Compare published Item 7 investment ranges ($40K to $3.5M) across tutoring centers, STEM labs, and preschools — plus our plain-English FDD reading checklist. Email only; no net-worth quizzes.
FTC Franchise Rule · 01
Under federal law (16 C.F.R. Part 436), every franchisor must provide you its complete 23-Item Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) at least 14 days before you sign any contract or pay any fee. Never let a sales rep compress this mandatory due diligence window.
Mandatory FTC review period required before signing a binding agreement or paying any money.
The 14-day clock starts on the calendar day after you sign and date the Item 23 Receipt page. Use every single day.
Item 7 Disclosures · 02
From low-overhead mobile enrichment programs and STEM coding clubs to retail tutoring centers and licensed preschool facilities. See published Item 7 initial investment ranges before discovery calls.
Standardized disclosure sections required in every Franchise Disclosure Document.
03 · Item 19 & Financial Claims
Item 19 is the only place a franchisor is legally permitted to make financial performance representations. If Item 19 is blank, sales reps cannot quote earnings over Zoom or coffee. We teach you what questions to ask current franchisees instead.
04 · Email-Only Lead Intake
Most franchise portals gate information behind intrusive net-worth and liquid-capital quizzes so they can sell your lead to broker networks. We collect one email address and nothing else. No discovery calls booked without your consent.
Your email address is the only field required. Zero net worth or credit checks.
05 · Item 20 Calling Franchisees
Item 20 of every FDD lists phone numbers for current and departed owners. Our checklist gives you the exact questions to ask them about unit economics, real staff turnover, curriculum updates, and franchisor support.
Objective consumer research. Not a franchisor, not a broker, no steering fees.
Compare published Item 7 investment ranges ($40K to $3.5M) across tutoring centers, STEM labs, and preschools — plus our plain-English FDD reading checklist. Email only; no net-worth quizzes.
FTC Franchise Rule · 01
Under federal law (16 C.F.R. Part 436), every franchisor must provide you its complete 23-Item Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) at least 14 days before you sign any contract or pay any fee. Never let a sales rep compress this mandatory due diligence window.
Mandatory FTC review period required before signing a binding agreement or paying any money.
The 14-day clock starts on the calendar day after you sign and date the Item 23 Receipt page. Use every single day.
Item 7 Disclosures · 02
From low-overhead mobile enrichment programs and STEM coding clubs to retail tutoring centers and licensed preschool facilities. See published Item 7 initial investment ranges before discovery calls.
Standardized disclosure sections required in every Franchise Disclosure Document.
03 · Item 19 & Financial Claims
Item 19 is the only place a franchisor is legally permitted to make financial performance representations. If Item 19 is blank, sales reps cannot quote earnings over Zoom or coffee. We teach you what questions to ask current franchisees instead.
04 · Email-Only Lead Intake
Most franchise portals gate information behind intrusive net-worth and liquid-capital quizzes so they can sell your lead to broker networks. We collect one email address and nothing else. No discovery calls booked without your consent.
Your email address is the only field required. Zero net worth or credit checks.
05 · Item 20 Calling Franchisees
Item 20 of every FDD lists phone numbers for current and departed owners. Our checklist gives you the exact questions to ask them about unit economics, real staff turnover, curriculum updates, and franchisor support.
Objective consumer research. Not a franchisor, not a broker, no steering fees.
Published Category Ranges
Compare Item 7 initial investment ranges, facility square footage requirements, and recurring royalty structures across supplemental education.
1,200 – 2,000 sq ft retail space
Typical Royalty: 6% – 12% of gross sales
800 – 1,500 sq ft teaching studio
Typical Royalty: 7% – 10% + software licensing
1,000 – 1,800 sq ft or hybrid storefront
Typical Royalty: 6% – 9% of gross sales
Purpose-built / 6,000 – 12,000 sq ft facility
Typical Royalty: 5% – 7% of gross tuition
1,200 – 2,200 sq ft sound-treated studios
Typical Royalty: 6% – 8% of gross lesson fees
No retail lease required (van / school site)
Typical Royalty: 7% – 10% or flat monthly fee
Objective franchise disclosures. Zero sales pressure. 14 calendar days guaranteed under federal law.
Due Diligence Workflow
From initial format exploration to the mandatory 14-day legal review hold.
01 / 04
A clearer starting point for educators, career changers, and family partnerships exploring education franchises. We break down the real disclosure documents without broker spin.
BrightPath does not own or sell franchises. We are not paid placement commissions to steer you toward specific brands. Our research is 100% impartial.
Summaries are helpful starting points, but the franchisor's official Franchise Disclosure Document governs the deal. Where summaries disagree, the FDD wins.
Most franchise sites gate information behind net-worth and liquid-capital quizzes to sell your data. We collect one email address and never sell it.
We make no financial performance claims. If a brand's Item 19 is blank, sales staff cannot give you numbers either. That is a federal rule, not a courtesy.
Illustrative composite experiences from educators, corporate professionals, and family partnerships researching education franchises across the United States.
Every franchise site I clicked wanted my net worth and liquid assets before disclosing the franchise fee. Having the published Item 7 ranges and royalty structure in one email gave me the clarity I needed to start evaluating brands.
Objective education franchise data designed to help you compare published investment ranges before signing agreements.
We champion the mandatory 14-day disclosure period so prospective buyers have adequate time for attorney and CPA review.
Access our complete education franchise brief with just an email. We never ask for liquid capital, credit scores, or phone numbers.
We never sell your email address to franchise brokers. Every email carries an instant one-click unsubscribe link.
Got Questions?
Everything you need to know about FDD items, published investment ranges, and FTC compliance.
Neither. BrightPath is an independent educational and research platform published by AltFTool. We do not own, sell, award, or operate franchises, and we are not paid placement commissions to steer you toward any specific concept. Any franchise agreement you execute is strictly between you and an independent franchisor.
Nothing. The information on this page and the written brief we send are completely free, with zero financial or legal obligation at any stage. We never ask for payment details on this site.
Published Item 7 initial investment ranges vary widely by format: from $40,000–$110,000 for mobile/in-school enrichment programs to $95,000–$375,000 for retail math/reading centers, and upwards of $500,000–$3,500,000 for purpose-built preschools. The franchisor's current FDD is the sole legal source of truth for exact figures.
No. Under federal FTC regulations, a franchisor may make financial performance representations only inside Item 19 of its FDD. If Item 19 is blank, neither the franchisor nor any sales rep is legally permitted to give you revenue or profit numbers. BrightPath makes zero financial performance claims.
Under 16 C.F.R. Part 436, a franchisor must provide you its 23-Item Franchise Disclosure Document at least 14 calendar days before you sign any contract or pay any fee. Use the full period to call existing owners in Item 20 and review the contract with a franchise attorney and CPA.
Most concepts do not require a teaching degree; many prefer owners who focus on operations, hiring, and local marketing while hired credentialed instructors deliver the curriculum. However, licensed childcare adds state-specific director requirements. Always check your state's childcare licensing board early.
Only your email address, and only if you choose to provide it. We never ask for your net worth, liquid capital, credit score, Social Security number, or phone number on this page.
Request the FDD, hold it for the full 14 days, examine Item 3 (litigation), Item 6 (all recurring fees), Item 7 (initial investment footnotes), and Item 19 (financial claims). Most importantly, call current and former owners listed in Item 20 and consult a qualified franchise attorney.
Stay Informed
Understand published Item 7 ranges and the 23 FDD items before discovery calls.
