SpiderSmart Learning Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
SpiderSmart Learning is a supplemental education franchise offering reading, writing, and math tutoring for K-12 students. Franchisees run the centers, managing tutors, curriculum, and enrollment.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SpiderSmart Learning franchise requires a total initial investment of $80K – $139K, including a $30K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $80K – $139K
- 26th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 19
- 40th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education 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 $80K – $139K including a $30K franchise fee.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (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
- SpiderSmart, Inc.
- Parent company
- JLS Education, LLC
- CEO title
- President
- Jordan Steinberg
- CEO experience
- 23 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- Virginia
- HQ
- 8401 Maryland Dr, Ste S, Richmond, Virginia 23294
- Auditor
- Ahmad Associates, Ltd (AAL)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $259K
- vs $260K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jordan Steinberg
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2004
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 6
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 83% below the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30K | $30K | |
| Lease Deposit (2 months' rent) | $5K | $9K | |
| Construction and remodeling | $5K | $30K | |
| Furnishings | $2K | $5K | |
| Fixtures | $2K | $5K | |
| Signage | $2K | $6K | |
| Equipment | $1K | $3K | |
| Computers for use in tutoring instruction, plus one for the Center Manager's use | $3K | $5K | |
| Inventory (Books and Supplies) | $5K | $8K | |
| Utilities - deposits, connection fees, and monthly charges during first 3 months | $1K | $2K | |
| Advertising (pre-opening and during start-up phase) | $2K | $3K | |
| Business licenses | $500 | $500 | |
| Wages for employees in the first three months | $5K | $8K | |
| Insurance | $400 | $400 | |
| Attorney, Accountant and other Professional Fees | $1K | $5K | |
| Additional funds (initial 3 months) | $15K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $80K | $139K |
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
- $80K – $139K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- greater of 5% of Gross Revenue or $1,500 per month
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 5.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | greater of 5% of Gross Revenue or $1,500 per month |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 5.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
SpiderSmart Learning 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 SpiderSmart Learning unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
83%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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
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 5.0% — below the Education average of 10.6%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 5.6% CAGR over 3 years across 19 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
50% of franchisees own multiple units, a moderate multi-unit rate.
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 Education averages
How SpiderSmart Learning Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 19
- Opened
- 2
- 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
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 50.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +5.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +5.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- California
- Maryland
- Virginia
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
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
Positive but thin financials: net worth $118,371, net income $71,579 on $260,179 revenue across 19 units. One regulatory matter — a 2015 Maryland Consent Order for unregistered franchise sales, resolved with cease-and-desist and rescission offers. No Item 19 disclosure.
Litigation (Item 3)
Consent Order with Maryland Securities Commissioner (File No. Maryland 2014-0422) dated March 20, 2015. Commissioner concluded SpiderSmart violated Sections 14-214 and 14-223 of Maryland Franchise Law by entering into Licensed Facility Agreements for six locations without proper registration. Franchisor agreed to cease and desist from offering/selling franchises in violation of Maryland law, complete franchise registration application, and offer Maryland licensees option to rescind agreements and receive refunds of setup, initiation or transfer fees.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ahmad Associates, Ltd (AAL)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOR1 regulatory Item-3 matter (Maryland Consent Order, 2015)
- 02MINORThin financials: net worth $118,371, revenue $260,179
- 03MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 04MINORNo going-concern, no bankruptcy, audited
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 5.0% 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 | Demographic |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Territory population | 5,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 15 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 20 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Consent Order with Maryland Securities Commissioner (File No. Maryland 2014-0422) dated March 20, 2015. Commissioner concluded SpiderSmart violated Sections 14-214 and 14-223 of Maryland Franchise Law by entering into Licensed Facility Agreements for six locations without proper registration. Franchisor agreed to cease and desist from offering/selling franchises in violation of Maryland law, complete franchise registration application, and offer Maryland licensees option to rescind agreements and receive refunds of setup, initiation or transfer fees.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 22 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- virtual through video conferencing technology
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Spidersmart.com Website
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Spidersmart.com Website
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
20 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
SpiderSmart Learning · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SpiderSmart Learning franchise?
The total investment to open a SpiderSmart Learning franchise ranges from $80K – $139K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do SpiderSmart Learning franchise owners earn?
SpiderSmart Learning 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 SpiderSmart Learning 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 SpiderSmart Learning FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is SpiderSmart Learning's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for SpiderSmart Learning (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 SpiderSmart Learning franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SpiderSmart Learning has 19 total units in the United States, including 19 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SpiderSmart Learning a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SpiderSmart Learning as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 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.