Set The Stage Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Set The Stage is a home staging franchise that stages and styles homes to help them sell faster. Franchisees run local operations, managing staging inventory, consultations, and installation crews.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Set The Stage franchise requires a total initial investment of $190K – $238K, including a $60K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 23 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $190K – $238K
- 92nd pct Senior Care
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 24
- 51st pct Senior Care
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Senior Care · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Senior Care 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 $190K – $238K including a $60K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports Historical Gross Revenues of Reporting Franchisees (2024) plus historical revenue of one Franchisor-controlled/affiliate-operated location (2023-2024) rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 73/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 23 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DATAItem 19 reports Historical Gross Revenues of Reporting Franchisees (2024) plus historical revenue of one Franchisor-controlled/affiliate-operated location (2023-2024) rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Set The Stage, Inc.
- Parent company
- The Key Design, LLC
- Predecessor
- The Key Design, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President and Chief Growth Officer
- Courtney Clark
- Incorporated in
- Utah
- HQ
- 10446 S 1055 W, Ste 101, South Jordan, Utah 84096
- Auditor
- Traveller & Company LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $613K
- vs $2.9M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Set the Stage Salt Lake Valley
- of Set The Stage
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Courtney Clark
- Headquarters
- UT
- Founded
- 2013
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 12
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 17% below the typical senior care franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown11 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Feenot refundable | $60K | $60K | |
| Starter Package | $99K | $129K | |
| Launch Support Fee | $15K | $15K | |
| Rent | $2K | $3K | |
| Infrastructure, Improvements, and Tools | $1K | $5K | |
| Vehicle | $0 | $3K | |
| Laptop Computer and Smartphone | $0 | $1K | |
| Insurance | $0 | $2K | |
| Marketing Expenses | $3K | $3K | |
| Training Attendance Expenses | $2K | $3K | |
| Additional Funds - initial period | $9K | $15K | |
| Total initial investment | $190K | $238K |
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
- $190K – $238K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $9K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $60K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- the greater of 6% of Gross Revenues or a minimum monthly …
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Set The Stage 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 Set The Stage unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
56%
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
- Item 19 type
- Historical Gross Revenues of Reporting Franchisees (2024) plus historical revenue of one Franchisor-controlled/affiliate-operated location (2023-2024)
- Sample size
- 4 franchisees
- vs category median 22 · small
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 79 Senior Care brands
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 8.0% (near the Senior Care average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports Historical Gross Revenues of Reporting Franchisees (2024) plus historical revenue of one Franchisor-controlled/affiliate-operated location (2023-2024) rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +360.0% over 3 years (18 opened, 0 closed).
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 Senior Care averages
How Set The Stage Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 24
- Opened
- 18
- 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
- 96%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- 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 20 · 19 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.
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.
- Total loans
- 23
- Loan volume
- $5.3M
- Median loan
- $264K
- 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 8
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 10.6%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- 33.3%
- brand is below its industry ↓
- Jobs supported
- 76
- 1.4 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 61%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 100% went to startups / new businesses, 0% to established operators
Top lenders financing Set The Stage franchisees
Showing 3 of 8 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.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Set The Stage's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 8 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 2-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 23 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Small home-services franchise (24 units, 23 franchised) with a razor-thin net worth of $186 and a net loss of -$63,614. No litigation, bankruptcy, or going-concern issues; Item 19 disclosed (avg gross sales $378,349) and financials audited.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $129,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Traveller & Company LLC
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 73 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNear-zero net worth $186 and net loss -$63,614
- 02MEDOtherwise clean: no litigation, Item 19 disclosed, audited
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 | Population-based |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory sizeℹ | 250,000 people |
| 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 | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Utah |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Training location
- On-site and franchisor location
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- STS Operations App
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: STS Operations App
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
44 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Set The Stage · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Set The Stage franchise?
The total investment to open a Set The Stage franchise ranges from $190K – $238K, 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 Set The Stage franchise owners earn?
Set The Stage 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 Set The Stage 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 Set The Stage FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Set The Stage's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Set The Stage has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 23 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 Set The Stage franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Set The Stage has 24 total units in the United States, including 23 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 18 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Set The Stage a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Set The Stage as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 73 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?
If you represent Set The Stage, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.