2015 Guide to Today's Top Franchises

10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION 

FranchiseBusinessREVIEW 

Ratings and Reviews of the Best Franchise Opportunities by Franchisees 

2015 

Randy Shacka, President 

of Two Men and a Truck, 

started as an intern 

in its marketing 

department. 

SPECIAL REPORT: 

GUIDE TO 

TODAY’S TOP 

FRANCHISES 

Rated by the Franchisees 

Who Own Them 

Positively Impacting Others 

Inspires Interim Healthcare’s 

Dan Tomlinson 

PAGE 25 

A Look Inside 

Today’s Top 

Franchises 

PAGE 8 

Christian Brothers Automotive’s 

Approach Wins 

Customers 

PAGE 29

SPECIAL REPORT: Top Franchises 

Features //2015 

5 18 

17 

4 Letter from the Editor 

Empowering Franchisees For 10 Years 

5 2015’s Top Franchise Opportunities 

A look at what makes a franchise great and how to invest in one 

8 THE LIST 

Best of the Best: Top 200 Franchises 

22 Hall of Fame Members 

10 companies that have made our List for 10 consecutive years 

24 Marketplace 

More on the award-winning 

franchise opportunities for 2015 

+ 

Reviews, interviews, satisfaction awards 

and more resources available at: 

www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com 

Franchisee Profiles 

25 Dan Tomlinson, Interim HealthCare 

29 Jared and Mandy Seaman, Christian Brothers Automotive 

33 Scott Moberg, G.J. Gardner Homes 

35 Steve Betts, DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen 

37 Paula Paredes, ATAX Accounting & Financial Services 

43 Chris and Sheila Korte, Cruise Planners 

45 Richard Meadows and Rebecca Roland, Chicken Salad Chick 

For more information on this report, visit: www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com | 3


Empowering Franchisees For 10 Years 

Ten years ago we published our first Guide to Today’s Top Franchises with the objective of 

helping potential franchisees to narrow the overwhelming number of available franchise opportunities 

down to the very best. There are many “best franchise” lists out there that are based 

on company size or fast growth, but ours is the only ranking based exclusively on franchisee 

satisfaction and performance. 

The results of our annual satisfaction research determine the franchise systems that make our 

Guide to Today’s Top Franchises. Approximately 11,000 franchisees representing 209 brands 

participated in our research in 2006. This year, 28,500 franchisees representing over 350 brands 

shared their candid thoughts regarding all aspects of their franchise including training & 

support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations, financial opportunity and more. 

While a lot has changed in franchising over the past decade, one thing is evident—the industry 

is growing. Why? Because great franchises are ideal investments. They allow those with an 

entrepreneurial spirit to go into business for themselves without the high risk and guesswork 

that business start-ups entail. Top rated franchises provide their franchisees with an array of 

benefits that individuals starting a business on their own do not have. The most obvious are a 

proven business model forged from the blood, sweat and tears of its founders, brand recognition 

and an established product or service. Franchisees also receive start-up as well as ongoing training, 

technical, marketing, sales, operational, and managerial support. 

Approximately 11,000 

franchisees representing 

209 brands participated 

in our research in 2006. 

This year, 28,500 

franchisees representing 

over 350 brands shared 

their candid thoughts 

regarding all aspects 

of their franchise. 

Clearly, not all franchise opportunities are created equal. There are more than a few enterprising 

entrepreneurs who invested in a franchise only to find that they should have done additional 

homework first. Our goal is to help you make a more educated investment decision. Our Guide 

to Today’s Top Franchises features the latest industry trends, general advice, and information 

for aspiring franchisees in addition to highlighting today’s highest-ranking franchises according 

to franchisee satisfaction and performance—giving you the tools you need to find the right 

franchise opportunity to meet your business and personal goals. 

Informed franchising is happy franchising! 

Emma Pearson, Editorial Director 

Franchise Business Review is the leading market research company in 

the franchise industry, assisting prospective franchise buyers through the 

examination process of today’s leading franchise systems. Before you invest 

in any franchise opportunity, get the facts from Franchise Business Review. 

Our independent franchisee satisfaction reports measure the health of 

any franchise system, based exclusively on the feedback of today’s 

franchise owners ... the real franchise experts! 

Eric Stites, CEO 

Michelle Rowan, President 

Emma Pearson, Editorial Director 

C.J. Fleck, Senior Web Developer 

Michael Kupfer, Online Marketing Manager 

Nicole Kenney, Client Services Manager 

Jamie Lavigne, Client Consultant 

Linda Lorrey, Client Consultant 

Chris Poirot, Client Consultant 

Stacey Picott, Office Manager 

The Secret Agency, Design & Production 

Call us at 603-433-2270 

4 | For more information on this report, visit: www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com


Auntie Anne’s invites customers to sample its offerings. 

2015’s Top Franchise Opportunities: 

A look at what makes a franchise great and how to invest in one 

When it comes to investing in a franchise, 

don’t be a magpie. The shiniest opportunity, 

the one riding the latest trend or getting the 

most media hype, may not be the best. The 

single most important thing to ensure you 

are choosing the right franchise for you is 

due diligence. Franchise Business Review’s 

guides and reports are a great place to start. 

They are not derived from the crunching of 

widely available numbers. Instead they are 

based on the personal insight of thousands of 

franchisees. 

THE VOICE OF FRANCHISEES 

Franchise Business Review is an independent 

national market research firm focused on 

franchisee satisfaction and performance. To 

create our 10th annual Guide to Today’s Top 

Franchises, we surveyed 28,500 franchisees 

representing over 350 franchise brands. Only 

200 franchise companies made this year’s 

guide as a result of their franchisees ranking 

them high enough to meet our criteria. 

Here’s how our research process works. We 

invite all franchise systems with a minimum 

of 10 franchisees throughout North America 

to participate at no cost. Next, we survey their 

active franchisees who answer 33 benchmark 

questions ranking their franchise system in 

the areas of financial opportunity, training and 

support, leadership, operations and product 

development, core values (e.g., honesty and 

integrity of franchisor), general satisfaction, 

and the franchisee community. An additional 

16 questions ask franchisees about their market 

area, demographics, business lifestyle, 

overall enjoyment of running their franchise, 

and role in the franchisee community. Finally, 

we rank the top franchise brands based on 



implement high-energy fundraising programs 

that entail teaching leadership and fitness 

to kids, have raised $12 million on behalf 

of schools. 

It is also clear that people are increasingly 

willing to pay to have annoying critters removed. 

Two new mosquito and tick control companies, 

Mosquito Joe and Mosquito Shield, 

join Truly Nolen of America, A All Animal 

Control and Critter Control on this year’s list. 

Fast-casual and personalization are the 

food trends that continue to gain in popularity 

as Your Pie’s joining our list shows. Its concept 

entails diners moving down an assembly line 

and choosing the toppings for their personalsized 

pizza pie, which is then popped into a 

large oven that cooks it in a few minutes. 

Jim Carpenter, Founder and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited, with some of the brand’s bird seed offerings. 

If the franchise you are looking at does not survey 

its franchisees and share the results, it could be a 

red flag. Be sure to ask them why they do not. 

their overall survey results to come up with 

our annual list of the top 200 franchise opportunities 

for this report. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF FRANCHISEE 

SATISFACTION 

Franchisee satisfaction ratings are like when 

Dorothy looks behind the curtain and finds 

out the truth about the wizard. They show 

you whether or not a franchise opportunity is 

really as good as it appears and fits your values 

and vision by providing insight into a system’s 

culture, training, leadership, financial outlook, 

franchisee community and much more. 

Franchisors are increasingly measuring 

franchisee satisfaction and using the results to 

improve their networks and attract potential 

franchisees like you. If the franchise you are 

looking at does not survey its franchisees and 

share the results, it could be a red flag. Be 

sure to ask them why they do not. Openness 

contributes to a trusting relationship between 

franchisee and franchisor. In fact, the companies 

named in this report were rated higher by 

their franchisees when they were asked “Do 

you trust your franchisor?” compared to all 

franchises that participated in our survey. This 

finding didn’t surprise us since most of the 

companies in this report share their satisfaction 

survey data with their franchisees. 

WHAT’S HOT, WHAT’S NEW 

While compiling this year’s report, we discovered 

several new and interesting insights. 

The five franchise industries leading the way 

in franchisee satisfaction are: Advertising & 

Sales, Education, Senior Care, Real Estate and 

Child Services. Sports & Recreation, which 

almost tied for 5th place with Child Services, 

may well make the top five sectors list next 

year. While Food, Travel & Hospitality and 

Automotive tend to average lower franchisee 

satisfaction across the board, several franchises 

in these sectors had outstanding ratings including 

Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries, Cruise 

Planners and Christian Brothers Automotive. 

When it comes to the most unique business 

model we’ve seen in a while, Apex Fun Run is 

the winner. The company makes money by 

raising money. Since 2012 its franchisees, who 

A PERFECT 10 

Consistent annual placement as a top franchise 

in our Guide to Today’s Top Franchises 

demonstrates reliable performance. This year, 

ten companies have earned the honor of being 

featured in our newly created Hall of Fame 

as the result of appearing on our list for 10 

consecutive years. They are ActionCOACH, 

FASTSIGNS, Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning, 

HomeVestors, JumpBunch, Miracle Method, 

Our Town America, Pop-A-Lock, Two Men 

and a Truck and Wild Birds Unlimited. 

STAYING POWER MATTERS 

Investing in a franchise is probably the largest 

expenditure you’ll make after the purchase 

of your home, so it is crucial to determine if 

the company has staying power. Key factors 

that influence a franchise’s enduring success 

include innovation, adaptability, market customization, 

customer retention and training 

& support. 

Let’s take a look at what goes into each 

of these areas so you can better understand 

what to look for and know what questions 

to ask when researching these and similar 

opportunities. 

Innovation: While a few industries do not 

need to invest heavily in research and development, 

most companies today have to engage 

in constant innovation in order to keep their 

brand fresh and their businesses growing. 

What are the franchises you are considering 

doing to further develop their service or 

product, maintain their creative edge, and stay 

relevant to their customer base? 



“We are very aggressive when it comes to 

innovation,” says Auntie Anne’s Vice President, 

Global Marketing, Heather Neary. “We stay 

on top of consumer trends to ensure we are 

providing them with the solutions they are 

seeking and leverage technology on behalf of 

our franchisees and customers.” 

The franchise brands named in this report 

scored about 12% higher than average in innovation 

and creativity. Perhaps more telling is 

that there were over 36% more occurrences 

of an “excellent” rating, the highest response 

option, by franchisees of the Top 200 Franchises, 

showing these systems are focused on evolving 

their brands in order to meet changing consumer 

needs and desires. 

“We have always believed that if people, 

products and presentation are carefully managed 

that our franchisees will be successful. 

With this in mind, we started the Energy 

Project, which outlines best practices to create 

a high energy, positive customer experience in 

our stores,” says Jim Carpenter, Founder, and 

CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited. “It addresses 

products and presentation, as well as how to 

interact with customers.” 

Adaptability: How will the franchise be 

able to weather shifts such as changes in the 

minimum wage, healthcare requirements or 

the economy that could impact your business? 

These hot topics should be on every system’s 

mind. 

“We have a full-time, six-person Government 

Team and engage outside consultants on 

an as needed basis,” says Jeff Huber, President 

& Chief Operating Officer at Home Instead 

Senior Care. “Their job is to advocate for 

government policy and public opinion in 

favor of at home care for seniors.” 

Market Customization: Can you customize 

your franchise’s offerings to your marketplace 

to ensure a sustainable revenue stream? 

“We have some franchisees who contract 

with local schools, hospitals and skilled 

nursing facilities, while others maximize our 

National Account partnerships with highlyskilled 

nursing or workers’ compensation 

cases,” says Shelly Sun, CEO and Co-Founder 

of BrightStar Care. 

“In addition to our core menu, our franchisees 

can elect to offer breakfast and smoothies,” 

says Auntie Anne’s Neary. “This has helped us 

extend our offerings to non-traditional locations 

including universities, food trucks and airports.” 

Customer Retention: What will the franchise 

do to help you keep customers coming 

back? Beyond delivering a great experience, 

generating repeat business relies on a variety of 

approaches, top of which is customer rewards. 

“We launched My Pretzel Perks, a mobile 

customer loyalty app, in August. Depending 

on the number of points a customer earns, 

they can attain one of three loyalty tiers: 

Pretzel Fan, Pretzel Lover or Pretzel Perfect,” 

says Neary. “Rewards ranging from special 

discounts and offers to free products are given 

with every 300 points earned as well as when 

a loyalty tier is reached.” 

2015 Most Satisfied Franchise Sectors 

Continued on page 17. 

We asked franchisors from each of the top five sectors to shed light on what is driving 

their popularity. 

Advertising & Sales: ”Companies are scrambling to stand out from their competition 

and to attract new customers,“ says Brian Mattingly, President of Welcomemat 

Services. “Measurable marketing programs that enable them to touch potential 

customers and track which offers are getting the best responses are in demand.” 

Education: “As recently as last year, it was reported that U.S. students scored below 

international averages in math and science. It is well known that early education can 

set children up for success by introducing them to learning in areas such as science, 

technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. In addition, it helps them to develop 

21st century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking,” says 

Joseph Schumacher, President & CEO at Goddard Systems. 

Senior Care: “A perfect storm is brewing in favor of home care for seniors,” says Jeff 

Huber, President & Chief Operating Officer at Home Instead Senior Care. “One of the 

major themes of health care reform is to reduce non-essential hospital admissions. At the 

same time there has been tremendous growth of chronic conditions in the elderly due to 

extended life expectancy and 90% of seniors want to reside in their own homes.” 

Real Estate: “The housing market is on the up and forecasted to remain stable for 

several years to come due to lowered interest rates and looser credit markets,” says 

Realty ONE CEO, Kuba Jewgieniew. “The use of technology is also positively impacting 

the field by expediting many processes and efficiently bringing buyers and realtors 

together.” 

Child Services: “The combination of school cuts in physical fitness, music and art with 

a growing concern that kids are spending too much time on computers or in front of 

the TV has created a demand for programs that get kids moving or creating,” says Tom 

Bunchman, CEO and Founder of JumpBunch. 



THE LIST 

Best of the Best: 

Top 200 Franchises 

ADVERTISING & SALES 

Proforma 

Print & promotional product supplier 

* Our Town America — more on p. 24 

Advertising services 

Survey 

Date 

Dec. 

2013 

Sep. 

2014 

Startup 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$0 – $19,500 $0 – $29,500 709 

$49,000 – 

$85,000 

$89,000 47 

Welcomemat Services 

Printing & marketing services 

June 

2014 

$56,000 – 

$83,850 

$75,000 46 

Viamark Advertising 

Marketing services 

Oct. 

2014 

$37,000 – 

$66,050 

$40,000 13 

Natural Awakenings — more on p. 38 

Print magazine 

July 

2014 

$59,700 – 

$74,250 

$59,700 – 

$74,250 

91 

AUTOMOTIVE 

* Christian Brothers Automotive 

Automotive repair — more on p. 29 

Jan. 

2014 

$369,400 – 

$449,600 

$75,000 135 

“Excellent franchise 

system. Built to succeed 

if you engage in the 

programs offered.” 

– Snap-On Tools Franchisee 

* Snap-on Tools — more on inside back cover 

Automotive services 

Auto Appraisal Network 

Automotive appraisal services 

Line-X 


J.D. Byrider Systems 


Honest-1 Auto Care 

Automotive care 

Aug. 

2014 

Oct. 

2014 

Aug. 

2014 

Oct. 

2013 

Nov. 

2013 

$152,692 – 

$318,979 

$12,000 – 

$30,000 

$154,595 – 

$333,994 

$643,700 – 

$4,200,000 

$169,975 – 

$457,975 

$30,164 – 

$80,246 

$3,000 – 

$10,000 

$30,000 – 

$142,944 

3,871 

25 

447 

$1,000,000 142 

$150,000 43 

BUSINESS SERVICES 

* Sandler Training — more on p. 30 

Business consulting & coaching 

June 

2014 

$73,000 – 

$105,125 

$100,000 181 

* FASTSIGNS — more on p. 1 

Visual business communications 

Sep. 

2014 

$178,207 – 

$289,498 

$80,000 523 

Sir Speedy 


May 

2014 

$275,000 – 

$350,000 

$100,000 190 

Sanford Rose Associates 

Recruiting services 

Jan. 

2014 

$109,350 – 

$146,180 

$109,350 – 

$146,180 

60 

Murphy Business & Financial 

Business brokers 

Dec. 

2013 

$45,750 – 

$113,600 

$30,000 174 

PIP Printing & Marketing Services 


May 

2014 

$275,000 – 

$350,000 

$100,000 80 

ActionCOACH 

Business coaching 

Feb. 

2014 

$61,250 – 

$108,441 

$35,000 237 

YESCO 

Visual business communications 

Apr. 

2014 

$50,000 – 

$240,000 

$60,000 91 

*Full Satisfaction Report Available at 

www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com 

10-year Hall of Fame Member 

Featured on our Best of the Best List for 10 consecutive years 

InXpress 

Business shipping 

Unishippers 

Business shipping 

FPC National 


Dec. 

2013 

Mar. 

2014 

Oct. 

2014 

$44,700 – 

$49,700 

$55,000 – 

$150,000 

$50,000 – 

$100,000 

$80,000 77 

$75,000 329 

$75,000 – 

$100,000 

64 

Best in Category 

PostNet 


Aug. 

2013 

$175,045 – 

$201,270 

$60,000 812 

8 | For more information on the companies in this report, visit www.FBR50.com


Survey 

Date 

Startup 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

BUSINESS SERVICES (CONTINUED) 

The @WORK Group — more on p. 30 


Feb. 

2014 

$74,497 – 

$122,495 

$50,000 78 

CHILD SERVICES 

* Soccer Shots 

Youth sports 

Young Rembrandts 

Children’s art classes 

Amazing Athletes 

Early childhood development 

* JumpBunch 

Youth sports & fitness 

Oct. 

2014 

Dec. 

2013 

July 

2014 

Jan. 

2014 

$17,500 – 

$21,000 

$40,360 – 

$48,700 

$38,950 – 

$48,950 

$28,200 – 

$63,600 

$16,500 155 

$50,000 97 

$18,500 80 

$35,000 – 

$77,000 

54 

“Senior Management 

is passionate about 

the business and 

presents a clear vision 

for the company.” 

– The Little Gym Franchisee 

TGA Premier Golf & Tennis 

Youth sports 

Aug. 

2014 

$13,150 – 

$62,200 

$13,150 – 

$62,200 

70 

* The Little Gym 

Early childhood development 

June 

2013 

$200,000 – 

$300,000 

$75,000 – 

$100,000 

214 

CompuChild 

Children’s technology education 

Dec. 

2013 

$18,300 – 

$33,600 

$20,000 51 

KidsPark 

Children’s play park 

Aug. 

2013 

$185,000 – 

$340,000 

$65,000 15 

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE 

MaidPro 

House cleaning & maid services 

Apr. 

2014 

$45,000 – 

$114,509 

$40,000 183 

* Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning 

Carpet cleaning 

Jan. 

2014 

$28,900 – 

$64,000 

$15,000 1,304 

Aire-Master of America 

Commercial hygene service 

Nov. 

2013 

$35,584 – 

$126,900 

$30,000 – 

$50,000 

106 

Jan-Pro (master franchisors) 

Commercial cleaning services 

Dec. 

2013 

$300,000 – 

$500,000 

$150,000 99 

* Office Pride — more on p. 40 


Oct. 

2014 

$29,900 – 

$59,900 

$29,900 126 

Anago Cleaning Systems (master franchisors) 


Nov. 

2013 

$125,000 – 

$171,000 

$125,000 – 

$171,000 

35 

You’ve Got MAIDS 

House cleaning & maid services 

Mar. 

2014 

$37,999 – 

$130,842 

$37,999 – 

$130,842 

45 

360clean 


May 

2014 

$10,350 – 

$18,450 

$7,500 82 

Molly Maid 

Cleaning services 

Sep. 

2014 

$88,795 – 

$131,295 

$88,795 – 

$131,295 

461 

Buildingstars 


Oct. 

2014 

$1,995 – 

$39,995 

$500 572 

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning 

Carpet cleaning 

Oct. 

2014 

$33,495 – 

$55,950 

$38,345 – 

$60,115 

278 

The Maids 

Cleaning & maid services 

Nov. 

2014 

$98,645 – 

$126,045 

$60,000 165 

EDUCATION 

* The Goddard School 

Early childhood education 

Aug. 

2014 

$610,300 – 

$848,200 

$150,000 417 

For more information on the companies in this report, visit www.FBR50.com | 9


THE LIST 



EDUCATION (CONTINUED) 

Mathnasium 

Math learning center 

Best In Class Education Centers 

Tutoring services 

Survey 

Date 

Jan. 

2014 

July 

2014 

Startup 

Investment 

$99,750 – 

$139,375 

$69,500 – 

$114,100 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

$40,000 533 

$40,000 26 

THE TUTORING CENTER 

Tutoring services 

Apr. 

2014 

$90,000 – 

$130,000 

$39,000 64 

The Learning Experience 

Early childhood education 

Mar. 

2014 

$495,290 – 

$1,040,049 

$150,000 135 

Engineering For Kids 

Engineering education 

Sep. 

2013 

$35,125 – 

$90,262 

$35,000 – 

$55,000 

105 

Above Grade Level 

In-home tutoring services 

Oct. 

2013 

$51,515 – 

$76,595 

$40,000 22 

“EFK has created an 

outstanding product 

that meets a clear need 

in the marketplace. 

From my experience, 

it has been very well 

received by parents, 

schools, community 

centers, etc.” 

FINANCIAL SERVICES 

American Prosperity Group 

Financial services 

* Payroll Vault — more on p. 42 

Payroll services 

Estrella Insurance 


* Padgett Business Services 


* ATAX Franchise — more on p. 37 

Accounting & financial services 

FITNESS 

Feb. 

2014 

Oct. 

2014 

Sep. 

2013 

Dec. 

2013 

Oct. 

2014 

$83,800 – 

$115,300 

$42,000 

$69,000 

$49,000 – 

$84,000 

$100,000 20 

$50,000 22 

$20,000 – 

$50,000 

73 

$99,975 $99,975 400 

$37,340 – 

$76,800 

$37,340 – 

$76,800 

42 

– Engineering For Kids Franchisee 

Fit4Mom — more on p. 45 

Fitness 

Sep. 

2014 

$6,000 – 

$51,790 

$5,000 – 

$25,000 

291 

The Exercise Coach 

Fitness 

Aug. 

2014 

$95,000 – 

$236,000 

$95,000 – 

$236,000 

26 

Fitness Revolution 

Fitness health club 

Oct. 

2014 

$12,509 – 

$121,909 

$12,509 – 

$121,909 

166 

Baby Boot Camp 

Fitness programs 

Feb. 

2014 

$4,690 – 

$10,350 

$3,900 – 

$5,900 

134 

SuperSlow Zone 

Fitness club 

Sep. 

2014 

$119,890 – 

$266,460 

$75,000+ 22 

* Crunch Fitness 

Fitness club 

Oct. 

2014 

$304,500 – 

$1,395,500 

$300,000 – 

$400,000 

101 

Orangetheory Fitness 

Fitness 

Feb. 

2014 

$327,600 – 

$634,100 

$327,600 – 

$634,100 

109 

FOOD & BEVERAGE 

* Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries 

Full service restaurant 

July 

2014 

$184,255 – 

$331,955 

$125,000 112 

* Checkers & Rally’s 

Quick-service 

May 

2014 

$165,000 – 

$1,235,000 

$250,000 787 

* Ground Round 


Mar. 

2014 

$600,000 – 

$2,000,000 

$500,000 28 

* Firehouse Subs — more on back cover 

Fast casual 

Apr. 

2014 

$169,414 – 

$989,553 

$80,000 – 

$100,000 

846 



Survey 

Date 

Startup 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

FOOD & BEVERAGE (CONTINUED) 

LaRosa’s Pizzeria 


Penn Station 

Quick-service 

Biggby Coffee 

Quick-service 

Wingstop 

Quick-service 

Tropical Smoothie Cafe 

Quick-service 

Chicken Salad Chick — more on p. 45 

Quick-service 

Auntie Anne’s 

Quick-service, bakery 

* Taziki’s Mediterranean Café 


June 

2014 

Oct. 

2014 

Sep. 

2014 

Apr. 

2014 

Oct. 

2014 

Aug. 

2014 

Sep. 

2014 

Sep. 

2014 

$500,000 – 

$850,000 

$258,103 – 

$519,704 

$159,850 – 

$316,100 

$211,628 – 

$650,540 

$165,940 – 

$414,685 

$242,000 – 

$508,000 

$194,875 – 

$367,600 

$410,000 – 

$737,000 

$150,000 – 

$255,000 

66 

$175,000 287 

$70,000 178 

$200,000 650 

$100,000 405 

$125,000 – 

$250,000 

$40,000 – 

$80,000 

24 

1,184 

$250,000 38 

“I feel confident that 

as a Franchise Owner 

I am supported 100%. 

I believe in the honesty 

and integrity of Senior 

Management. The 

responsiveness to any 

concerns, problems or 

questions I have had 

has been wonderful.” 

– LaRosa’s Pizzeria Franchisee 

* East Coast Wings & Grill — more on p. 31 


Apr. 

2014 

$648,425 – 

$993,870 

$250,000+ 33 

Twin Peaks 


Aug. 

2014 

$1,300,000 – 

$3,400,000 

$1,300,000 – 

$3,400,000 

54 

Nothing Bundt Cakes 

Retail bakery 

May 

2014 

$364,345 – 

$487,745 

$150,000 106 

Black Bear Diner — more on p. 44 


May 

2014 

$534,000 – 

$1,452,000 

$125,000 – 

$750,000 

63 

Planet Sub 

Quick-service 

July 

2014 

$182,500 – 

$402,000 

$150,000 36 

McAlister’s Deli 

Fast casual 

Oct. 

2013 

$538,000 – 

$887,000 

$75,000+ 328 

* Happy and Healthy Products 

Distributer, healthy snacks 

Feb. 

2014 

$45,000 – 

$90,000 

$24,508 – 

$89,045 

65 

The HoneyBaked Ham Co. 

Retail concept 

Jan. 

2014 

$278,000 – 

$410,000 

$100,000 469 

Hungry Howie’s Pizza & Subs — more on p. 2 

Quick-service 

Toppers Pizza 

Quick-service 

Captain D’s 

Quick-service 

Yogurtland 

Quick-service, frozen yogurt 

Fazoli’s Restaurants 

Quick-service 

Dec. 

2013 

Oct. 

2013 

May 

2014 

July 

2013 

July 

2014 

$228,000 – 

$432,500 

$362,100 – 

$548,585 

$700,000 – 

$900,000 

$336,793 – 

$788,750 

$558,000 – 

$1,339,000 

$100,000 552 

$150,000+ 64 

$350,000 520 

$200,000 264 

$165,500 – 

$250,000 

345 

“We are different than 

other similar style 

restaurants in our level 

of service. The managers 

and staff really engage 

with our guests and that 

is what sets us apart.” 

Bruegger’s Bagels 

Quick-service, bakery 

Oct. 

2014 

$389,600 – 

$591,600 

$150,000 304 

– McAlister’s Deli Franchisee 

Deli Delicious 

Fast casual 

July 

2014 

$150,000 – 

$350,000 

$75,000 22 

Billy Sims Barbecue — more on inside front cover 

Quick-service 

Sep. 

2014 

$169,000 – 

$433,000 

$150,000 45 

Dick’s Wings & Grill 


Oct. 

