The Scout GuideFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Scout Guide franchise requires a total initial investment of $130K – $288K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 10.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $130K – $288K
- 38th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- 28th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 95
- 38th pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- 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
Bottom line
- Total investment $130K – $288K including a $50K franchise fee, 10.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 57/100.
- System growing at 28.8% CAGR over 3 years with 95 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Scout Guide, LLC
- Parent company
- TSG Holding Company LLC
- Incorporated in
- VA
- HQ
- 3465 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
- Auditor
- Hantzmon Wiebel LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.0M
- vs $6.6M prior year
Overview
About
The Scout Guide franchisees operate local digital lifestyle guides and community-focused content platforms, curating and publishing local business recommendations, event listings, and lifestyle content. They generate revenue through advertising sales to local businesses, sponsored content, and potentially subscription or premium listing services. Day-to-day operations involve sales prospecting to local merchants, content curation/publication, and community relationship management.
- CEO
- Christy Ford
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2011
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 33
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $7K | $12K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $73K | $226K |
| Total initial investment | $130K | $288K |
Source: The Scout Guide 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $130K – $288K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $7K – $12K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- TSG Royalty Rate Card Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 100 per month
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 10.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% 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 The Scout Guide Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 95
- Opened
- 13
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 7
- Turnover rate
- 7.4%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +6.8%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +28.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 10
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 33 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 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $118K
- Median loan
- $50K
- 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
- 2
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into The Scout Guide's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 2 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 2 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 2-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
High investment opacity and slow unit growth create meaningful risk—lack of published financials makes it impossible to validate return potential against capital requirements.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Hantzmon Wiebel LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 57 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (avg revenue and net income not disclosed) prevents ROI validation against $129,600-$288,100 investment
- 02MEDSlow unit growth of 6.8% YoY with only 95 units suggests limited brand recognition and market traction
- 03MEDHigh 10% royalty rate combined with undisclosed profitability creates uncertainty about actual take-home income
- 04HIGHNo going concern statement is neutral but combined with slow growth and hidden financials raises questions about system viability
- 05MINORModest franchise fee ($50,000) relative to total investment suggests most capital goes to startup costs with unclear revenue visibility
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 |
| Territory type | zip codes, natural, or political boundaries |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| 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 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 13 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- POS system
- Quickbooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Quickbooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
85 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
The Scout Guide · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a The Scout Guide franchise?
The total investment to open a The Scout Guide franchise ranges from $130K – $288K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do The Scout Guide franchise owners earn?
The Scout Guide 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 The Scout Guide's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for The Scout Guide (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 The Scout Guide franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Scout Guide has 95 total units in the United States, including 73 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 13 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is The Scout Guide a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Scout Guide as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 57 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.