Runningboards Marketing Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Runningboards Marketing is a B2B marketing franchise providing mobile billboard advertising and local marketing services. Franchisees run local operations, managing ad trucks, campaigns, and business accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Runningboards Marketing franchise requires a total initial investment of $87K – $289K, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2022 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2022 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $87K – $289K
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 8th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 14
- 20th 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 $87K – $289K including a $40K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 36/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- RBM Franchising Corp.
- Ultimate parent
- Running Boards, LTD.
- CEO title
- President and Chief Executive Officer
- Richard C. (Calvin) McNeely III
- CEO experience
- 35 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- New York
- HQ
- 19138 US RT. 11, Watertown, NY 13601
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $431K
- vs $72K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Richard C. (Calvin) McNeely III
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 10
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 33% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40K | $40K | |
| Launch Feenot refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Construction, Leasehold Improvements | — | — | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $0 | $1K | |
| Equipment and Digital Advertising Vehicle (DAV) | $7K | $190K | |
| Computer, Software, and Point of Sales System | $1K | $3K | |
| Initial Inventory | — | — | |
| Security Deposits | — | — | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums | $400 | $800 | |
| Pre-opening Travel and Training Expense | $1K | $3K | |
| Professional Fees | $3K | $5K | |
| Business Permits and Licenses | $200 | $500 | |
| Office Equipment and Supplies | $500 | $1K | |
| Vehicle Delivery | $0 | $3K | |
| Payroll | $9K | $12K | |
| Additional funds - 3 Months | $11K | $15K | |
| Total initial investment | $87K | $289K |
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
- $87K – $289K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $11K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $750 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Inventory (initial) | $0 – $0 |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Runningboards Marketing 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 Runningboards Marketing unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
60%
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: 2022 FDD
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
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 7.0% — below 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.
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 Runningboards Marketing Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2022 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- Opened
- 12
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.7%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 93%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 12
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 7.1%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 7.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 10 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.
10
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 7 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 7
- Loan volume
- $1.2M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (7 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Early-stage marketing services franchise with explosive growth, non-transparent financials, and unproven unit economics—suitable only for investors who can validate claims directly with existing franchisees.
Litigation (Item 3)
Item 3 states: "No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item."
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA 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
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 36 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed in FDD Item 19 — unable to validate ROI claims or profitability benchmarks
- 02MINORExplosive unit growth (550% YoY) with only 14 total units suggests extremely early-stage system with unproven scalability and high failure risk
- 03MINORWide investment range ($87,400–$288,500) indicates inconsistent startup costs and unclear value proposition across tiers
- 04MINORMinimum royalty floor of $500/month regardless of revenue creates cash flow pressure for underperforming locations
- 05MINORMinimal franchisee base (14 units) limits peer network, support infrastructure, and statistical reliability of any performance claims
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 125,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Watertown, NY |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | NY |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Item 3 states: "No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item."
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 89 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 24 hrs
- Training location
- Watertown, NY (and franchisee's territory; Phase 1 online)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 24 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- RBM Velocity
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: RBM Velocity
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Runningboards Marketing · FDD (2022) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Runningboards Marketing franchise?
The total investment to open a Runningboards Marketing franchise ranges from $87K – $289K, 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 Runningboards Marketing franchise owners earn?
Runningboards Marketing 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 Runningboards Marketing 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 Runningboards Marketing FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Runningboards Marketing's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Runningboards Marketing (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 Runningboards Marketing franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Runningboards Marketing has 14 total units in the United States, including 13 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 12 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Runningboards Marketing a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Runningboards Marketing as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 36 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
Are you the franchisor?
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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.