2014 

$249,000 – 

$767,500 

$249,000 – 

$767,500 

15 



THE LIST 



FOOD & BEVERAGE (CONTINUED) 

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop 

Quick-service 

Chopped Leaf 

Quick-service 

Survey 

Date 

June 

2014 

July 

2014 

Startup 

Investment 

$330,260 – 

$704,210 

$175,000 – 

$315,000 

Cash 

Requirement 

$330,260 – 

$704,210 

$70,000 – 

$100,000 

Total 

Units 

77 

19 

Charley’s Philly Steaks 

Quick-service 

June 

2013 

$152,193 – 

$451,236 

$75,000 – 

$100,000 

452 

Zinga! Frozen Yogurt 

Quick-service 

Sep. 

2013 

$277,000 – 

$497,500 

$200,000 – 

$400,000 

25 

Zoup! — more on p. 29 

Fast casual 

June 

2013 

$365,900 – 

$558,900 

$150,000 82 

Repicci’s Italian Ice 

Quick-service, shaved ice 

Mar. 

2014 

$49,900 – 

$115,000 

$15,000 – 

$40,000 

50 

Barberitos 

Quick-service 

Dec. 

2013 

$119,800 – 

$554,025 

$150,000 – 

$750,000 

39 

* Your Pie — more on p. 27 

Fast casual 

Sep. 

2014 

$255,000 – 

$436,100 

$255,000 – 

$436,100 

18 

“So far everyone has 

not just been willing to, 

but is actively seeking 

to help me get started. 

That’s not something I’ve 

found to be very common 

in most businesses. 

Everyone seems to realize 

that my success helps 

their success.” 

– HouseMaster Franchisee 

HEALTH & BEAUTY 

Palm Beach Tan 

Beauty services 

Paul Mitchell School 

Beauty school 

Sport Clips 

Hair cutting 

The Woodhouse Day Spas 

Spa services 

* Snip-Its — more on p. 40 

Hair cutting 

HOME SERVICES 

Budget Blinds 

Custom blinds & window coverings 

Dec. 

2013 

Sep. 

2014 

May 

2014 

Oct. 

2014 

Oct. 

2013 

Dec. 

2013 

$556,695 – 

$819,200 

$1,021,670 – 

$1,435,940 

$158,300 – 

$316,000 

$392,750 – 

$510,000 

$120,300 – 

$255,433 

$89,240 - 

$187,070 

$250,000 425 

$1,021,670 – 

$1,435,940 

104 

$100,000 1,289 

$200,000 26 

$100,000 68 

$74,950 952 

* CertaPro Painters 

Painting 

Jan. 

2014 

$129,000 - 

$161,500 

$75,000 452 

* National Property Inspections 

Commerical & home inspection services 

Feb. 

2014 

$32,900 - 

$33,900 

$39,550 - 

$42,000 

221 

ShelfGenie 

Shelving solutions 

Oct. 

2014 

$70,100 - 

$131,250 

$45,000 156 

Miracle Method Surface Refinishing 

Bathroom & kitchen remodeling 

Sep. 

2013 

$85,000 - 

$125,000 

$67,500 - 

$107,500 

137 

* HouseMaster — more on p. 34 

Professional home inspections 

Oct. 

2014 

$60,100 - 

$107,900 

$75,000 314 

* Pillar To Post 

Professional home inspections 

Sep. 

2014 

$31,550 - 

$36,550 

$10,000 443 

* WOW 1 DAY PAINTING 

Painting 

Jan. 

2014 

$90,000 - 

$140,000 

$90,000 26 

AdvantaClean 

Cleaning services 

Mar. 

2014 

$126,500 - 

$373,300 

$75,000 - 

$300,000 

200 

Surface Specialists Systems 

Home remodeling 

Nov. 

2014 

$46,000 - 

$75,500 

$25,000 44 



Survey 

Date 

Startup 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

HOME SERVICES (CONTINUED) 

The Glass Guru — more on p. 40 

Window restoration 

Oct. 

2014 

$30,000 – 

$130,000 

$30,000 – 

$130,000 

84 

* DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen — more on p. 35 

Home remodeling 

July 

2014 

$99,791 – 

$261,843 

$99,791 – 

$261,843 

34 

Tailored Living 

Home organization solutions 

Sep. 

2014 

$85,630 – 

$218,995 

$85,630 – 

$218,995 

165 

Go Mini’s 

Portable storage 

Oct. 

2013 

$224,604 – 

$453,000 

$100,000 – 

$300,000 

70 

ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Company — more 

Swimming pool maintenance 

on p. 47 

June 

2014 

$52,781 – 

$89,840 

$25,000 171 

Closets By Design 

Home organization solutions 

Mr. Rooter Plumbing 

Plumbing repair service 

The Grout Doctor 

Grout repair services 

HOTELS 

Value Place 

Extended stay 

Ascend Hotel Collection 

Extended stay 

June 

2014 

Aug. 

2014 

Dec. 

2013 

Dec. 

2013 

Jan. 

2014 

$126,000 – 

$296,500 

$68,370 – 

$162,600 

$20,405 – 

$33,415 

$1,100,000 – 

$1,500,000 

$7,634,950 – 

$12,646,899 

$100,000 50 

$68,370 – 

$162,600 

$20,405 – 

$33,415 

$1,100,000 – 

$1,500,000 

$7,634,950 – 

$10,606,999 

283 

71 

219 

46 

“The initial two week 

training class was 

fantastic and the 

support available from 

both corporate and 

the franchisee network 

is outstanding.” 

– Tailored Living Franchisee 

PET SERVICES 

In Home Pet Services 

Pet sitting & dog walking service 

Oct. 

2014 

$9,100 – 

$31,200 

$9,100 – 

$31,200 

12 

Sit Means Sit 

Dog training 

Apr. 

2014 

$45,000 – 

$93,850 

$15,000 82 

REAL ESTATE 

Sotheby’s International Realty 

Real estate 

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate 

Real estate 

* HomeVestors of America — more on p. 32 

Realty renovation 

Help-U-Sell — more on p. 38 

Real estate 

Coldwell Banker 

Real estate 

PropertyGuys.com 

Real estate 

Jan. 

2014 

Jan. 

2014 

Dec. 

2013 

Feb. 

2014 

Jan. 

2014 

Sep. 

2014 

$194,750 – 

$621,500 

$62,470 – 

$511,550 

$37,300 – 

$346,250 

$25,000 – 

$97,000 

$53,270 – 

$497,050 

$45,000 – 

$92,000 

$50,000 – 

$100,000 

476 

$75,000 279 

$37,300 – 

$346,250 

534 

$17,500 98 

$75,000+ 3,120 

$40,000 – 

$70,000 

119 

“Senior Management 

cares deeply and is very 

accessible. I have emailed 

them on a weekend and 

gotten back a response 

within a very short time, 

usually within 15 minutes.” 

– Coldwell Banker Franchisee 

G.J. Gardner Homes — more on p. 33 

Home building 

Jan. 

2014 

$114,700 – 

$120,000 

$90,000 34 

Realty ONE Group 

Real estate 

Aug. 

2014 

$30,000 – 

$195,000 

$30,000 – 

$195,000 

50 

United Country Real Estate 

Real estate 

Sep. 

2014 

$15,000 – 

$25,000 

$12,500 520 

* Showhomes Home Staging 

Home staging 

Dec. 

2013 

$45,300 – 

$78,000 

$10,000 55 



THE LIST 



REAL ESTATE (CONTINUED) 

Harcourts USA 

Real estate 

RETAIL 

Survey 

Date 

Oct. 

2014 

Startup 

Investment 

$151,000 – 

$360,000 

Cash 

Requirement 

$151,000 – 

$360,000 

Total 

Units 

18 

* Wild Birds Unlimited 

Nature retailer 

Nov. 

2013 

$104,162 – 

$172,511 

$40,000 – 

$50,000 

293 

Rhea Lana’s 

Children’s consignment 

Dec. 

2013 

$16,050 – 

$33,050 

$8,000 – 

$10,500 

80 

Just Between Friends 


Oct. 

2014 

$24,074 – 

$33,668 

$14,900 141 

“There is a strong and 

sincere desire to support, 

train and equip that is 

not common. I have 

found the other owners 

within the system to be 

extremely supportive.” 

Pinch A Penny 

Pool supplies retailer 

Learning Express 

Children’s retailer 

Family Fare 

Convenience store retailer 

Big Frog Custom T-Shirts 

Clothing retailer 

Pro Image 

Sports apparel & memorabilia retailer 

Aug. 

2013 

Oct. 

2013 

Sep. 

2014 

Aug. 

2014 

Sep. 

2014 

$250,000 – 

$350,000 

$197,000 – 

$386,275 

$27,800 – 

$131,700 

$185,000 – 

$210,000 

$130,700 – 

$401,500 

$50,000 222 

$100,000 130 

$27,800 – 

$131,700 

82 

$75,000 67 

$130,700 – 

$401,500 

75 

– Just Between Friends Franchisee 

Kid’s Closet Connection 


Jan. 

2014 

$12,000 – 

$17,000 

$12,000 – 

$17,000 

40 

NYS Collection Eyewear 

Eyewear retailer 

Oct. 

2014 

$13,580 – 

$97,148 

$13,580 – 

$97,148 

50 

SENIOR CARE 

* Visiting Angels — more on p. 35 

In-home senior care 

June 

2014 

$65,935 – 

$87,685 

$37,950 – 

$45,950 

500 

“It is easy to succeed 

right from the start 

if you follow the training 

and programs that 

are provided.” 

* Home Instead Senior Care 


CarePatrol — more on p. 41 

Assisted living placement services 

Home Care Assistance 


* Amada Senior Care 


Dec. 

2013 

Oct. 

2014 

Sep. 

2014 

Jan. 

2014 

$100,000 – 

$115,000 

$58,000 – 

$72,000 

$179,000 – 

$203,950 

$92,210 – 

$171,654 

$45,000 646 

$49,500 125 

$90,000 107 

$50,000 30 

– Home Care Assistance Franchisee 

* Homewatch CareGivers — more on p. 26 


June 

2014 

$83,250 – 

$136,000 

$50,000 225 

* FirstLight HomeCare — more on p. 36 


May 

2014 

$85,281 – 

$128,659 

$65,000 125 

Synergy HomeCare 


Oct. 

2013 

$59,025 – 

$156,700 

$50,000 275 

* BrightStar Care — more on p. 44 


Oct. 

2013 

$93,277 – 

$172,521 

$100,000 282 

Right at Home 


Feb. 

2014 

$76,700 – 

$127,100 

$150,000 410 

Preferred Care at Home 


Jan. 

2014 

$62,500 – 

$84,500 

$43,500 83 

* Qualicare – Family Homecare 


Oct. 

2014 

$78,200 – 

$188,950 

$75,000 53 



Survey 

Date 

Startup 

Investment 

Cash 

Requirement 

Total 

Units 

SENIOR CARE (CONTINUED) 

Interim HealthCare — more on p. 25 


Oct. 

2014 

$85,000 

$115,500 – 

$188,500 

336 

Nurse Next Door 


Jan. 

2014 

$134,600 – 

$180,400 

$125,000 71 

Caring Senior Service 


Apr. 

2014 

$58,035 – 

$98,750 

$35,000 60 

CareBuilders at Home 


Aug. 

2014 

$68,750 – 

$97,000 

$75,000 13 

SERVICES 

* Weed Man 

Lawn care 

Jan. 

2014 

$40,000 – 

$60,000 

$50,000 528 

* Precision Concrete Cutting 

Concrete maintenance services 

Dec. 

2013 

$135,000 – 

$176,500 

$130,000 35 

* Two Men and a Truck 

Moving services 

Dec. 

2013 

$178,000 – 

$583,500 

$150,000 – 

$600,000 

266 

Truly Nolen of America 

Pest control 

Oct. 

2014 

$25,200 – 

$280,000 

$25,000 101 

* Window Genie — more on p. 38 

Window cleaning 

July 

2014 

$89,000 – 

$139,000 

$60,000 – 

$80,000 

176 

Men In Kilts 

Window cleaning 

* Mosquito Joe 

Mosquito control services 

The Traveling Photo Booth 

Photography 

A All Animal Control 

Wildlife control & removal 

Linc Service Network — more on p. 26 

Commercial HVAC services 

Aug. 

2014 

Aug. 

2014 

Nov. 

2013 

Oct. 

2014 

Feb. 

2014 

$48,400 – 

$126,900 

$63,850 – 

$119,250 

$27,200 – 

$45,150 

$10,750 – 

$41,615 

$118,580 – 

$210,960 

$100,000 12 

$30,000 – 

$55,000 

120 

$25,000 15 

$5,000 36 

$65,000 – 

$75,000 

172 

“Men in Kilts is 

continuously looking 

to improve systems and 

efficiencies and provides 

excellent support for 

the franchise owners.” 

– Men In Kilts Franchisee 

Leather Medic 

Leather & vinyl repair service 

Sep. 

2014 

$29,000 – 

$56,500 

$29,000 – 

$56,500 

20 

Paul Davis Emergency Services 

Emergency home services 

Feb. 

2014 

$41,784 – 

$147,824 

$50,000 109 

* U.S. Lawns 

Commercial grounds care 

Sep. 

2014 

$51,500 – 

$79,300 

$30,000 262 

Critter Control 

Wildlife control & removal 

Oct. 

2014 

$12,250 – 

$80,500 

$11,000 – 

$47,000 

117 

Pop-A-Lock 

Locksmith services 

May 

2014 

$99,993 – 

$133,402 

$30,000 182 

Jet-Black 

Asphalt sealcoating & repair 

Mar. 

2014 

$46,000 – 

$109,310 

$16,475 – 

$36,035 

96 

* Mosquito Shield — more on p. 28 

Mosquito control services 

July 

2014 

$73,100 – 

$91,800 

$100,000 30 

Paul Davis Restoration 

Home restoration 

Feb. 

2014 

$179,464 – 

$239,774 

$150,000 209 

College Hunks Hauling Junk 

Junk removal services 

Sep. 

2014 

$100,000 – 

$200,000 

$100,000 52 

Precision Door Service 

Door repair 

June 

2014 

$56,960 – 

$510,789 

$50,000 77 



THE LIST 



SERVICES (CONTINUED) 

FRSTeam 

Home restoration 

Boulder Designs 

Landscape design 

Survey 

Date 

Dec. 

2013 

Sep. 

2014 

Startup 

Investment 

$32,000 – 

$380,500 

$54,725 – 

$121,900 

Cash 

Requirement 

$25,000 – 

$35,000 

Total 

Units 

40 

$40,000 91 

You Move Me 

Moving services 

Jan. 

2014 

$138,000 – 

$187,200 

$138,000 – 

$187,200 

35 

Bin There Dump That 

Mini dumpster & environmental services 

Sep. 

2013 

$150,000 – 

$400,000 

$75,000 64 

SPORTS & REC 

“From day one they 

have projected a 

sincere sense of support, 

determination and 

enthusiasm for our 

success. They are fun, 

energetic, honest, 

professional and 

trustworthy.” 

American Poolplayers Association 

Pool league 

* Pinot’s Palette 

Painting class 

Bottle & Bottega 

Wine & painting studio 

Kampgrounds of America/KOA 

Camping services 

Sky Zone 

Indoor trampoline park 

GolfTEC 

Golf training 

Color Me Mine 

Pottery painting studio 

Sep. 

2014 

Feb. 

2014 

Apr. 

2014 

May 

2014 

Feb. 

2014 

Dec. 

2013 

Apr. 

2014 

$16,720 – 

$19,890 

$74,700 – 

$173,500 

$62,950 – 

$96,000 

$15,000 – 

$50,000 

$850,000 – 

$2,500,000 

$111,475 – 

$427,675 

$136,700 – 

$177,900 

$16,695 – 

$19,865 

312 

$80,000 95 

$63,200 – 

$125,600 

$7,500 – 

$30,000 

14 

484 

$600,000 86 

$111,475 – 

$427,675 

263 

$50,000 118 

– Bottle & Bottega Franchisee 

APEX Fun Run 

School fundraising program 

Oct. 

2014 

$64,800 – 

$105,300 

$64,800 – 

$105,300 

15 

TECHNOLOGY 

TeamLogic IT 

IT services 

May 

2014 

$80,000 – 

$130,000 

$50,000 56 

TRAVEL 

Cruise Planners — more on p. 43 

Travel agency 

May 

2014 

$495 – 

$9,995 

$10,000 1,455 

* CruiseOne 

Travel agency 

Apr. 

2014 

$4,625 – 

$9,800 

$9,800 928 

Expedia CruiseShipCenters — more on p. 32 

Travel agency 

Oct. 

2014 

$79,500 – 

$149,500 

$50,000 189 



A variety of franchise 

companies are enjoying 

tremendous growth, 

loans are more readily 

available, consumer 

confidence is up, and 

many economic experts 

believe our economy 

is back on track. 

Jared and Mandy Seaman, Christian Brothers Automotive franchisees, having fun with their children. 

Continued from page 7. 

Almost all franchise systems today also 

gather and analyze customer feedback. 

“Obtaining direct feedback from our customers 

helps us to improve business operations, 

correct shortcomings, and deliver excellent 

customer service,” says Chuck Pistor, President 

of Miracle Method. “We currently have 97 to 

98 percent customer satisfaction.” 

“It costs far more to lose a customer then to 

bring one back in,” says Leeward Bean, Owner 

of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts, which encourages 

its franchisees to send clients handwritten 

thank you notes. 

Training & Support: What training and 

support will the franchise provide? Strong initial 

and ongoing training and support programs will 

be crucial for your success and help ensure your 

franchise brand stays strong. This is highlighted 

by the Training & Support section of our survey 

being the one that showed the greatest variation 

between all franchises surveyed and the 200 in 

this report. The top brands were scored 13% 

higher by their franchisees compared to those 

that did not make our list. 

“We have invested hundreds of thousands 

of dollars to develop a leadership program 

for our franchisees that teaches them how to 

work ‘on’ their business, build the right team, 

set goals for their business, and to live in a 

90-day world with an emphasis on focusing 

on the most important things first in order to 

expedite results”, says Brightstar Care’s Sun. 

“Our Franchise Business Consultant Team 

consists of members across the country who 

visit each of our franchises at least five times 

per year and communicate with them regularly 

in order to assist them with running their businesses 

as effectively as possible,” says Neary. 

BUY NOW OR HOLD? 

Is 2015 the year to finally go into business for 

yourself, but not by yourself, by investing in 

a franchise? A variety of franchise companies 

are enjoying tremendous growth, loans are 

more readily available, consumer confidence 

is up, and many economic experts believe our 

economy is back on track. 

“Our business grew 40% between 2013 

and 2014. We predict similar, if not even 

more growth in 2015,” says Brian Mattingly, 

President of Welcomemat Services. “Since 

we began franchising in 2011, our franchiseeowned 

units have gone from four to 40.” 

“We did our five millionth move in the 

spring,” says Randy Shacka, President of Two 

Men and a Truck. “Our revenue went from 

$320 million in 2013 to $360 million in 2014. 

We anticipate $410 million in revenue in 2015.” 

Financing is more readily available for 

franchisees than it has been due to the availability 

of a wider array of funding sources and 

loan requirements becoming less stringent. 

“Just 18 to 24 months ago, most banks 

would not consider first time start-ups or 

acquisitions. They are, however, becoming 

more aggressive in the marketplace and will do 

so if candidates meet their requirements,” says 

Geoff Seiber, President and CEO of FranFund, 

which has been helping franchisees obtain 

funding for their businesses via traditional 

and non-traditional sources since 2006. 

FUNDING YOUR FRANCHISE 

When it comes to figuring out how much 

money you will need to launch your new 

business, franchise companies provide estimates 

of fees and startup costs in Items 5 – 7 

of their Franchise Disclosure Document 

(FDD) and will often give you data regarding 

average monthly sales and year-over-year 

revenue growth. It is important to keep in 

mind that FDD information is typically average 

financial data across the entire franchise 

system or sometimes only select markets, 

so some of it may not be applicable to your 

particular market, which has its own costs 

for real estate, labor and other factors. We 

advise you to identify these market variables 

in order to better estimate the total capital 

you will need. 



Greg McClure celebrating the grand opening of his Realty ONE Group franchise. 

10 Years in Franchising, 10 Lessons Learned 

In honor of this being our 10th Annual Guide to Today’s Top Franchises, we looked back over 

the past 10 years of franchising and noted some of the biggest changes that have occurred in 

the industry and how they impact franchisees today. A snap shot of our observations is below. 

1. Franchising has become much more transparent. 

2. An explosion of new and a revival of old concepts are challenging iconic brands. 

3. Franchisors and franchisees have gotten more sophisticated and metric-driven. 

4. Franchisors are increasingly more selective regarding potential franchisees. 

5. Obtaining franchise financing went from really easy to exceptionally hard to easier again. 

6. Technology has and will continue to be a big game changer. 

7. The recession was a good thing for franchising. 

8. Local, state, and federal government “interference” will continue to be a challenge 

for franchising and small business. 

9. Change is constant. Franchisors and franchisees must adapt or die! 

10. The good franchising opportunities are only getting better. 

Learn what led to our observations and what they mean for franchisees by reading our full article, 

“10 Years in Franchising, 10 Lessons Learned”, at www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com. 

Once you have a good understanding of the 

total capital needs of your new business, you 

can determine how much of the investment 

you can cover with personal savings and how 

much you will need to borrow through other 

sources (ie. home equity loans, retirement savings, 

traditional bank loans, etc.). In addition, 

you should plan to have a cushion of debt-free 

funds to live on should your business not take 

off as quickly as you expect. Ideally, it’s a good 

idea to have at least a year’s worth of living 

expenses as a backup reserve. Also, be sure to 

ask about any available discounts. Many franchises 

offer them for female majority owners, 

ethnic minorities or military veterans. 

Just like with any business loan, potential 

funders will look at your credit rating, liquid 

assets, collateral and experience. The important 

difference is that lenders understand 

they are providing funding for a franchise— 

a brand name business that is backed by a 

proven model for success. 

“It is crucial that potential franchisees 

understand how they will be judged by lenders 

and be fully prepared prior to contacting 

any,” says Michael Rozman, Co-President and 

Chief Strategy Officer of BoeFly, an online 

loan marketplace. “They need a business plan 

for their future franchise that features not only 

the information provided by the franchisor, 

but about the business they want to establish 

including investment, competitive information, 

market information and projections.” 

First time franchisees typically have a more 

difficult time obtaining loans from a national 

bank despite the recent loosening of requirements. 

Small Business Administration (SBA) 

loans, which are issued by a bank and partly 

guaranteed against default by the government, 

and community bank loans fill the gap. 

The top three things banks do not like to 

see in loan candidates according to Seiber of 

FranFund are: unsecured high credit card debt, 

a short sale or foreclosure of a home during 

the past three years or a bankruptcy within the 

past three years. 

Fortunately, if you are not an ideal bank 

loan candidate, there are still a variety of 

non-traditional funding sources available— 

including tapping into your retirement savings. 

Many people don’t realize that you can 

invest up to 100% of your retirement funds 

into a franchise without taxes, penalties or a 

loan via a program called Rollovers as Business 



Start Up (ROBS). To qualify for ROBS you 

must have at least $50k in eligible retirement 

accounts such as an IRA, 401(k), or 403(b). 

Your retirement funds can be combined with a 

spouse’s, partner’s or traditional business loans. 

“ROBS arrangements often enable a 

franchisee to start their business without 

debt, which increases their chances of being 

profitable sooner,” says David Nilssen, CEO of 

Guidant Financial, which specializes in guiding 

entrepreneurs through the ROBS process. 

“Profits can be retained for growth rather than 

being sent to a bank in the form of interest 

payments.” 

Another option is a security-backed loan, 

which enables you to take a loan using a financial 

portfolio, such as a mutual fund, as 

collateral. There are several potential advantages 

to doing so. First, you can leave your 

portfolio in place, which enables it to grow. 

Second, because the loan is backed by your 

portfolio’s value, the interest charged will be 

lower than for an unsecured loan. It is important 

to note that the risk of borrowing against the 

value of your securities is that if your investments 

fall in value, the money borrowed will 

emphasize your losses. 

A handful of franchisors also offer internal 

financing to approved potential franchisees. 

Those that do not often put candidates in touch 

with an established loan broker, who guides 

them through the process of building a professional, 

lender-ready package and connects 

them with potential lenders. Loan brokers 

typically charge borrowers an upfront $1,000 

– $2,500 packaging fee that varies according 

to the complexity of the deal. Online loan brokers 

offer a variety of differently priced plans. 

In addition, since online brokers’ networks 

consist of thousands of local and nationwide 

lenders, it is possible that companies will 

compete for your loan, which in turn can yield 

better terms for you, the borrower. 

“We do not take a one-size-fits-all 

approach to helping our franchisees obtain 

financing. Instead, we constantly work with 

our financing partners to provide a variety of 

options,” says Jeff Dudan, Founder and CEO 

of AdvantaClean. 

DO YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL ADVICE? 

If you wish to expedite the process of identifying 

the franchise that best fits your personal 

and financial objectives, as well as your budget 

Franchise lawyers, like most lawyers, can be costly. The investment, however, is well worth it 

since a skilled one will protect your interests. He or she has the in-depth experience regarding 

franchisors, Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) and franchise agreements necessary to 

ensure that the franchise terms are the most beneficial to you. 

With so many franchise lawyers out there, how do you determine if the one you are considering 

is among the best? Ask him the following questions, which were prepared by franchise lawyer 

Richard L. Rosen of Richard L. Rosen Law Firm: 

• What is your experience with franchise law? 

• What honors or awards have you received? 

• How do your clients perceive you? 

• How do other attorneys perceive you? 

• How do you approach a franchise review (communication, discussions, negotiations, etc.)? 

• Can you help with my business analysis? 

• Do you represent franchisors and franchisees? What is the breakdown? 

• Have you ever dealt with X (fill in the name of the franchise you are considering here)? What 

experience do you have with litigation? With arbitration? With mediation? 

• Are you familiar with the X (fill in the industry of the franchise you are considering here) 

industry? 

• What is your fee structure? 

How to Vet a Franchise Lawyer 

• What should I expect from this process and experience? 

and skill set, an established franchise consultant 

can help. They can also assist you with 

getting a franchisor’s attention as a result of 

their connections and to complete and understand 

all the paperwork involved. 

“I support my clients in all aspects of 

the franchise process including choosing a 

best-fit franchise, understanding the FDD 

and ensuring that their interactions with the 

franchisor go smoothly”, says Rick Bisio, who 

has been assisting new franchisee candidates 

for 22 years and is the author of The Educated 

Franchisee. 

Whether you use a franchise consultant or 

not, after meeting a franchise company’s initial 

candidate criteria, you’ll be provided with their 

FDD. It is crucial to hire an attorney with 

extensive franchise experience to review the 

FDD before you sign the Franchise Agreement. 

An experienced franchise attorney understands 

all the elements of a Franchise Agreement— 

what you might be able to negotiate or 

not—and how each element affects another. 

Areas to focus on in particular within an 

FDD, according to Richard Rosen, who has 

been practicing franchise law for over 35 Years 

and is principal at the Richard L. Rosen Law 

Firm, include: 

• Territory & Market: How do the territory 

terms impact your market? How will 

renewal affect your territory? 

• Transfer: How can you avoid the right to 

transfer being too restrictive or costly? 

• Default and Termination Procedures: Are 

the terms regarding buying back your 

equipment or lease transfer favorable? 

• Non-Compete: Do the terms enable you 

to be able to make a living after leaving 

the franchise? 

HOW WILL YOUR LIFE CHANGE? 

