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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of United Marketing Solutions vs The School Communications Agency including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $39,615 - $61,485 | $39,700 - $59,900 |
Franchise Fee | $31,500 | $30,000 - $40,000 |
Royalty Fee | 0 | 12% |
Advertising Fee | - | - |
Year Founded | 1981 | 2011 |
Year Franchised | 1982 | 2013 |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | - |
Renewal Fee | 5% of current license fee | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | - | Ad/Sales Experience |
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | Yes/No | Yes/- |
Start-up Costs | No/No | -/- |
Equipment | No/No | -/- |
Inventory | No/No | -/- |
Receivables | No/No | -/- |
Payroll | No/No | -/- |
Training & Support |
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Training | - | 16-20 hours of Classroom Training, 16 -24 hours of On Site Training. |
Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Field operations/evaluations | Field Support and ongoing remote support is provided along with many resources and tools. |
Marketing | - | - |
Operations |
Franchise can be run from home. 17% of all franchisees own more than one unit
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) | The franchise offered is a home based owner-operator model. The content for the newsletter is provided by the school or the Franchisors Library of Content and is placed into the newsletter by Franchisor. The franchisee sells advertising space in the newsletter, manages the school and business relationships and shares a portion of the revenue with the schools. |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | Yes | Yes |
Canada Expansion | No | - |
International Expansion | No | - |
After Jerry Bernier used direct mail advertising to reach customers for his home-improvement business, he wanted to learn more about the industry. Through his research, Bernier began envisioning a multifaceted company that would provide small-business owners with a variety of marketing products and services. In 1981, Bernier founded United Coupon Corp. to provide those services.
The company, which changed its name to United Marketing Solutions in 1998, began franchising in 1982. Franchisees send out mass mailings five to six times per year in their territory, giving retailers and service providers the opportunity to advertise to consumers in a specific community.
United Marketing Solutions provides graphics, layouts, printing, binding and mailing to its franchisees.