Coverall is a commercial cleaning franchise which includes comprehensive training, equipment, billing and collection services, and an initial customer base. Coverall offers a discount on the initial Franchise Fee to veterans and provides franchisees with a turn-key commercial cleaning business.
FASTSIGNS Centers use state-of-the-art computer technology to create custom signs, graphics, banners, trade show exhibits, vehicle graphics and much more. A pioneer in the sign industry, FASTSIGNS has continued to grow by optimizing its systems and expanding the scope of its products & services.
Liberty Tax Service is the fastest-growing international tax service ever, and is ranked as #9 of the fastest-growing franchises in Entrepreneur magazine’s “Franchise 500.”
Wild Birds Unlimited operates over 280 stores in North America, offering superior bird feeding/watching and nature hobby products. Wild Birds Unlimited offers a number of goods tailored to nature enthusiasts, including bird feeders, birdhouses, birdbaths, bird food, decorative lawn and garden accessories, and unique nature gifts. Wild Birds’ certified bird feeding specialists help customers transform their yards into beautiful bird feeding habitats that benefit wild birds and the environment. Backyard bird feeding and watching represents a surprisingly profitable industry: over 55.5 million people participate in backyard bird feeding, and bird feeding/watching is a $5.4 billion industry. Thus, Wild Birds Unlimited offers prospective franchisees the opportunity to combine their business ambitions with their love for nature, and gives them access to over 25 years of experience and the highest quality nature hobby products and services available.
| Operating Units | 12/31/2009 | 12/31/2010 | 12/31/2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchised | 272 | 272 | 275 |
| % Change | -- | 0% | 1.10% |
| Company-Owned | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % Change | -- | -- | -- |
| Total | 272 | 272 | 275 |
| % Change | -- | 0% | 1.10% |
| Franchised as % of Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Investment Required
The fee for a Wild Birds Unlimited franchise is $18,000 for new franchises. The fee for existing franchises is $9,000. Wild Birds Unlimited provides the following range of investments required to open your initial franchise. The range assumes that all items are paid for in cash. To the extent that you choose to finance any of these expense items, your front-end investment could be substantially reduced.
| Item | Estimated Low Range | Estimated High Range |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $9,000 | $18,000 |
| Training | $2,000 | $2,500 |
| Travel, Meals, Lodging | $983 | $5,664 |
| Lease Deposit | $2,500 | $4,500 |
| First Month's Rent | $2,500 | $4,500 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $8,256 | $26,511 |
| Insurance (first quarter) | $125 | $580 |
| Legal/Accounting | $500 | $3,000 |
| Office Equipment | $8,989 | $9,089 |
| Signs | $1,187 | $7,964 |
| Advertising | $4,852 | $7,592 |
| Retail Fixtures | $12,983 | $15,558 |
| Opening Inventory | $20,680 | $22,469 |
| Gift Card Fee | $158 | $158 |
| Misc. Expenses | $5,619 | $9,259 |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Total Initial Investment | $99,832 | $157,344 |
Ongoing Expenses
Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees pay a royalty fee equal to 4% of gross sales, a minimum local advertising fee equal to 2% of gross sales, a regional/local advertising fund fee equal to 0.5% of gross sales (maximum of $2,500 a year) and an annual fee for point-of-sale software.
What You Get: Training and Support
Wild Birds Unlimited assists franchisees throughout the entirety of the franchise relationship to ensure the success of franchised locations. Prior to opening, Wild Birds assists franchisees in site selection and provides specifications and advice for layout, décor, equipment, furnishings and signs. Before opening a franchised location, franchisees must complete a training program at Wild Birds Unlimited’s corporate headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. The initial training program includes approximately 55 hours of classroom instruction and covers a number of topics, including visual merchandising, store layout, store tours, purchasing strategies, inventory management, POS system, seed strategies, product and hobby education, marketing strategies, human resources, customer services, sales skills and strategies and financial management. Following the store opening, Wild Birds Unlimited conducts regular additional training programs on selected topics, as well as periodic evaluations to provide constructive feedback.
Territory
Wild Birds Unlimited grants exclusive territories.
Note: The tables and information regarding the number of operating units, investment required, on-going expenses, training and territory grants were taken from the company’s 2012 FDD. The 2012 write-ups will be incorporated into the 2013 Edition of the Bond’s Top 100 Franchises publication.