City Publications Franchise Group vs ActionCOACH

ActionCOACH is the stronger target right now, and it’s not close. The dimension that wins is TAM: 128 units versus 35 gives you nearly 4x the addressable install base, and every single one is franchised—no corporate-owned dead ends. That scale matters because your sales cycle and onboarding investment amortize across a much larger pool. The procurement model is the tiebreaker. ActionCOACH uses an approved-supplier model, which means you can sell unit-level without fighting a corporate mandate or getting locked out by a preferred-vendor list. City Publications’ franchisor-controlled procurement slams that door shut: you’d need to win the franchisor first, then hope they push you down, which is a longer, riskier sale with fewer shots on goal.

The tradeoff is budget quality. ActionCOACH units average $236K AUV with a 15% royalty load, so unit-level margins are thin and software spend will be scrutinized. City Publications’ lower royalty (6%) and higher initial franchise fee suggest franchisees might have more discretionary cash, but the brand is shrinking—unit growth is -12.5% year-over-year. You’d be selling into a contracting ecosystem where churn eats your base as fast as you can add it. ActionCOACH’s stable unit count and current FDD signal a healthy, static network where you can land and expand without fighting attrition.

Verdict: ActionCOACH’s larger, stable unit base and open procurement path outweigh City Publications’ marginally better unit economics and make it the superior software-sales opportunity right now.