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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Dr. Vinyl vs Tuffy Auto Service Centers including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $41,320 - $71,500 | $224,000 - $413,500 |
Franchise Fee | $24,500 | $30,000 |
Royalty Fee | 7% | 2.5%-5% |
Advertising Fee | - | 5% |
Year Founded | 1972 | 1970 |
Year Franchised | 1981 | 1971 |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 15 years |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 15 years |
Renewal Fee | - | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | ||
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | Yes/No | No/Yes |
Start-up Costs | No/No | No/Yes |
Equipment | No/No | No/Yes |
Inventory | No/No | No/Yes |
Receivables | No/No | No/No |
Payroll | No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
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Training | - | On-The-Job Training: 40 hours Classroom Training: 104 hours Additional Training: At existing store |
Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | 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 | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media | Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app |
Operations |
Franchise can be run from home. International franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 10% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 1 Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (99% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
30% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 4 - 5
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | - | Yes |
Canada Expansion | No | No |
International Expansion | Yes | No |
Former aerospace employee W. David Isley founded Dr. Vinyl in 1972 in Kansas City, Missouri. He and his wife, Marcia, worked with local restaurants, repairing torn, burnt, chipped and peeling vinyl booths and chairs, but soon discovered there were many similar repairs to be done at car dealerships. The couple did repairs for clients in the Kansas City area until 1981, when they began franchising.
Dr. Vinyl franchisees offers bumper repair, automotive paint touch-up, paintless dent removal, and vinyl siding repair in addition to the leather and vinyl repairs the Isleys introduced over 40 years ago.
In January of 2001, Dr. Vinyl was sold to Richard Reinders, formerly the company's European Master Franchisee. It now allows franchisees to purchase shares in the parent company.