Quick Verdict · who it fits
Signal fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mature business services concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$160K - $10.2M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$150K
Royalty (Item 6)
4% + 5% ad
System size (Item 20)
1,883 +238
Agreement term
3 yrs
Training (Item 11)
90 days
Item 3 litigation
9 suits
Model Signal's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Financing available✓Exclusive territory✓Semi-absentee eligible✓No bankruptcy disclosed•9 Item 3 cases
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 4% + ad fund 5% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$500,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (4%)
—
Ad fund (5%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
1,883
Total units open
302
Units opened last year
66
Units closed last year
236
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How Signal ranks against 91 Business Services peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
75th pct · of 91 peers
Franchise fee
97th pct · of 91 peers
System size
97th pct · of 91 peers
Business Services industry averages
Avg investment
$149K - $428K
Avg franchise fee
$49K
Avg system size
222
Franchises analyzed
91
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal | Disclosed | $150K | $160K - $10.2M | 4% | 1,883 |
| Venture XSimilar price | Disclosed | $80K | $2.4M - $4.3M | — | 73 |
| The Ups StoreBiggest system | Disclosed | $40K | $86K - $606K | 5% | 5,487 |
| Unishippers Global LogisticsTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $30K | $17K - $233K | 15–18.5% | 191 |
Not sure Signal is the one?
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
FedEx Office is a wholly owned FedEx subsidiary with no franchise program and no disclosure document. The comparable counter you can actually buy is The UPS Store, where the 2026 FDD prices a new traditional center at $222,368 to $606,081.
Brand Analysis
Yes. Jiffy Lube International is a Shell subsidiary, and 1,765 of the system's 2,083 US service centers were franchised at the end of 2025. The 2026 FDD sets a $35,000 fee and a $211,000 to $510,000 investment range that leaves out the land and the building.
Brand Analysis
Yes, McDonald's is a franchise — roughly 95% of its 40,000+ locations worldwide are operated by independent franchisees. But McDonald's franchise model is unlike almost any other brand. Here's how it actually works.
Signal requires a $150,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $160,200–$10,189,650, per the most recent FDD on file.
Signal is franchised by Signal 88, LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
Yes. Signal discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 4% of Gross Revenues and an advertising fund contribution of 5% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Signal has 1,883 total locations, with 238 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Yes. Signal's most recent FDD documents approximately 90 days of initial training, typically split between classroom and on-site components. See Item 11 of the FDD for the full training and support schedule.
Yes. Signal grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.
Per the FDD, Signal discloses an initial agreement term of 3 years. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt