Franchise Directory

Clear Lakes Dental

Offices of Dentists

N/A

The question every dentist considering practice ownership eventually confronts is not whether they want to own a clinic — it is whether they can survive the financial, operational, and administrative gauntlet of getting there without burning out first. The average dental school graduate exits with over $300,000 in student debt, and the traditional path to de novo practice ownership requires an additional $500,000 to $1,000,000 in startup capital, years of navigating commercial real estate, hiring, billing systems, and marketing — all while trying to maintain clinical excellence. Clear Lakes Dental franchise was built specifically to solve that problem. Founded in October 2017 in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, Clear Lakes Dental was created by Dr. David Park and his wife, both dentists, who experienced that exact financial pressure firsthand and engineered a more efficient path to ownership. Dr. Park developed a structured franchise system designed to make practice ownership simple, profitable, and replicable, then formalized it as a franchise offering in 2021 under the entity Clear Lakes Dental Franchise LLC, headquartered at 4080 W. Broadway Ave., Suite 300, Robbinsdale, MN 55422. As of December 2025, the system supports eight locations across Minnesota — in Robbinsdale, East Saint Paul, Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids, West Saint Paul, Richfield, Eden Prairie, and Rochester — with five franchised units and three company-owned units operating under Dr. Park's direct leadership. The brand opened eight clinics within its first two years of franchising, a growth velocity that places it among the fastest-scaling dental franchise concepts in the upper Midwest. The global dental services market was estimated at USD 433.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 610.4 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.5%, providing the structural tailwind that makes a dental franchise investment categorically different from discretionary consumer concepts. This is an independent analytical profile of the Clear Lakes Dental franchise opportunity — not marketing copy — written to give prospective investors the data density needed to make an informed decision. The U.S. dental market alone was valued at USD 11.60 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach approximately USD 36.15 billion by 2034, compounding at a CAGR of 12.02% from 2025 to 2034. That growth trajectory is being driven by several durable, secular forces that are structurally favorable for franchise-format dental clinics. The aging U.S. population is expanding the base of patients requiring restorative and preventive care, while rising insurance coverage rates and expanded Medicaid dental benefits are converting previously uninsured patients into active dental consumers. Consumer demand for cosmetic dentistry procedures — including teeth whitening, veneers, and implants — continues to accelerate as a non-insurance, high-margin revenue category. The dental clinics segment specifically held the largest revenue share of more than 68.5% of the broader dental services market in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR exceeding 4.0% annually through 2030. North America dominated the global dental services market with a revenue share of over 48.3% in 2022, positioning U.S.-based dental franchises to capture disproportionate growth relative to global peers. The broader dental market — when including equipment, technology, and service adjacencies — shows even more aggressive projections, with one estimate placing the global market at USD 41.03 billion in 2025, expanding to USD 118.36 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of 12.94%. Solo practices currently hold the largest dental market share at 55.69%, which signals that the fragmented, independent practice landscape remains ripe for franchise consolidation. AI-driven diagnostic tools, digital imaging, and teledentistry services are reshaping clinical workflows, and in Q2 2025 alone, dental organizations added 37.7% of new staff and allocated 22% of investment budgets to new software platforms — a data point that underscores how technology investment is becoming a baseline competitive requirement rather than a differentiator. Clear Lakes Dental franchise, with its stated investment in AI-driven systems and operational technology, is building at the intersection of these converging market forces. The Clear Lakes Dental franchise cost begins with an initial franchise fee of $62,000, payable upfront upon signing the Franchise Agreement. For context, the average initial franchise fee across healthcare service franchise categories typically ranges from $35,000 to $75,000, placing the Clear Lakes Dental franchise fee in the upper-middle tier — a positioning consistent with the clinical expertise, proprietary systems, and territory value the company delivers. The total initial investment for a Clear Lakes Dental franchise ranges from $554,300 to $1,511,200, with variation driven primarily by real estate format, geographic build-out costs, and the scope of equipment procurement. Breaking down the investment architecture: construction, remodeling, and leasehold improvements account for $100,000 to $500,000 of the range — the single largest variable, reflecting the difference between converting an existing dental space versus a full ground-up build-out. Fixtures, furnishings, dental equipment, and décor represent a $200,000 to $600,000 range, underscoring the capital intensity of a fully equipped dental operatory environment. First-three-month payroll obligations add $100,000 to $150,000, while initial supplies cost $20,000 to $60,000. Smaller line items include computer hardware and software at $6,000 to $12,000, security and surveillance systems at $7,000 to $10,000, signage at $6,000 to $12,000, and first-quarter rent and security deposits of $21,000 to $36,000. Initial local advertising for the first three months is set at $2,100, and licenses, permits, and insurance add a combined $1,500 to $6,000. The ongoing royalty rate is 7.00% of gross sales — in line with dental franchise system averages — and franchisees contribute a flat advertising fee of $2,700 per month to the national brand fund, which translates to $32,400 annually regardless of revenue scale. The 10-year franchise agreement term provides long-horizon certainty for franchisees making a capital commitment in the $554,300 to $1,511,200 range. Total cost of ownership analysis — factoring royalties, advertising contributions, and estimated operating expenses against disclosed revenue figures — positions this as a premium but financially justified investment relative to the income potential the system has publicly demonstrated. Clear Lakes Dental franchise operations are architected to solve what is historically the largest non-clinical failure point for dentist-owners: the business side. In the Clear Lakes Dental model, the franchisor assumes responsibility for marketing, billing, operations management, and logistics — functions that typically require a dentist-owner to either hire a practice administrator or sacrifice evenings and weekends to manage personally. The daily operational experience for a Clear Lakes Dental franchisee is designed to center on clinical care delivery rather than business administration. The company employs a "Try Before You Own" entry model that allows prospective franchisees to evaluate the operating environment before committing capital, a structural risk-reduction tool uncommon in dental franchise offerings. Training support begins at the initial build-out phase and continues through opening and into ongoing operations, with a leadership team and existing network of owners providing mentorship alongside formal corporate guidance. The franchise's support infrastructure includes cutting-edge marketing programs, recruiting assistance for clinical and administrative staff, and a technology stack that incorporates AI-driven systems to optimize patient flow and scheduling efficiency. Territory designation for each Clear Lakes Dental franchise is based on market analysis, demographics, and placement strategy, with the franchisor providing a designated territory in which no other same-type Clear Lakes Dental location will be established — contingent on franchisee compliance with the agreement. The model accommodates both owner-operator dentists and hybrid structures: one documented franchisee works only three days per week while associate dentists handle daily chair-side operations, and the company's disclosed financials include a location managed entirely without the owner dentist working in the practice for the full year. Staffing infrastructure typically includes a mix of full-time and part-time associate dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and front-office administrative personnel, with Clear Lakes Dental's recruiting support designed to reduce the time and friction of building that team from scratch. Clear Lakes Dental franchise revenue performance disclosure is one of the most consequential data points in this analysis. The company discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its Franchise Disclosure Document — a transparency standard that fewer than 50% of franchise systems meet — and the numbers disclosed for 2024 are materially significant. Clinics that had been in operation for the full 2024 calendar year averaged $5,129,450 in revenue per location, and the median across reported units came in at $4,850,000. The top-performing franchisee generated $8,864,788 in 2024 revenue, a figure that reflects what is possible within the system when an owner-operator dentist is fully engaged in clinical production. The floor of performance — a clinic open only four days per week with one full-time and one part-time doctor, and with the owner not working in the practice — still generated $1,958,239 in annual revenue, which establishes a defensible baseline even under constrained operating conditions. The spread between the top performer at $8.86 million and the floor at $1.96 million is substantial, and the primary driver of that variance is owner-operator clinical involvement: practices where the franchisee is actively producing dentistry generate materially higher revenue than those operated fully by associates. The company estimates a franchise payback period of 1.6 to 3.6 years, a range that — when measured against an average investment of approximately $1,032,750 (midpoint of the investment range) and average revenue of $5,129,450 — is directionally consistent if operating margins fall between 20% and 35%, which is typical for well-run dental practices with efficient billing and staffing. For context, a dental practice generating $5.1 million annually at a 25% EBITDA margin produces approximately $1.275 million in owner earnings per year, which would deliver full investment recovery within the disclosed payback window. These are not guarantees — individual results vary based on market density, clinical capacity, and management quality — but the Item 19 data provides a factual foundation for financial modeling that many franchise systems in any category simply do not offer. Clear Lakes Dental franchise has demonstrated exceptional growth velocity since beginning franchising operations in 2021. The company reached eight operating clinics within approximately two years of its franchise launch, a pace that reflects both strong franchisee recruitment and the operational efficiency of its build-out and onboarding system. In 2023, the FDD reported 2 total units, both franchisee-owned, and the system has since expanded to 8 total locations — 5 franchised and 3 company-owned — representing 300% unit growth over a compressed two-year window. Geographic expansion is now moving beyond Minnesota, with Clear Lakes Dental actively targeting Wisconsin, South Dakota, Ohio, Connecticut, and Iowa for new franchise territories, and construction is currently underway in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Norwalk, Connecticut. The company's competitive moat is built on several compounding advantages: a proprietary operating system developed by an active practicing dentist who built it to solve his own ownership challenges, a technology stack that incorporates AI-driven scheduling and patient flow optimization, a full-service support infrastructure that removes the non-clinical operational burden from franchisee dentists, and a network of existing owners who serve as proof points and mentors for incoming franchisees. Dr. David Park, the CEO and founder, remains actively involved in system development and has disclosed in Item 19 that he personally achieved revenue results comparable to what the system reports — providing rare principal-practitioner credibility to the financial claims. The brand's investment in the latest advancements in dental technology, combined with its centralized marketing, recruiting, and operational infrastructure, positions it to scale efficiently as it enters new regional markets. With the broader dental services market projected to reach $776.03 billion globally by 2030 at a CAGR of 6.1%, the macro environment provides durable demand support for each new location added to the Clear Lakes Dental system. The ideal Clear Lakes Dental franchise candidate is a licensed dentist seeking to transition from associate employment or partnership structures into independent ownership without bearing the full administrative burden of a de novo private practice. The company's existing franchisee profiles illustrate the breadth of that candidate pool: Dr. Ang became an owner just 8 months after graduating dental school, now operates two clinics, and cites extraordinary profitability and preserved clinical autonomy; Dr. Alyo, with 21 years of experience, sought a re-entry into ownership after partnership burnout; Dr. Latus transitioned from a competing dental franchise and values the flexibility to choose his own procedures and work only three days per week; Dr. Pham, with more than a decade in practice, prioritized work-life balance and income flexibility. The common thread across these franchisees is not career stage but the desire for clinical independence paired with operational support. Multi-clinic ownership is actively encouraged — Dr. Ang's two-clinic ownership is cited by the company as a model outcome — and the franchise's support infrastructure is designed to scale with a franchisee's portfolio. Territory selection is driven by demographic analysis and market placement strategy, with expansion focus currently concentrated in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Ohio, Connecticut, and Iowa. The 10-year franchise agreement term provides sufficient runway to recoup the initial investment and build meaningful equity. The franchise agreement includes standard transfer provisions, and prospective investors should review renewal terms and transfer fees within the FDD as part of thorough due diligence prior to signing. The Clear Lakes Dental franchise investment thesis rests on three interlocking pillars: a structurally growing industry with documented 12.02% CAGR in the U.S. market through 2034, a transparent financial performance record showing 2024 average unit revenues of $5,129,450, and an operational model specifically engineered to reduce the non-clinical failure risks that have historically plagued dentist-owned practices. The franchise occupies a credible and differentiated position within dental franchise investment — it is not a DSO (dental service organization) that extracts equity, nor an unsupported solo practice that leaves the dentist to figure out business management independently. It is a franchised ownership model with disclosed financials, active corporate support, and a founder who built and still operates within the same system he is selling. The estimated payback period of 1.6 to 3.6 years, benchmarked against a total investment range of $554,300 to $1,511,200 and average system revenues exceeding $5.1 million, positions Clear Lakes Dental among the more financially compelling dental franchise concepts currently available for investment in the United States. As with any franchise investment in the $554,300 to $1.5 million range, independent legal and financial review of the full Franchise Disclosure Document — including all Item 19 representations and franchisee contact references in Item 20 — is essential before capital commitment. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark the Clear Lakes Dental franchise cost, revenue performance, and growth trajectory against other dental and healthcare franchise opportunities across the market. Explore the complete Clear Lakes Dental franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.

