matches their goals, lifestyle requirements, and desired income-generating potential. But as you search, don’t forget that entrepreneurs can easily nd viable opportunities in low-cost franchises—ones that require less capital, fewer resources, and a reduced amount of risk to your investment, while still letting you be your own boss.
LISTINGS
Patrice & Associates O Hospitality, retail, and sales recruiting
BEGAN: 1989, Franchising: 2008
UNITS: US: 207, CAN: 2, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $93.6K-$111K, RTY: 10%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth
PrideSta Sta ng
BEGAN: 1978, Franchising: 1995
UNITS: US: 82, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $161.2K-$235.1K, RTY: Varies
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $350K net worth w/$200K liquid
Remedy Intelligent Sta ng Sta ng
BEGAN: 1965, Franchising: 1987
UNITS: US: 125, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $152.2K-$258.7K, RTY: Varies
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $50K-$100K liquid
Sanford Rose Associates O Executive search and recruiting
BEGAN: 1959, Franchising: 1970
UNITS: US: 157, CAN: 2, INTL: 2, CO: 0
COST: $108.3K-$143.6K, RTY: 7-6%
FINANCING: Yes
Spherion Sta ng
Sta ng, recruitment, and employment-related services
In 2016, RE/MAX Holdings founded Motto Mortgage, which describes itself as “the rst and only mortgage brokerage franchise in the U.S. focused on transparency and compliance.”
Here, a quick chat with Bob Butterfield , the brand’s vice president of franchise sales .
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year? We increased investments in sales and marketing resources to accelerate revenue growth and provide support to the rising number of incoming sales inquiries. Motto Mortgage brand awareness has grown signi cantly in the past few years. The franchise is uniquely positioned to continue to see growth in 2023 by having committed to the continued development of franchisee technology tools, expanding sales and support teams to serve the network, and launching additional educational services.
What trends in your industry are you watching right now? Consumers are looking for lenders that can partner with them to weather the market changes that have been happening over the last few months and will be continuing to evolve during the remainder of 2022.
Also, while other mortgage entities have been riding the wave of renance business, Motto Mortgage o ces tended to stay the course on purchase loans. As a result, we’re not as impacted by rising rates and re nance business drying up.
LISTINGS
Less Theory, More Action
Kids can get endless amounts of education online. So how does an education company like 2inspire stay relevant? CEO Shafik Mina says it starts with hands-on innovation. by CHLOE ARROJADO
Wleader in 2013, it did something that seemed a little mad: It turned to Sha k Mina, who had spent the past four years as the company’s lawyer. He’d run a catering company and a wholesale bakery back in the ’90s, but believed he knew how to help Mad Science (which runs kids
Mina is the president of two brands—Crayola Imagine Arts Academy and Mad Science— and the CEO of their parent company, 2inspire. Overseeing Mad Science’s 139 units and Crayola Imagine Arts Academy’s 23 units has been no small challenge. But he says the opportunity is huge.
edge we have to create a house of brands that o ers other programs.
Under your leadership, has the franchisee-franchisor relationship changed?
I focused early on building a culture of trust. When I started in the leadership position, we
spent a lot of time making sure we had a team in place who understood that our franchisees are partners. That was not where it was when I took over, and it was something we had to work very hard to get to. A lot of franchisors expect it to happen instinctively. But I think it’s something you have to proactively work on, like any relationship.
What does the education space look like now, considering all the changes of the past few years?
It hasn’t changed much over the past 100 years. Essentially the model is: You send kids to school, where there’s a lot of focus on teaching them the theory. They absorb the theory, move up and get to university, and then they get a job. I think that’s good, but it misses a very important aspect of practicality. When you move from the educational space into a career, your boss doesn’t really want to know about the theory—they want to know how you do it.
What void are programs like yours filling?
We looked at what skills future employees and employers are going to need and identi ed a few: creativity, collaboration, and communication. When we identi ed the skills, we said, “OK, how do we use art as a medium to teach those skills?” [Online learning] lls certain gaps. But if that’s the biggest transformation we’re going to make in education, then I think we’ve completely missed the boat.
MAD SCIENCE
Celebree School
Early childhood education and childcare
BEGAN: 1994, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 3, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 26
COST: $773.6K-$1.7M, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $750K net worth w/$250K liquid
Children’s Lighthouse Childcare
BEGAN: 1996, Franchising: 1999
UNITS: US: 63, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $4.3M-$6.6M, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $600K-$950K net worth w/$300K-$500K liquid
Ho Math Chess at Home O O Math, chess, and puzzle learning programs
BEGAN: 1995, Franchising: 2004
UNITS: US: 4, CAN: 3, INTL: 4, CO: 1
COST: $1K, RTY: 0
FINANCING: Yes
iCode Computer science education for children in grades K-12
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 20, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $198K-$360K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$100K liquid
IDEA Lab Kids
STEAM enrichment classes, camps, and parties
BEGAN: 2012, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 14, CAN: 6, INTL: 1, CO: 0
COST: $163K-$465K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $25K-$50K liquid
Little Medical School O
Healthcare-themed after-school and summer-camp programs
BEGAN: 2010, Franchising: 2014
UNITS: US: 20, CAN: 3, INTL: 12, CO: 3
COST: $54.1K-$102.4K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
Mad Science
Science education and entertainment programs
BEGAN: 1985, Franchising: 1995
UNITS: US: 77, CAN: 22, INTL: 41, CO: 3
COST: $108.7K-$287.5K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: No
Nutty Scientists O OO
Science enrichment and entertainment programs
BEGAN: 1996, Franchising: 1997
UNITS: US: 4, CAN: 2, INTL: 201, CO: 2
COST: $35K-$187.1K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $40K net worth w/$35K liquid
Six Pixels Studios O O
STEAM classes, camps, special events, and parties
BEGAN: 2010, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 2, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $33.7K-$75.8K, RTY: 6.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $15K-$30K net worth
Skill Samurai O
STEM enrichment programs
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 3, CAN: 7, INTL: 5, CO: 0
COST: $104.1K-$307.95K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$100K liquid
Snapology O
STEAM education programs
BEGAN: 2010, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 110, CAN: 3, INTL: 58, CO: 1
COST: $60K-$276.5K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $75K net worth w/$50K liquid
STEM For Kids O O
Biomed, coding, business, and engineering programs for ages 4 to 14
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2014
UNITS: US: 67, CAN: 24, INTL: 28, CO: 5
COST: $49.5K-$83.7K, RTY: 7%+
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $400K net worth w/$50K liquid
Stemtree
Science, coding, robotics, electronics, and math programs
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 13, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $83.8K-$159.8K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $169K net worth w/$100K liquid
WHAT’S NEW AT…
The Goddard School
Since its founding in 1983 and subsequent franchising in 1988, The Goddard School has become a leader in childcare as one of the largest franchised preschool systems. Here, a quick chat with Dennis R. Maple, chairman and CEO of Goddard Systems , the franchisor of The Goddard School.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year?
We continued to put an emphasis on the support and services we o er our franchisees. We also welcomed chief academic o cer, Lauren Starnes, who holds a doctorate in education, to re ne our educational o ering with an emphasis on social-emotional learning. After more than two years of the pandemic, our focus on social-emotional development and mental wellbeing is particularly important, as it helps children further regain normalcy, reengage with their peers and teachers, and have fun.”
What trends in your industry are you watching right now?
We’re continuing to watch trends in the type of education that parents are seeking for their children. Research shows that parents believe the pandemic has negatively impacted their child’s social-emotional development. As such, The Goddard School continues to prioritize social-emotional learning alongside traditional academics to advance students’ success after pandemic isolation.
Techie Factory
Children’s coding, esports, and digital creation programs
BEGAN: 2017, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 1, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $172.3K-$284.9K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$100K liquid
Wize Computing Academy O OO
Coding, robotics, and design classes, camps, and competition prep
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 9, CAN: 3, INTL: 1, CO: 1
COST: $38K-$67K, RTY: 8-6%
FINANCING: Yes
Children’s Enrichment: Miscellaneous
Drama Kids O O
After-school drama classes and summer camps
BEGAN: 1979, Franchising: 1989
UNITS: US: 55, CAN: 0, INTL: 154, CO: 0
COST: $33.8K-$73.5K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K net worth w/$30K liquid
The Knight School O O Chess enrichment activities
BEGAN: 2007, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 16, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $450-$25.2K, RTY: to 15%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $10K net worth w/$5K liquid
LearningRx
Cognitive skills, reading, and math training for children and adults
Restaurant franchising requires a unique match between franchisor and franchisee. The skills required to succeed can be di erent than those for other industries, and so to stand out, it’s best to know exactly what franchisors
want. Here’s a breakdown of their top four priorities.
Eagerness to learn.
Franchisors don’t expect you to know everything right away. (After all, if you did, why wouldn’t you just build your own business model instead
of following theirs?) But they do expect you to want to learn how they achieve success. “The coachability piece is huge for us, because we know what we’re doing now, and if you follow what we’re preaching and what we have as a system and brand, we can make you successful,” says Jim Tselikis, cofounder of Cousins Maine Lobster. “If a franchisee comes in and says they don’t know everything but they’re willing to learn and we can train them, they’ll be successful. And I think that humility is a really becoming quality.”
A love of service.
Not every franchise concept requires day in, day out interaction with all kinds of customers. But restaurant franchisees devote their days to making their patrons happy. And so if
you don’t have a deep desire to serve others, it can be just about impossible to succeed. “You can train anyone to run a restaurant, but it’s very hard to coach somebody to be a nice person,” says Lauren Fernandez, founder and CEO of Full Course. “You really need to nd people who have that service heart and attitude.”
