Creative Colors International Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
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 does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $102K – $126K
- 36th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 7.5%
- 41st 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 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 $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 A (Strongest tier), verdict score 64/100 (higher is better).
- 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 64% 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%
- unknown · 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
Creative Colors International 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 Creative Colors International unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
69%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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 192 Cleaning & Maintenance brands
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 average).
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 averages
How Creative Colors International Compares
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
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 2
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
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 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
- N/A
- limited sample (9 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- 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
Creative Colors presents moderate-to-high risk due to missing financial disclosures (Item 19), undisclosed franchisor going concern issues, stagnant unit growth, and high upfront fees relative to unverified profitability claims.
Litigation (Item 3)
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
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure despite $367k average revenue claim — cannot verify profitability or validate the gap between gross revenue and undisclosed net income
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — suggests franchisor financial instability or operational uncertainty that could affect support and system viability
- 03MINORUnit count stagnation at 73 with unknown growth trajectory — no evidence of system expansion or franchisee success driving recruitment
- 04MINOR7.5% royalty on gross sales (not net) means franchisees pay even during unprofitable months, exacerbating cash flow risk
- 05MINORProtected 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 |
| 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
FDD download
Creative Colors International · FDD (2026) PDF
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?
Creative Colors International 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 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 A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 64 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
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.