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From the filings

HQ-led decisions

Blue Eagle Investigations

Professional services

Software purchasing at Blue Eagle Investigations is controlled at the headquarters level, with President Stu Macfarlane, CEO Cathy Macfarlane, and COO John Lederhaus identified as key executives. The franchise mandates Salesforce by Salesforce, Inc., and operates a small, 17-unit system of primarily franchised locations. This tight, centralized structure means a single point of entry for vendors targeting this professional services brand.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
17
16 franchised
Franchised outlet growth
—
Item 20, last two year-ends
AUV
—
Item 19
Royalty
20% component; full terms unconfirmed
percentage component
Ad fund
2%
percentage component
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$57K–$166K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing

Ordinary royalty terms

20% component; full terms unconfirmed

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.

Recorded percentage components

These are recorded percentage components. Each has its own base and conditions; the chart does not state the total payment or confirm ad-fund completeness.

1recorded components (FY2024)

Recorded percentage components (FY2024)Ad fund 2%. Components use their own filing bases and conditions. Drawn against a 15% reference scale.

15% reference

Ad fund 2%

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

1 technology requirement is recorded in this filing. A required choice lists alternatives for one obligation. Read each cited clause for its conditions.

SalesforceSalesforce
Mandatory
CrmItem 8

Item or Service Is the franchisor or an affiliate an Is the franchisor or an affiliate approved supplier of this item? the only approved supplier of this Item? Software: Dropbox, Salesforce, Yes No Google Business G Suite We may also require you to purchase advertising materials only from approved suppliers. We reserve the right for us or an affiliate to be an approved supplier or the only approved supplier of any of the items listed in the above table. Additionally, we reserve the right to require that all items used in the operation of your business be purchased from sources approved by us.

YelpYelp
MarketingItem 11

Internet and Social Media You may not create a website for your franchise business. Additionally, you cannot engage in social media on behalf of your franchise business or in marketing on the Internet without our prior written permission. If we do provide written approval to create your own website or social media for the franchise business, all content must be pre-approved by us in writing, and you are required to provide us administrative access, account information and any other information related to any of your websites and social media. All social media you develop, or use must be attached only to the email address we provide to you or that we have approved. You may not claim or register web listing on sites such as Yelp, etc. but upon termination or upon our request, you must turn over access to these web listings to us. To the extent that you have any web listings using our trademarks, you must assign such accounts to us, and you must facilitate, at your cost and expense, any transition and assignment with the online directory or social media platform within 30 days of signing the franchise agreement or of creating such listing. You must strictly comply with our policies and procedures regarding websites, social media, and Internet marketing. We reserve the right to restrict your right to use these sites in the future [franchise agreement section 10.4].

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

21 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 7 explicit no's; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.

Accounting

Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?

Yes

Item 11

We will have independent access to the information and data collected or generated by the computer system.

Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You shall submit the following reports by the following due dates.

How the franchisor buys

Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?

Yes

Item 8

We reserve the right for us or an affiliate to be an approved supplier or the only approved supplier of any of the items listed in the above table.

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Item 8

We may issue new specifications and standards for any aspect of our brand system, or modify existing specifications and standards, at any time by revising our manuals and/or issuing new written directives (which may be communicated to you by any method we choose).

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

0

Item 8

In the last fiscal year, we did not derive any revenue from the sale of these products and services to franchisees.

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

We or our affiliates may derive revenue from the sale of goods and supplies sold directly to you, or we may receive a fee or rebate from approved suppliers based off purchases from our franchisees.

Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?

10

Item 8

We estimate that the proportion of required purchases or leases will represent 80% to 90% of your overall purchases in opening your franchise business and 10% to 20% of your overall purchases in operating your franchise business.

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Franchise agreement

If You desire to purchase any products or services from an unapproved supplier, You must submit to Us a written request for such approval or request the supplier itself to do so.

Communications

Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You shall assist Us to assign, transfer, or disconnect (at Our option) the telephone listing, telephone numbers, Marketing accounts, e-mail addresses, URL’s, Internet sites, web pages, and Social Media to Us.

Data and IT

Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

At Your cost and expense, You must investigate and ensure that You comply with all data security standard (“DSS”) standards, regulations, and requirements; however, We reserve the right to approve of the supplier You use for compliance.

Franchise management

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Franchise agreement

We may conduct periodic evaluations, inspections, and audits of all aspects of Your Franchise Business at reasonable intervals by Our duly authorized representative for compliance with the System, reporting, customer service and the standards and procedures set forth in the Manuals.

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Franchise agreement

We have the right to revise the Manuals at Our sole discretion.

Marketing

Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?

Yes

Item 11

You may not create a website for your franchise business.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

You must purchase or lease the following products and services from us, other sources designated or approved by us, or according to our specifications as set forth in the manuals:

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

You must purchase or lease the following products and services from us, other sources designated or approved by us, or according to our specifications as set forth in the manuals:

Payments

Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Royalties, and Marketing Fund Fees (when instituted), are due on the 15th and last day of each month in accordance with Our then-current electronic funds transfer, ACH or other automatic withdrawal program or as specifically directed by Us.

People

Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?