A belief in the brand.
Sometimes, though, heart is not enough. Restaurant franchisees also have to understand the mission and purpose of the brand. After all, they’re the ones who uphold the integrity of the company in the eyes of its customers. As Tselikis puts it: “You need to buy in—not just literally with your dollars.” Even when making initial assessments of potential franchise partners, make sure that you believe in the brand’s core values and message. It’s essential, Fernandez says, “that you have that early stage alignment on what the brand is about.”
Commitment.
At its core, franchising is a partnership that requires dedication. This is especially true in the food and beverage industry. Restaurant franchisees need to be ready to dive in and devote themselves to what is often decades of commitment. So if you’re interested, be sure to consider the amount of time, e ort and nancials that are required to ensure the unit succeeds. Only then can you truly be in it for the long haul.
Generating Leads for You
Our readily recognizable brand, national advertising effort, and lead generation sources help keep leads flowing so you can grow your business.
Loans for Buying and Repairing Property
We make it easy to keep your business running smoothly with in-house loans for qualifying purchases and repairs, and no need to tie up your cashflow one property at a time.
Mentors and a Proven Model for Success
Dedicated mentors guide you through all aspects of learning your new business, and with more than a thousand franchise locations, over a quarter century of experience, and a vast network of knowledgeable professionals you’ll continue to help one another rather than compete.
LISTINGS
Kid to Kid
New and used children’s and maternity clothing and products
BEGAN: 1992, Franchising: 1994
UNITS: US: 76, CAN: 1, INTL: 23, CO: 12
COST: $347.2K-$542.1K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $200K net worth w/$75K-$125K liquid
Learning Express Toys & Gifts
Specialty toy stores
BEGAN: 1987, Franchising: 1990
UNITS: US: 86, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $133.4K-$313.8K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$125K liquid
Once Upon A Child
New and used children’s clothing, equipment, furniture, toys
Child and adult swimming lessons, parties, summer camps
BEGAN: 2005, Franchising: 2014
UNITS: US: 114, CAN: 0, INTL: 49, CO: 10
COST: $51.5K-$1.99M, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K-$1.5M net worth w/$60K-$300K liquid
Tutoring
Best Brains Learning Centers O
Supplemental education
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2013
UNITS: US: 117, CAN: 16, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $16.5K-$78.7K, RTY: 14-18%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$40K liquid
Club Z! In-Home
Tutoring Services O O
In-home tutoring
BEGAN: 1995, Franchising: 1998
UNITS: US: 356, CAN: 9, INTL: 5, CO: 0
COST: $33.5K-$52.4K, RTY: 6-8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$40K liquid
Eye Level Learning Centers
Supplemental education
BEGAN: 1976, Franchising: 1976
UNITS: US: 148, CAN: 14, INTL: 583, CO: 750
COST: $52.3K-$121.7K, RTY: $32-36/ subject/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K net worth w/$60K liquid
Huntington Learning Center
Tutoring and test prep
BEGAN: 1977, Franchising: 1985
UNITS: US: 271, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 14
COST: $147K-$266.1K, RTY: 9.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $200K net worth w/$65K liquid
JEI Learning Center
Individualized supplemental education
BEGAN: 1977, Franchising: 1992
UNITS: US: 62, CAN: 9, INTL: 146, CO: 255
COST: $69.8K-$116.5K, RTY: $23-$33/ subject/mo.
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $150K net worth w/$75K liquid
Kumon
Supplemental education
BEGAN: 1954, Franchising: 1958
UNITS: US: 1,592, CAN: 389, INTL: 24,340, CO: 44
COST: $67.4K-$145.6K, RTY: $34-$38/ student/mo.
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $150K net worth w/$70K liquid
Mathnasium Math tutoring
BEGAN: 2002, Franchising: 2003
UNITS: US: 927, CAN: 89, INTL: 59, CO: 7
COST: $112.8K-$149.1K, RTY: 10%+
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $149.1K net worth w/$112.8K liquid
WHAT’S NEW AT…
LIME Painting
LIME Painting is a residential and commercial painting company which specializes in painting, coatings, and surface restoration.
Here, a quick chat with marketing coordinator Sara Michie.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year? LIME has expanded our commercial division and started to create relationships with the right people in the commercial construction space. With this growth, we have been implementing new strategies. We continue to identify new goals that help us ensure progress and stay on track for more growth in 2023. We want to continue to o er our clients a professional experience with results that can be maintained.
What trends in your industry are you watching right now? The increase in labor costs and paint costs. We’re continually working with our suppliers to avoid passing product cost increases to customers; however, we have started paying our team more to accommodate the cost-of-living increases. Our team also continues to observe paint color trends that are popular for the year for interior and exterior.
When Victor Lewis passed away, he’d started the process of opening a Batteries Plus franchise. His wife and kids picked up where he’d left off and discovered just how resilient they are.
by CHLOE ARROJADO
Victor Lewis encouraged his wife, Audrey, and their kids—Netanya, Victor Jr., and Joshua— to be entrepreneurial. He saw business ownership as a way to create a family legacy, and convinced them to join Batteries Plus in 2021, after having a great customer experience. But a
few months after they signed the franchise papers, he passed away from cancer.
The family was bereft after his death, but decided to push forward with his plans for a Long Island franchise. They’ve found strength in navigating the business journey like they have the healing process: together.
What was it like building a franchise during this di cult time?
AUDREY: I was married for 28 years, and during those years, Victor took care of most of the business and family a airs. So when he passed away, it was a huge shift. Franchising taught me a lot about perseverance. It taught me never to give up.
VICTOR JR.: There were plenty of times where we were unsure of the nances, the location, and even the building materials. I’ve heard entrepreneurs say, “We get beat down, you’ve got to try again,” but I never really took it to heart until this.
NETANYA: My dad was a very smart businessman. Even though he wasn’t here physically, he gave us the tools and resources we needed to succeed. That drove us as a family. Throughout our lives, each of us
learned bits and pieces from him about running a business.
How did you all go about learning how to be successful franchisees?
VICTOR JR.: I had a little bit of knowledge from my website design studio business. But my website business was more based on the electronic side, so I could work from home. Being at Batteries Plus, where there’s a physical building—you need more resources to get yourself up and running. I’ve learned to not be afraid to ask questions, and to check something three to four times before sending it out.
How has the business a ected you as a family?
AUDREY: It’s almost forced time [together]. To sit together and talk and work out how the scheduling is going to look, the sta ng, all those little pieces. I thank God for my children because they helped me not only through the passing of my husband, but when I doubted I could do this.
VICTOR JR.: When you’re ghting toward a common goal, it’s very easy to get on board to help each other out. It pushes us all to be more close-knit.
NETANYA: One of the biggest realizations I’ve had is that you really need your family, especially when you go through di cult things. Everyone has strengths and everyone has weaknesses. When me and Victor [Jr.] were at [company headquarters], it was so cool because we were like this dynamic duo. My family being there for me and vice versa—it’s something I’m grateful for.
Siblings Victor Lewis Jr. and Netanya Lewis at their family’s Batteries Plus, where the work is very personal.
Dave’s likes to say it “brings the heat,” specializing in Nashville-style hot chicken as well as chicken tenders and sliders. Here, a quick chat with CEO Bill Phelps.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year?
We’ve invested in our front-end team on the real estate, construction, operations, and training side. We had the foresight of having a much more robust team than needed for the number of stores we had open, and this has paved the way for our substantial growth. Additionally, we’ve been exclusively focused on bringing on high-level, multi-unit operators to grow with us, which has also had a major contribution to being the fastest growing restaurant concept in the country and recently being named one of the hottest brands by Ad Age.
What trends in your industry are you watching right now? Chicken continues to be one of the more popular and trendier segments in the quick-service restaurants and fast-casual industries. Labor is something else we continue to keep a close watch on. We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to attract incredible employees to work at our stores because we’re a trendy concept with a fun, upbeat work environment in each of our stores.