Floss Trademark License Agre

Offices of Dentists

41

Fair

The question every serious franchise investor asks before committing six figures is deceptively simple: is this the right brand at the right time? For those evaluating the dental services sector, the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise opportunity arrives at a moment when preventive oral care has become a mainstream wellness priority, consumer spending on dental services is structurally resilient through economic cycles, and the fragmented dental office market is actively being reshaped by franchise-led consolidation. This independent analysis, based on publicly available Franchise Disclosure Document data and current market research, examines the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise investment with the rigor a capital commitment of this magnitude demands. The brand operates under the FLOSS Dental umbrella, a concept whose name has represented sophistication and innovation in dentistry since 2007, with the corporate entity tracing its formation to 2018 and its formal franchise offering to 2020. The company's principal business address is 15921 City Walk, Sugar Land, Texas 77479, positioning it squarely in the Houston metropolitan corridor, one of the fastest-growing major markets in the United States. Minesh Patel is listed as an owner of FLOSS, and the organization operates as a Texas limited liability company with no parent company or predecessors, meaning franchisees are engaging with a founder-led, single-concept enterprise rather than a diversified portfolio franchisor. The brand currently operates 2 total units, all franchised, with 0 company-owned units in the current system count, reflecting a pivotal early-stage growth phase where foundational territory selection decisions carry outsized long-term value. The global oral care industry was valued at USD 53.2 billion in 2023, providing the macro context within which this franchise competes, and the dental office sector specifically offers a total addressable market that rewards well-positioned, brand-differentiated operators. For investors willing to conduct rigorous due diligence on an emerging dental franchise concept, the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise presents a genuinely interesting case study in early-mover positioning. The industry backdrop for the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise is one of the more compelling structural narratives in the broader healthcare services franchise universe. The global dental floss market alone was estimated at USD 604.9 million in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 914.4 million by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2 percent from 2024 to 2030. A separate analysis valued the market at USD 789.1 million in 2025, with projections showing expansion to USD 852.2 million in 2026 and USD 1,839.9 million by 2036, representing a projected CAGR of 8.0 percent across that forecast period. These figures are not merely background noise for a dental franchise investor — they are leading indicators of consumer behavior, reflecting a population that is increasingly engaged with preventive oral health as a component of overall wellness spending rather than a purely reactive dental care model. North America dominated the global dental floss market in 2023, capturing a 35.3 percent revenue share, and that dominance is projected to expand to a 48 percent share by 2026, confirming that U.S. dental consumers represent the single most valuable geographic cohort in the global oral health market. Consumer trends driving demand include growing public awareness of the systemic health consequences of poor oral hygiene, educational campaigns by dental professionals and public health organizations, and a documented shift toward preventive care models that generate more frequent touchpoints between patients and dental service providers. Waxed floss maintained a 53.8 percent market share in 2023 and is projected to hold a 66.4 percent share in 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.54 percent, while multifilament floss held 28.6 percent of the global dental floss market share in 2025. Within the offices of dentists category, franchise investment is being driven by the same forces that have consolidated urgent care, veterinary services, and physical therapy — private equity interest, operational scale advantages, and consumer preference for branded, consistent experiences over independent providers. The dental services market remains highly fragmented, creating genuine white space for branded franchise operators who can deliver standardized clinical quality with a premium patient experience. Understanding the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise cost structure is essential context before any investor conversation. The initial franchise fee for FLOSS Dental is up to $35,000, a figure that sits comfortably within the broad industry range of $20,000 to $100,000-plus for health and wellness franchise concepts, though it exceeds the lower threshold of the $4,000 to $51,750 range seen across a broader franchise database. The total initial investment required to establish a FLOSS Dental franchise ranges from $491,000 to $712,750, a spread that reflects the variability introduced by real estate markets, facility buildout specifications, specialized dental equipment procurement, initial marketing expenditure, and working capital reserves. That working capital component is specifically identified as $50,000 to $75,000 within the total investment range. To contextualize the capital requirement, the health and wellness franchise sub-sector averages a total investment of $250,076 to $473,911, meaning the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise investment sits meaningfully above sector averages, signaling a premium positioning strategy that requires proportionally stronger market execution to generate acceptable investor returns. The ongoing royalty fee is 5.0 percent of gross sales, positioning it at the lower end of the typical 4 to 8 percent royalty range seen across health and wellness franchises, which does provide a structural advantage at the unit economics level as revenue scales. Liquid capital required for entry is identified at $100,000, specifically noted in the context of the franchise's eligibility as an E-2 visa qualifying investment vehicle, which broadens the potential franchisee pool to include international investors seeking U.S. business ownership pathways. FLOSS Dental offers 100 percent financing through trusted lenders, a materially significant feature for franchise investors who prefer to preserve personal liquidity or leverage debt financing to enhance return on equity. For investors evaluating whether this is an accessible, mid-tier, or premium franchise investment, the data points unambiguously toward the premium category, requiring investors to apply proportionally higher conviction about local market demand, site selection quality, and operational execution. The operating model of the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise is structured around what the franchisor describes as a comprehensive playbook covering every dimension of clinical dental practice management, from patient acquisition to staffing and daily operations. Franchisees benefit from full operational, startup, and training support, with the corporate team managing the entire launch process including Google Ads campaigns, search engine optimization, staffing systems, and operational training protocols. This turnkey launch model is particularly relevant for franchisees who bring business management experience but may lack deep dental industry operational knowledge, as it compresses the learning curve that typically represents the highest-risk period for new franchise operators. The training journey follows a structured four-step ownership process beginning with an initial inquiry and franchise team call, progressing through receipt and review of franchise disclosure documents and brand standards materials, advancing to a one-day Discovery Day event held monthly at the Houston, Texas corporate office, and concluding with formal application, qualification, and franchise agreement execution. The one-day Discovery Day format, hosted monthly, reflects the brand's current early-stage growth pace and provides prospective franchisees with direct access to the corporate team before committing capital. Every franchise location is equipped with a proven playbook for marketing, scheduling, and growth, designed to enable scaling from day one rather than requiring franchisees to develop operational systems independently. The initial franchise agreement term is 10 years, with a renewal term of an additional 10 years, providing long-term operational security for franchisees who successfully establish their locations. Territory considerations are a critical component of due diligence for this opportunity, with ideal FLOSS Dental locations targeting areas with high concentrations of health-conscious consumers, proximity to medical and professional offices, and demographic profiles indicating sufficient disposable income for premium wellness and preventive dental services. Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise, which is a material fact that every prospective investor must weigh carefully in their due diligence process. Approximately 66 percent of franchisors now include Item 19 financial performance representations in their FDDs, up from 52 percent in 2014, meaning the absence of this disclosure places the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise in the minority of concepts that do not provide prospective franchisees with direct historical revenue or profitability data. However, the research record does contain a reported gross revenue figure for FLOSS Dental of $974,811, which outperforms the health and wellness sub-sector average of $700,908 by approximately 39 percent — a meaningful positive signal for investors benchmarking potential unit-level revenue against sector norms. The brand carries an Earning Transparency rating of 10 out of 10, which is an independently assessed metric that provides some counterbalance to the absence of a formal Item 19 disclosure, suggesting that financial information has been made available through other documented channels. It is critically important for any franchise investor to understand that revenue data alone does not determine investment quality or profitability — dental office franchises carry significant fixed costs including clinical staffing (dentists, hygienists, dental assistants), equipment depreciation, commercial lease obligations, supply costs, and insurance, all of which must be subtracted from gross revenue to arrive at true owner earnings. The total investment range of $491,000 to $712,750, benchmarked against the reported gross revenue figure of $974,811, produces a theoretical revenue-to-investment ratio that is directionally constructive but must be stress-tested against realistic operating cost structures and ramp timelines before any conclusions about payback periods can be drawn responsibly. Prospective franchisees should engage a franchise-experienced CPA and request earnings conversations with existing franchisees during the validation phase of their diligence process. The growth trajectory of the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise reflects the classic early-stage franchise development curve, where the narrative opportunity is substantial but the validated proof points remain limited by the system's youth. The FDD data tables covering 2018 through 2020 showed no franchised units at start or end of year, confirming that franchise sales activity has occurred in the period since the 2021 FDD was published, with the current unit count standing at 2 franchised locations and 0 company-owned units. The transition from 4 company-owned units at the time of the 2021 FDD to the current configuration of 2 franchised and 0 company-owned units represents a meaningful structural shift — the brand has moved from a corporate-operated proof-of-concept model toward a franchisee-operated growth model, which is the natural progression for a franchise system approaching scale. The FLOSS name has represented sophistication and innovation in dentistry since 2007, giving the brand nearly two decades of brand equity development, even though the formal franchise offering only launched in 2020. The company's positioning in the health and wellness sector, combined with the structural growth in the global dental floss market from a historically measured CAGR of 4.2 percent between 2019 and 2024 toward projections of 6.2 to 8.0 percent CAGRs through 2030 and 2036 respectively, creates a rising-tide environment for premium dental service providers. The brand's Sugar Land, Texas headquarters places it in close proximity to one of the most affluent and health-conscious suburban demographics in the Sun Belt, providing both a proof-of-concept market and a natural expansion corridor into the broader Houston metropolitan area and adjacent Texas markets. The franchise's FPI Score of 41, rated as Fair by independent assessment, reflects the early-stage nature of the system and the limited track record of franchised unit performance, which is a transparent signal that additional system maturation is needed before the brand can be compared to established multi-hundred-unit dental franchise concepts. The ideal Floss Trademark License Agre franchise candidate is someone who combines business management capability with a genuine conviction about the premium preventive dental care market and the patience to operate within an emerging franchise system that is still building its operational infrastructure and brand recognition footprint. Because the franchise model is structured to support franchisees through the launch process, including staffing systems and marketing activation, deep prior dental industry experience is not necessarily a prerequisite, though familiarity with healthcare services operations would provide meaningful advantages in navigating clinical staffing dynamics, compliance requirements, and patient experience management. Multi-unit development interest is likely welcomed by the franchisor given the early-stage growth priority, and investors with the capital capacity and market access to develop multiple locations would have significant negotiating leverage on territorial exclusivity relative to single-unit buyers. Available territories across the United States remain largely open given the brand's current 2-unit franchised footprint, creating a genuine first-mover advantage in high-value metropolitan markets for investors who move early in the system's development cycle. The franchise agreement structure of a 10-year initial term with a 10-year renewal option provides a total potential operating horizon of 20 years, which is sufficient to fully amortize the initial investment, build durable patient relationships and community brand recognition, and ultimately position the business for a resale transaction at a meaningful multiple if the unit performs at or above market benchmarks. Ideal markets combine high-income demographic profiles, health and wellness consumer orientation, and proximity to professional office corridors that generate concentrated patient populations with dental benefits coverage and discretionary spending capacity. For investors who have reached this stage of analysis, the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise opportunity warrants a structured, disciplined due diligence process rather than a reflexive yes or no. The brand operates in a market with genuine structural tailwinds — the global oral care industry valued at USD 53.2 billion in 2023, a domestic dental floss market growing toward USD 914.4 million by 2030 at a 6.2 percent CAGR, and North American dominance in dental health consumer spending projected to reach a 48 percent global market share by 2026. The reported gross revenue of $974,811, outperforming the health and wellness sub-sector average by approximately 39 percent, provides a constructive baseline revenue benchmark, while the 5.0 percent royalty rate at the lower end of the industry range offers favorable unit economics leverage as revenue scales. The FPI Score of 41 reflects the honest reality of an early-stage franchise system — not a disqualifying signal, but a clear indicator that investor due diligence must be proportionally more rigorous than it would be for a mature, multi-hundred-unit system with years of franchisee performance data. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score breakdowns, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark the Floss Trademark License Agre franchise against competitive concepts in the offices of dentists category with precision and independence. The combination of early territory availability, a differentiated brand identity in the premium preventive dental space, a 10-year initial agreement term, and the structural growth of the broader dental services market creates a case for serious evaluation by investors with the capital profile, market access, and operational commitment this opportunity demands. Explore the complete Floss Trademark License Agre franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.