If you are used to working full-time, your 

hours probably will not change much when 

you own a franchise. According to our 

research, franchisees work an average of 

40-50 hours per week across all industries. 

Forty-four percent reported working more 

than 50 hours per week, while 30% reported 



Left: Tom Bunchman, CEO and Founder of JumpBunch, entertaining several important clients. 

Right: Air Force veterans, Kevin and Julie McAdoo, own an Office Pride franchise in Tampa. 

working less than 40 hours per week. That 

said, newer franchise owners—those in business 

for two years or less—report working 

longer hours on average. Be prepared to 

put in some extra time, especially those first 

few years, to get your new business off 

the ground. 

If you must have all your nights and 

weekends free, franchising probably isn’t for 

you. Of the franchisees we surveyed, 52% 

reported working evenings at least a couple of 

times per week, with 24% saying they “almost 

always” work evenings. Almost three quarters 

of franchisees (74%) said they work weekends 

at least a couple of times per month, with 35% 

“almost always” working weekends. 

The silver lining when it comes to owning 

a franchise is that 68% of franchisees said the 

hours they work are “flexible” or “very flexible” 

and 59% said their work/life balance was 

either “balanced” or “very balanced.” 

WILL YOU MAKE ENOUGH MONEY? 

“How much money will I make?” is the question 

that people want the answer to most 

when they start exploring franchise opportunities. 

It is a logical question to ask, but 

often a very difficult one to answer. There are 

many factors that play a role in estimating the 

potential revenues and profits of any business 

and ultimately what your “take-home” income 

might be. 

One of the biggest mistakes we see new 

franchise business owners make is equating 

business profits with personal income, which 

leads them to enter into franchising with 

unrealistically high financial expectations. In 

most cases, a franchisee’s personal income is 

significantly lower than the profits that their 

business generates. This is due to a variety of 

things including taxes, loan payments and 

required business reinvestment—all of which 

gets paid out of a business’s profits. 

Understanding how cash flows through 

a franchise is critical. In fact, it is such 

an important topic that we created a threehour 

online course entitled “How Much 

Money Can I Make?”, which is available 

as part of our Franchise Buyer’s Toolkit at 

www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com/toolkit. 

When we crunched the data for the 28,500 

franchisees we surveyed, we found that their 

average annual pre-tax income was $80,000. We, 

however, know that average numbers can be 

misleading since they can be artificially inflated 

by a few top performers. When we looked at the 

median income for the same group of franchisees, 

it was actually under $50,000 per year. The 

bottom line is that many franchisees who do not 

do their homework in order to have realistic 

financial expectations earn less money than they 

had originally planned to. 

The good news is that the top 200 franchises 

listed in this report significantly outperform 

their competitors when it comes to meeting 

the financial expectations of their franchisees. 

On average, we found that franchisee incomes 

in these top brands are 15%–20% higher than 

other brands. In addition, in terms of your 

“upside,” the frequency of franchisees earning 

$250,000 or more was also 20% higher among 

our top 200 franchises. 

It is difficult to generalize how much you 

will earn since there are often significant 

differences between concepts and other factors 

such as location and the economy come 

into play. If the FDD of the franchise you 

are considering has an Item 19, Financial 

Performance Representations, you will be 

able to obtain insight regarding revenue. It is 

important to note that the data typically represents 

total franchise sales, not profitability. 

To determine profitability, the cost of labor, 

rent, supplies, insurance, royalties, ad fees and 

other business expenses must be deducted 

from the sales figure. 

ARE YOU AN IDEAL FRANCHISEE? 

According to Bisio, the most successful 

franchisees are disciplined, financially stable, 

confident, natural leaders and enjoy learning. 

In addition, they have a sense of personal 

responsibility, a clear vision of what they want 

out of life, and a supportive network of friends 

or family. 

You may think you will be a fantastic franchisee, 

but will the franchise system you wish 

to join agree? The majority of franchisors we 

interviewed said that business experience has 

replaced passion when it comes to what they 

look for most in a potential franchisee. 



“We look for franchisees with proven business 

acumen who wish to be owner-managers, 

not owner-operators. Front-line staff who 

have passion can be hired,” says Carpenter of 

Wild Birds Unlimited. 

While in the minority, some franchises 

still place a premium on passion, particularly 

those that offer services which involve extensive 

personal interaction with customers. 

“We look for people who are passionate 

about serving kids and schools, not just about 

business,” says Scott Donnell, President of 

Apex Fun Run. 

Since top performing franchisees generate 

higher royalties, many franchisors have potential 

franchisee candidates take a personality 

profile, which measures personality traits that 

relate to work performance. 

“We had our top performing team members 

take a personality test and then pulled their 

common traits to create a profile of our ideal 

franchisee candidate”, says Mattingly of Welcomemat 

Services. “We compare the test 

results of potential franchisees to our ideal 

candidate profile.” 

What does a personality profiling test mean 

for you? It may help you find the right franchise 

fit. Additionally, if a franchise company 

using a personality profile is more successful 

at selecting top performing franchisees, it will 

help its brand remain strong, as well as protect 

your investment as a franchisee. 

THE BIG DAY 

You’ll probably spend several months engaging 

in franchise research and discovery before 

reaching a decision. The 200 companies in 

this report provide you with a great starting 

point by highlighting franchise opportunities 

deemed the best-of-the-best by the franchisees 

who own them. Whatever franchise opportunities 

you decide to investigate, be sure to ask 

questions and to be candid about yourself, 

your goals and your expectations during the 

process. 

The exciting day will eventually come when 

you will be asked by your chosen franchise 

system to say yes or no regarding whether or 

not you will join. If you’ve selected an opportunity 

that your research has shown is an ideal 

fit for you personally and your budget, your 

chances of succeeding are high. 

For more information about researching 

franchises, or more specific details about 

the top franchise opportunities featured 

in this report, please visit us online at www. 

FranchiseBusinessReview.com. 

Franchising Then and Now 

(2005 vs Today) 

Then 

Now 

Total Economic Output of Franchising $648 billion* $841 billion* 

Jobs in Franchising 7.8 million* 8.5 million* 

Number of franchisees surveyed by FBR 1,967 26,917 

Total number of franchises researched by FBR 59 820 

Biggest Franchise company 

McDonald’s 

$53 Billion sales 

(30,771 units)** 

McDonald’s 

$89 Billion sales 

(35,429 units)** 

Highest in Franchisee Satisfaction Heaven’s Best Carpet Cleaning Sotheby’s International Realty 

Hottest and Most Trendy 

eBay/auction stores 

dinner prep / take-away 

mobile pet grooming 

frozen yogurt 

gourmet pizza & burgers 

mosquito control 

Biggest Fall From Grace Blockbuster Video Quiznos 

Steady growth and high margins 

senior care 

personal / business services 

real estate 

senior care 

personal / business services 

real estate (again) 

Popular franchise sales lingo “Recession-Proof” “Recession-Resistant” 

Top 3 praises by Franchisees 

Top 3 gripes by Franchisees 

Honesty & Integrity of the Brand 

Respect for the Brand 

Quality of the products/services 

Marketing 

Financial Performance 

Training & Support 

Respect for the Brand 

Honesty & Integrity of the Brand 

Support of Fellow Franchisees 

Marketing 

Communications 

Financial Performance 

Franchisees that have owned their business for 6+ years 24% 50% 

Aging of Franchisees… Median Age of a Franchisee 46 50 

Positive Work-Life Balance of Franchisees 51% 58% 

*Source: International Franchise Association 

**Source: Franchise Times 



HALL 

OF FAME 

10 Franchises Enter Our Inaugural Hall of Fame 

Two Men and a Truck Pop-A-Lock Wild Birds Unlimited Our Town America Heaven’s Best 

Two Men and a Truck’s 

first truck in 1979. 

Two Men and a Truck 

started in the early 1980s 

as a way for two brothers 

to make extra money 

while in high school. It 

made its five millionth 

move in June 2014. 

Then & Now: 

In 2006 Two Men 

and a Truck had 156 

franchises and gross 

revenue of $193 million. 

It anticipates having 280 

franchises and $414 

million in gross revenue 

in 2015. 

The uniform Pop-A-Lock’s 

franchisees wore in 1995. 

Pop-A-Lock was 

founded by former law 

enforcement officers in 

Lafayette, Louisiana in 

1991. Since it launched 

its PALSavesKids, 

a free community service 

program, it has rescued 

over 300,000 children 

from locked cars. 

Then & Now: 

In 2006 Pop-A-Lock 

had 1,100 communities 

and $44 million in 

gross revenue. It 

projects having 8,500 

communities and $75 

million in gross revenue, 

in 2015. 

Jim Carpenter, Founder 

and CEO of Wild Birds 

Unlimited, in front of his 

first store in Broad Ripple, 

IN in 1981. 

Wild Birds Unlimited 

enjoys innovating. It holds 

patents for the Classic 

Hopper Feeder (patent 

D329723) and Advanced 

Pole System (patent 

6386142). 

Then & Now: 

In 2006 Wild Birds 

Unlimited had 302 

franchises and $105 

million in gross revenue. 

It anticipates having over 

$145 million in gross 

revenue in 2015. 

Our Town America’s 1983 

welcome package. 

Our Town America 

was recognized for its 

excellence in the use of 

technology by the Mailing 

and Fulfillment Service 

Association. It received 

first place for its Variable 

Data Printing Solution in 

the Fulfillment Ingenuity 

Award category. 

Then & Now: 

In 2006, Our Town 

America’s gross revenue 

was $6 million and 

it had 23 units. 

It anticipates having 

70 units and $7 million 

in gross revenue in 2015. 

Heaven’s Best’s old 

branding pops in this 

1995 photo. 

Heaven’s Best launched 

a unique “dry in one 

hour” carpet and 

upholstery cleaning 

technique when it 

opened its doors in 1983. 

There are currently over 

2,500 cities where a 

Heaven’s Best operator 

can be found working. 

Then & Now: 

In 2006 Heaven’s Best 

had 939 franchises at the 

beginning of the year and 

1,118 by the end of the 

year. It projects having 

1,450 franchises by the 

end of 2015. 



This year’s Guide to Today’s Top Franchises is a perfect 10 in many ways. 

It is our 10th issue and honors franchises that have been featured on our 

Best of the Best: Top 200 Franchises list for 10 years in a row. Only 10 were! 

Their consistent placement is proof that their franchisees are among the most 

satisfied in the nation. 

To acknowledge the achievement of these exceptional franchises, we are happy 

to announce the launch of our inaugural Franchise Business Review (FBR) Hall 

of Fame. Its members will henceforth be known as FBR Hall of Famers. 

We thought it would be fun to highlight how our Hall of Famers have changed 

over the years, so asked each to provide us with a historic photo and share an 

achievement they are particularly proud of. We compiled the information below. 

Our Hall of Famers 

clearly show that 

satisfied franchisees 

help franchise 

systems thrive. 

It is clear that satisfied franchisees help franchise systems thrive. We look 

forward to seeing which franchises will make our FBR Hall of Fame next year. 

FASTSIGNS HomeVestors Miracle Method JumpBunch ActionCOACH 

FASTSIGNS first 

franchised center in 

1987. 

FASTSIGNS launched 

its “More than fast. 

More than signs.” brand 

positioning and its CEO 

Catherine Monson, 

appeared on CBS’s 

Undercover Boss in 2012. 

Gary Salomon and Bob 

Schanbaum founded 

FASTSIGNS in 1985, 

opening the first center 

in Dallas, Texas. 

Then & Now: 

In 2006, FASTSIGNS had 

500 centers. It anticipates 

having 600 in 2015. 

HomeVestors’ mascot Ug, 

who was created in 2004, 

poses from left to right 

with HomeVestors’ 

Co-Presidents, David 

Hicks and Ken Channell. 

HomeVestors, which 

is also known as We 

Buy Ugly Houses, began 

franchising in 1996. Since 

then, its franchisees have 

purchased over 60,000 

homes nationwide. 

Then & Now: 

In 2009, HomeVestors 

had 197 franchisees and 

$9.5 million in gross 

revenue. It anticipates 

having 700 franchisees 

and $50 million in gross 

revenue in 2015. 

Miracle Method’s 

annual franchise 

meeting in 2001. 

Miracle Method, which 

is headquartered in 

Colorado Springs, started 

in 1979. It has enjoyed a 

70% increase of sales in 

North America over the 

past five years. 

Then & Now: 

Miracle Method had 

84 franchises and Gross 

Sales of $21.3 million in 

2006. In 2015, it expects 

to have 150 franchises 

and gross sales of 

$50 million. 

JumpBunch’s first 

franchisees in 2002. 

JumpBunch sold its first 

franchise in 2002 and 

had 10 by 2004. Today 

20,000 children are 

enrolled in its programs 

domestically and 30,000 

internationally. 

Then & Now: 

In 2006 JumpBunch 

had 24 units and a 

gross revenue of 

$950,000. In 2015, 

it projects having 

70 franchises and a 

gross revenue in excess 

of $4 million. 

ActionCOACH won 

a Silver Stevie award 

in 2012. 

ActionCOACH founded 

its Coaching for a Cause 

global program, which 

is a pro-bono coaching 

program that helps nonprofits 

and charities to 

increase their top-level 

goals and better manage 

their funds in 2009. 

It won a Silver Stevie 

award in the category of 

Company of the Year— 

Business Services at the 

2012 American Business 

Awards. 


SPECIAL REPORT: Top Franchises // MARKETPLACE 

ADVERTISING & SALES AUTOMOTIVE AUTOMOTIVE 

Our Town America 

Startup Investment: $49,000 – $85,000 

Cash Requirement: $89,000 

Total Units: 47 

Our Town is America’s premier welcoming 

organization. Since 1972, we have been 

effectively connecting new movers with 

businesses they are searching for by mailing 

them welcome packages featuring welcoming 

certificates as opposed to standard coupons from 

local businesses. Thousands of satisfied business 

owners throughout the United States attest to 

the success and effectiveness of our targeted 

program, while dozens of locally owned Our 

Town franchises validate our success as a viable 

business opportunity. 

