IMAGINE ARTS ACADEMY vs The Goddard School
Compare FDD disclosures, investment range, royalty and ad fund burden, SBA lending outcomes, Item 20-style unit movement, Item 19 transparency, and data-confidence caveats with a permanent shareable URL.
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IMAGINE ARTS ACADEMY
Education/Tutoring
Investment
$128K to $168K
Franchise fee
$49,000
Item 19 status
Limited Data
Confidence
High Confidence
Units
20
The Goddard School
Education/Tutoring
Investment
$953K to $8.6M
Franchise fee
$135,000
Item 19 status
Full Disclosure
Confidence
High Confidence
Units
29
Lower entry cost
Leans left
Based on disclosed minimum initial investment only; buyer cash needs may be higher after working capital, lease, and financing assumptions.
Better disclosed economics
The Goddard School
Uses the same Item 19 transparency hierarchy shown on franchise pages and rankings.
Lower SBA default risk
Even
Treat low-loan brands carefully; sample size and SBA borrower mix matter.
| Metric | IMAGINE ARTS ACADEMY | The Goddard School |
|---|---|---|
Franchise Fee From disclosed FDD fee data when available; excludes buyer-specific legal, diligence, and financing costs. | $49,000 | $135,000 |
Min Investment Lower bound of disclosed initial investment range, not a recommended capital budget. | $128K | $953K |
Max Investment Upper end of FDD range; still reconcile to site, lease, buildout, and working-capital assumptions. | $168K | $8.6M |
Royalty Rate Ongoing royalty burden before local store economics and owner salary. | 8.0% | 7.0% |
Ad Fund Rate National/brand fund rate when disclosed; local marketing may be additive. | 2.0% | 4.0% |
Total Ongoing Burden Royalty plus ad fund when available. | 10.0% | 11.0% |
Median Revenue (Item 19) Only meaningful when the franchisor provides an Item 19 financial-performance representation. | $121K | $2.4M |
Cash-on-Cash Return Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available. | 16.4% | 9.6% |
Payback Period | 6.1 yrs | 10.4 yrs |
Revenue per Dollar Invested | 0.82x | 0.51x |
Franchised Units Latest disclosed franchised-unit count in the corpus. | 20 | 29 |
1-Year Net Unit Change Item 20-style system movement signal; investigate transfers, closures, and refranchising before assuming organic growth. | N/A | N/A |
Net Unit Growth Rate | N/A | N/A |
Net Closure Rate Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change. | N/A | N/A |
SBA Default Rate Historical SBA performance for matched loans, not a prediction for a new buyer or location. | N/A | 2.2% |
SBA Loan Count Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful. | N/A | 580 |
Average SBA Loan Size | N/A | $1.9M |
Item 19 Status Canonical transparency badge used across franchise, ranking, and compare surfaces. | Limited Data | Full Disclosure |
Has Item 19 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Data Confidence Derived from the same data-quality thresholds used on franchise pages. | High Confidence · 100/100 | High Confidence · 100/100 |
What stands out
- • IMAGINE ARTS ACADEMY discloses an initial investment range of $128K to $168K, while The Goddard School discloses $953K to $8.6M. Treat these as FDD ranges, not a full purchase budget.
- • IMAGINE ARTS ACADEMY shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure; The Goddard School shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure. Missing Item 19 data should narrow confidence, not automatically kill a brand.
- • IMAGINE ARTS ACADEMY has 20 franchised units versus 29 for The Goddard School; use one-year net unit movement and closure proxies as early diligence signals, not final underwriting.
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Last updated: May 2026