Runningboards MarketingFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Runningboards Marketing franchise requires a total initial investment of $87K – $289K, including a $40K franchise fee. The 2022 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2022 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $87K – $289K
- 26th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 14
- 18th pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- 20.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
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
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $87K – $289K including a $40K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 73/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- 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
- NY
- HQ
- 19138 US RT. 11, Watertown, NY 13601
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $72K
- vs $431K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2022
- Status as of 2022; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
Runningboards Marketing franchisees operate local digital and traditional marketing service businesses, providing services such as social media management, web design, SEO, and advertising to small and mid-sized businesses. Day-to-day operations involve client acquisition, service delivery, team management, and account management. Revenue is typically generated through monthly retainers and project-based fees.
- CEO
- Richard C. (“Calvin”) McNeely III
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 10
FDD Item 7 · 2022 filing · 16 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
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $11K – $15K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- The greater of Six Percent (6%) of Gross Revenues per mon…
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | greater of 6% of Gross Revenues or $500/month |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $750 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% 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 Runningboards Marketing Compares
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
- 7.1%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 93%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- 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 20 · 16 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 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
- 20.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 80.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 20.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
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)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 73 / 100 rating
- 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
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Population-based |
| 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 | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New York |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
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
- headquarters in Watertown, New York or another location we designate
- 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
17 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 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 risk score of 73 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.
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.