Koala Center For Sleep Disorde

Offices of Dentists

39

Fair

Fifty to seventy million Americans are living with untreated sleep disorders right now — waking up exhausted, grinding through chronic pain, and cycling through misdiagnoses while the root cause goes unaddressed. This is the human problem that the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise was built to solve, and it is a problem of extraordinary scale. Founded by Dr. Rod Willey, who spent nearly three decades in general dentistry before pivoting to specialize in neuromuscular dentistry, orthodontics, and oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea, the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde brand represents one of the rare franchise concepts built from genuine clinical expertise rather than market opportunism. Dr. Willey established the franchise model in 2012, co-founding the enterprise alongside Donna Willey, who serves as Executive Director, with the corporate entity operating as Koala Associates, LLC, headquartered at 11825 North State Route 40, Suite 100, Dunlap, Illinois 61525. The brand's stated mission is to improve the lives of individuals suffering from sleep disorders, sleep apnea, snoring, fatigue, and chronic pain by treating the cause rather than the symptoms of oral facial pain and sleep deprivation, and doing so without surgery or prescription drugs. The U.S. sleep disorder clinics market was valued at $6.11 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $8.43 billion by 2029, representing a compound annual growth rate of 5.51%, which means this franchise enters a market with secular, multi-decade tailwinds already clearly visible in the data. Currently operating with 2 franchised units, both independently owned with zero company-owned locations, the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise occupies a niche positioning within dental sleep medicine that is simultaneously underserved and rapidly expanding. This analysis is produced independently by PeerSense franchise intelligence researchers and is not affiliated with or compensated by Koala Associates, LLC or any of its affiliates. The industry backdrop for the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise investment is among the most compelling in the entire healthcare services franchise universe when examined through rigorous data. The dental sleep medicine market was valued at $6.80 billion in 2024 and is projected to surpass $11.95 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.3% from 2025 through 2032, reflecting an absolute market expansion of more than $5 billion over that eight-year window. A separate market estimate corroborates this trajectory, placing dental sleep medicine at $5.83 billion in 2024 and projecting growth to $8.12 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 6.9%. North America held a $2.26 billion share of the global dental sleep medicine market in 2024 and is expected to reach $3.87 billion by 2032, with the United States alone accounting for 73.40% of the North American share in 2024. Consumer demand drivers are structural rather than cyclical: the growing elderly population experiences disproportionately higher rates of sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and that demographic cohort will continue expanding for the next two decades. Insurance coverage for sleep disorder treatment and oral appliance therapy has been expanding steadily, reducing the barrier to patient acquisition that historically constrained revenue potential for specialist practices. The dental clinics segment captured the largest revenue share of the U.S. sleep disorder clinics market at 34.60% in 2024, validating the specific positioning of the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde model within the dental office category rather than hospital-based sleep labs. Independent clinics are simultaneously the fastest-growing segment in the U.S. sleep disorder clinics market, projecting a CAGR of 6.05% through the forecast period, a trend that directly benefits franchise concepts positioned as specialized, accessible alternatives to hospital systems. Advancements in oral appliance technology, the rising adoption of telemedicine for diagnostics, and a growing patient emphasis on personalized treatment plans rather than one-size-fits-all CPAP protocols are all accelerating demand for precisely the kind of service model the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise delivers. Understanding the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise cost requires parsing multiple data layers, because investment figures have evolved across the brand's franchise history and format types. The current franchise fee is $60,000, an increase from the $50,000 fee reflected in the 2013 Franchise Disclosure Document, which signals brand maturation and increased perceived value of the system over its first decade of franchised growth. Total initial investment for a stand-alone Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise is estimated to range from $274,926 to $494,735, while a fractional franchise format carries a total investment range of $223,062 to $494,735, providing a lower-capital entry point for clinicians who may be integrating the concept into an existing dental practice rather than opening a dedicated stand-alone facility. The investment range includes between $62,706.50 and $64,856.50 that must be paid directly to the franchisor or its affiliate, providing investors with a clear picture of where their initial capital flows. For context, the minimum cash required to open a Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise is $60,000, which is a relatively accessible liquid capital threshold compared to many healthcare or dental franchise concepts in the $500,000-plus total investment category. Older data points from additional sources place the investment range at $174,087 to $456,010 on the lower end and $284,862 to $508,000 on the higher end, reflecting how build-out scope, geography, leasehold improvements, and equipment specifications drive meaningful cost variability at the unit level. The ongoing royalty structure has been reported as variable across different disclosure periods, with a 2013 FDD indicating no royalty but a 3.0% advertising fund contribution, suggesting that royalty and fee architecture may differ materially across agreement vintages and that prospective investors should carefully review the current FDD for precise fee obligations. Given the specialized medical-dental nature of the business, franchisees should factor in costs associated with diagnostic equipment, oral appliance inventory, medical billing infrastructure, and credentialing processes when modeling total cost of ownership. SBA loan eligibility for medically oriented dental franchise concepts is a financing avenue worth exploring, as the specialized equipment component and franchised structure typically align with SBA 7(a) program criteria. The daily operational model of a Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise is structured around a patient journey that begins with an initial consultation, proceeds through diagnostic sleep testing, and culminates in a personalized treatment plan, typically centered on custom-fitted oral appliances for obstructive sleep apnea and TMJ dysfunction. This is a clinician-led service model requiring either a licensed dentist as the operating franchisee or a dental professional partner, distinguishing the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise opportunity from retail or food service franchise categories and targeting a specific pool of qualified healthcare professionals as ideal owners. Staffing requirements reflect the clinical environment, with team members needing to understand both the dental and medical dimensions of patient care, a complexity that the franchisor directly addresses through its training architecture. New franchisees receive two weeks of intensive initial training at the corporate headquarters in Dunlap, Illinois, followed by a comprehensive 12-week onboarding process and one week of full staff hands-on training designed to ensure that every team member can perform their role with confidence from day one. Beyond initial training, a dedicated Coaching Team provides ongoing oversight, communication, and support and remains available to all staff members after the formal training period concludes, creating a continuous support infrastructure rather than a one-time knowledge transfer. Koala Centers utilize custom-created practice management software that integrates both the medical and dental aspects of the business, a proprietary technology layer that streamlines billing, scheduling, and patient documentation in a way that generic dental software cannot replicate. The franchisor provides a Medical Billing and Credentialing Team exclusively for franchisees within the Koala network, addressing one of the most operationally complex aspects of running a medical-dental hybrid practice. A dedicated Marketing Team offers each franchisee a personalized marketing plan for their geographic area, including monthly drip campaigns, website development and oversight, marketing coaching, and monthly analytics reporting, creating a full-service marketing infrastructure that individual dental practitioners would otherwise need to build independently at significant cost. Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise, which means prospective investors cannot rely on FDD-sourced revenue or profit figures when modeling their investment returns. However, publicly reported financial performance benchmarks from earlier FDD cycles offer a meaningful reference point: the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise reported yearly gross sales of $378,989 in Item 19 data previously disclosed, with estimated earnings for an owner-operator falling between $56,849 and $75,798 annually. The Franchise Payback Period based on that data was projected at 5.9 to 7.9 years, a range that reflects meaningful variance in unit-level performance and underscores the importance of market selection, franchisee engagement, and patient acquisition execution in determining actual returns. Applying the reported gross sales figure of $378,989 against the lower total investment threshold of $274,926 suggests a revenue-to-investment ratio of approximately 1.38 to 1, a modest but not uncommon ratio for healthcare service franchise concepts in the early scaling phase. A strategic partnership with the payment solutions platform Cherry demonstrated the brand's revenue expansion potential: over an 18-month engagement, Koala Center For Sleep Disorde locations generated an additional $233,000 in revenue attributable to the financing option, with treatment acceptance rates rising nearly 50% among approved applicants and 88% of patients who applied for Cherry financing receiving approval. This data point is material for investors because it reveals that patient financing accessibility is a direct lever on revenue and that the brand is actively deploying tools to pull that lever systematically. The PeerSense FPI Score for the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise is currently 39, categorized as Fair, which reflects the brand's early-stage growth phase, limited current unit count, and the absence of current Item 19 disclosure rather than any specific negative operational signal, and should be interpreted in the context of a small, specialized healthcare franchise in an early expansion cycle. The Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise has followed a non-linear growth trajectory that reflects the inherent pace of specialized healthcare franchise development. The brand established its franchise system in 2012 with 13 franchise units reported in that initial year, reached 12 franchised locations by the 2013 FDD cycle, and then demonstrated a meaningful expansion push in 2017 when five new locations opened across geographically diverse markets including Denver, Colorado; Plover, Wisconsin; Hoffman Estates, Illinois; Alexandria, Virginia; and New York, New York. Recent data sources have reported unit counts ranging from approximately 7 to 14 locations across different reporting periods, with current PeerSense database records reflecting 2 active franchised units, suggesting the brand has experienced a rationalization of its unit count that is not uncommon among specialized healthcare franchise concepts navigating the complexities of clinical staffing, licensing, and market development. The brand currently operates across multiple states including Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin, demonstrating geographic reach that spans multiple U.S. regions. The competitive moat for the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise is built on several structural advantages: Dr. Willey's 30-plus years of clinical expertise embedded in the system's protocols, proprietary practice management software that integrates medical and dental billing in a single platform, a dedicated medical billing and credentialing infrastructure that most independent practitioners cannot replicate, and a treatment philosophy that explicitly avoids surgery and prescription drugs, positioning the brand favorably against growing patient demand for minimally invasive and non-pharmaceutical solutions. The Cherry financing partnership, which produced $233,000 in incremental revenue and a near-50% increase in treatment acceptance, reflects the brand's willingness to adopt financial technology innovations that expand patient access and directly impact unit economics. The ideal candidate for the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise opportunity is a licensed dental professional, either a practicing dentist seeking to expand into the dental sleep medicine specialty or a dental professional with an established patient base who wishes to integrate sleep and TMJ disorder treatment into an existing practice through the fractional franchise format. Background in neuromuscular dentistry, orthodontics, or sleep medicine is advantageous but not strictly required given the brand's 12-week onboarding program and dedicated coaching infrastructure. The franchise model can accommodate owner-operators who want to be clinically active in their center as well as dentists with existing practices looking to add a revenue stream without fully exiting their primary practice, which is precisely the logic behind offering both stand-alone and fractional franchise formats at different investment thresholds of $274,926 to $494,735 and $223,062 to $494,735 respectively. Active states of operation include Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin, and the brand has indicated ongoing expansion into new markets, suggesting meaningful territory availability in high-density population markets across the United States. The 2017 expansion into markets such as New York City and Denver indicates the brand's comfort with pursuing high-cost major metropolitan markets alongside secondary markets like Plover, Wisconsin, revealing a flexible territory development philosophy. Prospective franchisees should budget adequate lead time for licensing, credentialing, equipment procurement, and clinical staff recruitment, as the clinical nature of the business creates a longer pre-opening runway than a typical retail or food service franchise format. The investment thesis for the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise rests on a convergence of durable demand signals, a specialized clinical model with structural barriers to competition, and an addressable market expanding at a documented CAGR of 7.3% through 2032 in dental sleep medicine alone. With 50 to 70 million Americans experiencing sleep disorders and the dental clinics segment holding a 34.60% revenue share of the broader sleep disorder market, the brand occupies a defensible and growing niche at the intersection of dentistry and sleep medicine. The franchise fee of $60,000, total investment range of $223,062 to $494,735 depending on format, and previously reported gross sales of $378,989 per unit create an investment profile that warrants rigorous, data-driven due diligence rather than surface-level assessment. The PeerSense FPI Score of 39 reflects a Fair rating that should prompt careful analysis of current unit performance, franchisee satisfaction, and territory dynamics before any investment commitment is made. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to contextualize the Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise against comparable healthcare and dental franchise concepts across every material investment dimension. For any dental professional or healthcare investor evaluating this franchise opportunity, the combination of a large and growing total addressable market, a proprietary clinical and operational system, and the expanding insurance coverage landscape for oral appliance therapy creates a foundation for a serious investment analysis. Explore the complete Koala Center For Sleep Disorde franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.

