QuickBooks Online
Mandatoryuired to purchase and use the following, which are included in the estimate: Microsoft 365 for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations (estimated at $13.50 per month) and QuickBooks Online fo
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
CAITS ESTATE SERVICES, INC.Cait's Estate Sales
Home servicesSoftware purchasing at CAITS ESTATE SERVICES, INC. (Cait's Estate Sales) flows through Owner and President George Venturella. The franchisor mandates two specific systems—Cait's Management and QuickBooks by Intuit Inc.—across its current footprint of 2 company-owned units. With no franchised units reported and a 7-year initial term, the addressable market is small but concentrated at the HQ level.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
2
0 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
$596K
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
6.5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$84K–$116K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Franchisor controlled
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
8.5%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
QuickBooks
System, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), management reports, and financial data/KPI aggregation software; Microsoft 365 for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations; QuickBooks for accou
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 4 explicit no's; 5 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase and use the computer systems (software and the hardware to support it) and other technology requirements that we require for use at your Cait’s Business.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Our affiliate, Estate Sale Solutions LLC, is currently the designated supplier of the POS System, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), management reports, and financial data/KPI aggregation software.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We may modify the list of approved product types, brands and/or suppliers, and you may not, after receipt in writing of any modification, reorder any product type or brand or reorder from any supplier which is no longer approved.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
in our fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, neither we nor our affiliate derived revenue from the purchase of goods and services by 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?
25Item 8
The cost of all purchases from designated suppliers, approved suppliers or following our standards and specifications represents 30% to 40% of your total purchases in establishing your franchise, and 25% to 35% of your total purchases in operating the franchise.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right to charge you a non-refundable fee of $750 per review, plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you propose to use any of type or brand of fixtures, furniture, equipment, signs or supplies, and/or suppliers which are not then approved, you must first notify us and submit sufficient information, specifications and samples concerning such product type or brand and/or supplier as we request for our…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
You acknowledge that as between the Company and you, we have the sole right to and interest in all telephone numbers and directory listings associated with the Marks
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Your payment processing systems must be compliant with current Payment Card Industry Data Security standards, all applicable data privacy laws, and any procedures required by the Operations Manual to prevent credit card fraud.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
the right to enter and inspect your Cait’s Business, including but not limited to the operations and the services being performed, including installations, at all reasonable times and without prior notice to you.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
We have the right to add to, and otherwise modify, the Operations Manual from time to time to reflect changes in, additions to and deletions from authorized services and products, specifications, standards and operating procedures, policies and other obligations in operating a Cait’s Business under this Agreement.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
You shall not obtain or register any domain names/URL addresses for the Internet incorporating the Marks or create, develop, maintain and/or use your own web site on the Internet using any of the marks without our prior written consent.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
Beginning two (2) weeks prior to opening for business and through ninety (90) days after opening for business, you must spend a minimum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) on an initial marketing campaign in your Territory.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon opening for business, you are required to make monthly expenditures on local marketing, advertising and promotion (“Local Marketing Requirement”) in the then-current published amount, not to exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) per month (“Maximum Local Marketing Requirement”).
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree: (1) to offer for sale gift cards and/or the loyalty program, which must be in the form and version we designate ("Official Gift Card/Loyalty Program"), as it may be amended from time to time;
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
if a local or regional advertising cooperative is formed either by us or by Cait’s franchisees and approved by us in your area or region, you agree to participate in such cooperative and contribute to the cooperative in the amount and manner agreed upon by a majority of the members of the cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase your POS System, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), management reports, and financial data/KPI aggregation software, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations software, accounting software, uniforms, table cloths, signage, and other branded items from designated suppliers, which may be us…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase your POS System, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), management reports, and financial data/KPI aggregation software, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations software, accounting software, uniforms, table cloths, signage, and other branded items from designated suppliers, which may be us…
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
You must make the weekly payments for the Royalty Fees, Brand Development Fund contributions, Software License Fees, and any and all other fees that may become due and payable to us hereunder by either electronic transfer or electronic debiting of your business account, or in any other manner that Company may…
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree: (1) to offer for sale gift cards and/or the loyalty program, which must be in the form and version we designate ("Official Gift Card/Loyalty Program"), as it may be amended from time to time;
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase your POS System, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), management reports, and financial data/KPI aggregation software, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations software, accounting software, uniforms, table cloths, signage, and other branded items from designated suppliers, which may be us…
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase your POS System, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), management reports, and financial data/KPI aggregation software, word processing, spreadsheets and presentations software, accounting software, uniforms, table cloths, signage, and other branded items from designated suppliers, which may be us…
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase and use the computer systems (software and the hardware to support it) and other technology requirements that we require for use at your Cait’s Business.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
If we determine during a training program that your Owners or Designated Managers are not qualified to manage a Franchised Business, we can require the Owners or Designated Managers to attend and successfully complete additional training for an additional fee or we can terminate your franchise, effective upon…
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
If the Company holds an Annual Conference for franchisees, at least one Owner, including the Majority Equity Owner, and any Designated Manager(s) must attend Company’s Annual Conference each time it is held during the term of this Agreement, unless we agree in writing that you will not be required to attend in our…
The filing answers no to 4 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Franchise agreement
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisee/operator personally, or a small franchisor still owner-run. Wears every hat.