Yes

Item 15

You must have either the operating principal or at least one manager available during regular business hours.

Point of sale

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Item 11

We will have independent access to the information and data collected or generated by the computer system.

Sales and CRM

Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

Salesforce, Dropbox, Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and Ring Central.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 6

We can also require you to attend refresher training classes if you do not pass our inspections or otherwise determined by us in our sole discretion.

Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?

Yes

Franchise agreement

If We determine to hold a conference or seminar, attendance is mandatory for Your Operating Principal.

The filing answers no to 7 questions
  • Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Franchise agreement
  • Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
  • Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?Item 11
  • Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11
  • Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 12
  • Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
  • Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11

The vendor opportunity at Blue Eagle Investigations

Blue Eagle Investigations presents a compact, centralized sales target for software vendors. The franchise system comprises 17 total units—16 franchised and 1 company-owned—spread across at least five states, including Iowa, Connecticut, Minnesota, Washington, and Virginia. Every operator in the system is a single-unit franchisee; there are no multi-unit operators on file. This structure means a vendor does not need to navigate a complex web of large franchisee groups. The entire system can be influenced through a single point of contact at the franchisor's headquarters.

The brand operates in the professional services sector and is independently owned, with no parent company listed in the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document. Average unit volume is not disclosed in the FDD. For a software vendor, the immediate addressable market is exactly 17 locations, with growth dependent on the franchisor's future development plans, which are not detailed in the current disclosure.

Who controls software purchasing

Control over technology decisions is firmly held at the top. The 2024 FDD's Item 1 identifies three executives: Stu Macfarlane (President), Cathy Macfarlane (CEO and Sales Director), and John Lederhaus (COO). In a system of this size, these are the individuals who will evaluate, approve, and mandate any new software platform. There is no separate CIO or VP of Technology listed, meaning the C-suite directly owns the technology buying process. A vendor's outreach should be directed squarely at these three names, with a value proposition that speaks to operational efficiency and franchisee support for a small, hands-on leadership team.

Mandated and current tech stack

The technology landscape at Blue Eagle Investigations is defined by a single mandate: Salesforce, provided by Salesforce, Inc. This is the only system named in the FDD's technology disclosures. The mandate creates both a constraint and an opportunity. Any new software must integrate with or complement the existing Salesforce environment. Vendors offering solutions that sit on top of Salesforce, such as industry-specific apps on the AppExchange, or tools that feed data into the CRM, will find a receptive architecture. The absence of any other mandated POS, scheduling, or back-office system suggests the rest of the stack is either open or handled at the franchisee level without franchisor oversight.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The 2024 FDD provides no Item 8 signal regarding a designated or approved supplier program. This means that for any technology not explicitly mandated, the procurement path is not publicly constrained by the franchisor. Vendors can likely engage franchisees directly, though winning the HQ endorsement would be the most efficient path to system-wide adoption given the centralized control.

Timing a sales cycle should be tied to the franchise agreement lifecycle. The initial term is 10 years, and renewal requires the franchisee to give notice between 6 and 12 months prior to expiration and to sign the then-current franchise agreement, which may contain materially different terms. This renewal window is the natural point at which a franchisor might introduce new technology mandates or upgrades. With no year-over-year unit growth data available, the renewal cycle of the existing 16 franchised units is the primary recurring opportunity for a vendor to displace an incumbent or insert a new solution.

How to read the Blue Eagle Investigations FDD

The full 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. For a software vendor, the critical sections are Item 1, which lists the named executives who control purchasing, and Item 11, which details the franchisor's technology obligations and mandates. Reviewing these sections directly will confirm the Salesforce mandate and the absence of other required systems. The document also contains the full renewal conditions in Item 17, which define the contractual windows for system-wide technology changes. For a ranked target list of franchise brands matched to your software category, talk to FranCloud.

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.

Questions vendors ask

Blue Eagle Investigations, answered from the filing

The buying center is the C-suite. The 2024 FDD lists Stu Macfarlane (President), Cathy Macfarlane (CEO and Sales Director), and John Lederhaus (COO) as the principal officers. A vendor should target these three individuals for any software pitch.
The 2024 FDD mandates the use of Salesforce, provided by Salesforce, Inc. No other operational, POS, or back-office systems are specified as mandated or recommended in the disclosure document.
The system has 17 total units, consisting of 16 franchised locations and 1 company-owned unit. The operator footprint is entirely single-unit operators, with mapped locations in IA, CT, MN, WA, and VA.
The 2024 FDD does not contain an Item 8 procurement signal regarding designated or approved suppliers. In the absence of this disclosure, the procurement model for non-mandated technology is not publicly defined and should be assumed open.
The initial franchise term is 10 years. Renewal requires notice 6–12 months before expiration and signing the then-current agreement. With no unit growth data, the primary window is tied to the renewal cycle of the existing 16 franchised units.
The 2024 FDD was filed with state franchise regulators. You can read the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze the complete Item 11 technology mandates and Item 1 executive list directly from the source.
Source

Read the filing itself

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Blue Eagle Investigations2024 FDDView only

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

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Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

8 operators run 8 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit8

Top states by locations

IA1
CT1
MN1
WA1
VA1

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Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.