Open And Affordable Dental And

Offices of Dentists

52

Moderate

Navigating the intricate landscape of franchise investment in the healthcare sector presents a unique challenge for aspiring business owners, often fraught with concerns over operational autonomy, true equity ownership, and the potential for substantial corporate overhead to diminish hard-earned profits. The fundamental problem for many dentists considering a Dental Service Organization (DSO) model is the fear of relinquishing control and becoming an employee rather than a true owner, while simultaneously seeking the benefits of a larger network. Addressing these critical pain points, the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise emerges as a distinctive model, founded in October 2014 by Dr. Jason Stott, who initiated the organization in Bennett, Colorado, evolving it from a solo practice into a doctor-led, license-based group of privately owned practices. Dr. Stott, identified as the founder and the "heart and soul" behind the organization, brings a background rooted in his graduation from S.U.N.Y at Buffalo and his origins in Fairfield, Montana, shaping a philosophy that prioritizes the practitioner. The Open And Affordable Dental And network has since expanded to 26 locations, with 4 specifically categorized as franchised units in the database, reflecting its rapid growth trajectory and positioning itself as one of the "fastest growing, highest rated dental service organizations in the country." These locations are primarily concentrated in Colorado, with "20+ locations" specifically noted within the bustling Denver metropolitan area. The organization operates as a "License DSO" and a "franchise-based Dental Service Organization," distinguishing itself by allowing doctors to maintain 100% legal ownership of their practices and encouraging real estate ownership to foster long-term wealth and reduce tax liabilities, a stark contrast to traditional DSO models that often entail co-ownership or high lease payments. This unique structure allows the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise to offer a license fee model, which is also referred to as a franchise fee, set at 4% of collections, a rate notably lower than the 5% to 9% typically charged by other franchises, especially those outside the dental world. This competitive positioning is crucial within a global dental market valued at USD 48.32 billion in 2024, projected to grow robustly to USD 91.87 billion by 2033 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% from 2026 to 2033, and a U.S. dental services market estimated at USD 184.57 billion in 2025, forecast to reach around USD 308.65 billion by 2035 with a CAGR of 5.28% from 2026 to 2035. For franchise investors, the Open And Affordable Dental And model presents a compelling opportunity to participate in this expansive market with a structure designed to maximize the owner doctor's profitability and autonomy, supported by a proven, rapidly expanding network. The dental services industry represents a dynamic and resilient sector with significant growth potential, making it an attractive category for franchise investment. The global dental market, as previously noted, was valued at USD 48.32 billion in 2024 and is projected to surge to USD 91.87 billion by 2033, exhibiting a robust CAGR of 7.4% during the 2026–2033 forecast period, underscoring a strong underlying demand. Specifically, the North American region is anticipated to dominate the dental market with the largest market share in 2025, with the U.S. dental market alone projected for substantial expansion, from USD 184.57 billion in 2025 to approximately USD 308.65 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 5.28% from 2026 to 2035. Another independent assessment places the U.S. dental services market size at USD 174.2 billion in 2025, with an estimated growth to USD 234.11 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 5.05% between 2026 and 2031. This sustained growth is propelled by several key consumer trends and secular tailwinds, including a pervasive increase in oral wellness consciousness among the general population, continuous technological innovation spanning CAD/CAM, 3D printing, digital dentistry, and artificial intelligence, and a rising demand for specialized procedures such as cosmetic dental treatments, dental implant operations, and orthodontic solutions. The aging global population further contributes to the expanding need for comprehensive dental care, while the increasing prevalence of dental diseases driven by dietary and lifestyle changes fuels demand for both preventive and curative services. The expansion of Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) and the greater adoption of tele-dentistry services are enhancing accessibility and affordability across the sector. As of 2023, the United States accounted for approximately 135,333 dental practice establishments, and the industry-wide revenue for dentists in the U.S. expanded at a CAGR of 2.7% to an estimated $179.4 billion in 2025, with a projected growth of 1.8% in 2025 alone. In 2025, diagnostic and preventive services constituted the largest segment by service type in the U.S. market, while cosmetic dentistry is anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment. The 18-64-year age cohort represented 52.53% of patient volume in 2025, and the ≥65-year segment is forecast to expand at a 6.35% CAGR, significantly bolstered by Medicare Advantage dental coverage. Dental clinics, prioritizing basic to emergency services and providing affordable care, held the largest market share in 2025, with office-based clinics dominating care delivery with a 67.25% share in 2025. While private insurance constituted 46.65% of payments in 2025, out-of-pocket spending is advancing at a robust 6.32% CAGR. The competitive dynamics of the industry are marked by increasing consolidation among private-equity-backed DSOs, which are accelerating acquisitions, leading to a decline in the revenue share of independent solo and group practices, which controlled 54.15% of revenue in 2025. Persistent workforce shortages and inflation-linked input costs temper overall growth, disproportionately affecting smaller independent practices and reinforcing the scale advantages offered by DSOs, thereby creating a compelling environment for the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise, which offers a unique blend of independent ownership within a supportive network. Investing in an Open And Affordable Dental And franchise involves a distinct financial model centered around a "license fee," which functions as the ongoing royalty. This fee is structured at 4% of collections for each office, translating to an approximate annual cost of $40,000 to $50,000 for a typical dentist generating $1 million in annual collections. This 4% royalty rate is a key differentiator, standing significantly lower than the average royalty rates of most franchises, which frequently impose fees of at least 5% and can extend up to 8% or 9%, particularly in non-dental sectors like restaurants. The organization explicitly states that its main objective is not to maximize profitability at the corporate level, a philosophy that directly benefits its owner doctors. In contrast, many DSOs typically extract a substantial portion of earnings, often between $100,000 and $200,000 per year per doctor, through various mechanisms such as co-ownership structures, elevated lease payments, sizable marketing budgets, inflated practice finance rates, or inflated practice sales. The Open And Affordable Dental And model aims to provide significant value for its comparatively modest 4% fee, encompassing comprehensive operating manuals, strategic assistance with expense reduction, and proven methodologies for increasing patient numbers. While the specific initial franchise fee, total investment range, ad fund, or precise liquid capital requirements for the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise are not explicitly stated within the provided data, general dental practice startup costs offer a relevant benchmark for prospective investors. Building a single-doctor practice with five operatories and leased commercial space is generally estimated to cost between $550,000 and $750,000. For a modern, fully equipped practice in 2025, these costs could range even higher, from $750,000 to $1.2 million. These comprehensive startup expenses typically include substantial outlays for construction or renovation, which can range from $240,000 to over $500,000, and significant investments in equipment and technology, estimated between $190,000 and $500,000. Additional operational costs include staffing, which can incur $150,000 to $300,000 per year, initial marketing efforts requiring $50,000 or more in the first year, and miscellaneous expenses for insurance, legal, and other necessities, often exceeding $50,000. To cover these initial expenses and ensure operational stability, liquid cash reserves of $75,000 to $150,000 are generally recommended for new dental practices. The Open And Affordable Dental And model, by encouraging owner doctors to be 100% legal owners and to own their office real estate, provides a pathway to mitigate tax liabilities and build long-term personal wealth, offering a distinct advantage in the total cost of ownership analysis compared to many other dental business models. This approach positions the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise as an accessible and value-driven investment for dentists seeking a blend of independence and structured support. The operating model of an Open And Affordable Dental And practice is meticulously designed to support owner doctors in delivering comprehensive, patient-centric care while fostering their professional and financial growth. Daily operations at Open And Affordable Dental And offices are structured for patient convenience, offering flexible hours from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday through Saturday, to accommodate diverse schedules. These practices provide a wide array of services, encompassing everything from routine cleanings and fillings to more complex procedures such as surgical extractions, root canals, dentures, and advanced