Creative Colors International Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $102K – $126K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (9)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Creative Colors International is a mobile restoration franchise that repairs and recolors leather, vinyl, fabric, and plastic surfaces. Franchisees run service vans, restoring upholstery and interiors mainly for commercial customers like auto dealers and restaurants.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Creative Colors International franchise requires a total initial investment of $102K – $126K, including a $60K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.5% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2026 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - the current year's filing
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 scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $102K – $126K
- 36th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 7.5%
- 55th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 70
- 53rd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance 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 $102K – $126K including a $60K franchise fee, 7.5% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 annual revenue figures are gross sales only (no expenses deducted), compiled for outlets in operation the full 2025 calendar year, segmented by Multi Van Model (2+ mobile units, 26 owners) vs Single Van Model (1 mobile unit, 23 owners) plus 2 company-owned stores; van-level revenue (e.g., avg van revenue, low/high van revenue) is a per-mobile-unit figure, not whole-business revenue, so was excluded from avg_gross_sales per per-unit basis rules. One location (Neff/Zebrauskas/Kaiser) also has separate upholstery-only revenue ($800,012 in 2025) not included in the mobile-unit revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 64/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -3 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 1 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Creative Colors International, Inc.
- Predecessor
- J&J's Creative Colors, Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Mark J. Bollman
- Incorporated in
- Illinois
- HQ
- 19015 S. Jodi Road, Suite E, Mokena, Illinois 60448
- Auditor
- Hearne & Associates, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.4M
- vs $2.5M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Mark J. Bollman
- Headquarters
- Illinois
- Founded
- 1990
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 27
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 33% below the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60K | $60K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $0 | $600 |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $42K | $66K |
| Total initial investment | $102K | $126K |
Source: Creative Colors International 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $102K – $126K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $600
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $60K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 7.5%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $750 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $1K |
| Total fee load | 8.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Creative Colors International is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Creative Colors International 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 annual revenue, 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.
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
Item 19 annual revenue figures are gross sales only (no expenses deducted), compiled for outlets in operation the full 2025 calendar year, segmented by Multi Van Model (2+ mobile units, 26 owners) vs Single Van Model (1 mobile unit, 23 owners) plus 2 company-owned stores; van-level revenue (e.g., avg van revenue, low/high van revenue) is a per-mobile-unit figure, not whole-business revenue, so was excluded from avg_gross_sales per per-unit basis rules. One location (Neff/Zebrauskas/Kaiser) also has separate upholstery-only revenue ($800,012 in 2025) not included in the mobile-unit revenue figures.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 26
- vs category median 32
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 191 Cleaning & Maintenance brands
Item 19 · by group
What the filing does disclose
Item 19 of this FDD reports performance in more than one group. We publish no single average for this brand; the groups the filing does disclose are listed below, quoted from its own Item 19 table.
Each row below is quoted from the FDD's own Item 19 table. Gross sales are not profit.
Item 19 detail
Item 19 annual revenue figures are gross sales only (no expenses deducted), compiled for outlets in operation the full 2025 calendar year, segmented by Multi Van Model (2+ mobile units, 26 owners) vs Single Van Model (1 mobile unit, 23 owners) plus 2 company-owned stores; van-level revenue (e.g., avg van revenue, low/high van revenue) is a per-mobile-unit figure, not whole-business revenue, so was excluded from avg_gross_sales per per-unit basis rules. One location (Neff/Zebrauskas/Kaiser) also has separate upholstery-only revenue ($800,012 in 2025) not included in the mobile-unit revenue figures.
unit model
| Segment | Sample | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Multi Van Model (2+ mobile units) | 26 | $638K |
| Single Van Model (1 mobile unit) | 23 | $127K |
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 8.5% (near the Cleaning & Maintenance median).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System contracting at -4.3% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
53% of franchisees own multiple units — high repeat-buyer rate signals strong unit economics and operator satisfaction.
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 Cleaning & Maintenance medians
How Creative Colors International Compares
Category median of published Cleaning & Maintenance 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
- 70
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 2
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 4.5%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 96%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 53.1%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -4.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -4.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 2
- Transferred
- 4
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 2
- 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
49 current owners across 16 states.
- AL 6
- OR 5
- CA 4
- DE 4
- IL 4
- MS 4
- NE 4
- VA 3
- GA 2
- HI 2
- ID 2
- MI 2
- +4 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. 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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 9 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 9
- Loan volume
- $1.5M
- Median loan
- $77K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (9)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 9 loans, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (9)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (9)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 5
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Hearne & Associates, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 64 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count stagnation at 73 with unknown growth trajectory — no evidence of system expansion or franchisee success driving recruitment
- 02MINOR7.5% royalty on gross sales (not net) means franchisees pay even during unprofitable months, exacerbating cash flow risk
- 03MINORProtected territory is positive but cannot offset lack of financial transparency and franchisor stability concerns
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.5% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 500,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 14 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 118 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Mokena, Illinois (headquarters) plus in franchisee's territory
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 40 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects office location within Area of Primary Responsibility (may operate from home); franchisor must approve if relocating outside home
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- QuickBooks Online Plus
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks Online Plus
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
49 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 Creative Colors International franchise?
The total investment to open a Creative Colors International franchise ranges from $102K – $126K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Creative Colors International franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Creative Colors International FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Creative Colors International?
Creative Colors International is franchised by Creative Colors International, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Creative Colors International 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 Creative Colors International FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Creative Colors International's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Creative Colors International (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 Creative Colors International franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Creative Colors International has 70 total units in the United States, including 67 franchised units and 3 company-owned units.
Is Creative Colors International a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Creative Colors International as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 64 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?
If you represent Creative Colors International, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.