A21/100FDD 2026
Goldfish Swim School — Litigation & Risk
Education - Tutoring & Test Prep · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5
Lower Risk
No litigation cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.
Source: FDD Items 3–5
FDD Items 3 & 4
Litigation Metrics
Cases disclosed
0
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
21 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
STRONG
STRONG / MODERATE / CAUTION / AVOID
7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present
SBA Loan Performance
Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Default rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.
Total 7(a) loans
106
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
0.0%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
0.0%
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$165.1M
Avg loan size
$1.6M
Participating lenders
30
FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up
Contract Risk Indicators
Mandatory arbitration
Required
Disputes resolved outside court — limits your legal options
Jury trial waiver
Waived
You give up the right to a jury trial
Non-compete
2 yrs
Post-termination restriction on similar businesses
Franchisor can compete
Yes
Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
Right of first refusal
Yes
Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
Governing law
Michigan
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there
What drove the 21/100 rating
Risk Score Breakdown
- 01MINORHigh initial investment ($1.66M-$3.75M) with moderate unit growth (11.6% YoY) creates longer payback period risk
- 02MINORDual-tier royalty structure (greater of $1,250/mo or 6%) is aggressive; at $1.99M avg revenue, 6% royalty = ~$119,400/year in perpetuity
- 03MINORAverage net income of $560,524 on $1.99M revenue (28% margin) appears optimistic for swim instruction (labor-intensive, seasonal demand, facility overhead)
- 04MEDNo Item 19 financial performance representations disclosed; cannot validate average revenue/income claims independently
- 05MINORModerate unit growth (11.6% YoY on 199 units = ~23 new locations) suggests market saturation or franchisee satisfaction plateau
Severity inferred from FDD text — not a regulatory or legal classification
Litigation data from FDD Items 3, 4, and 5. SBA data from public 7(a) FOIA records (FY2020–present). Not legal advice — consult a franchise attorney before signing any franchise agreement.