7-Eleven was named number three on Forbes magazine’s list of the “Top 20 Franchises to Start.”
Forbes took many variables into account when deciding on the 20 companies, including the initial franchise fee; total locations (they wanted at least 50, but more was better); survival rates (they looked at the percentage of closings during the last five-years compared to the total number of existing locations-the lower the percentage, the better); and the amount of corporate support staff members versus the number of locations (the more support, the better).
Forbes then tallied each franchise’s performance on each of the four criteria (the franchise footprint and initial fees carried the most weight) and added together the results to arrive at its rank-ordered list.
The franchises that made the list come from a variety of industries. Securing the number one spot was Kumon North America, based in Teaneck, N.J., which has been in business for 50 years. Kumon’s 1,282 franchisees deliver after-school math and reading tutelage for children in kindergarten through 12th grade, based on the methods of Japanese teacher Toru Kumon.
The American Poolplayers Association, headquartered in Lake St. Louis, Mo., with 287 locations and just 15 closures since 2004, came in second place.
And, 7-Eleven claimed the number three spot. Forbes noted that 7-Eleven franchisees have to pay a $31,000 initial fee, but that’s a relatively small compared with other national brands. McDonald’s, the Forbes article pointed out, requires a $45,000 fee and requires new franchisees to have $300,000 in cash or liquid securities as a cushion. Forbes also praised 7-Eleven for its resiliency. The Dallas-based chain has 4,330 current locations and only 175 closures during the last five years. Franchisees also have a 1,000-strong support staff behind them.