Yesco Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $65K – $432K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.1M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 15 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
YESCO is a B2B franchise that designs, manufactures, installs, and services signs and LED displays for businesses. Franchisees run a sign operation handling sales, fabrication, installation, and maintenance for commercial accounts in a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A YESCO franchise requires a total initial investment of $65K – $432K, including a $25K – $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.1M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2026 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - the current year's filing
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 scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $65K – $432K
- 20th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- 12th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 98
- 46th 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 $65K – $432K including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.1M/year (median $785K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 71/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -1 franchised outlets in the latest year (1 opened, 2 closed) (Item 20).
- TERMSNo protected territory and the franchisor reserves the right to compete in your area. Clarify territorial boundaries before signing.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- YESCO Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- Young Electric Sign Company
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- CEO title
- President
- Ryan Young
- CEO experience
- 30 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Utah
- HQ
- 2401 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84109
- Auditor
- HBME, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.8M
- vs $4.0M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Ryan Young
- Headquarters
- UT
- Founded
- 2010
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 28
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 87% above the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $0 | $50K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $15K | $332K |
| Total initial investment | $65K | $432K |
Source: YESCO 2026 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
- $65K – $432K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $100 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $9K – $20K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 58% above the business services norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for YESCO until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$274K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one YESCO 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 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.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $785K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 52 outlets
- vs category median 37
- Range (low → high)
- $42K→$5.0MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 48 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $175K→$2.6M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
Revenue is 4.4x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.1M/year in gross sales. Median is $785K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 4.4x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.0% (near the Business Services median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (-1.8% 3-year CAGR) with 98 units.
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 Yesco 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
- 98
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.0%
- Company-owned
- 42
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 57%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -1.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -1.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 1
- Not renewed
- 1
- Transfer rate
- 1.0%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 2.0%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 1.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 29 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
50 current owners across 29 states.
- FL 5
- IN 3
- MI 3
- OH 3
- SC 3
- TX 3
- AR 2
- GA 2
- IL 2
- KS 2
- MN 2
- NY 2
- +17 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 7 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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
- $6.4M
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 15 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 15 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 · 15 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 7
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 6.7%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 20.4%
- n=540 loans
- Jobs supported
- 209
- 4.9 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 30%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in sign manufacturing, franchised businesses charge off at 20.4% vs 17.9% for independents — franchising is associated with 14% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Yesco franchisees
Showing 3 of 7 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 Yesco from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 61%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.70%
- Lender concentration
- 30.0%
- Job velocity
- 4.9 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 16.4%
- NAICS 339950
- Jobs supported
- 209
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 30% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Village Bank and Trust, National Association | 3 | $330K | 0.0% |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 2 | $200K | 0.0% |
| 3 | BankUnited, National Association | 2 | $2.3M | N/A |
| 4 | Liberty Bank, Inc. | 1 | $90K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Superior National Bank | 1 | $804K | N/A |
| 6 | First Savings Bank | 1 | $527K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILIllinois | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FLFlorida | 2 | 0 | -- |
| OHOhio | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MIMichigan | 1 | 0 | -- |
| NENebraska | 1 | 0 | -- |
| VAVirginia | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
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
Established sign-service franchisor (98 units, began 1971) with solid financials: net worth $9.95M, net income $1.78M, avg gross sales $1.09M. One resolved franchisee contract/termination suit with counterclaims. Only real note is slight -1.8% net growth; otherwise healthy.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (plaintiff).
Statement of claim issued October 8, 2015 against 2261116 Ontario Inc. (226), 2470322 Ontario Ltd. (247), Wilf Goldlust and Gerald Patt for breach of contract and seeking injunction. 226 was franchisee for Ontario. Counterclaims filed by Goldlust and 226 alleging breach of contract, breach of good faith, misrepresentation and violations of Arthur Wishart Act. Partial summary judgment granted to franchisor dismissing misrepresentation claims (July 2017). Claims against Goldlust and 226 settled September 2017. Remaining claims against Patt and 247 settled August 2018 with one-year non-compete agreement.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · HBME, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 71 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGH1 litigation matter (franchisee termination/nonpayment, counterclaims)
- 02MINORSlight negative net growth -1.8%
- 03MINORStrong financials: net worth $9.95M, net income $1.78M
- 04MEDAudited, Item 19 disclosed, no bankruptcy/going-concern
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | 10000 businesses (typical); minimum 1,000 businesses in smaller markets |
| 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 |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Utah |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Statement of claim issued October 8, 2015 against 2261116 Ontario Inc. (226), 2470322 Ontario Ltd. (247), Wilf Goldlust and Gerald Patt for breach of contract and seeking injunction. 226 was franchisee for Ontario. Counterclaims filed by Goldlust and 226 alleging breach of contract, breach of good faith, misrepresentation and violations of Arthur Wishart Act. Partial summary judgment granted to franchisor dismissing misrepresentation claims (July 2017). Claims against Goldlust and 226 settled September 2017. Remaining claims against Patt and 247 settled August 2018 with one-year non-compete agreement.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 144 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 48 hrs
- Training location
- Salt Lake City, Utah or Las Vegas, Nevada
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 6 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Servizio
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Servizio
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
57 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 YESCO franchise?
The total investment to open a YESCO franchise ranges from $65K – $432K, 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 YESCO franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the YESCO FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.1M. The median is $785K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns YESCO?
YESCO is franchised by YESCO Franchising LLC. Its parent company is Young Electric Sign Company. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the YESCO 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 YESCO FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is YESCO's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for YESCO (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 YESCO franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, YESCO has 98 total units in the United States, including 56 franchised units and 42 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is YESCO a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates YESCO as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 71 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.