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indicates the clear winner per row. Ties and missing data are not highlighted.
How winners are chosen
Lower is better for investment, liquid capital, franchise fee, royalty and ad-fund rates, SBA charge-off rate, and owner turnover.
Higher is better for disclosed revenue and owner earnings, verdict score, total units, net unit growth, and franchisee contacts. For the letter grade, A ranks highest.
A row is highlighted only when one brand clearly leads. Ties are never highlighted, and missing data never counts as a win. Some rows (earnings-metric type, loan counts, contract terms) are informational and have no winner.
Focus by buyer type
| Brand |  CAverageLittle School of Music Education Remove |  FWeakest tierGymboree Play & Music Education Remove |
|---|---|---|
| Vitals | ||
Investment range | $248K – $335K | $160K – $393K |
Liquid capital | $15K – $20K | $30K – $60K |
Franchise fee | $0 | $45K |
Royalty rate | 8.0% | 6.0% |
Ad fund rate | 3.0% | 3.3% |
| Performance | ||
Avg gross sales | $734KCompany-owned only1 outlet | $255K |
Median gross sales | N/A | $223K |
Avg owner earnings Metric varies by brand. Check type below | N/A | N/A |
Earnings metric | Total Revenue (Tuition, Materials & Concerts) | Not classified |
| Risk | ||
Rating | CAverage | FWeakest tier |
Verdict score | 44 / 100 | 23 / 100 |
SBA charge-off rate | N/A | 13.3% |
SBA loans on record | N/A | 18 |
| Scale | ||
Total units | 1 | 41 |
Net change (latest yr) | N/A | N/A |
Turnover rate | 0.0% | 35.0% |
| Contract | ||
Initial term (years) | 10 | 10 |
Renewal term (years) | 10 | 10 |
Initial training (hrs) | 110 | 60 |
| Contacts | ||
Franchisee phones | 0 | 56 |
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