For more information on Our Town America 

opportunities, call (727) 345-0811 x232 

or visit www.ourtownamerica.com. 

Christian Brothers Automotive 




Christian Brothers Automotive is a full-service 

auto repair franchise committed to operating 

with honesty and integrity. Our focus on superior 

customer service and “loving your neighbor as 

yourself,” has allowed the company to grow with 

100% store success in 16 years of franchising. 

At Christian Brothers, franchise owners have the 

benefit of owning their own faith-based business, 

with extensive support from the home office 

not only during start up, but long term as well. 

You do not need previous automotive industry 

experience—our thorough training program and 

home office coaching will direct you with tools 

toward success. 

For more information on Christian Brothers 

Automotive opportunities, call (855) 866-9222 

or visit www.christianbrothersfranchise.com. 

Snap-on Tools 


Cash Requirement: $30,164 – $80,246 

Total Units: 3,871 

Snap-on Incorporated is a leading global 

innovator, manufacturer, and marketer of 

tools, diagnostics, and equipment solutions 

for professional users. Product lines include 

hand and power tools, and are sold through 

its franchisees, company-direct sales, and 

distributor channels, as well as over the internet. 

For more information on Snap-on Tools 

opportunities, call (877) 476-2766 or visit 

www.snaponfranchise.com. 




FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Sandler Training 




Sandler Training is the leader in innovative sales 

and sales management training. We have over 

235 training centers in major cities throughout 

the country and around the world, offering 

instruction in a dozen languages. Entrepreneur 

Magazine has ranked Sandler as the No. 1 training 

franchise nine times. Our training is designed to 

create lasting performance improvement rather 

than the motivational “quick fix” typical of many 

seminar-based training programs. The demand 

for quality sales training has rarely been greater 

than it is today. As a Sandler franchisee, you can 

tap this vast market—and beyond. 

For more information on Sandler Training 


or visit www.sandler.com. 


Sanford Rose Associates 




At Sanford Rose Associates ® , we have been 

successfully helping organizations discover and 

hire executive talent for over five decades. The 

demand for finding the best possible people in 

the shortest possible time has helped propel 

executive search into a multi-billion dollar 

industry and Sanford Rose Associates ® is at the 

forefront. We offer you an incredible opportunity 

to achieve financial success without an advanced 

degree or years of training. If you have the drive 

and determination to build your own business, 

have high expectations for your professional 

ambitions, and desire to be in control of your 

lifestyle, work and life balance and income, we 

invite you to consider owning your own Sanford 

Rose Associates ® organization. 

For more information on Sanford Rose 

Associates opportunities, call (972) 616-7853 

or visit www.srafranchise.com. 


Dan Tomlinson 

Interim HealthCare 

Richmond, VA 

Franchisee since 2013 

Why did you decide to buy a franchise? 

To benefit from the expertise and experience 

of industry professionals and a proven successful 

system. 

Why did you choose your franchise? 

I felt that Interim HealthCare offered the 

strongest support network. In addition, I liked 

that its business model would enable me to 

pursue many different business lines within the 

home health industry. 

What is the best part of your job? 

I chose this industry in order to make a direct 

positive impact on the lives of my clients. This 

benefit has proven to be the absolute best part 

of my job as an active Owner and President. 

Murphy Business & Financial 




Murphy Business & Financial Corporation, LLC 

provides new or experienced business brokers 

with the support to build a successful business 

brokerage firm with multiple revenue streams. 

These include ownership transfers, business 

valuations, equipment appraisals and sales, 

mergers/acquisitions, preferred franchise sale 

referrals and property management. 

For more information on Murphy Business & 

Financial opportunities, call (727) 725-7090 

or visit www.murphyfranchise.com. 

YESCO 




Since 1920 YESCO has set the standard for 

quality, innovation and customer service in the 

sign and lighting industry. YESCO has franchise 

locations throughout the United States and 

Canada and is currently looking for motivated 

individuals to join us. As a YESCO franchise 

owner, you will enjoy our comprehensive training 

and extensive support. You will also benefit 

from our proven business system, expertise 

and trusted reputation. Contact a YESCO 

representative today to learn why the YESCO 

Franchise model works as our excellent growth 

year after year shows. 

For more information on YESCO opportunities, 

call (801) 493-7318 or visit 

www.yescofranchising.com. 

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

Meeting my yearly gross revenue projections 

generated from three offices in the Richmond, 

VA area and my role being providing top line 

leadership and vision. 

What keeps you up at night? 

Two key issues cause me to lose sleep. Retention 

of key employees and effective management of 

cash flow. 

What advice do you have for prospective 

franchise buyers? 

Buying a franchise is a long-term commitment. 

You want a proven, committed partner that is 

vested in your success and has the expertise and 

systems in place to get you where you want to go. 

Describe franchising in one word. 

Empowering. 

For more information on Interim HealthCare 


www.interimfranchising.com. 




CHILD SERVICES 


KidsPark 

Startup Investment:$185,000 – $340,000 

Cash Required: $65,000 

Domestic Franchises: 15 

If you are looking for an entrepreneurial 

opportunity to contribute a needed service to 

your community and are considering an overall 

investment between $185,000 – $340,000, 

take a close look at KidsPark. We are seeking 

business minded, marketing savvy owners to join 

our franchise family. As a KidsPark owner you 

share a reputation for quality, a proven method 

of operation and an innovative program. Our 

interactive virtual brochure guides you through 

each step of our discovery process sharing 

KidsPark’s business opportunity with you. Get 

started today! 

For more information on KidsPark 

opportunities, call 408.213.0970 or visit 

www.kidspark.com/corporate/franchiseopportunities/. 

MaidPro 




MaidPro prides itself on its proven 

groundbreaking technology and software, 

creative marketing efforts, established brand 

identity, and stellar support to its franchisees. 

The company is constantly trying to reinvent new 

practices and refine old ones to ensure its place 

in the rapidly growing house cleaning industry. 

MaidPro offers you the advantages of rapid 

growth, low startup costs, manageable hours, 

and recurring revenue. Join a franchise that gives 

you control and ownership of your business with 

unmatched 24/7 support! 

For more information on MaidPro 

opportunities, call (888) 624-3776 

or visit www.maidprofranchise.com. 



Buildingstars 


Cash Requirement: $500 


The commercial cleaning industry is booming! 

Buildingstars is the only commercial cleaning 

franchise with a focus on the office building 

segment, the most professional and profitable 

segment of the industry. We offer great training 

and a guaranteed base of business, with three 

ways to get started. As a technician, you can 

start part-time and keep your full-time job, with 

the option to go full-time when you’re ready. As 

an on-site manager, you’ll manage medium-size 

buildings and begin to build your team. This is 

the only large building office cleaning franchise 

available with the highest gross revenue of any 

franchise in our category. 

For more information on Buildingstars 


buildingstarsfranchise.com. 

Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning 

Startup Investment: $33,495 - $55,950 

Cash Requirement: $38,345 - $60,115 


Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning is a business built 

simply on delivering our franchisees the ability 

to own their own business. We are committed to 

providing true time freedom with a centralized 

scheduling center so you can focus on growing 

your business or enjoying your family and 

friends. Limit your risk by taking advantage of 

our low-cost business model. Our franchisees can 

take pride in knowing their customers are getting 

a revolutionary cleaning that is environmentally 

friendly and will be completely dry within hours, 

not days like traditional cleaning systems. 

For more information on Oxi Fresh 


www.oxifreshfranchise.com. 



CLEANING & MAINTENANCE EDUCATION EDUCATION 

The Maids 




The Maids Home Services is the only residential 

cleaning franchise to clean for health using 

the company’s exclusive and unique cleaning 

method, which provides customers with cleaner, 

healthier homes. With The Maids Home Services, 

you get a strong business opportunity, offering 

a highly needed service, all with no nights, 

weekends or holidays! 

For more information on The Maids 


or visit www.maids.com. 

Mathnasium 




Kids need help with math. Some need it 

desperately, while others simply want to 

get ahead. In either case, high quality math 

instruction is tough to find. That’s why 

Mathnasium, which has over 500 locations, 

is growing fast. Entrepreneurs recognize 

Mathnasium as a rewarding business that offers 

a chance to make a difference in a child’s life. 

Each Mathnasium franchise is a collaborative 

exchange between the corporate team and 

the local franchisee, combining our extensive 

franchising and education experience with the 

entrepreneur’s business acumen, passion for 

education and desire to succeed. If you are 

ready to be a part of an expanding $100 billion 

industry call us today. 

For more information on Mathnasium 


www.mathnasiumfranchise.com. 

THE TUTORING CENTER 

Startup Investment: $90,000 – $130,000  

Cash Required: $39,000  

Domestic Franchises: 64 

The Tutoring Center’s ideal candidate seeks a 

balance between work and time with family 

and friends, and is an individual who possesses 

traits of integrity, quality, enthusiasm, service, 

and teamwork. We know these traits are what 

it takes to be successful! The Tutoring Center’s 

ideal franchisee is a person who is passionate 

about helping children succeed; possesses 

an entrepreneurial spirit; has the drive to do 

well in this industry; and wants to change the 

lives of children in his/her community. Being 

a part of our elite franchise team means you 

will be appreciated for making a significant 

difference for the children in your neighborhood. 

No professional sales, business, or teaching 

experience required. 

For more information on The Tutoring Center 


www.tutoringcenter.com. 


FINANCIAL & TAX 

FINANCIAL & TAX 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

American Prosperity Group 




American Prosperity Group (APG) is the premier 

retirement and estate planning franchise 

in the nation, with diversified products and 

services, a state-of-the-art business system, 

and an outstanding franchise opportunity. We 

are dedicated to our clients, focusing on their 

needs first and foremost, and we pride ourselves 

on being fully trained retirement and estate 

planning specialists—not stockbrokers. With 

an APG franchise, you have the opportunity to 

achieve your financial dreams while helping 

others reach their financial goals. 

For more information on American 

Prosperity Group opportunities, 

call (877) 885-1APG(1274) or visit 

www.apgfranchise.com. 

Payroll Vault 




Now, more than ever, outsourced payroll services 

are a must-have for business owners. Becoming 

a Payroll Vault Franchise allows you to get in 

on a fast growing and highly lucrative industry. 

With health care reform regulations, legislation, 

looming non-compliance issues, fees and fines, 

today’s business owners are handing over their 

payroll to trusted payroll vendors. 

For more information on Payroll Vault 


or visit www.payrollvaultfranchise.com. 

Jared and Mandy Seaman 

Christian Brothers Automotive 

Fishers, IN 

Franchisees since September 2013 


Opening a franchise seemed like the best 

opportunity to fulfill my long-term goals both 

professionally and personally. 


After carefully considering several franchise 

opportunities, Christian Brothers Automotive 

stood out because of its ethical standards and 

overall Christian-servanthood approach to 

business. 

AWARD-WINNING SOUP, 

TM 

SALAD & SANDWICHES 


Being able to show customers and our team a 

“love your neighbor as yourself” mentality. 


My goal is to make my Fishers location a 

$2 million store and to have the ability to own 

a second location in the Indianapolis market. 

Who has most influenced your approach 

to business? 

My father instilled in me the foundations of 

business leadership and fueled my passion for 

Christian-servanthood. He led by example both 

personally and professionally. 



Look for one that provides unparalleled support 

and dedication. 


Advantageous. 

Franchise Opportunities Available 

Category leader • No restaurant experience needed 

Low cost of entry • Semi-absentee options 

ZOUPFRANCHISE.COM 

(800) 940-ZOUP 

For more information on Christian Brothers 

Automotive opportunities, call (855) 866-9222 

or visit www.christianbrothersfranchise.com. 



FITNESS 


The Exercise Coach 




The Exercise Coach brings fitness into the 21st 

century by outfitting its franchised fitness studios 

with proprietary high-tech computerized fitness 

machines that use game changing bio-adaptive 

technology. The exclusive technology enables 

The Exercise Coach franchisees and coaches 

to offer clients highly personalized programs 

that are optimized for efficiency, resulting in 

only two 20-minute workouts per week being 

more effective than even seven days a week of 

traditional activity-based exercise. Exercise your 

entrepreneurial spirit by calling The Exercise 

Coach today! 

For more information on The Exercise Coach 

opportunities, call (855) 20-COACH(202-6224) 

or visit exercisecoach.com/fitness-franchise/ 

home.html. 

Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries 




Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries are all- American 

restaurants famous for fresh, never- frozen 

burgers, sliced cheesesteaks piled high on 

steamed hoagies, and frozen custard that is made 

in -house every day. Founded in Eastern North 

Carolina in 1991, the restaurants reflect founder 

Kenney Moore’s commitment to authentic 

hospitality and fresh food. Lunch and dinner are 

grilled in an open- air kitchen with a retro flair. 

Unlike other fast casual chains, each Hwy 55 

Burgers Shakes & Fries offers full service with a 

smile at a reasonable price point. 

For more information on Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes 

& Fries opportunities, call (919) 635-0902 x116 

or visit www.hwy55franchising.com. 


FOOD & BEVERAGE FOOD & BEVERAGE FOOD & BEVERAGE 

Firehouse Subs 




As one of the country’s fastest growing 

restaurant brands and a leader in the fast casual 

industry, the demand for our uniquely prepared 

specialty subs is growing by leaps and bounds, 

opening up opportunities for expansion in new 

and existing markets. With our strong brand 

identity, exceptional franchisee relationships, 

high average unit volume, well-defined real 

estate guidelines, and passionate executive 

team, Firehouse Subs is perfectly poised for 

development with the right investor. 

For more information on Firehouse Subs 


www.firehousesubs.com/franchising. 

