COST CUTTERS vs Sport Clips

Compare franchise fees, investment range, royalties, SBA lending performance, unit growth, and Item 19 transparency with a permanent shareable URL.

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COST CUTTERS
Beauty/Salon
Investment
$181K to $342K
Franchise fee
$39,500
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
521
Sport Clips
Beauty/Salon
Investment
$289K to $475K
Franchise fee
$69,500
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
1,785
Lower entry cost
Leans left
Based on minimum initial investment.
Better disclosed economics
Even
Uses Item 19 availability and transparency status.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans left
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
MetricCOST CUTTERSSport Clips
Franchise Fee
$39,500$69,500
Min Investment
$181K$289K
Max Investment
$342K$475K
Royalty Rate
6.0%6.0%
Ad Fund Rate
4.0%5.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
10.0%11.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$261K$409K
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
11.9%11.8%
Payback Period
8.4 yrs8.5 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
1.00x1.07x
Franchised Units
5211,785
1-Year Net Unit Change
-134-31
Net Unit Growth Rate
-22.2%-1.7%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
20.5%1.7%
SBA Default Rate
0.0%8.1%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
9322
Average SBA Loan Size
$613K$232K
Item 19 Status
Revenue OnlyRevenue Only
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
100100

What stands out

  • COST CUTTERS opens at $181K to $342K, while Sport Clips ranges from $289K to $475K.
  • COST CUTTERS shows an Item 19 disclosure; Sport Clips shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • COST CUTTERS has 521 franchised units versus 1,785 for Sport Clips.

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Last updated: April 2026