Co ee, specialty drinks, breakfast and lunch items
BEGAN: 2004, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 42, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 8
COST: $386K-$1.2M, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K-$350K net worth w/$150K-$200K liquid
Crepes
Crepe Delicious O
Crepes, gelato, panini, co ee
BEGAN: 2004, Franchising: 2005
UNITS: US: 4, CAN: 30, INTL: 10, CO: 2
COST: $170.5K-$924.3K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$100K liquid
Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe Crepes, wa es, salads, panini, milkshakes, co ee, alcohol
BEGAN: 2012, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 6, CAN: 0, INTL: 1, CO: 4
COST: $753.6K-$990.6K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $600K net worth w/$200K-$400K liquid
Fries
Mr. Fries Man
Fries, toppings
BEGAN: 2016, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 8, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $132.1K-$302.5K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $35K net worth w/$35K liquid
Mr. Potato Spread O O
Stu ed potatoes, fries, and potato salads
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $168.8K-$255.8K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $25K net worth w/$25K liquid
Patat to Go O
Fries, dipping sauces, toppings, burritos
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $95.2K-$248.5K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $25K net worth w/$25K liquid
Spudz
Fries, toppings
BEGAN: 2018, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $124K-$217.5K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $25K net worth w/$25K liquid
Frozen Desserts: Custard
Culver’s
Frozen custard, specialty burgers
BEGAN: 1984, Franchising: 1988
UNITS: US: 857, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $2.3M-$5.8M, RTY: 4%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1.3M net worth w/$500K-$750K liquid
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Frozen custard, steakburgers, hot dogs
BEGAN: 2002, Franchising: 2004
UNITS: US: 372, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 34
COST: $760.8K-$2.1M, RTY: 4.5%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $850K net worth w/$250K-$800K liquid
Frozen Desserts: Ice Cream
Azuquita O
Mexican and American desserts
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $142.3K-$253.9K, RTY: 5.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $30K net worth w/$30K liquid
Baskin-Robbins O
Ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen beverages
BEGAN: 1945, Franchising: 1948
UNITS: US: 2,429, CAN: 104,
INTL: 5,219, CO: 0
COST: $90.99K-$625.2K, RTY: 5.9%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$125K liquid
Ben & Jerry’s O
Ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, smoothies
BEGAN: 1978, Franchising: 1981
UNITS: US: 229, CAN: 3, INTL: 324, CO: 17
COST: $152.2K-$546.8K, RTY: 3%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $350K net worth w/$100K liquid
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
Ice cream, frozen yogurt, ices, sherbets
BEGAN: 1989, Franchising: 1993
UNITS: US: 192, CAN: 0, INTL: 8, CO: 1
COST: $318K-$2.2M, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K-$800K net worth w/$150K-$350K liquid
Buzzed Bull Creamery
Alcohol-infused ice cream
BEGAN: 2016, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 8, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $180.96K-$526.3K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K-$1M net worth w/$100K liquid
WHAT’S NEW AT…
Mountain
Mike’s Pizza
Ma leading family-style restaurant chain known for its delicious pizza. Here, a quick chat with president and COO Jim Metevier.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year? Our locations continue to evolve architecturally, and the resulting restaurant environment is even more welcoming—an aesthetic match to our pillars of food, family, and community. Our ongoing e orts this year also include a signi cant focus on digital adoption, especially as digital sales account for more than 40% of total sales. Our mobile app continues to gain popularity as a platform that rewards existing users for participating, while incentivizing new users with an array of value-added promotions and contests simply for downloading the mobile app.
What trends in your industry are you watching right now?
We are closely monitoring measures that have the potential to grow and protect franchisee profitability, and we will continue to react quickly to help lessen the negative e ects of government regulations, supply chain issues, and rising food costs fueled by in ation. We are actively working with our franchisees to address the complex employment landscape that continues as a challenging by-product of the pandemic, and we are helping our network of restaurants to attract and retain valuable employees.
Carvel O O
Ice cream, ice cream cakes
BEGAN: 1934, Franchising: 1947
UNITS: US: 325, CAN: 0, INTL: 31, CO: 1
COST: $310K-$500K, RTY: $2.64/gallon
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $350K net worth w/$140K liquid
Dairy Queen
Ice cream, burgers, chicken
BEGAN: 1940, Franchising: 1940
UNITS: US: 4,337, CAN: 692, INTL: 2,157, CO: 2
COST: $1.5M-$2.4M, RTY: 4%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $750K net worth w/$400K liquid
Dippin’ Dots O
Specialty ice cream, frozen yogurt, ices, sorbet
BEGAN: 1988, Franchising: 1999
UNITS: US: 219, CAN: 1, INTL: 6, CO: 0
COST: $112.2K-$366.95K, RTY: Varies
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$80K liquid
Fosters Freeze O
Soft-serve ice cream, burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, fries
BEGAN: 1946, Franchising: 1946
UNITS: US: 65, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $178K-$1M, RTY: 4%/8%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $600K-$2.5M net worth w/$150K-$2M liquid
Gofer Ice Cream Ice cream
BEGAN: 2002, Franchising: 2006
UNITS: US: 4, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $229K-$411.3K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$50K liquid
Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream Ice cream
BEGAN: 1945, Franchising: 1989
UNITS: US: 75, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 5
COST: $225K-$725K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$250K liquid
Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream O O Ice cream, Italian ice, frozen yogurt, custard
BEGAN: 2004, Franchising: 2005
UNITS: US: 32, CAN: 0, INTL: 1, CO: 2
COST: $103.1K-$267K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K-$1M net worth w/$75K-$1M liquid
Sweet Charlie’s O Rolled ice cream and specialty desserts
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 18, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $150.8K-$396.6K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K-$250K net worth w/$100K-$250K liquid
Frozen Desserts: Ices
Bahama Buck’s O
Shaved ice, fruit smoothies
BEGAN: 1989, Franchising: 1993
UNITS: US: 101, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $308.7K-$966.3K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $950K net worth w/$100K liquid
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice O
Italian ice, gelato, ice cream
BEGAN: 1996, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 50, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 22
COST: $254.8K-$549.8K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$100K liquid
Kona Ice O
Shaved-ice trucks
BEGAN: 2007, Franchising: 2008
UNITS: US: 1,359, CAN: 9, INTL: 1, CO: 26
COST: $150.4K-$174.2K, RTY: $3K-$4K/yr.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $20K net worth w/$20K liquid
Pelican’s SnoBalls
Shaved ice
BEGAN: 2001, Franchising: 2011
UNITS: US: 199, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $70.8K-$209.8K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $20K liquid
Rita’s Italian Ice O
Italian ice and frozen custard
BEGAN: 1984, Franchising: 1989
UNITS: US: 538, CAN: 0, INTL: 5, CO: 0
COST: $194.9K-$528.1K, RTY: 6.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$100K liquid
Frozen Desserts: Miscellaneous
Frios Gourmet Pops O O
Frozen pops
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 49, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $66.3K-$172.8K, RTY: $400-$500/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$75K liquid
Paciugo Gelato Ca e O
Gelato, pastries, beverages
BEGAN: 2000, Franchising: 2004
UNITS: US: 26, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $232.7K-$522.3K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$150K liquid
Popbar O
Gelato, sorbetto, and frozen yogurt on a stick
BEGAN: 2010, Franchising: 2010
UNITS: US: 20, CAN: 1, INTL: 1, CO: 1
COST: $217K-$458.4K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$80K liquid
Home-based/mobile O Kiosk/express option OFranchise can be started for less than $50K
Ghost Kitchens
Combo Kitchen
Ghost kitchens/food halls
BEGAN: 2020, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 150, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $72K-$297.5K, RTY: 10%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $32K net worth w/$32K liquid
The Local Culinary Ghost kitchens
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 43, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $90.8K-$215.7K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$75K liquid
Hamburgers
A&W Restaurants
Root beer, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, sides, ice cream
BEGAN: 1919, Franchising: 1925
UNITS: US: 520, CAN: 0, INTL: 397, CO: 3
COST: $276K-$1.5M, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $350K net worth w/$150K liquid
AATB
Burgers, fries, beverages, ice cream
BEGAN: 2018, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $158K-$260.5K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $25K net worth w/$25K liquid
Built Custom Burgers
Build-your-own burgers
BEGAN: 2013, Franchising: 2014
UNITS: US: 4, CAN: 0, INTL: 3, CO: 0
COST: $432.5K-$881.5K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $800K-$2M net worth w/$200K-$2M liquid
Bunz Gourmet Burgers O O
Burgers
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $56.2K-$252.5K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $30K net worth w/$30K liquid
Burger Barn Grill
Burgers, sandwiches, ice cream
BEGAN: 2018, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $250.1K-$401.5K, RTY: 4.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $30K net worth w/$30K liquid
BurgerFi
Burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders and sandwiches, sides, frozen custard, craft beer, wine
When Kerry Sylvester started the charcuterie franchise Graze Craze, she learned that serving up fresh meats and cheeses is complicated work— strategically and personally. by MADELINE GARFINKLE
After Kerry Sylvester left the military in 2003, she moved to Oklahoma and earned a degree in business management. She also claimed a more informal distinction—she was the designated
“charcuterie person” in her social circle. “When we bring food to our friends’ homes, we want them to say, ‘Wow, you made that?’” she says. Still, as a working single mother, Sylvester didn’t always have time to plan—
and after searching fruitlessly for a place to pick up a freshly made board before a party, she decided to create one herself.
Just over two years later, Graze Craze has 13 locations around the U.S. and is aiming to have between 40 and 50 in total open by the end of the year.
As Sylvester explains, success required a lot of trial and error.
Why do you think charcuterie has become so popular?
Not all of us are cooks, but a lot of us are creative people. Charcuterie is a way for people who don’t necessarily have a food background to become a foodie and create something. I grew up eating charcuterie as
What’s been one of the things that surprised you about starting Graze Craze? It’s not just food, it’s the people—it’s where our charcuterie boards go when they leave our stores. You wouldn’t believe some of the stories I hear. There was a lady and her mother who purchased a board for Easter. Her sister had terminal cancer, and she only had a few months to live, so this board was part of their last Easter meal together. She said, “You just don’t know what this charcuterie board means to us.” It blows my mind sometimes. So that’s the passion part of this.
GRAZE CRAZE
Taco John’s Mexican food
BEGAN: 1969, Franchising: 1969
UNITS: US: 374, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 6
COST: $1.1M-$1.7M, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1M-$500M net worth w/$500K-$500M liquid
Tortilla Town O O Mexican food
BEGAN: 2007, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $106.8K-$745K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K-$1M net worth w/$50K-$1M liquid
Pizza
Benny’s Pizza Pizza
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 1, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 21
COST: $168.8K-$523.5K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $200K net worth w/$50K liquid
Blaze Pizza
Build-your-own pizza
BEGAN: 2012, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 299, CAN: 17, INTL: 11, CO: 13
COST: $565.4K-$1.1M, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$250K liquid
Crust Pizza Co.
Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 5, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 5
COST: $521.5K-$915.3K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $400K net worth w/$150K liquid
Donatos
Pizza, subs, salads
BEGAN: 1963, Franchising: 1991
UNITS: US: 114, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 54
COST: $386.5K-$698.9K, RTY: 4.5-4%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1M net worth w/$200K liquid
Figaro’s Pizza Pizza, take-and-bake pizza
BEGAN: 1981, Franchising: 1986
UNITS: US: 28, CAN: 0, INTL: 1, CO: 0
COST: $86.5K-$549K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$250K liquid
Fox’s Pizza Den Pizza, sandwiches, wings, salads, appetizers
BEGAN: 1971, Franchising: 1974
UNITS: US: 202, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $101.8K-$236.3K, RTY: $400/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $200K net worth w/to $25K liquid
Hungry Howie’s Pizza & Subs
Pizza, subs, bread, wings, salads, desserts
BEGAN: 1973, Franchising: 1982
UNITS: US: 501, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 33
COST: $313.1K-$495.2K, RTY: 5.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $400K net worth w/$150K liquid
Jet’s Pizza
Pizza, subs, salads, breads, wings, dessert
BEGAN: 1978, Franchising: 1990
UNITS: US: 348, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 42
COST: $437.5K-$631K, RTY: 10%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $350K net worth w/$250K liquid
LaRosa’s Pizzeria
Pizza, Italian food
BEGAN: 1954, Franchising: 1967
UNITS: US: 57, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 9
COST: $725.5K-$1.9M, RTY: 4%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$200K liquid
Ledo Pizza
Pizza, subs, pasta
BEGAN: 1955, Franchising: 1989
UNITS: US: 106, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $126.3K-$442K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: No
Marco’s Pizza
Pizza, pizza bowls, subs, wings, salads, cheese
bread
BEGAN: 1978, Franchising: 1979
UNITS: US: 957, CAN: 0, INTL: 57, CO: 45
COST: $242.1K-$633.1K, RTY: 5.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $450K net worth w/$150K liquid
Mountain Mike’s Pizza
Pizza, wings, salad bar, appetizers
BEGAN: 1978, Franchising: 1981
UNITS: US: 255, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $336.3K-$611.6K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$100K liquid
Papa Johns
Pizza
BEGAN: 1985, Franchising: 1986
UNITS: US: 2,564, CAN: 175, INTL: 2,311, CO: 600
COST: $198.1K-$743.9K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $750K net worth w/$250K liquid
Papa Murphy’s
Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza
Take-and-bake pizza
BEGAN: 1981, Franchising: 1982
UNITS: US: 1,195, CAN: 13, INTL: 20, CO: 59
COST: $296.1K-$534.7K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $350K net worth w/$125K liquid
Pizza Factory O
Pizza, pasta, wings
BEGAN: 1979, Franchising: 1985
UNITS: US: 100, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $274K-$542K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$90K liquid
Home-based/mobile O Kiosk/express option
Franchise can be started for less than $50K
Pizza Hut
Pizza, pasta, wings
BEGAN: 1958, Franchising: 1959
UNITS: US: 5,310, CAN: 0, INTL: 11,225, CO: 53
COST: $367K-$2.1M, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $700K net worth w/$350K liquid
Pizza 9 O
Pizza
BEGAN: 2008, Franchising: 2009
UNITS: US: 10, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $74.1K-$398.98K, RTY: 5.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K-$1M net worth w/$100K-$350K liquid
Pizza Schmizza
Pizza
BEGAN: 1993, Franchising: 2002
UNITS: US: 22, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $125.5K-$549K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$250K liquid
Pizzeria Uno
Pizza, wings, salads, beverages
BEGAN: 1943, Franchising: 1980
UNITS: US: 45, CAN: 0, INTL: 6, CO: 33
COST: $546.5K-$2.4M, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K-$750K net worth w/$150K-$750K liquid
Cousins Maine Lobster O O Lobster food trucks and restaurants
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2014
UNITS: US: 33, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $190.8K-$863.8K, RTY: 6-8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K-$200K net worth w/$50K-$75K liquid
Joe’s Gourmet Fish and Chicken Seafood and chicken
BEGAN: 2007, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $203K-$349.2K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $50K liquid
O the Hook Seafood & More
Seafood
BEGAN: 2013, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $140.7K-$258K, RTY: 5.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $30K net worth w/$30K liquid
Smoothies/Juices
Beyond Juicery + Eatery
Smoothies, juices, wraps, salads, soups
BEGAN: 2005, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 34, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $371.7K-$617.4K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $400K net worth w/$150K liquid
Clean Juice O
Organic juices, smoothies, acai bowls, wraps
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 114, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 13
COST: $275K-$576K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$120K liquid
Jamba O
Smoothies, juices, and bowls
BEGAN: 1991, Franchising: 1993
UNITS: US: 747, CAN: 0, INTL: 64, CO: 3
COST: $378.7K-$843K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$120K liquid
JuiceBerry
Soups, salads, wraps, burgers, juices, smoothies, protein shakes
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $108.8K-$159.7K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $25K net worth w/$25K liquid
Juice It Up! O
Smoothies, raw juices, acai bowls
BEGAN: 1995, Franchising: 1998
UNITS: US: 80, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $223.4K-$423K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$100K liquid
Kwench Juice Cafe
Raw juices, smoothies, acai bowls
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 16, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $108K-$260K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K-$400K net worth w/$75K-$125K liquid
Main Squeeze Juice Co.
Smoothies, cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, co ee drinks
BEGAN: 2016, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 19, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $292.7K-$674.5K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$150K liquid
WHAT’S NEW AT…
Lean Kitchen Company
Lean Kitchen Company is a meal prep company headquartered in St. Joseph, Missouri. Here, a quick chat with CEO Austin Evans.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year?
One of the impactful things we did was implementing a world-class loyalty program systemwide, along with a more robust POS [point-of-sale] system. These are fundamental di erence-makers to the average ticket in our stores, as well as customer loyalty and the frequency of their visits, resulting in higher revenue and profits overall. Also, with food costs rising so much in the last two years, making the labor portion of our business as lean as possible is as important as ever.
What trends in your industry are you watching right now?
Being in the food industry, and more specically the healthy food industry, we are always keeping our head on a swivel to see what the next “fad” is—like low carb, keto, fat-free—to try to accommodate those customers’ desires. We also are always experimenting with ways to create healthy items that you wouldn’t necessarily think of as “healthy” when you hear about them, such as our protein donuts, street tacos, and meatza (low-carb pizza).
For entrepreneurs looking for small-scale business opportunities, small at-home or mobile franchises might be the perfect fit. by JEFF CHEATHAM
What if you could operate a franchise from home? That is the promise of the microfranchise, which has all of the attributes of a traditional franchise business model, but with a smaller operation that can be mobile- or home-based. This can be perfect for rsttime franchise buyers and budding entrepreneurs alike.
The fundamental appeal of the microfranchise is the ability to start a small operation that targets a speci c, often niche low-cost product or service in a high-tra c or high-volume territory. Owners begin with a targeted e ort that starts small but grows larger as the initial pro ts are reinvested in the business. While microfranchises can be
found across a wide variety of industries, some of the most common examples include residential and commercial cleaning, kiosk-based retail operations, dog-walking, and pet-sitting. Here are three bene ts of microfranchises.
A close brand relationship.
Thanks to a microfranchise’s scalable nature, the relationship between franchisor and franchisee can be much more intimate than a normal franchise partnership. “I was able to learn so much from our franchise brand owner and felt he really wanted to see us succeed,” says Noel Trim, who, along with her husband, Jason, owns a property maintenance microfranchise called Second Home Care in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. “I
felt secure and safe making this leap with their help and
A little less risk.
Microfranchising is growing in less-developed countries, and the concept has helped lift many people out of poverty. They often require less investment than a typical franchise while o ering the same upside of selling a known entity in a speci c territory. Also, because of the operation’s scalability and lower price-point, franchisees don’t have to maintain large inventories. Microfranchisors also typically provide marketing, advertising, and promotional initiatives for the franchise system—one less headache for new owners. More than anything else, the simple fact is that there’s always less risk when you can grow and expand at your own pace.
A business entryway.
With a microfranchise, budding entrepreneurs and existing franchisee candidates can get in the entrepreneurial game without a big, upfront investment—while still getting all the help and bene ts of following a proven business model. This built-in systemization can make microfranchises an especially appealing choice for rst-time business owners who want to dip a toe in. Though, of course, it’s always advisable to do your own research and seek the counsel of franchising professionals to assist in your e orts. After all, micro or not, only you can decide which franchise is best for you.
Honest Abe Roofing Roof installation and repairs, gutter installation
BEGAN: 2007, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 27, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $121.3K-$361.2K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $200K net worth w/$100K liquid
Mighty Dog Roofing
Residential and commercial roofing services, siding, windows, and gutters
BEGAN: 2018, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 158, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $215.7K-$383.4K, RTY: 6.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$150K liquid
Storm Guard
Roofing, exterior restoration
BEGAN: 2003, Franchising: 2011
UNITS: US: 36, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $185.4K-$221.6K, RTY: 6.25%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$185.4K-$221.6K liquid
Siding
ABC Seamless
Seamless siding, so t, fascia, gutters, windows, roofing
BEGAN: 1973, Franchising: 1978
UNITS: US: 87, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 7
COST: $90K-$278.5K, RTY: 3-5%
FINANCING: Yes
Ideal Siding O O
Home siding renovation
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 9, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $52.5K-$127.7K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $20K-$40K liquid
Window Coverings
Bloomin’ Blinds O
Window covering sales, installation, and repairs
BEGAN: 2001, Franchising: 2014
UNITS: US: 72, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $82.6K-$140K, RTY: 3-6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $80K-$100K liquid
Budget Blinds O
Window coverings, window film, rugs, accessories
BEGAN: 1992, Franchising: 1994
UNITS: US: 1,206, CAN: 113, INTL: 1, CO: 0
COST: $140.5K-$211.8K, RTY: $300-$2K/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$84.5K liquid
Gotcha Covered O
Window treatments
BEGAN: 1991, Franchising: 2001
UNITS: US: 103, CAN: 13, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $75.95K-$94.2K, RTY: $350-$1.4K+/ mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $10K-$20K liquid
Made in the Shade Blinds and More O
Window coverings
BEGAN: 2004, Franchising: 2013
UNITS: US: 96, CAN: 25, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $65.95K-$74.5K, RTY: 0
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K net worth w/$50K liquid
WHAT’S NEW AT…
Crunch Fitness
Crunch is a gym franchise that encourages patrons to work out in a fun environment. Here, a quick chat with CEO and founding partner Ben Midgley.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year? Crunch has focused on market awareness of the brand and how much having a Crunch in a center improves tra c ow to other tenants. Crunch has become known as a very strong tenant for centers that draw a diverse member base known to patronize other businesses, as our clubs average 6,300 members. This has allowed us to be ranked as one of the top 10 lessees of commercial space nationally.
consumers showing great enthusiasm to get back in the gym. Exercise trends are moving more towards high intensity interval training (HIIT) classes and traditional strength training. Cleanliness is, of course, top of mind, and the industry has done a great job of improving overall standards.
LISTINGS
Windows & Doors
Shield Building Products
Window and door sales and installation
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $76.1K-$158.7K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $200K net worth w/$100K liquid
Window World
Replacement windows, doors, siding, roofing, and other exterior remodeling products
BEGAN: 1995, Franchising: 2011
UNITS: US: 212, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $123.8K-$330.1K, RTY: Varies
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $90K-$150K liquid
Wood Refinishing
Mr. Sandless O O
Interior and exterior sandless wood refinishing
BEGAN: 2004, Franchising: 2005
UNITS: US: 163, CAN: 4, INTL: 7, CO: 9
COST: $23.8K-$78.1K, RTY: 6%+
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $15K-$25K net worth w/$10K-$25K liquid
N-Hance Wood Refinishing O Wood cabinet and floor refinishing
BEGAN: 2001, Franchising: 2003
UNITS: US: 427, CAN: 61, INTL: 1, CO: 0
COST: $58.5K-$197.6K, RTY: $209-$786/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K-$90K liquid
Miscellaneous Home-Improvement Businesses
America’s Color Consultants O O Paint color consulting
BEGAN: 2007, Franchising: 2014
UNITS: US: 3, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $14.6K-$44.6K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $15K-$30K liquid
Archadeck Outdoor Living O Outdoor living space design and construction
If you are looking to find more purpose in your work, a rewarding opportunity is closer than you think!
Becoming a Senior Helpers Franchise Owner provides you with the chance to:
• Join an award-winning homecare brand, recently recognized as a Top Franchise for Diversity & Inclusion
• Experience a proven business model and unmatched 1:1 business coaching support that give you the tools to hit the ground running
• Enjoy the independence of being a business owner in a lucrative industry set for unparalleled growth
• Enjoy the of being a business owner in a lucrative set for
• Stand out from competitors with specialized care services and exclusive Senior Helpers® offerings, like our LIFE™ Profile assessment system
• Stand out from competitors with specialized care services and exclusive Senior offerings, like
• Become a senior care expert in a matter of months with 110+ hours of remote and in-person training
• Become a senior care expert in a matter of months with 110+ hours of remote and in-person training
CONTACT US TODAY TO GET STARTED!
LISTINGS
KAMPGROUNDS OF AMERICA
Home Is Where the Franchise Is
Kathryn Berta and her husband Alan loved camping so much, a campground owner once jokingly o ered to sell them the business. Berta laughed it o , but it sparked something in her. She couldn’t shake the idea. Maybe it wasn’t a joke after all.
The couple started actively looking for campgrounds in 2017, and in 2019 they purchased one of Kampgrounds
of America’s 500-plus campgrounds in East Dummerston, Vermont. Their decision surprised many of her family members and friends, especially since the couple bought a franchise before they’d even owned a home. But three years into the adventure, 32-year-old Berta likes the exibility that their life allows: She splits her time between the campground and, of course, even more travels with her husband and daughter.
You’ve camped at many KOA campgrounds. Is owning one what you anticipated it to be? Dealing with my rst grumpy customer was really tough. You don’t know what people are experiencing on the road. Being able to change, gure out what they need, and give them what they need on the y was something that I had to learn.
Luckily, there’s an amazing support system at KOA. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached out to other KOA owners to just get their input. Some of them have been with KOA for 40, 50 years. No one’s going to get the chaos and the excitement of something like this but another franchisee owner.
You were just starting during the pandemic surge of campers. What was that like? We weren’t really prepared,
because this in ux of campers came fast and furious. We just tried our best, and in the end it came down to managing people’s expectations. I had awesome employees who were patient and did a lot of phone calls for camper education.
How do other operational things, like marketing, work with a campground?
I continue to work on our social media to stay relevant. KOA also sends local bloggers and in uencers to our campgrounds. So that’s been really helpful. When I worked for other brands before buying the campground, in uencers were important to building brand recognition. So it was on my radar when we started our own business.
You bought this business in Vermont before you bought a home there. What was your thought process?
[My husband] and I always believed that there’s nothing wrong with renting, especially because we didn’t know exactly where we wanted to land. The perk of owning the campground is it came with the home. And because we didn’t have to unload any property, it made it really easy for us to move quickly once we found the campground that we knew we wanted and loved.
In the end, we got the campground, two awesome dogs, and we have a daughter now. To us, this is truly ful lling the American Dream. We’re business owners, we run our lives …how much better can it get?
Kathryn Berta and her husband, Alan, lived for adventure, so they bought a Kampgrounds of America franchise in Vermont.
CAMPER GROWTH REVENUE GROWTH
KOA is the most recognized brand in camping.
KOA offers proven tools and programs to grow your business.
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
KOA innovation leads to best-in-class park operations.
KOA FAMILY
With over 41.5 Million SESSIONS and 23 Million USERS
KOA.com is the leading independent website for online reservations.
*Through 12/31/21
On average, campgrounds that convert to KOA experience an 21% INCREASE in registration revenue in the first year AND 16% in following years.
*As reported in the 2022 FDD
With online, real-time reservations and robust reporting, allows you to implement data-driven decisions to manage and grow your business.
With KOA, you’re in business for yourself, not by yourself. 98% FRANCHISE CONTRACT RENEWAL RATE IN 2021.* KOA owners and operators believe in the value KOA brings to their business.
Commercial kitchen exhaust hood cleaning and pressure washing
BEGAN: 1996, Franchising: 2022
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $60.8K-$127.3K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$50K liquid
Hoodz
Commercial cleaning, maintenance, and repairs
BEGAN: 2008, Franchising: 2009
UNITS: US: 128, CAN: 1, INTL: 0, CO: 6
COST: $74.2K-$179.8K, RTY: 8-10%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K-$200K net worth w/$100K-$150K liquid
Image One USA O O
Commercial cleaning
BEGAN: 2010, Franchising: 2011
UNITS: US: 20, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $43.6K-$61.2K, RTY: 10%
FINANCING: Yes
IntegriServ
Cleaning Systems O O
Commercial cleaning
BEGAN: 2013, Franchising: 2013
UNITS: US: 82, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $3.1K-$50K, RTY: 10%
FINANCING: Yes
Jan-Pro Cleaning and Disinfecting O O
Commercial cleaning
BEGAN: 1991, Franchising: 1992
UNITS: US: 8,370, CAN: 1,809, INTL: 239, CO: 0
COST: $4.8K-$58.1K, RTY: 10%
FINANCING: Yes
Jantize America O O
Facility services and commercial cleaning
BEGAN: 1988, Franchising: 1988
UNITS: US: 140, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $8.4K-$49K, RTY: 9%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K-$500K net worth w/$10K-$1M liquid
WHAT’S
NEW
AT… Augusta Lawn Care
Augusta is a national chain of lawn-care professionals which stresses its transparent pricing system. Here, a quick chat with founder and CEO Mike Andes.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year?
industry are you watching right now?
We have tightened down the hatches to ensure healthy pro t margins as we are seeing the economy start to weaken and the possibility of a recession growing. Wasted labor, unmanaged spending, and low-performing marketing have to be cut right now. Paying o debt is crucial as we see interest rates getting hiked throughout this year. The days of free money and stimulus have stopped and the consumer will become more frugal. We made sure that our business model still works when pro t margins are compressed 20% to 30%.
The labor market is absolutely cutthroat in the service industry. Good employees have ve other competitors that want them. With that many options, it is crucial to deliver intangible bene ts such as personal growth opportunities, management training, performance-based compensations, and a positive team culture. The companies that have gured these things out will be able to capitalize on the scarcity of employees while others go out of business or begin to shrink.
Michael Chalmers Owner of Spherion Huntsville, Macon, Dublin. and Columbus offices
LISTINGS
Nothing Dirty About This Job!
The Myth PuroClean Wants Franchisees Who Love Standing in Dirty Water
PuroClean cleans up buildings’ biggest messes, including water damage, smoke and re damage, mold, and biohazard
removal. Because the labor is hands-on, potential franchisees often presume that they’ll be the ones performing messy tasks themselves. This, in turn, leads some of them to believe that PuroClean wants owners who have a signi cant background in blue-collar work.
