Sanford Rose Associates Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $11K – $15K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 14 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Sanford Rose Associates is an executive-search and recruiting franchise placing professional and management candidates with employers. Franchisees run a local search office sourcing candidates, managing clients, and earning placement fees.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES franchise requires a total initial investment of $11K – $15K, including a $8K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.5% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $11K – $15K
- 4th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- 9th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 157
- 53rd pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services median · 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 $11K – $15K including a $8K franchise fee, 5.5% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 43/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -15 franchised outlets in the latest year (8 opened, 23 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAG17 units terminated last reporting year (10.8% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Sanford Rose Associates International, LLC
- Parent company
- Next Level Exchange, LLC (direct parent as of Jan 1, 2024); Next Level Exchange Holdings, Inc. (ultimate parent)
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Next Level Exchange Holdings, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- Sanford Rose Associates International, Inc. (Former Franchisor, founded by Sanford M. Rose)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-Managing Director
- Jeffrey T. Kaye / Nicholas L. Turner (Co-CEOs)
- Incorporated in
- Texas
- HQ
- 5908 Headquarters Drive, K200, Plano, Texas 75024
- Auditor
- Whitley Penn LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $12.1M
- vs $11.1M prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
1 other brand on this site name Next Level Exchange Holdings, Inc. as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jeffrey T. Kaye / Nicholas L. Turner (Co-CEOs)
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 1959
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 37
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 90% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown5 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start-up Packagenot refundable | $8K | $8K | |
| Commercial Recruiting and Marketing Tools | $2K | $4K | |
| Office Rent, 600 - 1,000 sq. ft. | $600 | $2K | |
| Insurance and Business Licenses | $2K | $2K | |
| Additional Funds | — | — | |
| Total initial investment | $11K | $15K |
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
- $11K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $0
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $8K – $8K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 5.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Total fee load | 5.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 5.5% — below the Business Services median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -13.7% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 medians
How Sanford Rose Associates Compares
Category median of published Business Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 157
- Opened
- 8
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 23
- Terminated
- 17
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 6
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 14.6%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -13.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -13.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 17
- Not renewed
- 6
- Transferred
- 3
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 11
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 0.6%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 0.6%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 36 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
66 current owners across 36 states.
- IN 4
- MA 4
- NY 4
- CA 3
- MI 3
- NC 3
- OH 3
- CO 2
- CT 2
- FL 2
- GA 2
- IA 2
- +24 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 2 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 14
- Loan volume
- $2.4M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 14 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 14 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 14 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- Limited · 14 loans
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 9.6%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 19.8%
- n=226 loans
- Jobs supported
- 47
- 2.0 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 57%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 83% went to startups / new businesses, 17% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in employment placement agencies, franchised businesses charge off at 19.8% vs 8.7% for independents — franchising is associated with 128% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Sanford Rose Associates franchisees
Showing 3 of 6 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Sanford Rose Associates from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 3.9%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 82%
- Avg interest rate
- 9.58%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $92K
- Lender concentration
- 57.1%
- Job velocity
- 2.0 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 33.3%
- NAICS 561311
- Jobs supported
- 47
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 57% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 8 | $1.2M | N/A |
| 2 | Five Star Bank | 2 | $700K | N/A |
| 3 | Centennial Bank | 1 | $91K | 0.0% |
| 4 | Orion Federal Credit Union | 1 | $119K | 100.0% |
| 5 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp. | 1 | $110K | N/A |
| 6 | Hanover Community Bank | 1 | $150K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLFlorida | 3 | 0 | -- |
| COColorado | 2 | 0 | -- |
| TXTexas | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| ARArkansas | 1 | 0 | -- |
| MAMassachusetts | 1 | 0 | -- |
| MDMaryland | 1 | 0 | -- |
| MTMontana | 1 | 0 | -- |
| NCNorth Carolina | 1 | 0 | -- |
| NYNew York | 1 | 0 | -- |
| TNTennessee | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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
157-unit established system (1970) with strong revenue ($12.1M) and net income ($3.18M); one minor 2019 AVC with Illinois AG ($6,000 paid for registration failure). Concern: negative net worth -$746,262 and -13.7% unit decline.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Sanford Rose Associates International, Inc. entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with the Illinois Attorney General on November 12, 2019 (Case No. 19-AVC-F008) regarding inadvertent failure to register franchise offerings in Illinois before entering into three franchise agreements with Illinois residents beginning January 2016. Settled with $6,000 payment and agreement to comply with registration requirements.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Whitley Penn LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 references audited financial statements in Exhibit Two for periods ending Dec 31 2025/2024/2023, but the exhibit pages in this document are blank (statements not present as extractable text), so no franchisor financials could be extracted.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 43 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNegative net worth -$746,262
- 02MINORNet growth -13.7%
- 03MINORMinor 2019 Illinois AVC ($6,000)
- 04MINORPositive net income $3.18M offset
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 5.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 1 year |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 0.3 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Sanford Rose Associates International, Inc. entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with the Illinois Attorney General on November 12, 2019 (Case No. 19-AVC-F008) regarding inadvertent failure to register franchise offerings in Illinois before entering into three franchise agreements with Illinois residents beginning January 2016. Settled with $6,000 payment and agreement to comply with registration requirements.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 1 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Remote (Zoom)
- Site selection
- franchisee (SRAI does not assist or approve site selection beyond confirming location within territory)
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
68 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES franchise?
The total investment to open a SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES franchise ranges from $11K – $15K, with an initial franchise fee of $8K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES franchise owners earn?
SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES?
SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES is franchised by Sanford Rose Associates International, LLC. Its parent company is Next Level Exchange, LLC (direct parent as of Jan 1, 2024); Next Level Exchange Holdings, Inc. (ultimate parent). The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Next Level Exchange Holdings, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES 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 SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES (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 SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES has 157 total units in the United States, including 157 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 8 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SANFORD ROSE ASSOCIATES as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 43 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.