orthodontics, including both Invisalign and traditional braces. The organization prides itself on a mission to deliver convenient and affordable care, continuously striving to create the "perfect patient experience" under the guiding motto, "Make friends, solve problems." To ensure broad accessibility, Open And Affordable Dental And is in-network with nearly all insurance plans and provides an in-office discount plan specifically for uninsured patients, further enhancing its appeal to a wide demographic. The staffing requirements are supported by an active recruitment strategy, with Open And Affordable Dental And representatives frequently present at dental schools multiple times a year to attract potential associates and future partners for owner doctors. The organization places a strong emphasis on hiring team members who align with its culture and implementing robust retention strategies, providing essential tools and training to support staff, despite the high expectations for performance in a competitive industry facing labor shortages that often necessitate higher wages to attract and retain talent. While there are no specified format options in terms of drive-thru or kiosk models, the Open And Affordable Dental And model allows doctors the flexibility to expand their ownership through scratch starts, acquisitions of existing practices, or by purchasing established Open And Affordable Dental And offices. The training program is a cornerstone of the Open And Affordable Dental And support structure, offering unique mentorships, associateships, and pathways to ownership. This comprehensive program is designed to equip new dentists with both clinical and business acumen from their very first day, enabling them to learn advanced procedures such as endodontics, surgical extractions, cosmetic procedures, and implant placement soon after graduation. The initial training involves direct supervision from an owner doctor, who remains "over your shoulder" during early patient interactions to provide instant feedback and familiarize new dentists with critical systems like Eagleoft and X-ray procedures. Within the first couple of months, dentists are expected to achieve comfort with various appointment types, and by the end of their first year, associates aspiring to ownership are progressively integrated into administrative responsibilities, including hiring and firing decisions, laboratory case management, payroll processing, and office reconciliation of expenses and distributions, preparing them thoroughly for the complexities of practice ownership. Ongoing corporate support for the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise includes providing detailed operating manuals, expert assistance with expense reduction strategies, and proven methods for increasing patient numbers. An "à la carte system" is also available for additional services, some of which are required and financially transparent, while others are optional, offering flexibility to owner doctors. A significant benefit of the Open And Affordable Dental And brand name is its ability to attract 5-10 times the number of new patients compared to a typical private practice, a substantial advantage for unit growth. While specific "territory" information regarding exclusive zones is not provided, the model explicitly encourages doctors to own multiple offices, indicating a growth-oriented approach. This multi-unit strategy, combined with the comprehensive support and training, makes the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise highly attractive for dentists seeking to be owner-operators deeply involved in their practice's success. Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for Open And Affordable Dental And, meaning specific average revenue per unit, median revenue, or profit margins are not provided by the franchisor. This absence of a formal financial performance representation requires prospective Open And Affordable Dental And franchise investors to rely on broader industry benchmarks and the unique structural advantages of the Open And Affordable Dental And model to project potential profitability. For context, publicly available data for general dental practices in the U.S. indicates that a single-dentist owned practice typically earns an average annual revenue of $343,584, incurring average expenses of $246,550, which represents approximately 72% of revenue. However, the Open And Affordable Dental And model is designed to significantly enhance the financial outlook for its owner doctors compared to these general benchmarks. A critical aspect of the Open And Affordable Dental And financial proposition is its 4% license fee, calculated from collections, which is markedly lower than the substantial portion of earnings, often between $100,000 and $200,000 per year per doctor, that is typically extracted by most DSOs through various mechanisms such as co-ownership arrangements, high lease payments, large marketing budgets, inflated practice finance rates, or inflated practice sales. This lower fee structure within the Open And Affordable Dental And network directly translates to higher potential retained earnings and greater financial independence for the owner doctors. Furthermore, the Open And Affordable Dental And model explicitly encourages owner doctors to be 100% legal owners of their practice and to own their office real estate, a strategy that not only reduces tax liabilities but also creates long-term wealth, directly impacting the owner doctor's net financial gain. This commitment to true ownership and reduced corporate take-home pay for the owner doctor is a core tenet of the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise. The organization’s rapid growth to 26 locations, particularly with "20+ locations" concentrated in the Denver area, coupled with its self-description as one of the "fastest growing, highest rated dental service organizations in the country," serves as a strong signal of robust unit-level performance and high satisfaction among its doctor-owners, driving this organic expansion and sustained interest in the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise opportunity. The ability of the Open And Affordable Dental And brand name to attract 5-10 times the number of new patients compared to a typical private practice is a direct and powerful driver of revenue for individual units, providing a significant competitive advantage in patient acquisition. Testimonials from existing doctors, expressing pride in their association with Open And Affordable Dental And since 2018, noting how the organization helped them grow into clinically sound dentists, expand their skills across a vast array of procedures, and learn the business side of the office from the outset, further underscore the professional and implied financial satisfaction within the Open And Affordable Dental And network. This collective evidence suggests that while specific Item 19 data is not available, the structural advantages, growth trajectory, and positive owner feedback point towards a financially viable and rewarding investment for Open And Affordable Dental And franchise owners. The Open And Affordable Dental And network has demonstrated a robust growth trajectory since its inception in October 2014, expanding to 26 locations, with 4 specifically identified as franchised units, a testament to its compelling model and market appeal. This rapid expansion, particularly with over 20 locations concentrated in the competitive Denver area, positions Open And Affordable Dental And as a significant and rapidly growing player in the dental services industry. While the provided research does not detail specific recent corporate developments such as major acquisitions outside of the general model of allowing doctors to acquire practices, rebrands, or new product launches, the continuous expansion through both scratch starts and acquisitions of existing offices by owner doctors indicates an active and dynamic growth strategy. The absence of reported leadership changes beyond Dr. Jason Stott's ongoing role as founder and leader suggests stability at the organizational helm, maintaining the core philosophy that has driven its success. The competitive moat for the Open And Affordable Dental And franchise is multifaceted, deeply rooted in its distinct operational and ownership philosophy. A primary competitive advantage is its commitment to true ownership, where dentists are 100% legal owners of their practices and are actively encouraged to own their office real estate, fostering unparalleled financial independence and reducing tax liabilities. This contrasts sharply with many DSOs that dilute ownership or impose significant financial burdens. Another key differentiator is the significantly lower license fee of 4% of collections, which is substantially below the 5% to 9% often charged by other franchise systems, directly enhancing the profitability for the Open And Affordable Dental And owner doctor. The comprehensive mentorship and training programs offered, which equip new dentists with both clinical and business acumen from day one and support learning advanced procedures soon after graduation, create a strong talent pipeline and ensure high-quality care across the network. Furthermore, the brand's ability to attract 5-10 times the number of new patients compared to a typical private practice provides a powerful competitive edge in patient acquisition, driving unit-level revenue. The emphasis on work-life balance through flexible shifts, such as three 12-hour shifts per week allowing for 4-5 day weekends, contributes to high doctor retention and satisfaction, a critical factor in an industry facing workforce shortages. The supportive environment, characterized by a lack of micromanagement and valuing input from owner doctors, along with fair valuations for practices purchased with dentistry money rather than private equity, further solidifies its unique position. Open And Affordable Dental And adapts to current market conditions by actively recruiting at dental schools to address labor shortages, offering in-network insurance and in-office discount plans to meet consumer demands for affordability and accessibility, and embracing technology to enhance service