The Reality PuroClean Wants Former HighLevel Corporate Executives
The company likes franchisees with corporate backgrounds, usually (though not exclusively) in sales or nance. In fact, more than 70% of its incoming franchisees have a business background. Those folks don’t generally get their hands dirty on jobs. They hire and train teams to operate PuroClean’s equipment, which does a lot of the dirty work itself.
To overcome the myth, PuroClean began to promote success stories from its white-collar franchisees.
“As we started to have white-collar people have substantial success,” says Bud Summers, the company’s executive vice president of operations and training, “we had them provide testimonials and examples of how they started the business.” PuroClean highlighted ways that these owners built their units to be self-managed, and made a conscious e ort to educate both existing and future owners about work that went beyond typical blue-collar tasks.
PuroClean’s marketing materials also stress things like clear career paths, the reward of exible working schedules, and the power of working together as a team. That’s for a very particular reason: PuroClean is working to attract millennial franchisees. “Culture, mission statements, training programs—those are things that have value to millennials,” says Summers. And, he says, these are things that aren’t talked about as much in blue-collar elds.
But, of course, PuroClean is still happy to talk money with potential franchisees, and that includes all the di erent ways that its equipment can be used to generate ancillary revenue, such as pandemic-related decontaminations. This often helps people with whitecollar backgrounds appreciate PuroClean’s scalability. “Once they learn that it’s mostly the equipment that’s doing the work for them,” says Timothy Courtney, vice president of franchise development, “they really begin to understand what the business is.”
You’ve Got Maids O Environmentally friendly residential cleaning
BEGAN: 2005, Franchising: 2010
UNITS: US: 70, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $36.4K-$107.5K, RTY: 5.9-2.99%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $39.9K-$100K liquid
Restoration
AdvantaClean O
Residential and commercial restoration services
BEGAN: 1994, Franchising: 2006
UNITS: US: 182, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $166.2K-$260.1K, RTY: 5-9%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $200K net worth w/$126.2K liquid
A ordable Remediation O
Mold remediation, water evacuation, trauma- and crime-scene cleanup
BEGAN: 2016, Franchising: 2022
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $183K-$235.7K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth
All Dry Services O Water and mold remediation and restoration
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 17, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $81.8K-$201.9K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
Best Option Restoration O
Disaster restoration
BEGAN: 2016, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 22, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $119.9K-$165.97K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $125K net worth w/$125K liquid
Blue Kangaroo Packoutz
Contents restoration
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 10, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $140.2K-$310.7K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K-$200K net worth w/$100K-$150K liquid
FRSTeam O
Restoration of textiles and electronics
BEGAN: 1988, Franchising: 2006
UNITS: US: 36, CAN: 1, INTL: 0, CO: 10
COST: $43.4K-$409K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$100K liquid
Green Restoration
Restoration and cleaning
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 2, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $30K-$275.3K, RTY: 9%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $10K-$30K liquid
911 Restoration O
Residential and commercial property
restoration
BEGAN: 2003, Franchising: 2007
UNITS: US: 164, CAN: 2, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $68.6K-$227.4K, RTY: 3-10%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K net worth w/$25K liquid
1-800-Packouts
Contents packing, cleaning, storage, and restoration
BEGAN: 2013, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 89, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $69.5K-$234K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
WHAT’S NEW AT…
Buddy’s Home Furnishings
Buddy’s o ers
furniture, beds, electronics, and appliances. Here, a quick chat with Bennett franchise development Mitchell Lee.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year?
LEE: Over the last several years, we’ve steadily increased our nationwide footprint and experienced unprecedented new store sales and customer counts. This has pushed our team in the past year to optimize our grand opening program and boost our operational support to create more e ciencies to scale in the years to come. This has entailed layering in more operational support for our franchise owners, frequent onsite franchise consultant visits, revamping our e-learning program for all store associates, and heavily investing in our proprietary Buddy’s Purchasing Program (BPP).
What trends in your industry are you watching right now?
BENNETT: The rent-toown industry is essential and recession-resistant, which is why it has seen an increase in annual revenue for decades despite good and bad economies. As we nd ourselves forecasting another possible recession, we’re condent our industry will continue to grow despite the inevitable economic headwinds. We also have our eye on in ation. It has certainly taken root, and now more than ever, our customers need a ordable payments to make ends meet.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the growing salon suites business with the #1 premium brand in the industry. As a Salons by JC Franchise Owner, you don’t need salon experience to realize why they were awarded one of the top franchises in the U.S. by Entrepreneur Magazine for four years in a row.
Why Salons by JC?
■ Only Brand with Full Time Concierge Manager - on Premise
■ Commercial Real Estate: Multi-Unit Rental Income
■ 7RS3URĆW0DUJLQVLQWKH,QGXVWU\
■ Semi-Absentee Business Model
■ Single Employee Management
LISTINGS
Basecamp Fitness Fitness studios
BEGAN: 2013, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 4, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 6
COST: $462.9K-$825.4K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$250K liquid
Body20
Technology-based fitness training
BEGAN: 2017, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 12, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $370K-$450K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$100K liquid
Burn Boot Camp
Women’s fitness centers
BEGAN: 2012, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 285, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $181.8K-$447.9K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$150K liquid
The Camp Transformation Center Fitness/weight-loss services
BEGAN: 2010, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 98, CAN: 0, INTL: 1, CO: 3
COST: $175K-$288.5K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K-$150K net worth w/$100K-$150K liquid
Core Progression Elite Personal Training Personal training and wellness services
BEGAN: 2008, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 4, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $170.5K-$460K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$125K liquid
Crunch
Fitness centers
BEGAN: 2010, Franchising: 2010
UNITS: US: 260, CAN: 33, INTL: 33, CO: 26
COST: $670.5K-$3.3M, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $2M net worth w/$400K-$500K liquid
CycleBar
Indoor cycling classes
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 213, CAN: 4, INTL: 3, CO: 11
COST: $346.9K-$487.9K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K-$5M net worth w/$100K liquid
D1 Training
Athletic training
BEGAN: 2001, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 57, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $192.5K-$634.8K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$250K liquid
Eat The Frog Fitness
Fitness studios
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 29, CAN: 1, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $384K-$631K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$200K liquid
The Exercise Coach
Personal training
BEGAN: 2000, Franchising: 2010
UNITS: US: 120, CAN: 0, INTL: 35, CO: 2
COST: $129.98K-$351.8K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$100K liquid
F45 Training
Fitness studios
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2013
UNITS: US: 651, CAN: 162, INTL: 933, CO: 3
COST: $350.2K-$565.1K, RTY: $2.5K+/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K liquid
Fit4Mom O O
Prenatal and postpartum fitness and wellness programs
BEGAN: 2001, Franchising: 2005
UNITS: US: 256, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $6.9K-$26.4K, RTY: 4%
FINANCING: No
Gold’s Gym
Health and fitness centers
BEGAN: 1965, Franchising: 1980
UNITS: US: 173, CAN: 11, INTL: 358, CO: 61
COST: $1.5M-$3.5M, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1M net worth w/$400K liquid
The Gravity Vault
Indoor rock-climbing gyms
BEGAN: 2005, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 7, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $1.5M-$2.6M, RTY: 6.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $750K net worth w/$300K liquid
GYMGUYZ O
Mobile personal training
BEGAN: 2008, Franchising: 2013
UNITS: US: 146, CAN: 3, INTL: 35, CO: 4
COST: $66K-$131.5K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K net worth w/$50K liquid
Hardcore Fitness Boot Camp
Group training
BEGAN: 2007, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 20, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $268.5K-$743.3K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $30K-$100K liquid
ISI Elite Training
Athletic-based conditioning fitness programs
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 16, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 5
COST: $295.6K-$495.3K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$200K liquid
MADabolic
Strength-based fitness gyms
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 12, CAN: 1, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $287.9K-$553.2K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$100K liquid
Meld Fitness + Wellness
Personal training
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $104.9K-$158.3K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$60K liquid
Moms on the Run O O Fitness programs for women
BEGAN: 2008, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 40, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 10
COST: $6.4K-$13.6K, RTY: $215+/mo.
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $10K liquid
PickUp USA Fitness
Basketball-focused fitness clubs
BEGAN: 2011, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 6, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $533.3K-$1.2M, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$100K liquid
Planet Fitness
Fitness clubs
BEGAN: 1992, Franchising: 2003
UNITS: US: 2,006, CAN: 46, INTL: 16, CO: 106
COST: $936.6K-$4.6M, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $3M net worth w/$1.5M liquid
Pulse Performance
Personal training using electrical muscle stimulation; infrared sauna; stretching
After discovering the benefits of massage for chronic pain, Michelle Kameka and her husband, Karim, opened a MassageLuXe in an underserved Florida neighborhood.
Why pick MassageLuXe?
cate customers.
KARIM: When I ran our rst payroll, it hit me that the service we’re providing is more than self-care or a pro table business. It was helping my people live a better, more stable life by putting money in their pockets. I don’t take that responsibility lightly. We make sure we pay people a fair wage—you know, above what the other massage places pay.
What are some lessons you’ve learned?
KARIM: One, be patient with people. Our rst big challenge was guring out what types of leaders we wanted to be. It took a couple of years, but we realized we wanted to be the supportive and strong type of leaders—not the boss who dresses you down.
