AltoCFOFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A AltoCFO franchise requires a total initial investment of $77K – $116K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 10.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2023 FDD, average unit revenue was $993K[2]. Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $77K – $116K
- 49th pct Financial Ser…
- Avg gross sales
- $993K
- 23rd pct Financial Ser…
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- 9th pct Financial Ser…
- Units
- 1
- 0th pct Financial Ser…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Financial Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Financial Services avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Each dollar invested generates 10.3x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $77K – $116K including a $50K franchise fee, 10.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $993K/year. Estimated payback in 0.3 years (based on P&L Bottom Line).
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 57/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- CAG FRANCHISE SERVICE, LLC
- Parent company
- Crown Advisory Group, Inc.
- CEO title
- CEO
- Denny Kon
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 2034 E. Lincoln Avenue, #125, Anaheim, CA 92806
- Auditor
- Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- Most recent fiscal year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2023
- Status as of 2023; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
AltoCFO franchisees provide fractional chief financial officer services to small and mid-market businesses, handling financial strategy, reporting, cash flow management, and controller-level functions. Franchisees typically operate as solo practitioners or small teams delivering remote/hybrid advisory services on a part-time basis to multiple client engagements. Revenue is generated through monthly retainers, project fees, or hybrid engagement models.
- CEO
- Denny Kon
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing · 12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Lease & Utilities Depositsnot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Construction, Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $0 | $1K | |
| Office Furniture, Fixtures, and Suppliesnot refundable | $500 | $5K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $0 | $1K | |
| Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $100 | $500 | |
| Computer and Technology Costsnot refundable | $1K | $4K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $10K | $15K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Operating Expenses / Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $11K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $77K | $116K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$99K
10.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
85%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
14 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $77K – $116K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $11K – $30K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- Gross Revenue · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- Currently 3% of Gross Revenue
- Total fee load
- 13.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 0.3 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 10.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $25 |
| Renewal fee | $10 |
| Total fee load | 13.0% of rev |
At 13.0% total fee load, roughly $129K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $993K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Avg p&l bottom line
- $383K
- Reported as P&L Bottom Line in FDD Item 19
- Item 19 type
- Historical
- Sample size
- 1 units
- vs category median 97 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $305K→$993K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 8 / 5
- vs category median 0 / 5 · above
Compared against 58 Financial Services brands
Revenue is 10.3x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Financial Services averages
How AltoCFO Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 16 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Nascent single-unit franchise with unproven scalability, unprotected territory, and insufficient operating history to validate claimed financial performance.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Lavine, Lofgren, Morris & Engelberg, LLP⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 57 / 100 rating
- 01MINORSingle unit franchise system with unknown growth trajectory and no expansion visibility
- 02MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk and limits franchisee exclusivity
- 03MINOR10% royalty on gross revenue ($99,298 annually on average unit) is substantial drag on 38.6% net margin
- 04MINORHigh initial investment ($77K-$116K) relative to single operating unit provides no system maturity proof
- 05MEDOnly 1 disclosed unit makes financial averages statistically meaningless and impossible to validate
- 06MINOR5-year term is short for ROI recovery given $50K franchise fee + startup costs
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | non_exclusive |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 25 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at franchisee's restaurant and franchisor's facility
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- Quickbook Online Accountants
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Quickbook Online Accountants
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
16 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
AltoCFO · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a AltoCFO franchise?
The total investment to open a AltoCFO franchise ranges from $77K – $116K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do AltoCFO franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the AltoCFO FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $993K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is AltoCFO's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for AltoCFO (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many AltoCFO franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, AltoCFO has 1 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is AltoCFO a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates AltoCFO as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 57 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.