LaRosa’s Pizzeria 




LaRosa’s serves authentic family recipes from a 

real Italian family. Although we’re famous for our 

pizza, we also offer over 40 menu selections for 

dine in, carry out or delivery. After 60 years of 

steadily building sales and a dominant share in 

our home markets of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, 

we are now expanding into West Virginia, 

Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and North 

Carolina. We partner with professionals including 

multi-unit foodservice and retail operators as 

well as other investors who have proven track 

records of business success and are serious 

about the restaurant business. 

For more information on LaRosa’s 


www.larosas.com/franchise. 

Penn Station 




Penn Station East Coast Subs is an upscale, 

quick-casual restaurant chain, headquartered 

in Cincinnati, Ohio. There are currently over 

185 Penn Station Restaurants in 15 states. The 

chain is renowned for its trademark sandwich, 

the Philadelphia Cheesesteak Sub, Hand-cut 

French Fries, Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade and 

its “signature” Fresh-baked French Bread. Penn 

Station is seeking multi-unit franchisees for 

markets including Chicago, Kansas City, Atlanta, 

Dallas and many others throughout the country. 

For more information on Penn Station 


www.penn-station.com/franchise/. 






FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Tropical Smoothie Cafe 




Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a better-for-you quick 

casual restaurant chain with over 400 locations 

in 38 states. Our balanced business model, with 

50% Food and 50% Smoothie Sales, makes 

us two brands in one. This allows us to service 

all dayparts and drive higher gross sales. Our 

lower development costs are driven by our 

simple operational model—no grills, deep fryers 

or hooding systems—which also drives our 

healthy consumer appeal. We offer wraps, salads, 

sandwiches and flatbreads as well as our famous 

all natural, real fruit smoothies. 

For more information on Tropical Smoothie 

Cafe opportunities, call (770) 580-2345 or visit 

www.tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com. 


Yogurtland 




Yogurtland is pioneering the experience of 

customer-created frozen yogurt and it’s quickly 

catching on in neighborhoods across the country 

and across the globe. We’re not just creating 

yogurt, we’re creating an irresistible business 

opportunity that’s imminently enjoyable, easily 

repeatable, and simply ingenious. 

For more information on Yogurtland 


or visit www.yogurt-land.com/franchise. 

Hungry Howie’s Pizza & Subs 




Hungry Howie’s serves families great Flavored 

Crust Pizza at an amazing value. With over 40 

years of experience, we’re consistently ranked 

as a Top 10 Pizza Franchise. Our Flavored 

Crust gives us a distinct point of difference 

in today’s competitive marketplace while our 

strong infrastructure will provide you with all 

you need to be successful. We are certain that 

when you compare Hungry Howie’s to other 

investment opportunities, you will appreciate 

our commitment to our concept, products and 

franchisees. We provide a great opportunity to 

participate in a growing franchise system that 

offers significant investment value. 

For more information on Hungry Howie’s 


franchising.hungryhowies.com. 


Billy Sims Barbecue 




Billy Sims BBQ is a 44-unit, Tulsa-based fast 

casual concept serving premium BBQ smoked 

daily in-house with traditional sides. Founded 

by 1978 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims, 

and cofounder Jeff Jackson, Billy Sims BBQ is a 

unique franchise concept that is experiencing 

growth. As one of the top rated celebrity and 

athlete-owned restaurants, Billy Sims BBQ has an 

extensive menu of nine meats that are smoked 

daily. Billy Sims BBQ opened 11 restaurants in 

2014. Operating in six states, Billy Sims BBQ 

is actively seeking franchisees for multi-unit 

developments in states throughout the country. 

For more information on Billy Sims BBQ 


www.billysimsbbq.com. 


I saw the opportunity to quickly take my existing 

company to the next level by utilizing G.J. Gardner 

Homes’ proven systems and procedures. 


In addition to G.J. Gardner Homes’ international 

presence and buying power, I was impressed by 

the extensive support it provides. 


I get to grow my business and improve my life as 

well as my staff’s lives while delivering a quality 

product. There’s no better feeling then having a 

customer tell me how much they love their new 

home and how helpful our staff was throughout 

the process. 


I’ve just purchased my second franchise area 

so my immediate focus professionally is getting 

it running at optimal efficiency. When I’ve 

accomplished that, I have plans to systematically 

grow into two additional areas. 

Who has most influenced your approach to 

business? 

My entrepreneurial spirit comes from my 

grandfathers. My approach to business and 

managerial mindedness comes from my father. 



You should bring your own style and expertise to 

the table, while embracing the business model 

and leadership offered by the franchise. 


Opportunistic. 

Scott Moberg 

G.J. Gardner Homes 

Parker and Lone Tree, CO 


For more information on G.J. Gardner 


www.gjgardner.com. 




HEALTH & BEAUTY 

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop 




Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is a fast casual concept focused 

on delivering fresh, handmade Baja-style 

Mexican food to our guests in a relaxed and fun 

environment. We currently have 69 franchise and 

eight company owned locations across nine 

states, with over 100 additional locations in 

various stages of development. Each Fuzzy’s Taco 

Shop is unique because it takes on the 

personality of its owner and community. Ensuring 

the success of our franchisees is our top priority! 

We provide them with a variety of tools and 

services that are beneficial to their business 

including national custom distribution, Aloha POS, 

a robust training program, an intranet site, field 

support, QAIs and mystery shops. As a result, both 

our franchisees and their customers are happy. 

For more information on Fuzzy’s Taco Shop 


www.fuzzystacoshop.com. 

Sport Clips 




With more than 1,300 locations and counting, 

Sport Clips is the largest, fastest-growing 

international haircut franchise for men and boys. 

When you invest in a franchise concept the 

number of stores opened each year is important, 

but store closures are even more important! 

Sport Clips has a 99% continuity rate, a truly 

impressive figure in the industry. Plus, we have 

strong unit economics as detailed in Item 19 of 

our Franchise Disclosure Document. As a Sport 

Clips business owner, you will have access to 

our award-winning franchisee support team. 

Our turnkey, proven business model allows you 

to keep you job and earn supplemental income 

until you transition into a more flexible lifestyle 

as a Sport Clips multi-unit owner. 

For more information on Sport Clips 

opportunities, call (800) 872-4247 x1 or visit 

www.sportclipsfranchise.com. 

HOME SERVICES 

HOME SERVICES 

National Property Inspections 




For more than 25 years, National Property 

Inspections (NPI) and Global Property Inspections 

(GPI) franchise owners have performed 

residential and commercial property inspections 

with honesty, integrity and professionalism. Since 

we help our franchise owners to diversify their 

businesses by teaching them how to conduct 

both residential and commercial property 

inspections, they have increased earning 

potential. In 2014, we earned a four-star rating 

based on our franchisee satisfaction survey, 

proving that our franchise owners are glad they 

chose NPI/GPI. We have exclusive territory 

available in most locations. 

For more information on National Property 

Inspections opportunities, call (800) 333-9807 

x24 or visit www.npifranchise.com. 

HouseMaster 




For the past 35 years, HouseMaster has been 

empowering people from a diverse array of 

backgrounds to realize their dreams of business 

ownership and to help others. A HouseMaster 

franchise is one of the most affordable ways to 

develop a successful business in the growing 

home inspection industry. As part of the 

HouseMaster team, you will receive all of the 

training, systems, tools, and support you need 

to succeed. Your passion will be rewarded when 

you give customers peace of mind regarding and 

knowledge to protect their greatest investment— 

their home. Now is a great time to join our team! 

For more information on HouseMaster 


www.housemaster.com. 


HOME SERVICES 

HOME SERVICES 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

AdvantaClean 




AdvantaClean is a leading provider of 

environmental cleaning (i.e., Indoor Air Quality 

and Comfort services). Through a streamlined, 

low overhead business model that leverages 

real-time business analytics, AdvantaClean 

franchisees run recession-resistant businesses 

that offer non-discretionary services to property 

owners. 

For more information on AdvantaClean 


www.advantacleanfranchise.com. 

Surface Specialists Systems 




By offering a much greater variety of service 

options than any other franchise in the bathroom 

and kitchen repair and refinishing industry, 

and capitalizing on our 30 years of experience, 

Surface Specialists’ reputation as “The Repair 

& Refinishing Experts” is not just a slogan or a 

tagline. It is a proven fact. We are looking for 

self-motivated individuals who possess bluecollar 

skills and an executive mindset and who 

also believe in the importance of top quality 

workmanship and being the best in their field. 

For more information on Surface Specialists 

Systems opportunities, call (866) 239-8707 or 

visit www.surfacespecialists.com. 

Steve Betts 

DreamMaker 

Bath & Kitchen 

Amarillo and Lubbock, TX 



I wanted to own my own business. 


DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen has a great 

reputation. I heard about it from a previous 

franchise owner who spoke highly of it to me. 


Transforming spaces into customers’ visions and 

seeing the joy in their faces upon completion. 


I see myself being less involved in the day-to-day 

operations of my business. 


business? 

My dad. 



Focus on the values and culture of the franchisor 

and franchisees by spending time with each. 

Owning a franchise is a long-term commitment 

and there will be things you like and dislike along 

the way. You need to ultimately believe in the 

direction and character of the franchisor in order 

to be able to build a successful business venture. 

Describe franchising in one word 

I think five describe it best—the sky is the 

limit. There’s no way I would have made half of 

what I made last year doing what I was doing 

before becoming a DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen 

franchisee. 

For more information on DreamMaker Bath & 

Kitchen opportunities, call (254) 523-9577 or 

visit www.dreammakerfranchise.com. 



HOME SERVICES 


PET SERVICES 

DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen 




DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen remodeling 

franchisees saw average same store sales 

skyrocket in 2013. We offer three key advantages. 

The first is that half of American homes are in 

their peak remodeling years. This has created a 

tremendous demand for remodeling at a time 

when the pool of professional remodelers is 

limited due to so many leaving their careers 

during the recession. Homeowners need you! The 

second is Online Marketing, which is essential 

for capturing customers and generating leads. 

Our team’s marketing knowledge, expertise 

and tactics combined with our GPS Marketing 

system delivers business to you. The third is 

Operations. DreamMaker’s proven, proprietary 

software systems streamline management of the 

remodeling process and empower you to build 

your business. 

For more information on DreamMaker 


www.dreammakerfranchise.com. 

ASP – America’s Swimming Pool Company 




America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP) is 

the nation’s most respected swimming pool 

maintenance, repair and renovation franchise. 

Each of our franchisees is provided with the 

training, tools and support to handle any 

need that may arise, including our industry 

leading mobile platform that is designed for 

operational efficiency. We work directly with the 

world’s leading pool equipment manufacturers, 

which allows our franchise owners to provide 

exceptional product selection, pricing and peace 

of mind to our customers. An ASP franchise is the 

ideal way to jump into the $15 billion swimming 

pool industry. 

For more information on ASP opportunities, 

call (855) 979-POOL(7665) or visit www. 

aspfranchising.com. 

Sit Means Sit 




As a Sit Means Sit franchisee you receive a lot 

more than just learning how to effectively train 

dogs, you learn how to make a living in the dog 

training business. There is a big difference. You’ll 

be given all the training protocols, business 

support, and knowledge developed over years 

of success. In addition to becoming a Sit Means 

Sit dog trainer, the franchise system includes 

branding, advertising and marketing help, sales 

training, add-on products, and more. 

For more information on Sit Means Sit 


www.sitmeanssit.com. 


REAL ESTATE 

REAL ESTATE 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

HomeVestors of America 




We’re America’s #1 home buyer, instantly 

recognized across the country as the “We Buy 

Ugly Houses®” company. This strong brand 

awareness, together with our powerful marketing 

strategy, generates a steady stream of leads. 

We offer financing for buying and rehabbing 

qualifying houses, and an initial five-day training 

class followed by ongoing support. HomeVestors 

offers a Full Franchise as well as an Associate 

Franchise, either of which may be operated on a 

full-time or part-time basis. 

For more information on HomeVestors of 

America opportunities, call (800) 704-6992 

or visit www.homevestorsfranchise.com. 

Help-U-Sell Real Estate 




At Help-U-Sell Real Estate, we pride ourselves 

on efficiency, affordability, and satisfaction, 

for our franchisees and their clients. As one of 

our franchisees, you will receive support every 

step of the way—from one-on-one coaching to 

weekly training sessions. Your technology tools 

will include a free website, a lead-generation 

management system, a new mobile application, 

and in-house tech support. Plus, your low set-fee 

business model will attract sellers in today’s 

equity-challenged market. It has never been a 

better time to join the Help-U-Sell family. We 

invite you to speak with us today. 

For more information on Help-U-Sell 


or visit www.helpusellfranchise.com. 

Paula 

Paredes 


To become my own boss and improve my income. 


For stability, security and professionalism. The 

need for tax preparation services is constant. 


Meeting clients and helping them by preparing 

their taxes. 

What is the worst part of your job? 

I cannot think of one. 

ATAX Accounting 

& Financial Services 

Allentown, PA 


REAL ESTATE 

REAL ESTATE 


I see myself being financially stable, with a 

beautiful house and a new Mercedes Benz. 

I also see myself as being considered the best 

tax preparation specialist in the area. 

Coldwell Banker 


Cash Requirement: $75,000+ 


Coldwell Banker is the oldest national real 

estate brand, which currently consists of nearly 

82,000 agents in approximately 3,100 offices in 

50 countries. Coldwell Banker is known for its 

legacy dating back to 1906, its commitment to 

industry-leading innovation and its network of 

trusted agents. Aligning with Coldwell Banker 

gives you all the technology, resources and brand 

recognition you need to attract new business and 

the best talent, so you’re always ahead of the 

competition. 

For more information on Coldwell Banker 


www.coldwellbanker.com/join/franchise. 

PropertyGuys.com 




PropertyGuys.com, which has a 15-year track 

record of growth and success, is an exciting 

opportunity for investors looking to get involved 

in the real estate industry. Our proven systems 

and training programs ensure franchisees have 

all the tools needed to operate a successful 

business. The timing could not be better for 

new entrepreneurs to get involved with the 

PropertyGuys.com brand. We have exclusive 

franchise territories available for entrepreneurs 

who believe that the real estate industry can be 

transformed through lower fees (no commission), 

specialized service and innovative technology. 