Out
Working Out the Kinks
After massage therapy improved Michelle Kameka’s life, she and her husband wanted to bring it to their community. But to succeed, they needed to tweak a few things. by MADELINE GARFINKLE
Michelle Kameka was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at age two. It left her with persistent chronic pain. When she was in her 30s, she and her husband, Karim, began searching for holistic pain remedies. They discovered massage therapy. “It literally changed my life,” Michelle says. Then
they wanted to bring this service to others. “It was important to open something like this in a community of color, because growing up, it felt very much out of reach,” Michelle says. They landed on MassageLuXe—a St. Louis-based brand that now has more than 70 locations in 17 states—and opened a spa in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
MICHELLE: We loved its “a ordable luxury” concept where you walk in and you feel like you’re at an upscale spa. It makes you feel special, which we felt was part of the therapeutic process.
KARIM: We also liked that MassageLuXe wasn’t as big as some of its competitors. We didn’t want to have a huge corporation over our heads. With MassageLuXe, we had exibility and were able to get to know the folks running the show.
What are some of the most rewarding parts of running this business?
MICHELLE: The health bene ts are just limitless. Massage therapy helps with fatigue, in ammation, blood ow—a lot of chronic pain comes from lack of blood ow and oxygen. So we really empower our therapists to edu-
Second, nd a community of other business owners you can vent to. We were lucky there were other MassageLuXe owners in the area to help us work through the kinks. And third, be exible and dynamic. One of the early challenges we had was turnover with our front desk sta . We were paying an hourly wage plus commission. But we ended up losing a couple good people because they didn’t understand that their hourly rate plus commission was more than they thought it was. So we went to a at structure, and since then we’ve retained our front desk much more.
MICHELLE: Employee morale and empathy are the top things that any leader needs to be in tune with. Interacting with so many people really has been very humbling for me.
Medical/nonmedical home care, concierge services, and patient advocacy
BEGAN: 2001, Franchising: 2011
UNITS: US: 25, CAN: 45, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $84.6K-$194.6K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth
w/$50K-$150K liquid
Right at Home
Home care, medical sta ng
BEGAN: 1995, Franchising: 2000
UNITS: US: 482, CAN: 47, INTL: 114, CO: 20
COST: $87.4K-$156.2K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K-$240K liquid
SAFE Homecare
Senior care
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2016
UNITS: US: 1, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $86.4K-$132.2K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K-$150K net worth w/$40K$75K liquid
Sapphire Senior Care O
In-home senior care
BEGAN: 2020, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $87.2K-$130.4K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: No
Senior Care Authority O
Senior-care consulting and placement
BEGAN: 2009, Franchising: 2014
UNITS: US: 67, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $71.1K-$90.4K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$55K liquid
Senior Helpers
Personal, companion, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s home care
BEGAN: 2001, Franchising: 2005
UNITS: US: 306, CAN: 7, INTL: 14, CO: 4
COST: $125.8K-$169.8K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $200K net worth w/$50K liquid
Seniors Helping Seniors O
Nonmedical home care
BEGAN: 1998, Franchising: 2006
UNITS: US: 106, CAN: 0, INTL: 8, CO: 2
COST: $92.5K-$142.9K, RTY: 5-6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$100K liquid
Synergy HomeCare O
Nonmedical home care
BEGAN: 2001, Franchising: 2005
UNITS: US: 347, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $39.1K-$160.1K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K-$250K net worth w/$50K-$100K liquid
Talem Home Care & Placement Services
Senior care and placement services
BEGAN: 2012, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 8, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $65.8K-$160.5K, RTY: 5-8%
FINANCING: Yes
Touching Hearts At Home O O
Nonmedical home care for seniors and people with disabilities
BEGAN: 1996, Franchising: 2007
UNITS: US: 72, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $48.9K-$75.6K, RTY: 3-5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $60K-$80K net worth w/$39.5K liquid
WHAT’S NEW AT…
Generator Supercenter
Generator
Supercenter installs and services whole house generators, which can deliver electricity to a home during a power outage. Here, a quick chat with Chief Development Officer Glenn Leingang.
What did you do this year that will set you up for even more success next year?
What trends in your industry are you watching right now?
We fully understood that, with our growth, it was necessary to add additional sta to our operations team to continue to serve our partners with excellence. As a result, we added seven additional sta members in the last year whose sole focus is to support franchisees. We also rolled out a program where our partners can send anyone to our corporate headquarters and we will train them speci cally for their role within our partner’s organization. We do this at no additional cost.
Our partner Generac just reported their revenue topped $1 billion in a quarter for the rst time in company history. This was primarily attributed to the demand domestically for home standby generators. The trends that we see aren’t going away any time soon. People want to control their power. Rolling blackouts seem to be happening more frequently, and with the demand for electric vehicles on the rise, we will only consume more energy.
LISTINGS
Tanning
Palm Beach Tan O Tanning
BEGAN: 1990, Franchising: 2001
UNITS: US: 330, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 217
COST: $629.9K-$931.9K, RTY: 4-6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$250K liquid
The Palms Tanning Resort Tanning
BEGAN: 2003, Franchising: 2003
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $489.8K-$517K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$100K liquid
Waxing
European Wax Center Body waxing services, skin and beauty products
What potential franchisees get wrong about this cat brand.
The Myth Happy Cat Wants the ‘Crazy Cat Ladies’
The Happy Cat Hotel & Spa is just what it sounds like—a place where cat owners can drop their kitty o for an extended stay or a little pampering.
The company often hears from self-proclaimed cat enthusiasts who assume that a love for cats is the primary requisite for being a franchisee. Conversely, when the company comes across people who don’t love cats (or at least, don’t loooove them), they usually
them. Wrong and wrong!
The Reality It’s Customer First, Cats Second
Happy Cat’s franchising team prefers people who like cats but aren’t overly attached. The issue, says CEO and founder Chris Raimo, is that a love for cats might cloud a person’s business judgment. “Some of these extreme cat enthusiasts are great people,” says Raimo, “but they don’t see eye to eye with how somebody else might take care of their cat.” For instance, if a cat enthusiast prefers one brand of cat food and the customer prefers another, con-
ict might arise.
The brand makes this clear in its marketing materials. Rather than focus on a franchisee’s love of cats, for example, it mentions all the celebrities who like cats (to emphasize their cultural relevance). It even notes that franchisees can be allergic to cats—just like its CEO is! Raimo tells people that he still manages to go into work despite his allergy and that he didn’t even set out to start a cat brand. “We came from a dog business, and it evolved into a more generalized pet business,” he says. He compares normalizing cat ownership to how nerd culture evolved—and now, he says, people who were thought of as nerds “run half the entertainment industry.”
So what does the company value, aside from a mild attachment to cats? Raimo says that Happy Cat is particularly appealing to corporate expatriates, and that the greatest skill required is open-mindedness. The company does a lot of franchisee education, which includes a 123-page feline behavior manual. One protocol involves using a secure towel wrap during grooming instead of leashes or tethers. “People who are coming in most likely have not been exposed to these ideas and techniques and philosophies, so the most important thing is that they’re open to learning more about it,” says Raimo. “That puts them in a category where they don’t have to be a cat enthusiast necessarily.”
HAPPY CAT
by BRITTA LOKTING
Fetch! Pet Care O
Pet-sitting, dog-walking
BEGAN: 2002, Franchising: 2004
UNITS: US: 98, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 9
COST: $74.97K-$98.7K, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$100K liquid
Happy Cat Hotels & Spas
Luxury cat boarding, grooming, and retail
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 1, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $303.5K-$428K, Rty: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $80K liquid
Hounds Town USA Dog daycare, pet boarding, pet grooming
Packing, shipping, freight, o ce supplies, notary services
BEGAN: 1988, Franchising: 2008
UNITS: US: 26, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 6
COST: $120.4K-$123.8K, RTY: 0
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K-$100K net worth w/$50K liquid
OUR FAMILY CULTURE provides the bene t of building relationships within the FOFO® (Family of Franchise Owners). Our owners attest to the support, encouragement, and dedication they receive from the National Support Team, and over 80 o ces nationwide. It also testi es to the numerous “Franchisee Satisfaction Awards” we’ve received throughout the years.
OUR TECHNOLOGY allows them to optimize their caregiver recruiting and scheduling, enjoy billing/invoicing/payroll e ciencies and maximize their local marketing e orts both in-person and online.
OUR FLEXIBILITY, coupled with our tools and experience, empowers our owners to meet the needs of the community in their local market. We are experts at serving clients through Private Pay, Veterans Bene ts, Long-term Care Insurance, and Medicaid.
OUR AREA REPRESENTATIVE opportunities, where available, provide an overlay of support, coaching, and mentoring to franchisees, and an opportunity to develop additional revenue streams for the right person.
The UPS Store O Postal, business, printing, and communications services
• Average 2021 revenue over 29% higher than the closest competitor.*
• Low initial investment starting at $148K
• World-class student results
• Mission-driven company with multiple revenue lines
• Dedicated support team devoted to your success
• Ongoing support through turnkey programs to help you manage one center or multiple centers
• Already a $5 billion industry, Grand View Research reports that tutoring will grow to nearly $18 billion by 2028
“Huntington allows you to invest in a business that creates feel good moments. You feel good about going to work everyday and know that you’re a part of the economic engine of this country; you feel good about the like-minded employees you gather; and you feel good about impacting children’s lives every single day.”
