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SUPPORTING STRATEGIES
Supporting Strategies franchises operate businesses that provide outsourced bookkeeping and controller services to small businesses with 1-100 employees. Services include accounts payable and receivable management, invoicing, financial reporting, payroll support, inventory and credit card reconciliation, and other accounting tasks, all delivered virtually and remotely using a standardized system. The franchisor's model emphasizes scalable operations through proprietary procedures, marketing techniques, and uniform methods to enable efficient growth for franchisees.
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Franchise Costs
10% royalty (greater of 10% or annual minimum after Year 1) + up to 2% ad fund + $100-$200/mo per user Virtual Cloud/Key fee
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
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Unlock financial performance dataSUPPORTING STRATEGIES Franchise Analysis
Virtual bookkeeping franchises like Supporting Strategies promise scalable, remote operations for small business owners. Yet, the latest FDD and SBA records hint at underlying pressures not immediately obvious. Does a contracting network and lending track record signal caution for new investors, or an entry point in a steady niche?
Item 7 in the 2024 FDD outlines an initial investment of $74,570 to $98,190, including a $60,000 franchise fee—relatively modest for business services but front-loaded. Ongoing fees bite harder: 10% royalty (the greater of 10% of gross billings or an annual minimum after Year 1), up to 2% brand fund, plus $100-$200 monthly per-user Virtual Cloud/Key fee. No Item 19 disclosure means no earnings claims, forcing reliance on third-party data; this opacity is a red flag in a category where peers often share medians. With low startup costs, franchisees could recoup via high-margin virtual services, but those elevated royalties—above the 6-8% business services norm—could squeeze margins unless billings scale quickly to $500K+ annually.
System metrics show contraction: 98 franchised locations in 2022 dropped to 84 in 2023 (-14%), alongside 10 corporate units and 4 terminations. SBA data reveals 9 loans averaging $135,456 with an 11.1% default rate—elevated versus franchise averages under 10%, suggesting financing risks for underperformers. For due diligence, this points to vulnerability in client acquisition amid economic headwinds for small businesses; growth stalled since franchising began in 2013. Weigh the plug-and-play model against shrinkage and high fees—strong for experienced bookkeepers, riskier for novices chasing stability.
Analysis based on the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.
How SUPPORTING STRATEGIES Compares
Key Insights
- Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Business Services
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SUPPORTING STRATEGIES Current | $75K – $98K | $60K | 10.0% | 84 |
| Bimbo Foods Bakeries Distribution, LLC | $14K – $607K | N/A | N/A | 6,454 |
| THE UPS STORE (TRADITIONAL) | $216K – $609K | $30K | 5.0% | 4,500 |
| RE/MAX | $37K – $337K | $35K | 1.0% | 2,994 |
| JACKSON HEWITT TAX SERVICE | $71K – $105K | $25K | 15.0% | 2,744 |
| CRUISE PLANNERS | $2K – $21K | $11K | 3.0% | 2,655 |
Business Services Average 198 franchises | $121K – $289K | $47K | 10.2% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 198 Business 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
+19 more states
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Unlock location growth dataSBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for SUPPORTING STRATEGIES franchisees (2015 – 2019)
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.
9 SBA loans on record
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Unlock SBA loan historyFranchisee Contacts
88 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
88 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a SUPPORTING STRATEGIES franchise ranges from $74,570 to $98,190. This includes a franchise fee of $60,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 10.0% of gross sales.
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