i4 Search Group Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
i4 Search Group is a recruiting franchise placing professional and technical talent, with a focus on healthcare staffing. Franchisees run search practices, sourcing candidates and managing placements for client companies.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A i4 Search Group franchise requires a total initial investment of $65K – $111K, including a $50K – $80K franchise fee and an ongoing 14.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 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 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $65K – $111K
- 20th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 14.0%
- 38th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 39
- 34th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $65K – $111K including a $50K franchise fee, 14.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThe provided page images (p204-p208) are from Exhibit G (List of Franchisees that Have Left the System) and Exhibit H (State Specific Addenda / California FDD Amendment) of the i4 Search Group Multi-State FDD dated April 14, 2025. None of these pages contain the Item 21 audited financial statements, balance sheet, income statement, or Independent Auditor's Report. No financial figures or auditor name could be extracted from this image set.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 61/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 72.7% CAGR over 3 years with 39 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- i4 Franchise Development Inc.
- Parent company
- None
- CEO title
- President
- Scott Butts
- CEO experience
- 18 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- AZ
- HQ
- 7185 Liberty Centre Drive, Suite A, West Chester, Ohio 45069
- Auditor
- DA Advisory Group PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $972K
- vs $890K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Scott Butts
- Headquarters
- OH
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 17
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 68% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown10 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $80K | |
| Office Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $500 | $2K | |
| Rent – Three Months | $0 | $2K | |
| Computer Systems | $1K | $2K | |
| Business Development start Up Investment | $5K | $5K | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $2K | $3K | |
| Professional Fees | $1K | $5K | |
| Insurance | $200 | $4K | |
| Licenses and Permits | $100 | $300 | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $6K | $9K | |
| Total initial investment | $65K | $111K |
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
- $65K – $111K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $6K – $9K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $80K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 14.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 17.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 14.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $234 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $8K |
| Total fee load | 17.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
i4 Search Group 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 i4 Search Group unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
47%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
The provided page images (p204-p208) are from Exhibit G (List of Franchisees that Have Left the System) and Exhibit H (State Specific Addenda / California FDD Amendment) of the i4 Search Group Multi-State FDD dated April 14, 2025. None of these pages contain the Item 21 audited financial statements, balance sheet, income statement, or Independent Auditor's Report. No financial figures or auditor name could be extracted from this image set.
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 17.0% — above the Business Services average of 11.9%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 72.7% CAGR over 3 years across 39 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 averages
How i4 Search Group Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 39
- Opened
- 10
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 15.8%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +72.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +72.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 16
- Closed (3yr)
- 5
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 6
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 2
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 8
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 50.0%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 17 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.
17
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
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
Non-transparent financial metrics, high ongoing royalties, small system size, and undisclosed going concern status create meaningful investment uncertainty despite moderate growth trajectory.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Largest disclosed settlement: $240,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · DA Advisory Group PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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
Score breakdown · what drove the 61 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORHigh royalty rate of 14% on gross sales (not net profit) creates cash flow pressure, especially in early years
- 02MEDNo going concern status disclosed — suggests potential franchisor financial instability or recent changes in ownership/structure
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 17.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 8 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 6 |
| 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 |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Butler County, Ohio |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | OH |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Suppliers & sourcing5 categories · Item 8
Supplier requirements
| Category | Approval | Kickback |
|---|---|---|
| Search agreement management / accounts payable / accounts receivable / third-party vendor management servicesfranchisor-owned | Required | — |
| Insurancefranchisor-owned | Not required | — |
| Branded Items and Marketing Materials | Required | — |
| Computer System | Required | — |
| System Designated Resources | Required | — |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 53 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 44 hrs
- Training location
- West Chester, Ohio
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval; home-based office permitted
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- LOXO
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: LOXO
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
27 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
i4 Search Group · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a i4 Search Group franchise?
The total investment to open a i4 Search Group franchise ranges from $65K – $111K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do i4 Search Group franchise owners earn?
i4 Search Group 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 i4 Search Group 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 i4 Search Group FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is i4 Search Group's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for i4 Search Group (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 i4 Search Group franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, i4 Search Group has 39 total units in the United States, including 38 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 10 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is i4 Search Group a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates i4 Search Group as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 61 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
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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.