P3 Cost Analysts Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
P3 Cost Analysts is a B2B expense-reduction franchise auditing utility, telecom, waste, and merchant-services bills to recover overcharges. Franchisees run local operations, prospecting clients and managing cost-savings audits for a share of savings.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A P3 Cost Analysts franchise requires a total initial investment of $69K – $86K, including a $60K franchise fee. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $134K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $69K – $86K
- 21st pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $134K
- Outlet subset1st pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 46
- 35th 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 $69K – $86K including a $60K franchise fee.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $134K/year (median $115K) (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 78/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 28.6% CAGR over 3 years with 46 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- P3 Cost Analysts Franchise, LLC
- Parent company
- Old Arkana, Inc. d/b/a P3 Waste Consulting
- CEO title
- President and Chief Executive Officer
- Aaron Stahl
- Incorporated in
- AR
- HQ
- 3589 N. Shiloh Drive, Suite 3, Box 44, Fayetteville, AR 72703
- Auditor
- DA Advisory Group PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $4.3M
- vs $2.9M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Aaron Stahl
- Headquarters
- AR
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 29
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 72% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60K | $60K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $5K | $8K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $5K | $19K |
| Total initial investment | $69K | $86K |
Source: P3 Cost Analysts 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
- $69K – $86K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $8K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $60K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- The franchisor generally retains 60% of the Gross Invoice…
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 3.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $160 |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Total fee load | 3.0% of rev |
A 3.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 91% below the business services norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$23K
17.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
27%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
3.7 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
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. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one P3 Cost Analysts unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
27%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 P3 Cost Analysts units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$268K
on $1.3M purchase
Total debt
$1.1M
SBA $0.7M + senior + seller note
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Avg gross sales
- $134K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $115K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross revenue
- Sample size
- 15 outlets
- vs category median 35 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $0→$347K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
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 $134K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.7x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 3.0% — below the Business Services average of 11.9%.
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 expanding at 28.6% CAGR over 3 years across 46 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 P3 Cost Analysts Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 46
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +28.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +28.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 29 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.
29
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
This franchise presents high risk due to an exploitative 60% royalty structure, undisclosed profitability, minimal unit growth, lack of territory protection, and absence of financial performance claims.
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: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 78 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORExtremely high royalty rate of 60% of gross invoiced amount creates severe cash flow pressure and makes profitability highly dependent on volume
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed despite average revenue of $120,514 — suggests margins may be razor-thin or negative after 60% royalty extraction
- 03MINORSlow unit growth of only 7.1% YoY with just 46 total units indicates weak system momentum and difficulty recruiting/retaining franchisees
- 04MINORNo territory protection exposes franchisees to direct competition from other franchisees in the same market
- 05HIGHGoing Concern designation is FALSE — unclear if this applies to franchisor or indicates accounting issues requiring clarification
- 06MINORNo Item 19 financial performance representations provided — franchisor not disclosing actual franchisee profitability data
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 3.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 200,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 6 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Washington County, Arkansas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | AR |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 58 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Virtual or at a Designated Location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Salesforce CRM
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Salesforce CRM
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a P3 Cost Analysts franchise?
The total investment to open a P3 Cost Analysts franchise ranges from $69K – $86K, 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 P3 Cost Analysts franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the P3 Cost Analysts FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $134K. The median is $115K. Important context: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the P3 Cost Analysts 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 P3 Cost Analysts FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is P3 Cost Analysts's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for P3 Cost Analysts (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 P3 Cost Analysts franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, P3 Cost Analysts has 46 total units in the United States, including 45 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is P3 Cost Analysts a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates P3 Cost Analysts as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 78 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.