Franchise owners don’t need a real estate license, 

but they do need to believe in the power of 

innovation and the huge upside obtained by 

helping disrupt real estate forever. 

For more information on PropertGuys.com 

opportunities, call (855) 252-6974 x110 or visit 

propertyguysfranchise.com. 

What keeps you up at night? 

Making plans for the future. 

Who has most influenced your approach 

to business? 

The ATAX executive team, especially 

Rafael Alvarez, the President. 



ATAX is the best investment you can ever make 

and the best way to ensure a successful financial 

future. 


Amazing! 

For more information on ATAX opportunities, 

call (914) 920-5060 or visit 

www.ataxfranchise.com. 




REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE RETAIL 

Realty ONE Group 




Realty ONE Group, Inc., is a full-service 

residential real estate brokerage firm and 

lifestyle brand that focuses on aligning with 

positive and successful agents who we provide 

with superior service and support. As a national 

franchisor, the dynamic company has grown to 

50+ offices and 5,500+ associates since its 2005 

inception. Realty ONE Group was recently named 

fifth largest independent brokerage in the nation 

by REAL Trends and has been named one of the 

fastest-growing companies by INC. 500 for six 

consecutive years. 

For more information on Realty ONE Group 


www.ownaone.com. 

Showhomes Home Staging 




Showhomes is the largest national home staging 

franchise. We transform vacant houses, which 

are often seen by buyers as stale, lifeless and 

unappealing, into fully furnished, inviting, and 

desirable Showhomes. Now in our third decade 

of service to homeowners and realtors, we 

are known as America’s premier home staging 

service. Our franchisees enjoy four exciting 

revenue generating business opportunities in 

one: Multi-Faceted Franchise Home Management, 

Home Staging, Home Makeovers and Home 

Updating Services. 

For more information on Showhomes 


www.showhomesfranchise.com. 

Wild Birds Unlimited 




Wild Birds Unlimited owners are their local 

communities’ backyard bird feeding specialists 

and a premiere source for nature information 

as well as quality products. But who we are 

goes far beyond the items we sell. It’s our 

owners’ commitment to their customers that 

distinguishes them from other retailers, a 

fact that makes us very proud. Wild Birds 

Unlimited owners enjoy helping their customers 

understand birds and nature, swapping stories 

about the latest bird sightings and seeing other 

people share their excitement. 

For more information on Wild Birds Unlimited 


www.wbufranchise.com. 



RETAIL 

RETAIL 

Rhea Lana’s 




Rhea Lana’s is a national children’s consignment 

franchisor that was founded in 1997. As the 

leader in the industry, Rhea Lana’s offers 

trusted, upscale consignment opportunities 

to entrepreneurs across America. Rhea Lana’s 

trademarked and innovative software provides 

real-time tracking of sales for consignors, as 

well as item entry via voice recognition, item 

guarantee, and consignor checks on the final 

event day. Because of these superior consignor 

services, our franchisee management technology 

and our unwavering franchise support, we are the 

best in children’s consignment. 

For more information on Rhea Lana’s 


or visit www.rhealana.com/franchiseopportunities. 

Family Fare 




Family Fare is a convenience store retailer in 

North Carolina with a proven track record of 

success. Our extensive support and more than 75 

years of retail business expertise helps ensure 

the success of our entrepreneurial spirited and 

high-energy franchisees. We assist them with 

everything from accounting to operations. Family 

Fare was started with a spirit of entrepreneurship 

by the same family that leads the franchise 

today. We look forward to having the opportunity 

to help you to be in business for yourself, but not 

by yourself. 

For more information on Family Fare 


www.familyfareconveniencestores.com. 

Glass Restoration & Replacement 

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY 

The Right Investment? 10 Reasons Why: 

1. Unique Bundle of In-Demand & Niche Services 

2. A Proven Track Record of Success 

3. Low Start-Up Costs, Franchise Fees & Royalties 

4. No Industry Experience Required, 

5. World-Class Training & Support 

6. Minimal Overhead, High Margins 

7. Recession Proof Products & Services 

8. Short Ramp-Up Period to Prootability 

9. Exclusive Marketing Territory 

10. Time Tested Marketing Tools & Templates 

Unique Foggy Window Repair Service 

Before 

After 

Your Glass Guru Franchise 

Opportunity Awaits! 

TheGlassGuru.com 

Call Today! 916-865-4417 


SENIOR CARE 

Visiting Angels 




Visiting Angels has established over 500 nonmedical 

senior home care franchises in 48 states 

across the United States. Our national advertising 

and marketing generates thousands of home 

care leads that are distributed to our franchisees 

every month. Visiting Angels has been ranked #1 

in the home care industry and #3 in the Top 50 

Best of the Best franchises. 

For more information on Visiting Angels 


www.livingassistance.com. 



SENIOR CARE 

CarePatrol 




CarePatrol was designed to help families find 

safe assisted living and in-home care options 

while creating an explosive potential business 

for our franchisees. Get into the senior care 

franchise industry without having the hassle of 

hiring and supervising hundreds of caregivers. 

Our franchisees get paid handsomely each time 

one of our elderly clients moves into one of our 

contracted assisted living facilities. We offer 

national contracts and support from pioneers in 

the senior placement industry. Making a good 

living while helping others may be the perfect 

opportunity for you. 

For more information on CarePatrol 


www.discovercarepatrol.com. 


SENIOR CARE 

SERVICES 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

BrightStar Care 




BrightStar Care is a unique franchise that 

provides homecare for individuals of all ages 

from infants to seniors, as well as staffing 

and support services for individuals, families 

and healthcare facilities. Providing multiple 

revenue stream options to our franchisees is 

just one of the many ways BrightStar Care helps 

them succeed. We are looking for people who 

have strong management, marketing or sales 

backgrounds. A background in healthcare is 

NOT necessary. Contact us today and find out 

how BrightStar Care can change your life for the 

better! 

For more information on BrightStar Care 


www.brightstarfranchise.com. 

SERVICES 

Mosquito Joe 




Mosquito Joe makes outside fun again by 

providing mosquito control services to 

residential and commercial customers. Our 

franchisees appreciate that they can run their 

Mosquito Joe franchise either as a stand-alone 

or add-on business from virtually anywhere - 

their home, office or the road. They also value 

the ongoing training and support we provide. 

Getting started in a Mosquito Joe franchise is 

easy and the rewards are great. No pest control 

experience is required and the cost for start up is 

low. Our recurring revenue business model and 

high customer retention rates combined with our 

proven marketing tactics and fun brand help you 

get out of a mundane office lifestyle and into an 

exciting business opportunity! 

For more information on Mosquito Joe 


www.mosquitojoefranchise.com. 

Precision Concrete Cutting 




Precision Concrete Cutting (PCC) franchises 

fulfill the federally mandated need to maintain 

sidewalks and public walkways. Additionally, 

you help municipalities, property managers, 

and companies increase safety and bring the 

sidewalks into Americans with Disabilities Act 

compliance. Anywhere there is concrete; there is 

a need for our service. PCC is the market leader 

in both technology and price using its proprietary 

system and methods. As a franchise owner, 

you have the industry’s best solution, recurring 

revenues from renewable clients, unlimited 

support, and a great network of other franchise 

owners. 

For more information on Precision Concrete 

Cutting opportunities, call (801) 830-4060 

or visit www.pccfranchise.com. 

SERVICES 

Pop-A-Lock 




Create wealth, freedom, and control with a Pop- 

A-Lock franchise. Pop-A-Lock is an established, 

proven franchise system that is successfully 

working in over 8,500 communities. Low start-up 

costs, low working capital requirements and an 

extensive customer base, make Pop-A-Lock an 

ideal opportunity to achieve unlimited revenue. 

Joining Pop-A-Lock means you’re joining a team 

of high-tech security professionals who serve 

their communities while generating ongoing 

income and ROI. 

For more information on Pop-A-Lock 


www.popalock.com/franchising.php. 

Chris and Sheila Korte 

Cruise Planners 

Babylon, NY 

Franchisees since 2009 


I was forced to re-evaluate my life after a car 

accident. I was grateful to find Cruise Planners 

because it allowed me to work in the field I am 

passionate about, work from home and be my 

own boss. 


One day I was at a car shop and a magazine fell 

at my feet showing that Cruise Planners was 

the No. 1 travel franchise. I made a call the next 

day to the Cruise Planners franchise team and 

decided to join that same week. 


Creating dream vacations for our clients and 

growing our business. 


Ideally, I see us taking on a couple of associates 

so Chris and I can travel more. 


business? 

Peers who have done well within the CP Star 

System, the Cruise Planners founders and owners 

as well as professional industry partners. 



Talk with other franchise owners. The vibe we got 

when speaking with Cruise Planners owners was 

infectious. We heard enthusiasm, excitement, 

and the love of travel from most of the people 

we called. 


Rewarding! 

For more information on Cruise Planners 


www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com/travelprofessionals/. 




SERVICES 

SPORTS & RECREATION 

FEATURED 

Franchisee 

Mosquito Shield 




Success breeds success. Profit from ours! 

We’re Mosquito Shield, the proven leader in 

residential mosquito control and among the 

nation’s fastest-growing and most profitable, 

franchises according to Franchise Business 

Review. Americans spend billions annually to 

eliminate mosquitoes and ticks. With 90% 

customer retention and 60% of new sales from 

word of mouth, our success will soon be yours. 

Our spray blend and operating model is 100% 

unique. Everything we do is designed to 

maximize earning potential and minimize cost. As 

a former franchise owner himself, David Briggs, 

our founder, would have it no other way. 

For more information on Mosquito Shield 


www.moshieldfranchise.com. 

Pinot’s Palette 




Pinot’s Palette is a pioneer of the paint and 

sip experience—a revolutionary way to enjoy 

art and wine, meet new people and bond with 

friends. Guests enjoy a no-experience-required 

all supplies included art class that is directed by 

trained, local artists, who guide them step-bystep 

through a featured painting. Franchising 

since 2010 with more than 100 locations in 

30 states, Pinot’s Palette is an established, 

award-winning concept. Franchise owners enjoy 

multiple revenue streams, ongoing marketing 

and operations support, proprietary technology, 

innovative Team Pinot culture, and can choose 

from BYOB, bar and mobile formats for their 

business. 

For more information on Pinot’s Palette 

opportunities, call (844) 24-PINOT(247-4668) 

or visit www.pinotspalette.com/FBR50. 

Richard Meadows 

and Rebecca Roland 

Chicken Salad Chick 

Tuscaloosa & Dothan, AL and Jacksonville, FL 

Franchisees since 2012 


The quality of the product and uniqueness of the 

concept made us want to be a part of the brand. 


We felt the product was exceptional and believed 

that the unique concept would catch fire in a 

niche market. It has. 


The enjoyment of our guests and the opportunity 

to positively impact the lives of our team 

members and residents of our communities. 


We will have 10 units opened. 


business? 

Our parents demonstrated the qualities we 

have tried to incorporate into our business 

management: honesty, a strong work ethic, 

determination and fairness. 



Do your due diligence! Talk with franchisees of 

the brand you are considering. Choose a brand 

you are passionate about since you must comply 

with its standards without exception. 


Rewarding. 

For more information on Chicken Salad Chick 


www.chickensaladchick.com. 



SPORTS & RECREATION 

TRAVEL 

TRAVEL 

Bottle & Bottega 




One part artistic adventure and one part cocktail 

party, Bottle & Bottega’s paint and wine parties 

are perfect for individuals, couples and groups of 

all sizes for a variety of personal and professional 

occasions. Bottle & Bottega offers aspiring 

and seasoned entrepreneurs the opportunity 

to put a new “frame” around their future and 

love their work again. Complete with a full 

palette of customized operational, marketing 

and technology systems, the business model 

has been cultivated to attract individuals with 

ambition to succeed, strong values and solid 

community ties. The Bottle & Bottega leadership 

team brings more than 20 years of franchise 

experience to the concept, leveraging their 

expertise to design ongoing training programs, 

site selection support and creative marketing 

campaigns. 

For more information on Bottle & Bottega 


www.bottleandbottega.com/franchise. 

Cruise Planners 

Startup Investment: $495 – $9,995 



Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel 

Representative, is a low-cost, full-service travel 

franchise opportunity that yields high returns 

and requires no travel agent experience. Our 

home-based business model is a family of over 

1,000 franchise owners and one of the largest, 

privately owned, nationally recognized and 

continually awarded travel franchises in the 

country. Cruise Planners has been named the 

#1 Cruise Tour/Travel Agency by Entrepreneur 

magazine for 12 consecutive years. Cruise 

Planners positions its franchise owners for 

success by providing them with innovative 

marketing, booking and lead-generating tools as 

well as professional development and hands-on 

training with the industry’s top executives. 

For more information on Cruise Planners 


www.cruiseplannersfranchise.com/travelprofessionals/. 

CruiseOne 




Celebrating our 23rd year in business, CruiseOne 

is the nation’s largest seller of cruise vacations, 

as part of World Travel Holdings (WTH). We 

maintain the position as the premier vacation 

supplier providing millions of people access to 

the world’s most fascinating destinations. Beyond 

our growing clientele base, we have mastered 

the art of unrivaled buying power, innovative 

marketing programs, and dedicated franchise 

support. Undoubtedly, our franchise owners 

stand out above the rest! 

For more information on CruiseOne 


or visit www.cruiseonefranchise.com. 

WARNING: 

BUYING THE WRONG FRANCHISE 

CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH. 

When you invest in a franchise, you have only one chance to make the RIGHT choice — 

one that will give you and your family a bright future. Franchise Business Review can help. 

Our Franchise Buyer’s Toolkit provides all the resources you need to make an informed franchise 

investment. Learn the ins and outs of buying a franchise, get tips from the pros, and access insider 

insights that you won’t find anywhere else. 

Learn more at FranchiseBusinessReview.com/Toolkit

2015 Guide to Today's Top Franchises

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