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FranchiseVerdict

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2 brands side-by-side

Compare up to 4 brands side by side

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.

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Focus by buyer type

Brand
Smartstyle logoBAbove average
Smartstyle
Personal Care & Beauty
Remove
Cost Cutters logoCAverage
Cost Cutters
Personal Care & Beauty
Remove
Vitals
Investment range
$184K – $336K
$181K – $342K
Liquid capital
$15K – $45K
$15K – $45K
Franchise fee
$40K
$40K
Royalty rate
N/A
4.0%
Ad fund rate
2.0%
4.0%
Performance
Avg gross sales
N/A
$280K
Median gross sales
N/A
$261K
Avg owner earnings
Metric varies by brand. Check type below
N/A
N/A
Earnings metric
Not classified
Not classified
Risk
Rating
BAbove average
CAverage
Verdict score
48 / 100
46 / 100
SBA charge-off rate
2.3%
0.0%
SBA loans on record
75
9
Scale
Total units
911
405
Net change (latest yr)
N/A
N/A
Turnover rate
26.2%
16.1%
Contract
Initial term (years)
5
15
Renewal term (years)
5
15
Initial training (hrs)
10
10
Contacts
Franchisee phones
107
385

Looking for a detailed head-to-head breakdown?

Read the Smartstyle vs Cost Cutters editorial comparison →

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