Cartridge Depot vs 123 Refills Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Cartridge Depot vs 123 Refills including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Cartridge Depot Franchise
123 Refills Franchise
Investment $78,334 - $191,265$87,000 - $170,000
Franchise Fee $29,000 - $74,000$25,000
Royalty Fee $250-$1000/month6%
Advertising Fee -2%
Year Founded 20042004
Year Franchised 20042005
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Cartridge Depot Franchise
123 Refills Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options

 
Cartridge Depot Franchise
123 Refills Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees Yes/NoNo/No
Start-up Costs No/NoNo/No
Equipment No/NoNo/No
Inventory No/NoNo/No
Receivables No/NoNo/No
Payroll No/NoNo/No

Training & Support

 
Cartridge Depot Franchise
123 Refills Franchise
Training -123 Refills offers 3 weeks of initial intensive training including on-site support and training for new franchisees.
Support -Ongoing support is provided via telephone, online and on site visits. 123 Refills software technology is continuously updated to push new information to franchisees about new printer / cartridge releases, technical information, sales material and other vital technology updates to its franchisees. The company is on the forefront of R&D into new cartridge refilling technologies, and supports its franchisees with a centralized product distribution ensuring faster and more efficient product sourcing and delivery.
Marketing --
Operations --

Expansion Plans

 
Cartridge Depot Franchise
123 Refills Franchise
US Expansion --
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Cartridge Depot

Ken Blum and Nick Sheehan opened the first Cartridge Depot in 2004, a retail ink store in Boca Raton, Florida, but soon realized that selling ink in a retail setting was not a profitable business model. So instead they began going directly to businesses to offer their ink and toner refilling services. After refining their business model, they sold the Boca Raton location to a franchisee and moved their company's headquarters to Owings Mills, Maryland. Cartridge Depot franchisees inspect cartridges, vacuum out old ink and toner, and refill them in order to save business owners' printing costs.

About 123 Refills

123 Refills stores offer remanufactured and compatible inkjet, laser toner and other cartridge types at substantial savings compared to buying original cartridges. The stores also offer refill services for most popular models, saving the customers even more when they bring in their empty cartridge to have it professionally refilled and remanufactured by 123 Refills. The key to the product quality and customer satisfaction success for 123 Refills lies in its 3 step remanufacturing process � CLEAN, REFILL and TEST. Clean: All cartridges are thoroughly cleaned and inspected for defects and wear. Old ink or toner is evacuated and the cartridge is prepared for refilling. Cartridges or parts that don't meet the 123 Refills quality standards are removed from the production line. Only the highest quality components make it through to the next step. Refill: Each cartridge that has met the 123 Refills quality standards is then professionally refilled with the company's patented formulas. Test: Every cartridge that is refilled is first tested to ensure that it has been filled to equal or more capacity of the original. In some instances, 123 Refills stores can refill cartridges up to 200% the capacity of the originals. The cartridge is then tested on a physical printer to ensure that it meets or exceeds the company's quality standards.