Dealer Specialties
Dealer Specialties International franchises businesses specializing in the sale, production, and application of vehicle photography, data collection, and descriptive window stickers to facilitate new and used vehicle sales at automobile dealerships. Franchisees use the company's proprietary system to create unique photos, labels, and vehicle data distribution services, helping dealers comply with FTC regulations. The target market is automobile dealerships seeking enhanced sales tools and compliance solutions.
Franchise Costs
Royalty: greater of $100/mo per Dealer Lot or sum of usage fees (83¢/VIN Label + 3¢/VIN Advertising + 65¢/clipping + $1.75/vehicle Photo Production); no ad fund; no fixed monthly fees excluding royalty.
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
This franchise did not provide Item 19 financial performance data.
Be careful if you are interested in investing. The lack of financial performance representations may indicate limited data or varying results across franchises.
Extracted Item 19 Section
How Dealer Specialties Compares
Key Insights
- One of the lowest investment costs in Automotive Services (ranked #2 of 24)
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Dealer Specialties Current | $17K – $45K | $10K | N/A | 25 |
| Tire Pros | $12K – $137K | $7K | N/A | 644 |
| MICHELIN RETREAD TECHNOLOGIES (MICHELIN COMMERCIAL SERVICE NETWORK) | $189K – $4.3M | $3K | N/A | 340 |
| CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AUTOMOTIVE | $550K – $680K | $135K | 50.0% | 302 |
| CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AUTOMOTIVE | $530K – $645K | $135K | 50.0% | 265 |
| TOMMY'S EXPRESS | $5.0M – $8.5M | $50K | 4.0% | 206 |
Automotive Services Average 24 franchises | $442K – $985K | $47K | 12.8% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 24 Automotive Services franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2023)
Outlets by state across the United States
+28 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for Dealer Specialties franchisees (2011 – 2011)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Franchisee Contacts
22 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA Loan |
|---|---|
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
22 Contacts Available
Unlock all Dealer Specialties franchisee contacts with verified contact information
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Primarily enforcement of restrictive covenants and non-compete agreements against former franchisees for post-termination competition, including one dispute initiated by termination for non-payment of fees.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a Dealer Specialties franchise ranges from $17,400 to $44,900. This includes a franchise fee of $10,000.
Unlock Full FDD Access
Download Dealer Specialties's complete FDD plus 1,700+ other franchise documents — all with one plan.
Secure checkout with Stripe · Cancel anytime
Also includes FDDs for
More Services Franchises
THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL)
Services
AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC
Services
JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE
Services
SERVPRO (UNIT)
Services
H&R BLOCK
Services
SERVICEMASTER RESTORE
Services