OwnerCEOPresidentPrincipal
- 95.3% of home services brands mandate no POS, leaving a massive whitespace for tech vendors to target before competitors catch on.By identifying the 525 brands with no mandated POS, your sales team can prioritize high-fit targets and cut prospecting waste by 40%, converting weeks of manual research into a single query that surfaces ready-to-sell accounts.
- Without instant access to AUV data, you cannot gauge franchisee ROI or brand health across 239 disclosed home services brands.Seeing median AUV of $661,803.61 at a glance lets you prioritize brands with strong unit economics, increasing win rates by focusing on financially healthy targets and avoiding low-ROI pursuits.
- With median unit growth of only 2.62% YoY across 323 disclosed brands, you need to find the outliers poised for expansion before they hit the market.Using growth signals to identify high-velocity brands lets you engage them during expansion phases, capturing deals 2x faster than reactive competitors who wait for public announcements.
The vendor opportunity at CAITS ESTATE SERVICES
CAITS ESTATE SERVICES, INC., operating as Cait's Estate Sales, is a home-services franchise based in Illinois. According to its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, the system comprises 2 company-owned units. The number of franchised units is not disclosed, and no operator footprint is mapped in our corpus. For software vendors, this represents a small, HQ-concentrated opportunity. The franchisor appears independently owned, with no parent company on file.
Average unit volume (AUV) is not reported in the FDD. The royalty rate is 6.5% of gross revenue, and the initial franchise term runs 7 years. Year-over-year unit growth is not available. These metrics suggest a tightly controlled, early-stage system where technology decisions are centralized.
Who controls software purchasing
All software purchasing authority rests with George Venturella, the Owner and President, as listed in Item 1 of the 2026 FDD. No other executives, IT leaders, or procurement officers are named. For vendors, this means a single-threaded sales approach directly to the president. The absence of a CIO, CTO, or VP of Operations indicates that technology evaluation and purchasing are likely handled personally by Venturella.
Mandated and current tech stack
The FDD mandates two specific software systems. Cait's Management serves as the operational platform, and QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. is the required accounting system. These are the only named technology vendors in the disclosure. No POS, CRM, payroll, or marketing automation tools are mentioned as mandated or recommended. This creates a narrow but defined integration surface: any software pitched to CAITS ESTATE SERVICES must coexist with or enhance these two mandated systems.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD, which typically outlines procurement restrictions and designated suppliers, contains no extract in our data. This means the franchisor's policy on approved vs. open supplier models is not publicly known. Vendors should inquire directly about any supplier qualification requirements.
Renewal terms are detailed in Item 17. A franchisee in compliance with the agreement may acquire a successor franchise for three additional terms of 5 years each, provided they meet training requirements, upgrade vehicles and equipment, sign the then-current agreement, and pay a successor fee. The renewal agreement may contain materially different terms than the original. For software vendors, these 5-year renewal cycles could represent natural reevaluation points, though with only 2 company-owned units, the sales cycle is likely relationship-driven rather than calendar-driven.
How to read the CAITS ESTATE SERVICES FDD
The full 2026 FDD is embedded below for your review. It contains the franchisor's audited financials, Item 19 financial performance representations (if any), and the complete franchise agreement. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11 (franchisor's assistance, advertising, computer systems, and training), which lists the mandated Cait's Management and QuickBooks systems, and Item 1, which identifies George Venturella as the sole executive. Item 8 and Item 17 provide procurement and renewal context, though procurement specifics are absent in this filing. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
CAITS ESTATE SERVICES, INC.Cait's Estate Sales, answered from the filing
George Venturella, listed as Owner and President in the 2026 FDD, is the sole named executive and the likely decision-maker for all software procurement.
The 2026 FDD mandates Cait's Management as the operational system and QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. for accounting. No other mandated vendors are disclosed.
The system consists of 2 company-owned units. The number of franchised units is not disclosed in the most recent FDD.
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so whether they use designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or an open model is not publicly disclosed.
With a 7-year initial term and renewal options for 3 additional 5-year terms, contract windows may align with renewal cycles, but no specific timing signals are available.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review it directly using the embedded PDF viewer on this page.
Source
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment CAITS ESTATE SERVICES, INC.Cait's Estate Sales files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
2 operators run 2 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit2
Top states by locations
| IL | 2 |
|---|
Related Home services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.