Start a AlphaGraphics Franchise in 2024

2024 Franchise 500 Rank: #480 Ranked #435 last year

Initial investment: $292K - $375K

Units as of 2024: 252 4% over 3 years

AlphaGraphics is a business-to-business print and marketing franchise. They offer extensive digital, print, and visual communication services, with everything from conceptual marketing to customized business card printing.

With more than 270 AlphaGraphics centers in six countries today, the franchise has been part of the international family of MBE Worldwide since 2017.

Franchising since 1980, the franchise was the United States’ first desktop publishing retailer by the mid-1980s and became the first American printing franchise with a global presence by the end of the decade.

Why You May Want to Start an AlphaGraphics Franchise

AlphaGraphics may be a top choice for potential franchisees seeking print and marketing business opportunities. With over five decades of experience in the industry and a growing network of business centers around the U.S., the franchise has authentically created its franchising system while continuing to improve.

An AlphaGraphics franchise may allow you to help your customers attract leads to their sales funnel. AlphaGraphics strives to offer state-of-the-art technology, workplace efficiency, and a low-footprint business design.

What Might Make Opening an AlphaGraphics Franchise a Good Choice?

AlphaGraphics has been ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 many times in the past two decades. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

The progress of AlphaGraphics franchising can be summarized in several points, including but not limited to scalability, brand longevity, and the business to business model, which tends to result in repeat business.

To be part of the AlphaGraphics team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should be prepared for ongoing fees, including advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How to Open an AlphaGraphics Franchise

The AlphaGraphics discovery process is a program that teaches potential franchisees all they need to know before opening a franchise with the printing and marketing services company. Through this process, you can decide whether this franchise is right for you, your family, and your goals. At the same time, the franchise is likely to use the program to better understand you as a potential franchisee and review your background before determining your suitability for partnership.

During the discovery process, you may have a dedicated development director guiding you in each stage of the process. Among many other things, you'll learn about AlphaGraphics' competitive advantages, meet the executive and support teams as well as some current franchisees, and have a look at some AlphaGraphics centers' performance statistics.

Speak to existing franchisees and ask questions directed towards the AlphaGraphics team during your due diligence process. This will give you a feel for the company and what to expect as a franchisee. If your discovery process goes well, you may just be the newest AlphaGraphics franchise location in town.

Company Overview

About AlphaGraphics

Industry	Business Services
Related Categories	Printing/Marketing Services, Postal & Business Centers
Founded	1970
Parent Company	MBE Worldwide
Leadership	Bill McPherson, VP RND
Corporate Address	143 Union Blvd., #650 Lakewood, CO 80228
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1980 (44 years)
# of employees at HQ	68
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Europe (Western), Central America, South America
# of Units	252 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a AlphaGraphics franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$49,750
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$291,639 - $374,889
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$400,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$100,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	$10,000 off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	7%-3%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2.5%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	AlphaGraphics has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	41-60 hours
Classroom Training	91-110 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	2-3
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes