Card My Yard Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $10K – $19K
- Disclosed sales
- $21K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Card My Yard is a yard-greeting franchise that rents and installs personalized lawn-sign displays for birthdays, celebrations, and events. Franchisees run a home-based operation setting up and removing booked displays within a local territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Card My Yard franchise requires a total initial investment of $10K – $19K, including a $9K franchise fee and an ongoing 25.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $21K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored7 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $10K – $19K
- 3rd pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $21K
- 0th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 25.0%
- 51st pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 492
- 62nd pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services median · 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 $10K – $19K including a $9K franchise fee, 25.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $21K/year (median $17K). Note: this is gross profit, not take-home income.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 60/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -53 franchised outlets in the latest year (31 opened, 84 closed); 1 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- FLAG42 units terminated last reporting year (8.5% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- CMY Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- CMY Holdco, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- FS PEP Holdco, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- Card My Yard Franchising, LLC / Card My Yard, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and Chief Growth Officer
- Joshua Arnold
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 761 W. 1200 N., Suite 300, Springville, Utah 84663
- Auditor
- Not individually named in text (Oklahoma City, OK firm for 2023 CMY Franchising statements; separate firm for FS PEP Holdco 2024/2023 consolidated statements)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $47.5M
- vs $38.1M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Ellie Fam
- Five Star Connect
- Mosquito Shield Franchise
- and Predecessor
- SB Oil Change Franchising
- Career Transition Leads
- International Franchise Professionals Group
- Gotcha Covered Franchising
- Ringside Development Company offers hazardous material cleaning service franchises
- Five Star Bath
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 9
5 other brands on this site name FS PEP Holdco, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Joshua Arnold
- Headquarters
- Utah
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 45
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 89% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $9K | $9K | |
| Lease Expenses (three months) | $0 | $500 | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $150 | $500 | |
| POS/Computer Hardware and Software | $0 | $2K | |
| Initial Training Costs (per person) | $0 | $1K | |
| Utility/Security Deposits | $0 | $300 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $250 | $500 | |
| Business Permits/Licenses (first year) | $0 | $500 | |
| Office Equipment/Supplies | $0 | $500 | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums (first six months) | $700 | $2K | |
| Professional fees | $0 | $2K | |
| Additional Funds (three months) | $500 | $2K | |
| Cardference Fee | $250 | $250 | |
| Total initial investment | $10K | $19K |
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
- $10K – $19K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $500 – $2K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $9K – $9K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 25.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 25.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 25.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.5% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $0 – $0 |
| Total fee load | 25.5% of rev |
At 25.5% total fee load, roughly $5K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 97% below the business services norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Card My Yard until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$15K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Card My Yard unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $21K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $17K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales by age cohort
- Sample size
- 457 outlets
- vs category median 37 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $939→$103KNot cited — published from our reading of the franchisor's disclosure document; the page it is printed on has not been located.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 7 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $21K/year in gross sales. Median is $17K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.5x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 25.5% — above the Business Services median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 7/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 6.9% CAGR over 3 years across 492 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 Business Services medians
How Card My Yard Compares
Category median of published Business Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 492
- Opened
- 31
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 84
- Terminated
- 42
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 42
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 17.1%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -9.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +6.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 42
- Not renewed
- 42
- Transferred
- 57
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 1
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 5 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
5 current owners across 5 states.
- AZ 1
- FL 1
- MO 1
- MS 1
- TX 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 85 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Card My Yard presents a caution-to-high-risk profile: the 25% royalty structure is predatory relative to thin margins, unit growth is stagnant, and no financial disclosures mask true earnings potential.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Not individually named in text (Oklahoma City, OK firm for 2023 CMY Franchising statements; separate firm for FS PEP Holdco 2024/2023 consolidated statements)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 60 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORAnemic unit growth of 2.1% YoY suggests market saturation, franchisee struggles, or weak system support in a 545-unit system
- 02MED5-year term is short; limited payback window given low profitability and high royalty burden
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 25.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 3 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 30,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 21 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 5 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Mediation at AAA offices nearest to franchisor's principal place of business (Utah County, Utah) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Utah |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 9 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 12 hrs
- Training location
- Online, or at Springville, Utah headquarters or a regional training location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisor_approval_franchisee_locates
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
90 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Card My Yard franchise?
The total investment to open a Card My Yard franchise ranges from $10K – $19K, with an initial franchise fee of $9K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Card My Yard franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Card My Yard FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $21K. The median is $17K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Card My Yard?
Card My Yard is franchised by CMY Franchising, LLC. Its parent company is CMY Holdco, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is FS PEP Holdco, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Card My Yard 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 Card My Yard FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Card My Yard's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Card My Yard (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 Card My Yard franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Card My Yard has 492 total units in the United States, including 490 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 31 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Card My Yard a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Card My Yard as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 60 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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
Are you the franchisor?
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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.