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Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Tunex Automotive Specialists vs TechZone Airbag Service including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
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Investment | $155,000 - $218,000 | $51,500 - $110,400 |
Franchise Fee | $19,000 | $15,000 - $35,000 |
Royalty Fee | 5% | 8.5%+marketing fee 2% |
Advertising Fee | - | - |
Year Founded | 1972 | 1992 |
Year Franchised | 1974 | 1994 |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years |
Term Of Agreement | 10 years | 10 years |
Renewal Fee | $2K | $5K |
Business Experience Requirements |
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Experience | ||
Financing Options |
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In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party | |
Franchise Fees | No/Yes | No/No |
Start-up Costs | No/Yes | No/No |
Equipment | No/Yes | No/No |
Inventory | No/Yes | No/No |
Receivables | No/No | No/No |
Payroll | No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
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Training | - | - |
Support | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
Marketing | Co-op advertising, Regional advertising | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising |
Operations |
8% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 4 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Franchise can be run from home. 20% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 1 Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
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US Expansion | - | - |
Canada Expansion | No | No |
International Expansion | No | Yes |
Tunex was founded in 1972, and the first service center began operating in 1974. The public company began franchising in 1975 and has more than 25 company and franchisee-owned service centers in operation. The Tunex franchise opportunity includes both a conversion option (converting an independent service center to a Tunex franchise) and independent franchise units.
In the early '90s, engineer Douglas C. Hansen was working for an aerospace firm developing airbag inflators. He discovered there was a lack of understanding regarding airbag systems'how they worked, how they should be handled and how they should be repaired.
Propelled by that discovery and recent legislation that required all cars to be equipped with driver and passenger airbags, Hansen and his wife, Victoria, founded Airbag Service. Franchisees work with repair shops and consumers in testing, maintaining and replacing airbags.
The company has co-branding relationships with Novus and Apple Auto Glass.