Smile Source

Offices of Dentists

45

Fair

Every dentist who built a private practice from the ground up knows the feeling: years of clinical training, a thriving patient base, and genuine community relationships — now threatened by the relentless expansion of corporate dental chains backed by private equity capital and stripped-down managed care contracts. The question confronting independent dentists today is not whether corporate dentistry is growing, but whether a solo practice can survive and compete against it without surrendering ownership, autonomy, or clinical standards. Smile Source was founded in 2006 in Kingwood, Texas, specifically to answer that question with a resounding yes. The organization's core mission — to preserve, protect, and elevate private practice dentistry through community, leadership, and innovation — reflects a clear-eyed understanding of what independent dentists stand to lose without collective infrastructure. Headquartered at 23824 Highway 59 North in Kingwood, Texas 77339, Smile Source functions as a management services organization and franchise network that delivers the purchasing power, marketing scale, and operational systems of a large dental group to dentists who remain entirely independent. The network today represents more than 1,000 member dentists across the United States, operating in 42 states as of the most recent available data, with the largest regional concentration in the South at 270 franchise locations. The average Smile Source practice generates $1,100,000 in annual revenue, compared to $750,000 for the average standalone private dental practice in the United States — a 46.7% revenue premium that reflects the compounding impact of collective purchasing power, coordinated marketing, and structured business development. For the franchise investor or practicing dentist evaluating a Smile Source franchise, this analysis is independent research, not promotional copy, and the goal is to give you every meaningful data point you need to assess this opportunity on its merits. The dental services industry is one of the most structurally resilient sectors in the entire healthcare economy, and the data confirms that position with unusual consistency. The global dental services market was estimated at $433.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $610.4 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 4.5% over that eight-year period. In the United States specifically, dental care sits at the intersection of three powerful secular trends: an aging population requiring increasingly complex restorative and periodontal care, a growing middle-class consumer preference for cosmetic and elective procedures including teeth whitening, veneers, and clear aligner therapy, and a post-pandemic rebound in routine preventive care that was deferred during 2020 and 2021. The industry is highly fragmented at the practitioner level — hundreds of thousands of solo and small-group practices — but increasingly consolidated at the group purchasing and corporate ownership level, which is precisely the structural gap that a network like Smile Source is designed to fill. The franchise investment category for dental practices attracts attention because the underlying demand is non-discretionary at its core: Americans need dental care regardless of economic conditions, which provides recession-resistant revenue stability that many other franchise categories cannot match. Smile Source's own network has demonstrated a 5.4% annual growth rate year over year over a six-year measurement period, which compares favorably against the general dental industry's baseline growth rate of approximately 1%, indicating that network membership generates a measurable operational lift beyond what independent practices achieve on their own. The organization has added more than $130 million in cumulative revenue across its collaborative practices over that same six-year period, suggesting that the franchise model creates genuine, quantifiable economic value at the practice level. Understanding the Smile Source franchise cost structure requires careful attention because the model is structurally different from most franchise investments, and the fee architecture reflects that distinction. The initial franchise fee is notably low — Smile Source explicitly stated in its 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document that no initial franchise fees are charged to new franchisees, reserving the right to charge them in the future, though some sources cite a fee range as high as $27,800 to $86,200 depending on practice size and circumstance. This positions the Smile Source franchise investment as unusually accessible relative to most healthcare franchise concepts, where initial franchise fees alone routinely exceed $50,000. The total initial investment to start a Smile Source franchised facility ranges from approximately $61,000 to $435,000, with the spread driven primarily by the scope of architectural and site improvement costs, which alone range from $5,000 to $300,000 depending on whether the franchisee is converting an existing dental office, building out a new space, or upgrading an established practice. Other itemized investment components include initial dental supply inventories between $20,000 and $40,000, leasing deposits and first month's rent between $2,500 and $6,000, signage costs from $3,000 to $10,000, legal fees from $800 to $1,200, point-of-sale and accounting setup from $2,000 to $8,000, office equipment and furniture from $2,000 to $10,000, and prepaid expenses and deposits from $2,000 to $3,000. The ongoing royalty fee is 2.0% of gross receipts, which is extraordinarily low by franchise industry standards — most service-sector franchises charge royalties between 5% and 8% of gross revenue, meaning Smile Source's fee structure consumes a fraction of the revenue burden that a comparable franchise investment would impose. Required working capital is estimated between $20,000 and $50,000. Smile Source carries private equity backing from Incline Equity Partners, which made its investment in March 2023, and Oxer Capital, providing the corporate infrastructure and financial resources to support ongoing network development, sales organization expansion, and national footprint growth. The franchise agreement carries an initial term of five years with a renewal length of five years. The daily operating model of a Smile Source franchise is owner-operator by nature, given that the franchisee is a licensed dentist running an active clinical practice rather than a passive investor overseeing a retail location. The network model is designed to reduce the administrative and business development burden on the dentist-owner without removing them from clinical care — Smile Source's 80 dedicated staff members provide practice management assistance, professional and staff development, marketing support, and managed care contracting support, all of which are services that would otherwise require a solo practitioner to either hire specialized internal staff or engage expensive outside consultants. The initial training program spans two weeks and is conducted at Smile Source headquarters, combining classroom instruction with practical application, and franchisees receive operational manuals and marketing toolkits as part of their onboarding resources. Ongoing support is structured around member groups that meet monthly or quarterly for problem resolution, knowledge sharing, and mastermind-style collaboration, creating a built-in peer network that replaces the professional isolation many independent practitioners experience. Smile Source leverages over one billion dollars in collective purchasing power to deliver deep discounts on dental supplies, equipment, and technology platforms, which directly reduces overhead costs and increases net profitability at the practice level. Territory structure gives franchisees a defined geographic operating area, and support services encompass marketing programs, operational efficiency consulting, access to innovative technologies, and assistance with contracting with software providers. Leadership development and clinical collaboration are embedded in the network model, positioning Smile Source as something closer to a professional membership organization with franchise economics than a traditional retail or service franchise. Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for Smile Source. This is a meaningful data gap for prospective investors conducting rigorous due diligence, and it is one that every serious candidate must acknowledge before advancing in the process. However, publicly available performance data provides useful context for assessing the unit economics of a Smile Source franchise investment. The average Smile Source practice generates $1,100,000 in annual revenue, and as of March 2019, the average practice size had reached $1.2 million in annual production — a figure that reflects the upward trajectory of the network's revenue profile over time. The average independent private dental practice in the United States generates approximately $750,000 in annual revenue, which means Smile Source member practices outperform the national private practice average by roughly 46.7% to 60.0% depending on the measurement year used. The network has demonstrated an average annual growth of more than $50,000 per practice, which at a 2.0% royalty rate on $1,100,000 in gross revenue implies a royalty payment of approximately $22,000 per year — one of the lowest royalty burdens in any healthcare franchise category. The estimated total company revenue is $14.5 million, which, when contextualized against a network of more than 1,000 member dentists, confirms the low royalty take-rate that characterizes this model. Dental practice EBITDA margins for well-run private practices typically range between 15% and 35% of collections depending on overhead structure, staffing costs, and facility rent, and Smile Source's collective purchasing power and marketing support are specifically designed to improve those margins by reducing supply costs and increasing patient volume. Prospective franchisees should request practice-level financial data during the discovery process and speak with existing members to develop a realistic pro forma before committing capital. Smile Source's growth trajectory reflects a network that has expanded steadily over nearly two decades while navigating the increasingly competitive dynamics of the dental services sector. From 562 franchised locations operating in 42 states as reported in the 2016 Franchise Disclosure Document to more than 630 independently operated franchise dental practices by March 2019 and subsequently to a network exceeding 1,000 member dentists, Smile Source has added units at a pace that demonstrates durable market demand for its model. The company's projection to become the largest dental group in the United States by 2020 reflects the ambition that has characterized its growth strategy, and the March 2023 investment from Incline Equity Partners signals continued institutional confidence in the network's expansion potential. Dr. Barrett Straub's appointment as full-time CEO in April 2023 brought nearly 20 years of fee-for-service dentistry and oral sedation experience to the top leadership role, with advanced training credentials from Spear, LVI, DOCS, and Seattle Study Club, and prior leadership experience with ACT Dental beginning in 2017. ACT Dental, founded in 1999 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is listed as a subsidiary or affiliate of Smile Source, with a buyout transaction occurring on May 5, 2025, which deepens the organization's capacity to deliver clinical education and leadership development programming to its member network. The competitive moat that Smile Source has constructed rests on three structural advantages: the scale of its collective purchasing power exceeding one billion dollars, which no individual practice can replicate independently; its two-decade institutional knowledge base in practice management and managed care contracting; and its growing professional community of more than 1,000 dentists who generate peer learning and referral dynamics that have measurable economic value. The ideal Smile Source franchisee is a licensed, practicing dentist who owns or intends to own a private dental practice and is motivated to protect that independence while accessing the operational, financial, and marketing resources of a large network. Unlike many franchise concepts that can be operated by investors without industry expertise, the Smile Source franchise model presupposes clinical licensure and active patient care — this is not an absentee investment opportunity. The ideal candidate brings some existing patient base or a concrete plan to establish one, is oriented toward business growth and not exclusively clinical output, and is willing to engage actively with the member community through monthly or quarterly group meetings and collaborative problem-solving sessions. Dentists who have completed advanced training programs — similar to Dr. Straub's credentials from Spear, LVI, DOCS, and the Seattle Study Club — tend to be well-positioned to leverage the educational and clinical collaboration infrastructure that Smile Source provides. Multi-unit franchise expectations in this model are less relevant than in retail franchising, since each location represents a distinct clinical practice, but dentists with multi-site group practices are also eligible to bring multiple locations into the network. Available territories span 42 states based on the most recent publicly available disclosure, with the South representing the most densely populated regional market at 270 locations. The franchise agreement runs for an initial five-year term with a five-year renewal, providing a stable long-term operating framework for practitioners making significant investment in facility buildout and patient relationship development. For the dentist-entrepreneur who has spent years building a patient base and a reputation in their community, the decision to affiliate with a franchise network is ultimately a question of whether the economic and operational benefits outweigh the cost and constraints of membership — and the Smile Source franchise investment case is built on a compelling set of numbers. A 2.0% royalty rate against an average practice revenue of $1,100,000 implies an annual fee of roughly $22,000 in exchange for access to over one billion dollars in collective purchasing power, comprehensive marketing support, managed care contracting assistance, two weeks of headquarters-based training, ongoing field support from 80 dedicated staff, and a professional peer network of more than 1,000 dentists. The total initial investment range of $61,000 to $435,000, combined with an unusually low royalty burden, positions Smile Source as one of the most cost-efficient franchise networks in the healthcare sector, particularly when the 46.7% revenue premium that member practices demonstrate over the national private practice average is factored into the return calculation. The organization's private equity backing from Incline Equity Partners and Oxer Capital, its affiliation with ACT Dental, and the leadership transition to Dr. Barrett Straub in April 2023 all reflect an organization that is actively investing in its next phase of growth rather than resting on a mature network. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow you to benchmark Smile Source against every competing franchise concept in the dental and healthcare services category. Explore the complete Smile Source franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.

