USA Baby vs Mainstream Boutique Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of USA Baby vs Mainstream Boutique including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	USA Baby Franchise	Mainstream Boutique Franchise
Investment	$344,000 - $650,000	$160,800 - $306,350
Franchise Fee	$23,400 - $60,200	$40,000
Royalty Fee	3%	7.5%
Advertising Fee	-	0.5%
Year Founded	1975	1991
Year Franchised	1986	1998
Term Of Agreement	10 years	-
Term Of Agreement	10 years	-
Renewal Fee	-	-
Business Experience Requirements
	USA Baby Franchise	Mainstream Boutique Franchise
Experience	General business experience	-
Financing Options
	USA Baby Franchise	Mainstream Boutique Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	No/Yes	-/Yes
Start-up Costs	No/Yes	-/Yes
Equipment	No/Yes	-/Yes
Inventory	No/Yes	-/Yes
Receivables	No/No	-/Yes
Payroll	No/No	-/Yes
Training & Support
	USA Baby Franchise	Mainstream Boutique Franchise
Training	-	Initial training course at our corporate office in Apple Valley, Minnesota. The course includes classroom instruction and on-the-job training to learn basic operating skills, such as booking and conducting shows, inventory purchase and control, merchandising, customer service, customer relations, basic computer set-up and operations, selling and marketing techniques, financial reporting and much, much more. On-The-Job Training: 50+ hours Classroom Training: 26+ hours Additional Training: Ongoing training as needed
Support	Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives	You'll receive a copy of the Confidential Operations Manual that covers policies and procedures involved in running your business. You'll also receive periodic visits from a Mainstream Boutique representative who will provide experienced guidance along the way. And, of course, we are only a phone call away to answer your day-to-day questions. Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing	Ad slicks, Regional advertising	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations	10% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 8 Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)	Absentee Ownership Allowed
Expansion Plans
	USA Baby Franchise	Mainstream Boutique Franchise
US Expansion	-	Yes
Canada Expansion	No	-
International Expansion	Yes	-

Company Overviews

About USA Baby

USA Baby was founded in 1975 by Alan Levine. It began franchising in 1986 and the chain now includes international locations. USA Baby offers more than 2,000 items for infant and child care. The privately held company is based in Elmhurst, Illinois.

About Mainstream Boutique

Mainstream Boutique is an exciting retail and fashion franchise concept that sells some of the fashion world's most unique clothing, accessories and giftware at franchise-owned retail stores, and a variety of direct sales venues such as home parties and corporate sponsored events. Our clientele is all ages, all sizes and always on the lookout for something out of the ordinary at affordable prices. Our franchisees are savvy, sales-oriented, and love working with people. Whether you are looking for the perfect outfit, or the perfect business opportunity, Mainstream Boutique might be for you! Mainstream Fashions is a company dedicated to helping women look and feel great in fun, unique fashions. We are also dedicated to helping our franchisees be successful and profitable.

Veteran Incentives  10% off franchise fee

#405 in Franchise 500 for 2020.