Express Employment Professionals Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Express Employment Professionals is a staffing-agency franchise placing temporary and permanent workers with local employers. Franchisees run an office recruiting and screening candidates and managing client accounts and payroll in a protected territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Express Employment Professionals franchise requires a total initial investment of $131K – $599K, including a $40K franchise fee. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $5.3M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 2.0% charge-off rate across 113 loans[1]. 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
- $131K – $599K
- 45th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $5.3M
- 19th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 765
- 64th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- 2.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business 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 $131K – $599K including a $40K franchise fee.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $5.3M/year (median $4.0M).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 79/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 2.0% across 113 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Express Services, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO
- Robert A. Funk, Jr.
- Incorporated in
- CO
- HQ
- 9701 Boardwalk Blvd., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73162
- Auditor
- Wedel Rahill & Associates CPA's, PLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.2B
- vs $3.3B prior year
Affiliated brands
- United Express Equity Investments
- Express Employment Professionals SA PTY LTD
- Express Services of Canada
- Alamo Franchise Services
- Express Australia Holding Pty Ltd
- Express Employment Professionals AU PTY LTD
- Express Employment Professionals NZ PTY LTD
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Robert A. Funk, Jr.
- Headquarters
- OK
- Founded
- 1983
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 47
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 34% above the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown39 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fees (Core Occupations Services) | $20K | $40K | |
| Lease and Deposit (Core Occupations Services) | $3K | $4K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Core Occupations Services) | $5K | $15K | |
| Utility Deposits (Core Occupations Services) | $500 | $700 | |
| Training Costs (Core Occupations Services) | $3K | $5K | |
| Office Supplies (Core Occupations Services) | $500 | $1K | |
| Office Equipment (Core Occupations Services) | $2K | $4K | |
| Computer System Hardware (Core Occupations Services) | $10K | $17K | |
| Furniture and Fixture (Core Occupations Services) | $5K | $14K | |
| Signs (Core Occupations Services) | $5K | $7K | |
| Insurance (Core Occupations Services) | $1K | $2K | |
| Professional Service Fees (Core Occupations Services) | $2K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds - 9 months (Core Occupations Services) | $75K | $175K | |
| Initial Franchise Fees (Professional Occupations Services) | $0 | $40K | |
| Lease and Deposit (Professional Occupations Services) | $4K | $6K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (Professional Occupations Services) | $5K | $25K | |
| Utility Deposits (Professional Occupations Services) | $200 | $600 | |
| Training Costs (Professional Occupations Services) | $10K | $25K | |
| Office Supplies (Professional Occupations Services) | $500 | $1K | |
| Office Equipment (Professional Occupations Services) | $7K | $8K | |
| Total initial investment | $748K | $1.4M |
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
- $131K – $599K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $75K – $450K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- The default royalty is a Gross Margin split ('Your portio…
- Ad fund
- Current mandatory franchisee ad-fund contribution is 0.6%…
- Total fee load
- 40.6%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $630 |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $250 – $1K |
| Total fee load | 40.6% of rev |
At 40.6% total fee load, roughly $2169K per year goes to the franchisor before you pay a single operating expense.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 336% above 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 Express Employment Professionals 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 royalty rate, ad fund rate, 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
$627K
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 Express Employment Professionals 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 royalty rate, ad fund rate, 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 royalty rate, ad fund rate, 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
- $5.3M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $4.0M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- sales and gross margin
- Sample size
- 526 outlets
- vs category median 37 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $129K→$39.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $2.1M→$9.9M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- 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 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
Revenue is 14.6x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
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 $5.3M/year in gross sales. Median is $4.0M — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 14.6x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 40.6% — above the Business Services average of 12.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -3.8% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 averages
How Express Employment Professionals Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 765
- Opened
- 9
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 20
- Terminated
- 12
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 9.4%
- Company-owned
- 7
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -3.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -3.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 46
- Closed (3yr)
- 46
- Terminated (3yr)
- 25
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 93
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 7
- Franchisor bought back
- Termination rate
- 1.0%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 1.5%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 47 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.
47
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 113
- Loan volume
- $36.8M
- Median loan
- $326K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 2.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
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
- 7.7%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 49
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 2.0% — 88% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Express Employment Professionals exhibits meaningful caution-level risk due to system contraction, extraordinarily high royalty burden, undisclosed profitability metrics, and a pattern of litigation reflecting franchisor-franchisee conflict over territory quality and business fundamentals.
Litigation (Item 3)
1 active case: Dildar Minhas (former franchisee) v. Express Employment International et al., filed December 2025 in Ontario Superior Court, alleging fraud, misrepresentation and breach; plaintiff seeks $1,000,000 in damages. Express denies all allegations. 5 plaintiff suits filed in 2025 to collect outstanding debt from franchisees/former franchisees. 2 prior actions now resolved (Stoddart class action settled 2021; Sydlynn settled July 2021).
Largest disclosed settlement: $1,000,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Wedel Rahill & Associates CPA's, PLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
FY ended December 28, 2025 (fiscal year ends last Sunday of calendar year). Consolidated for Express Services, Inc. and subsidiaries. Top-line is "Sale of staffing services" $3,215,129,000; franchisee fees and royalties were $15,278,000 and other income $3,465,000. Net earnings attributable to Express Services, Inc. were $54,375,000.
ⓘ 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: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 79 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-3.2% YoY with 765 units) indicates system contraction and potential market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MINORExceptionally high royalty structure (40% of gross margin) severely limits franchisee profitability and leaves minimal cushion for operating expenses
- 03HIGHMultiple litigation patterns: fraud allegations, debt collection lawsuits against franchisees, wage/labor disputes, and territory misrepresentation claims suggest systemic franchisor-franchisee tensions
- 04MINORNo Item 19 (average net income) disclosure prevents transparent ROI analysis despite high royalty burden—critical red flag for a $131k-$599k investment
- 05MINORSettled class action on labor/wage statements raises compliance and operational risk concerns that may persist post-settlement
- 06MINORFormer franchisee allegations of territory misrepresentation directly undermine the franchise model's core value proposition
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 40.6% 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 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 30,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | OK |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 active case: Dildar Minhas (former franchisee) v. Express Employment International et al., filed December 2025 in Ontario Superior Court, alleging fraud, misrepresentation and breach; plaintiff seeks $1,000,000 in damages. Express denies all allegations. 5 plaintiff suits filed in 2025 to collect outstanding debt from franchisees/former franchisees. 2 prior actions now resolved (Stoddart class action settled 2021; Sydlynn settled July 2021).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 69 hrs
- Training location
- Oklahoma City, OK; franchisee's office; virtually; or other designated field training sites
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- QUEST (Express Data Network system)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QUEST (Express Data Network system)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
740 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Express Employment Professionals · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Express Employment Professionals franchise?
The total investment to open a Express Employment Professionals franchise ranges from $131K – $599K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Express Employment Professionals franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Express Employment Professionals FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $5.3M. The median is $4.0M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Express Employment Professionals 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 Express Employment Professionals FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Express Employment Professionals's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Express Employment Professionals has a charge-off rate of 2.0% across 113 loans, meaning 2.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Express Employment Professionals franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Express Employment Professionals has 765 total units in the United States, including 758 franchised units and 7 company-owned units. 9 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Express Employment Professionals a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Express Employment Professionals as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 79 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
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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.