Mainstream Boutique vs Big Frog Custom T-Shirts Franchise Comparison

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

Start-Up Costs and Fees
	Mainstream Boutique Franchise	Big Frog Custom T-Shirts Franchise
Investment	$160,800 - $306,350	$114,501 - $244,800
Franchise Fee	$40,000	$13,500 - $39,500
Royalty Fee	7.5%	6%
Advertising Fee	0.5%	1.5%
Year Founded	1991	2007
Year Franchised	1998	2008
Term Of Agreement	-	-
Term Of Agreement	-	-
Renewal Fee	-	-
Business Experience Requirements
	Mainstream Boutique Franchise	Big Frog Custom T-Shirts Franchise
Experience	-	Friendly and outgoing. $50,000 minimum liquidity.
Financing Options
	Mainstream Boutique Franchise	Big Frog Custom T-Shirts Franchise
	In-House/3rd Party	In-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees	-/Yes	-/-
Start-up Costs	-/Yes	-/Yes
Equipment	-/Yes	-/Yes
Inventory	-/Yes	-/Yes
Receivables	-/Yes	-/-
Payroll	-/Yes	-/-
Training & Support
	Mainstream Boutique Franchise	Big Frog Custom T-Shirts 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	Manuals, online training courses, 5-day Big Frog University in Dunedin FL, 4 days in-store at opening. Online courses, live webinars and recorded videos, Best Practices monthly newsletter, annual FROG-A-Thon convention. On-The-Job Training: 36 hours Classroom Training: 40 hours
Support	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	Site selection and lease negotiation, pre-opening manual and online task manager and weekly calls, Intranet and forums, pre-opening marketing program, weekly coaching calls, onsite visits, Grand Opening program, closed Facebook group, marketing calendar and online Ad-builder and dashboard, monthly KPI reports, annual marketing and business planning assistance. Store design drawings, DTG printer installation and training, on-demand business coaching, weekly coaching calls, franchisee peer groups, onsite visits, new product research and development, website and Facebook page, recruiting platform and program, DTG ink sales, pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaigns, bi-monthly e-mail marketing blasts, garment vendor discounts and other benefits, proprietary point-of-sale (POS) software, IT support vendor, community event programs. Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing
Operations	Absentee Ownership Allowed	Number of Employees Required to Run: 2
Expansion Plans
	Mainstream Boutique Franchise	Big Frog Custom T-Shirts Franchise
US Expansion	Yes	Yes
Canada Expansion	-	No
International Expansion	-	-

Company Overviews

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.

About Big Frog Custom T-Shirts

Big Frog is NOT your father's T-shirt shop! We’re a high-tech retail boutique with rainforest décor, serving consumers, businesses, charities & schools; think “George Jetson meets George of the Jungle”!

We make custom-designed T-shirts, polos and sweatshirts, gifts and other garments using photos, clip art, text and logos. We use a unique, environmentally-friendly high quality ‘Direct-to-Garment’ (DTG) inkjet printing process for a breathable image that won’t peel, crack or fade. Main consumer selling points are: No minimum quantities (1-100 our specialty!); No setup fees or artwork charges (Free design service while you wait!); delivery within 24-hours; No kidding!

Big Frog isn’t just a business; it’s a lifestyle! Your 1,200 sq foot store will be open Mon-Fri 9-6 and Sat 9-1, and you’ll have only 2 or 3 employees, hardly any receivables and minimal inventory. Our DTG products have a 75+% gross margin, and we’re one of the fastest-growing, most award-winning concepts in the franchise industry! Great owners network in the community, raising awareness and driving business back to the store.

We can provide any quantity of shirts using any decorating technique, including DTG, vinyl, UltraPrints, screen printing and embroidery. Our stores focus on the highest level of service and provide an amazing customer experience, going past “satisfying customers” to generating FANS. Customers, employees and the owner all have FUN, and our stores generate over 60% repeat and referral business!

Veteran Incentives  20% off franchise fee