Natural AwakeningsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Natural Awakenings franchise requires a total initial investment of $60K – $86K, including a $50K franchise fee. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $60K – $86K
- 14th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 47
- 31st pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Business Services avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Franchised units fell from 50 to 46 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $60K – $86K including a $50K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 62/100.
- System contracting at -8.0% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp.
- Parent company
- KnoWEwell, P.B.C.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 350 Main Street, Building 1, Ste. 9B, Bedminster, NJ 07921
- Auditor
- Fuoco Group
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $30K
- vs $561K prior year
Overview
About
Natural Awakenings franchisees operate local health and wellness magazine/media publications and digital platforms featuring natural health content, local practitioner directories, events, and advertising. Day-to-day activities include content curation, advertiser sales, event coordination, distribution management, and community relationship building across print and digital channels.
- CEO
- Kimberly Whittle
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 1993
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 18
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $6K | $25K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $4K | $12K |
| Total initial investment | $60K | $86K |
Source: Natural Awakenings 2024 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
- $60K – $86K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $6K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- The greater of 7% of Gross Revenues or $250.00 per month …
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $557 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Business Services averages
How Natural Awakenings Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 47
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -2.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -8.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 19 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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Natural Awakenings presents a CAUTION-to-HIGH RISK profile due to undisclosed financials, contracting unit count, high entry costs, and short contract term that collectively suggest limited growth potential and unproven unit economics.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Fuoco Group
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 62 / 100 rating
- 01MEDSystem contracting: 47 units with -2.1% YoY decline indicates shrinking franchise base and potential market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MINORNo financial disclosure: Franchisor does not disclose average revenue or net income (Item 19), making ROI impossible to validate before investment
- 03MINORHigh initial investment relative to unknowns: $59,550–$86,275 total investment with no published performance data creates blind investment scenario
- 04MINORModest minimum royalty floor: $250/month (months 1–6) may insufficient to support franchisor operations, suggesting thin margins or weak system support
- 05MINOR5-year term with high franchise fee: $49,500 fee on a 5-year term (vs. typical 10-year) limits ability to recover costs and profit
- 06MINORDeclining unit count in wellness category: Health/wellness franchises are typically growth sectors; contraction suggests competitive pressure or brand weakness
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Population-based |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New Jersey |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 39 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
42 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Natural Awakenings · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Natural Awakenings franchise?
The total investment to open a Natural Awakenings franchise ranges from $60K – $86K, 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 Natural Awakenings franchise owners earn?
Natural Awakenings 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 Natural Awakenings's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Natural Awakenings (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 Natural Awakenings franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Natural Awakenings has 47 total units in the United States, including 50 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Natural Awakenings a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Natural Awakenings as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 62 out of 100, 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.
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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.