Today's Vision

Offices of Dentists

20

Limited

Deciding whether to invest in an independent optometry practice versus a franchise network is one of the most consequential choices a doctor of optometry can make, and the wrong answer can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of momentum. Today's Vision offers a third path — a licensing model that blends the brand equity and purchasing power of a large retail optical chain with the operational independence of a privately owned practice. Founded in 1984 in Houston, Texas, by Dr. Donald Glenz and Dr. Stig Pederson, Today's Vision was built on the premise that independent optometrists deserve the collective buying leverage of a corporate chain without surrendering clinical and business autonomy. What began as a conventional franchise operation evolved dramatically in 2005 when Dr. Glenz and Dr. Pederson sold the original franchise to its 22 licensees, who subsequently created Today's Vision Licensing Corporation, known as TVLC. That ownership transfer was not a distress event — it was a deliberate structural choice driven by member doctors seeking greater autonomy, and it fundamentally changed how this network creates and distributes value. Today, the Today's Vision network spans over 45 offices concentrated in Texas, with locations in Houston, Austin, Katy, Pearland, Sugar Land, Tomball, Cypress, Conroe, Spring, Rosharon, Missouri City, Pasadena, Richmond, and Rosenberg, among others. The brand has been recognized nationally, appearing on Vision Monday's Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers list, ranked 28th in July 2013, up from 27th the prior year. For franchise investors evaluating Today's Vision franchise opportunities, understanding the licensing structure versus a traditional franchise model is not optional context — it is the entire analysis. This profile, produced independently by PeerSense.com, applies rigorous investment frameworks to a brand that defies easy categorization, giving prospective licensees the clearest picture available anywhere of what joining this network actually means financially and operationally. The U.S. optical retail and optometry services industry operates at a scale that justifies serious investor attention. Americans spend billions annually on vision correction products and services, driven by a confluence of demographic and behavioral forces that show no signs of reversing. The aging of the U.S. population is perhaps the most powerful structural tailwind: as the baby boomer cohort advances into their 60s and 70s, demand for corrective lenses, glaucoma co-management, cataract co-management, and routine eye exams increases substantially, since the incidence of vision-related conditions correlates strongly with age. Screen time has become a second major demand driver, with remote work normalization since 2020 increasing average daily screen exposure dramatically, which in turn accelerates the prevalence of myopia, digital eye strain, and the need for prescription eyewear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 12 million Americans over age 40 suffer from some form of vision impairment, and the global optometry market is on an extended growth trajectory. Independent optometry practices historically struggle to compete on pricing against large corporate chains due to the absence of volume-based vendor negotiations, and this structural disadvantage is precisely the market gap that Today's Vision's licensing model was designed to fill. The optical retail market in the United States is moderately fragmented, with large national chains competing alongside regional alliances and solo practitioners, making organized alliance groups like Today's Vision a compelling value proposition for independent ODs who want competitive pricing power without a corporate overlord. The category also benefits from the largely non-discretionary nature of eye care spending — patients with deteriorating vision do not defer appointments indefinitely, creating a relatively recession-resistant demand base compared to categories like luxury retail or elective cosmetic services. For a licensee in the Today's Vision network, these macro tailwinds translate directly into a patient flow environment that supports sustainable practice growth. The Today's Vision franchise investment, more precisely described as a Today's Vision licensing investment, carries a structure that differs fundamentally from conventional franchise financial models and must be evaluated on its own terms. The initial investment range of $76,000 to $257,400 reflects the capital required to establish or convert an optometry practice within the Today's Vision network, a spread that is driven by variables including geography, real estate format, whether the practice is a new start-up or a conversion of an existing operation, and the scope of equipment and leasehold improvements required. For context, the broader franchise investment landscape for healthcare-adjacent and optical retail concepts frequently demands initial outlays of $200,000 to $500,000 or more, making Today's Vision's lower entry threshold of $76,000 a meaningful accessibility advantage for doctor-entrepreneurs who may be capital-constrained early in their careers. Critically, Today's Vision does not charge a traditional franchise fee, because it is not a franchise. The organization also does not levy a royalty rate on gross revenues, which is one of the most significant financial distinctions separating this model from conventional franchise agreements where royalties of 5 to 8 percent of gross sales are standard and compound significantly over a practice's lifetime. Instead, each licensee pays a fixed monthly fee of $500 to the Today's Vision Licensing Corporation. At $6,000 per year, this fee is dramatically lower than the royalty burden a comparable optometry franchise would impose on even a modestly performing practice — a practice generating $500,000 annually under a 6 percent royalty would pay $30,000 per year in royalties alone, five times the Today's Vision annual licensing fee. There is no separate advertising fund drawn from licensee revenues. Instead, TVLC negotiates co-op dollars with preferred vendor partners based on aggregate group sales volumes, and any surplus income above TVLC's operating expenses is distributed equally back to licensees as cash rebates or through marketing and practice programs. Notably, this surplus distribution has occurred every year since 2005, giving the model a 19-year track record of returning value to members rather than extracting it. Daily operations within a Today's Vision office reflect the model's dual identity: a clinical optometry practice and an optical retail establishment operating under a shared brand umbrella. A typical Today's Vision location launches with one optometrist and two to three support staff members, including clerical personnel and medical assistants, creating a lean initial labor model that controls fixed overhead during the critical ramp-up phase. Services offered are comprehensive and span the full spectrum of primary eye care: routine pediatric and adult eye exams, treatment of red eyes, infections, and injuries, vision therapy for pediatric patients, and co-management of more complex conditions including glaucoma, cataracts, and LASIK surgeries. Some locations enhance throughput and patient convenience by operating in-office laboratories capable of producing custom lens orders on an accelerated timeline. On the retail side, licensees carry frames and lenses sourced from a deep roster of preferred vendors negotiated by TVLC, including Carl Zeiss Vision for lenses; frame suppliers Altair, De Rigo, Marchon, Marcolin, Luxottica, Safilo, Silhouette, and Viva; and contact lens brands Bausch and Lomb, Ciba, CooperVision, and Vistakon. Using these preferred vendors unlocks the co-op dollar pool that partially funds TVLC operations, but vendor participation is not mandatory — individual licensees retain the autonomy to make independent supplier decisions without penalty. Technology support is embedded in the membership at no additional cost, including Eyefinity practice management software, the Vue Eye Channel for waiting room patient engagement, Solutionreach patient communication solutions, and FramesData subscriptions. Marketing materials provided include patient merchandise bags, special offer cards, warranty brochures, thank-you cards, and envelopes. The operational philosophy explicitly aims to combine the personalized service culture of an independently owned practice with the pricing and vendor leverage of a large corporate chain, a positioning that patient reviews consistently validate through feedback emphasizing thorough exams, knowledgeable staff, and reasonable pricing. Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document, a point that prospective investors should understand within the proper context of Today's Vision's unique structure. Because Today's Vision operates as a licensing corporation rather than a franchise, the conventional FDD framework — including Item 19 financial performance representations covering average revenue, median revenue, and quartile distributions — does not apply to this network in the standard sense. This absence of standardized financial disclosure does not necessarily indicate underperformance; it reflects the structural reality that TVLC is a member-owned alliance organization, not a franchisor extracting royalties from franchisee revenues. What the available data does reveal is directionally meaningful. The network grew from 22 offices in 2005 to over 45 offices, representing more than a 100 percent increase in unit count over approximately 19 years. One documented case study from 2013 described a member doctor, Ali Mostaghimi, who joined Today's Vision in 2009 and grew his practice to over one million dollars in annual revenue by his third year of membership — a data point illustrating the upside potential for a well-operated location but not representative of average or median performance across the network. The fixed cost structure of the licensing model, with its $500 monthly fee versus percentage-of-revenue royalties, means that as a practice scales, the incremental economics improve dramatically compared to a royalty-based franchise model. A practice generating $750,000 annually pays the same $6,000 in annual licensing fees as one generating $300,000, meaning revenue growth accrues almost entirely to the licensee rather than being shared with a franchisor. Industry benchmarks for independent optometry practices suggest that well-run offices in competitive urban and suburban Texas markets can achieve revenue in the $400,000 to $1,200,000 range depending on patient volume, insurance mix, and retail optical sales penetration, though these are general industry reference points and not TVLC-specific disclosures. Today's Vision's growth trajectory tells a story of deliberate, sustainable expansion anchored in geographic discipline and quality control over quantity. The network's evolution from 22 offices at the 2005 ownership transfer to over 45 active locations represents a compound growth rate that prioritizes stable, profitable offices over rapid unit proliferation — a strategic posture that distinguishes the brand from franchise systems that have historically grown too fast and suffered elevated closure rates. In 2000, the network had 29 offices concentrated in Houston and two in Austin, with plans at that time to develop San Antonio into a six-office market, reflecting a methodical city-by-city market saturation approach designed to build brand density without cannibalizing existing licensee territories. By 2013, the network had reached 41 locations primarily in Texas with one location in Oregon, and by that point Today's Vision was actively negotiating with prospective licensees in California, Maryland, and North Carolina — a geographic diversification push that signaled the model's readiness to scale beyond its Texas stronghold. The 2021 leadership transition brought meaningful organizational renewal: Dr. April Oliver assumed the role of Chairman and President of the TVLC board, Deise Golden was appointed Executive Director succeeding Greg Watson after his 16 years of service, and founder Dr. Donald Glenz transitioned into retirement following decades of leadership. These transitions, managed through the 17th annual meeting of TVLC in September 2021, were executed with stability and continuity, reflecting the maturity of the governance structure. CooperVision received Today's Vision's Vendor of the Year Award at that same 2021 meeting, signaling the strength of vendor relationships that underpin the co-op dollar model. The competitive moat for Today's Vision rests on three durable advantages: purchasing leverage from collective vendor negotiations that an individual practice cannot replicate independently, a technology and marketing infrastructure delivered at near-zero marginal cost to licensees, and a culture of peer collaboration among member doctors that reduces the isolation that plagues solo practitioners. The ideal Today's Vision licensee is a licensed doctor of optometry who values independence but recognizes the economic limitations of operating in complete isolation from a larger purchasing and marketing infrastructure. Unlike traditional franchise systems where business management experience can substitute for industry knowledge, Today's Vision's model requires that the licensee be a practicing OD — the business is a clinical practice first and a retail operation second, and the doctor is the irreplaceable core of the value proposition. New practice start-ups and conversions of existing independent practices are both viable pathways, as evidenced by the 2013 expansion pipeline where four of five prospective new licensees were start-ups and one was the first existing practice conversion in the network's history. The network's geographic concentration in Texas, particularly in the greater Houston metropolitan area and surrounding suburban markets including Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Tomball, and Cypress, means that candidates with market knowledge of these communities carry a material advantage. Expansion markets in California, Maryland, and North Carolina represent emerging territorial opportunities for candidates in those geographies. The alliance model is inherently owner-operator in structure — because the licensee is the practicing optometrist, absentee ownership is not a realistic operating model in the way it might be for a passive franchise investment. The combination of a low monthly fixed fee, substantial vendor-funded benefits returned to licensees, and a peer network of over 45 collaborating doctor-owners creates a support system that functions effectively for both newly minted ODs establishing their first practice and experienced practitioners seeking to affiliate their existing office with a recognized brand and purchasing alliance. For investors conducting serious due diligence on the Today's Vision franchise opportunity — or more precisely, the Today's Vision licensing opportunity — the investment thesis deserves careful, framework-driven evaluation that accounts for the model's structural distinctiveness. The Today's Vision network earns a Franchise Performance Index score of 20, a Limited rating that reflects the challenges of quantifying performance in a non-traditional licensing structure rather than a definitive judgment on underlying business quality. The $76,000 to $257,400 initial investment range positions this opportunity in the accessible-to-mid-tier category for healthcare-adjacent franchise investments, with ongoing costs that are dramatically lower than conventional royalty-bearing franchise models. The 19-year track record of annual surplus distributions to licensees since 2005, the network's growth from 22 to over 45 offices, the recognition on Vision Monday's Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers list, and the robust technology and vendor support infrastructure provided at no incremental cost all constitute positive due diligence signals. The absence of standardized FDD financial disclosures requires prospective licensees to conduct more independent validation of unit economics than a conventional franchise would require, including direct conversations with existing licensee doctors across the network. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that enable investors to evaluate Today's Vision against comparable optometry and optical retail opportunities with precision and objectivity. Every major financial decision of this magnitude deserves independent analysis free from the promotional framing of a brand's own marketing materials — and that independence is exactly what separates PeerSense intelligence from every other source available. Explore the complete Today's Vision franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.