Breakaway BA Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Breakaway is a financial services franchise offering fractional bookkeeping, controller, and CFO services to small and midsize businesses. Franchisees run local practices, building client accounts and managing service delivery teams.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Breakaway BA franchise requires a total initial investment of $11K – $35K and an ongoing 25.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $11K – $35K
- 2nd pct Financial Ser…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 25.0%
- 45th pct Financial Ser…
- Units
- 39
- 36th pct Financial Ser…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Financial Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Financial Services avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $11K – $35K, 25.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 references audited financial statements as of Dec 31 2022/2023/2024 in Exhibit A, but the financial statement pages in this OCR text are image-only with no extractable numbers; all Item 21 figures unavailable.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 45/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGAuditor 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
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- BREAKAWAY BA, LLC
- Parent company
- BREAKAWAY BOOKKEEPING & ADVISING, LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer (Co-Founder)
- Shea Keats
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- OR
- HQ
- 22467 SW Ash St., Sherwood, Oregon 97140
- Auditor
- Fordham & Co LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.8M
- vs $2.0M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Shea Keats
- Headquarters
- OR
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 17
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 83% below the typical financial services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown9 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | — | — | |
| Rent, Utilities, and Security Deposit - 3 monthsnot refundable | $0 | $5K | |
| Equipment, Fixtures, Furnishings, Computer Hardware and Software, and Suppliesnot refundable | $3K | $10K | |
| Initial Advertisingnot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Additional Insurance (Annually)not refundable | $500 | $3K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costsnot refundable | $0 | $1K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $11K | $35K |
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.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $11K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $10K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- N/A
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 25.0%
- tiered · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- No advertising fund. Franchisor does not require franchis…
- Total fee load
- 25.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 25.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $75 |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 25.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Breakaway BA did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Breakaway BA unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
-125%
Negative returns. Costs exceed revenue at these inputs
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 21 references audited financial statements as of Dec 31 2022/2023/2024 in Exhibit A, but the financial statement pages in this OCR text are image-only with no extractable numbers; all Item 21 figures unavailable.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 25.0% — above the Financial Services average of 17.0%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 126.7% CAGR over 3 years across 39 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Financial Services averages
How Breakaway BA Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 39
- Opened
- 19
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 5.9%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 87%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +126.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +126.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 19
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Ceased ops
- 5.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 17 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
17
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
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.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Early-stage franchise with aggressive growth metrics, opaque financials, high royalty rates, and no territory protection presents elevated risk for franchisee profitability despite low entry cost.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Fordham & Co 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: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 45 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed — impossible to validate ROI on $10.5k-$34.5k investment
- 02MINORExtremely high royalty burden (20-25%) leaves minimal margin for profitability on small revenue base
- 03MINORZero franchise fee suggests potential cash flow issues or aggressive unit acquisition strategy masking unit quality
- 04MINOR39 units showing 100% YoY growth is unsustainable and indicates either new system or aggressive recruiting over retention
- 05MINORNo protected territory creates direct competition risk between franchisees within same market
- 06MINOR10-year term is unusually long without performance milestones or exit clauses
- 07MINORGoing Concern status with no financial disclosure creates uncertainty about franchisor stability
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 25.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Multnomah County, Oregon (mediation required before litigation) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | OR |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 5 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Online / At-home
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 0 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee (subject to franchisor approval)
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
3 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Breakaway BA · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Breakaway BA franchise?
The total investment to open a Breakaway BA franchise ranges from $11K – $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Breakaway BA franchise owners earn?
Breakaway BA does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Breakaway BA FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Breakaway BA FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Breakaway BA's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Breakaway BA (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 Breakaway BA franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Breakaway BA has 39 total units in the United States, including 34 franchised units and 5 company-owned units. 19 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Breakaway BA a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Breakaway BA as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 45 out of 100 (higher is better), 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.
For franchisors
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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.