WsiFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A WSI franchise requires a total initial investment of $77K – $107K, including a $65K 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 15 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $77K – $107K
- 21st pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 154
- 45th 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
Only 0.0% of 15 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
Franchising since 1999. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Franchised units fell from 160 to 154 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $77K – $107K including a $65K franchise fee.
- Item 19 discloses "gross_sales" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 5/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- Item 19 reports "gross_sales" instead of annual gross sales. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- NATIONAL INTERNET CORPORATION
- Parent company
- World Technology Group Inc. (WTG)
- CEO title
- President
- Mark Dobson
- CEO experience
- 17 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 91 Skyway Avenue, Suite 104, Toronto, Ontario, M9W 6R5 Canada
- Auditor
- BDO Canada LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.1M
- vs $2.6M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
WSI (Web Strategies Inc.) franchisees typically operate as digital marketing and web services consultants, selling services such as web design, SEO, social media management, and online marketing to small and medium-sized businesses. Franchisees work with clients remotely or locally to implement digital strategies and manage ongoing campaigns.
- CEO
- Mark Dobson
- Founded
- 1995
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 36
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $65K | $65K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $2K | $3K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $11K | $39K |
| Total initial investment | $77K | $107K |
Source: WSI 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
- $77K – $107K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $2K – $3K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $65K – $80K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- Fixed fee ranging from $500 to $2,500 per month based on …
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $475 |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $11K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $200 – $500 |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "gross_sales" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Business Services averages
How Wsi Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 154
- Opened
- 18
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 12
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 6
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.8%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +4.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -3.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 7
- Closed (3yr)
- 19
- Terminated (3yr)
- 7
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 22
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Projected new
- 30
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 0.7%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 5.8%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 8.4%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 21 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
- 15
- Loan volume
- $2.7M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 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
- 7
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Wsi's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 7 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 8 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 8-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 15 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
WSI presents meaningful risk due to undisclosed financial performance, stagnant unit growth, unprotected territories, and a high initial investment with unclear profit potential.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Largest disclosed settlement: $79,700
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO Canada LLP
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 5 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed (Item 19) — impossible to assess ROI or profitability
- 02MINORMinimal unit growth of 4.1% YoY with only 154 locations suggests market saturation or weak demand
- 03MINORNo protected territory — franchisees face direct competition from other WSI franchisees in their area
- 04MINORHigh initial investment ($77,400–$106,500) paired with unclear earnings potential creates significant financial risk
- 05MINORFixed monthly royalties ($500–$2,500) provide no relief during slow revenue periods
- 06MINOR10-year term is lengthy given lack of transparent performance data
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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Regional, National, or International |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New York |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 55 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 35 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
99 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
WSI · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a WSI franchise?
The total investment to open a WSI franchise ranges from $77K – $107K, with an initial franchise fee of $65K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do WSI franchise owners earn?
WSI 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 WSI's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, WSI has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 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 WSI franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, WSI has 154 total units in the United States, including 160 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 18 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is WSI a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates WSI 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.