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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.
These brands report different earnings metrics (P&L Bottom Line, assumed annual). Financial figures may not be directly comparable.
Focus by buyer type
| Brand |  BAbove averageTown Square Education Remove |  CAverageMarigold Academy Education Remove |
|---|---|---|
| Vitals | ||
Investment range | $639K – $1.5M | $847K – $1.1M |
Liquid capital | $75K – $165K | $126K – $174K |
Franchise fee | $100K | $50K |
Royalty rate | 7.0% | 7.0% |
Ad fund rate | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Performance | ||
Avg gross sales | $1.3MIncl. company outlets | $2.5MCompany-owned only1 outlet |
Median gross sales | $1.4MIncl. company outlets | N/A |
Avg owner earnings Metric varies by brand. Check type below | N/A | N/A |
Earnings metric | P&L Bottom Line | assumed annual |
| Risk | ||
Rating | BAbove average | CAverage |
Verdict score | 53 / 100 | 39 / 100 |
SBA charge-off rate | 0.0% | N/A |
SBA loans on record | 10 | N/A |
| Scale | ||
Total units | 11 | 2 |
Net change (latest yr) | N/A | N/A |
Turnover rate | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Contract | ||
Initial term (years) | 10 | 10 |
Renewal term (years) | 10 | 10 |
Initial training (hrs) | 40 | 120 |
| Contacts | ||
Franchisee phones | 14 | 0 |
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