Sandler TrainingFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Sandler Training franchise requires a total initial investment of $78K – $102K, including a $59K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $738K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 17 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $78K – $102K
- 23rd pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $738K
- 30th pct Education
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 31st pct Education
- Units
- 138
- 61st pct Education
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education 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
Each dollar invested generates 8.2x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Only 0.0% of 17 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
Franchising since 1983. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Franchised units fell from 140 to 138 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $78K – $102K including a $59K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $738K/year.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 5/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 17 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- No protected territory and the franchisor reserves the right to compete in your area. Clarify territorial boundaries before signing.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Sandler Systems, LLC
- Parent company
- Sandler Holdings, LLC
- Incorporated in
- MD
- HQ
- 300 Red Brook Boulevard, Suite 10, Owings Mills, Maryland 21117
- Auditor
- RSM US LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $27.7M
- vs $31.5M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- Blue Marlin Sandler SPV
- Sandler Systems Canada
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Sandler Training franchisees operate a sales training and coaching business, delivering in-person and virtual training programs to corporate clients in their territory. Revenue is generated through training workshops, one-on-one coaching, consulting engagements, and corporate contracts—essentially functioning as B2B sales training consultants with Sandler curriculum and methodology.
- CEO
- David Braun
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 1983
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 36
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 8 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $59K | $59K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $1K | $2K | |
| Real Estate and Improvements | — | — | |
| Office Furnishings and Equipment | $5K | $7K | |
| Office Supplies | $250 | $450 | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Cost | $400 | $1K | |
| Insurance | $2K | $3K | |
| Additional Funds (6 months) | $10K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $78K | $102K |
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.
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
$89K
12.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
81%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
15 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $78K – $102K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $59K – $59K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- $544.79 per month
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $240 |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $738K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 107 units
- vs category median 14 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $7K→$5.8M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $91K→$1.9M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Transparency
- 5 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 237 Education brands
Revenue is 8.2x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Education averages
How Sandler Training Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 138
- Opened
- 10
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 8
- Turnover rate
- 5.8%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -1.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 30 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.
- Total loans
- 17
- Loan volume
- $4.1M
- Median loan
- $100K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 13
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Sandler Training's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 12 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 8-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 17 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Sandler Training presents caution-level risk due to anemic unit growth, missing profitability disclosure, unprotected territory, and a resolved but material 8-year litigation over franchise terms that raises questions about franchisor-franchisee alignment.
Litigation (Item 3)
2 case reference(s): 0 pending, 1 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $1
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · RSM US LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 5 / 100 rating
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth (0.7% YoY) indicates market saturation or system-wide performance issues
- 02MINORNo Item 19 (Average Net Income) disclosure raises transparency concerns about actual franchisee profitability
- 03MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other Sandler franchisees in your service area
- 04MINOR8% royalty on gross revenues (not net) is substantial burden if margins are thin, especially in service-based model
- 05HIGH2009-2017 litigation over revenue sharing and training agreements suggests fundamental disputes about franchise terms
- 06MEDHigh initial investment ($77.5K-$102.2K) with undisclosed average net income creates ROI visibility gap
- 07MINOR5-year term is relatively short; renewal risk and renegotiation leverage unclear
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 | 3 |
| Territory type | ZIP Codes |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 180 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Maryland |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
2 case reference(s): 0 pending, 1 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 43 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- HubSpot CRM
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: HubSpot CRM
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
96 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Sandler Training · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Sandler Training franchise?
The total investment to open a Sandler Training franchise ranges from $78K – $102K, with an initial franchise fee of $59K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Sandler Training franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Sandler Training FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $738K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Sandler Training's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Sandler Training has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 17 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Sandler Training franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Sandler Training has 138 total units in the United States, including 140 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 10 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Sandler Training a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Sandler Training as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 5 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.