Cheri Reid, Huntington Learning Center franchisee
since 2003
LISTINGS
RE/MAX
Real estate
BEGAN: 1973, Franchising: 1975
UNITS: US: 3,583, CAN: 1,015, INTL: 4,177, CO: 0
COST: $43K-$286.5K, RTY: $125-$165/ agent/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $35K liquid
Realean Real Estate O OO
Real estate
BEGAN: 2012, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 2, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $24.7K-$40.2K, RTY: 2.5%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $19.9K net worth w/$19.9K liquid
Realty One Group O
Real estate
BEGAN: 2005, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 335, CAN: 5, INTL: 11, CO: 12
COST: $44.3K-$224.5K, RTY: 0
FINANCING: No
3% Realty O O
Real estate
BEGAN: 2008, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 11, CAN: 34, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $44.7K-$78.5K, RTY: 3%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K-$65K net worth
United Real Estate
Real estate
BEGAN: 2010, Franchising: 2013
UNITS: US: 73, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 12
COST: $54.5K-$285.5K, RTY: Varies
FINANCING: No
Weichert
Real estate
BEGAN: 1969, Franchising: 2000
UNITS: US: 376, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 114
COST: $62.5K-$326.2K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $150K net worth
Security Services
Security 101
Commercial security systems
BEGAN: 2003, Franchising: 2007
UNITS: US: 46, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $130.1K-$235K, RTY: 6-4%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$85K liquid
Signal O
Private security guard and patrol services
BEGAN: 2003, Franchising: 2008
UNITS: US: 685, CAN: 31, INTL: 6, CO: 0
COST: $93.2K-$241.2K, RTY: 4%
FINANCING: Yes
Surveillance Secure
Commercial electronic security services
BEGAN: 2006, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 4, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $116K-$173.7K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K net worth w/$60K liquid
Yard Sign Rentals
Card My Yard O O
Special-occasion yard sign rentals
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 449, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $7.8K-$16.8K, RTY: 25%
FINANCING: No
Sign Gypsies O O
Special-occasion yard sign rentals
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 735, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $4.2K-$9.9K, RTY: 0
FINANCING: No Miscellaneous Services Auto Appraisal Network O O Auto appraisals
BEGAN: 1989, Franchising: 2007
UNITS: US: 19, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 12
COST: $16.7K-$44.3K, RTY: $110/appraisal
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $50K net worth w/$3K-$10K liquid
Bluekey Education
Higher education tutoring
BEGAN: 2013, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 2, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $105K-$269K, RTY: 8%+
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $1M net worth w/$250K liquid
Bud’s Place
Social cannabis consumption lounges
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $600.4K-$1.2M, RTY: 7%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1.5M net worth w/$500K liquid
Clothes Bin O
Clothing, shoe, and textile recycling bins
BEGAN: 2014, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 34, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 5
COST: $129.3K-$186.3K, RTY: $6/bin/wk.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $300K net worth w/$75K liquid
Cocktail Claw O
Claw machine rentals
BEGAN: 2020, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $45.3K-$56.8K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $24.9K net worth w/$24.9K liquid
Dorm Doctors
Laundry, housekeeping, and moving and storage services for college students
BEGAN: 2018, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $176.5K-$263.5K, RTY: 3%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $75K net worth
Driverseat O O
Consumer and commercial transportation services
BEGAN: 2012, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 2, CAN: 35, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $42.3K-$69.5K, RTY: $329-$429/mo.
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $150K net worth w/$75K liquid
Fast-Fix
Jewelry & Watch Repairs O
Jewelry and watch repairs
Home-based/mobile O Kiosk/express option OFranchise can be started for less than $50K
BEGAN: 1984, Franchising: 1987
UNITS: US: 133, CAN: 0, INTL: 5, CO: 9
COST: $178.1K-$357.9K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
Fitness Machine Technicians (FMT) O
Exercise equipment service and repairs
BEGAN: 2002, Franchising: 2012
UNITS: US: 47, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $71.5K-$118.5K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $400K-$600K net worth w/$75K-$100K liquid
Fundraising University O Fundraising
BEGAN: 2009, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 21, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 7
COST: $67.1K-$72.95K, RTY: 1.5K+/mo.
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$50K liquid
Generator Supercenter
Standby generator sales, installation, and service
BEGAN: 2005, Franchising: 2017
UNITS: US: 31, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 4
COST: $434.95K-$858.3K, RTY: 4-6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $1.3M net worth w/$250K liquid
GoliathTech O
Foundation systems for the construction industry
BEGAN: 2004, Franchising: 2013
UNITS: US: 132, CAN: 54, INTL: 1, CO: 0
COST: $100K-$241K, RTY: 0
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $100K net worth w/$75K liquid
Green Energy Testing O O
Residential energy e ciency testing
BEGAN: 2015, Franchising: 2021
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $42.4K-$66.2K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $25K net worth w/$25K liquid
LISTINGS
Lifeologie
Mental-health therapy services
BEGAN: 1999, Franchising: 2015
UNITS: US: 14, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $85K-$150K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K net worth w/$125K liquid
My Backyard Sports O
Residential and commercial custom sport facility design and installation
BEGAN: 2017, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 2, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $104.4K-$177.7K, RTY: 6.5%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $150K net worth w/$60K liquid
911 Driving School/ Swerve Driving School
Driver education
BEGAN: 2003, Franchising: 2004
UNITS: US: 42, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $85.9K-$190.1K, RTY: to 10%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K-$250K net worth
Patriot Broadband O
High-speed internet service for rural areas
BEGAN: 2016, Franchising: 2019
UNITS: US: 1, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 0
COST: $163.8K-$349K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $500K net worth w/$100K liquid
Pause Lounge
Kava bar, kratom, CBD, herbal tea and co ee, vegan food
BEGAN: 2019, Franchising: 2020
UNITS: US: 0, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 2
COST: $111.2K-$175K, RTY: 5%
FINANCING: No
QUALIF: $175K net worth w/$85K liquid
Pirtek O
Hydraulic and industrial hose maintenance, repair, and replacement
BEGAN: 1980, Franchising: 1986
UNITS: US: 114, CAN: 0, INTL: 472, CO: 1
COST: $219.4K-$899.3K, RTY: 4%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $250K-$750K net worth w/$100K-$500K liquid
Royal Restrooms O
Restroom and shower trailer rentals
BEGAN: 2004, Franchising: 2008
UNITS: US: 8, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 1
COST: $106.9K-$199.2K, RTY: 6%
FINANCING: Yes
QUALIF: $100K-$250K net worth w/$100K-$200K liquid
Smash My Trash O
Mobile commercial-waste compaction services
BEGAN: 2016, Franchising: 2018
UNITS: US: 160, CAN: 0, INTL: 0, CO: 3
COST: $322.7K-$395.5K, RTY: 8%
FINANCING: Yes
Success on the Spectrum Behavior modification services for children and young adults with autism
Woods Family Sandwiches ............... 56 Woofie’s .......................................... 93
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How Big Is This Moment?
You’ll face many big decisions, but don’t forget: They may not be as critical as they feel. by JASON FEIFER
Are you facing a moment, or the moment?
It’s a critical distinction we often lose sight of. When we’re facing a big decision, grappling with a change, or wondering whether to seize or pass on a new opportunity, we tend to raise the stakes on ourselves. We treat our decision as critical—as make-or-break, do-or-die. It’s the last train leaving the station! The game-winning shot in your hands! Everything seems to hang in the balance.
My advice: Take a breath. Calm your emotions. Then ask yourself my simple but profound question—are you facing a moment, or the moment?
I’ll give you an example.
My friend Jenny Illes Wood is high up at Google, and she has built a popular program there called Own Your Career. She gives workshops on how Googlers can increase their in uence, develop new skills, better advocate for themselves, and so on, and tens of thousands of her colleagues subscribe to her email newsletter. She imagined that one day she might write a book inspired by all this—but she has two small kids and a busy job, so she was in no rush to do it.
Then a colleague introduced her to a book agent. The conversation went well. Jenny couldn’t stop herself; she talked
to a few more agents. Suddenly she had multiple agents saying they wanted to work with her, and she was calling me in a panic. “I don’t know what to do,” she said. “I don’t have time to write a book, but I’m so excited and don’t want to miss this opportunity!”
So I asked her: Are you facing a moment, or the moment? Sometimes in life, we really do only get one shot. But most of the time, we get many shots. We can do something now, or we can do it later. Or maybe we never do it at all—it’s just one of many opportunities that we turn down, because we cannot do everything, and that’s OK.
In my estimation, I told her, she is facing a moment. If a book agent is interested now, then a book agent will be interested later. And in fact, she might bene t from writing a book later. She’ll have more time to develop material, she’ll have a larger public pro le, and she’ll have even more Googlers on her mailing list. But that’s not to say it must happen later—
she could also do it now and use the book to accelerate her other goals.
The point is, she should decide based on what’s best for her and the project, and not because she feels like this is her one chance to do it.
I have grappled with this myself, in many ways. I’ve struggled over whether to pursue jobs or say yes to new projects, all because I wasn’t sure if anything like them would ever come again. In fact, I’ve even grappled with Jenny’s same question about writing a book: I spent years on the fence, wondering when the time was right.
Ultimately, I developed a way to answer these questions about timing. I started to think not about the opportunity in front of me, but about what I wanted the outcome of that opportunity to be. A job is not just a job; it’s a set of experiences and learnings. A project is not just a project; it’s an accomplishment that sets you up for future projects. The more we understand what we want from these things, and how they play a role in our larger vision of ourselves, the better we can decide if they’re something we need now, later, or never.
In my case, I see a book as the spark for larger opportunities. I wanted to make sure I understood what I wanted those opportunities to be, and that I had the people and infrastructure in place to take advantage of them. That’s why I waited for years, and why I nally said yes. My book, Build for Tomorrow, came out in September!
Is it a moment, or the moment? That’s your starting point. And you’ll know when to act when you can nally say this: “It is my moment.”
