QuickBooks
Mandatory. Computer System You are required to purchase a computer system (“Computer System”) that consists of the following hardware and software: (a) a Windows or Apple computer; and (b) QuickBooks, Adobe Ac
From the filings
+10% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Children's Music Academy Franchising
Youth servicesSoftware purchasing at Children's Music Academy Franchising flows through its HQ in Colorado, where the franchisor mandates Intuit QuickBooks and maintains tight operational control over a small but growing network of 24 total units (22 franchised, 2 company-owned). The addressable market is modest at 22 franchisee locations, but the brand’s 10% year-over-year unit growth and 7-year initial term with five potential successor terms create recurring evaluation windows for vendors who can complement or replace the mandated accounting stack.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
24
22 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+10%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
8%
of gross sales
Ad fund
3%
national + local
Initial fee
$32K
per unit
Investment range
$72K–$138K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
25 years
from the filing
Item 19
No 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.
11%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.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
24 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 7 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?
YesItem 11
We (or our designee) have the right to independently access the electronic information and data relating to your Children’s Music Academy Business and to collect and use your electronic information and data in any manner, including to promote the System and the sale of Franchises.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You will deliver a balance sheet, profit and loss statement, statement of cash flows and explanatory footnotes prepared under generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis (“Financial Statements”) to us within the time period required by the Franchise Operations Manual.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We are currently the only approved supplier of the Children’s Music Academy curriculum, student kits and anything with our logo.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
We may change or add approved suppliers of this Technology at any time, in our sole discretion.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
During our last fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, neither we nor our affiliates derived revenue or other material consideration as a result of franchisees’ required purchases or leases.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We and our affiliates may receive rebates from some suppliers based on your purchase of products and services and we have no obligation to pass them on to our franchisees or use them in any particular manner.
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?
50Item 8
We estimate that approximately 60% to 70% of purchases required to open your Children’s Music Academy Business and 50% to 60% of purchases required to operate your Children’s Music Academy Business will be from us or from other approved suppliers or under our specifications.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
If you wish to purchase any items or supplies from a supplier we have not approved or wish to offer any new product or service we have not authorized in writing, you must send us a written notice specifying the supplier’s name and qualifications or product or service information and provide any additional information…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Immediately stop using all telephone numbers, advertisements, domain names and social media accounts associated with the Franchised Business.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to comply with the then-current Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards as those standards may be revised and modified by the PCI Security Standards Council, LLC, or any successor organization or standards we may reasonably specify.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
At any time, we reserve the right to engage the services of one or more mystery shoppers or quality assurance inspection firms who will inspect your Franchised Business for quality control purposes.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
We can modify the Franchise Operations Manual at any time.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
We must approve the site before you sign the lease.
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 may not maintain a separate website, independently market online, conduct e-commerce, use social media, or otherwise maintain a presence on the Internet in connection with your Franchised Business without our express written permission, which we may revoke at any time, in our sole discretion.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
You are required to spend $1,000 to $3,000 on approved grand opening marketing and advertising to promote your Franchised Business during the period between 30 days prior to and 90 days after the opening of your Franchised Business.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 11
You will be required to participate in any gift card/certificate and loyalty programs that we establish and follow our policies and procedures for these programs as detailed in our Franchise Operations Manual.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
You must participate in any advertising cooperative that we require for the purpose of creating and/or purchasing advertising programs for the benefit of all franchisees operating within a particular region.
Operations
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must use the computer hardware and software, including the point-of-sale system that we periodically designate to operate your Children’s Music Academy Business.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to maintain, at all times, credit card relationships with the credit and debit card issuers or sponsors, check or credit verification services, financial center services, payment providers, merchant service providers, loyalty and gift cards, and electronic fund transfer systems (together, “Payment Vendors”)…
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
We currently require you to pay fees and other amounts due to us or our affiliates via electronic funds transfer (“EFT”) or other similar means.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
You will be required to participate in any gift card/certificate and loyalty programs that we establish and follow our policies and procedures for these programs as detailed in our Franchise Operations Manual.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must use the computer hardware and software, including the point-of-sale system that we periodically designate to operate your Children’s Music Academy Business.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We (or our designee) have the right to independently access the electronic information and data relating to your Children’s Music Academy Business and to collect and use your electronic information and data in any manner, including to promote the System and the sale of Franchises.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
From time to time, we may require that you or your Responsible Owner, Franchise Manager and other employees attend system-wide refresher or additional training courses.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?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?
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at Children's Music Academy
Children's Music Academy Franchising operates a compact network of 24 total units—22 franchised and 2 company-owned—making it one of the smaller targets in the youth-services franchise segment. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is those 22 franchisee locations, plus the franchisor entity itself. The brand grew units by 10% year-over-year, which signals active expansion and a steady drip of new-location onboarding events where technology decisions get made. There is no AUV disclosed in the most recent FDD, so vendors cannot benchmark per-unit software spend against revenue. The royalty rate is 8.0%, and the initial franchise term runs 7 years, with up to five additional 7-year successor terms available to franchisees in good standing.
Who controls software purchasing
The 2026 FDD names Janet Cross as the agent for service of process, but no chief information officer, chief technology officer, or dedicated procurement executive appears in the Item 1 disclosures. In a system this small, software purchasing authority almost certainly resides with the franchisor’s ownership or senior management at the Colorado headquarters. Vendors should expect a centralized buying process: the franchisor likely evaluates, mandates, or recommends systems, and franchisees follow that lead. There are no multi-unit operators mapped in our corpus, which further concentrates decision-making at the HQ level rather than dispersing it across large franchisee groups.
Mandated and current tech stack
The only technology system mandated in the 2026 FDD is QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. This accounting platform is required for franchisees, which tells vendors two things. First, the franchisor values financial visibility and standardized reporting across the network. Second, any software that integrates with or depends on QuickBooks data—such as payroll, scheduling, CRM, or business-intelligence tools—must play nicely with that ecosystem. No point-of-sale, student-management, or marketing-automation platforms are disclosed as mandated or recommended. That absence may represent an open field for vendors who can demonstrate value in those categories, but it also means the franchisor has not publicly signaled a need or preference.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD does not yield a procurement signal in our extract, so we cannot confirm whether Children's Music Academy uses a designated-supplier model, an approved-supplier list, or an open procurement framework. Vendors should approach the HQ prepared to discuss how their solution fits into a franchisor-controlled purchasing environment. The renewal structure offers a clear timing hook: each franchisee signs a 7-year initial agreement and may renew for up to five additional 7-year terms, but the successor agreement can include materially different terms—including higher royalty and advertising contributions. That means franchisees face periodic contract renegotiation points where they may be more open to evaluating new technology, especially if the franchisor updates its mandated stack at renewal.
How to read the Children's Music Academy FDD
The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is the authoritative source for understanding this brand’s operations, fees, and obligations. It contains the full Item 11 table of mandated systems (where QuickBooks appears), the Item 1 executive disclosures, and the Item 17 renewal conditions summarized above. For software vendors, the FDD is a due-diligence tool: it tells you what the franchisor requires today, who runs the organization, and how the franchise agreement structures technology adoption over time. Review the embedded PDF below to dig into the specifics before you build your pitch. When you are ready to prioritize franchise brands by tech-stack fit and decision-maker access, FranCloud can help you build a ranked target list.
Questions vendors ask
Children's Music Academy Franchising, answered from the filing
The FDD lists Janet Cross as agent for service of process, but no CTO, CIO, or procurement lead is named. Decision-making likely sits with the franchisor’s ownership group at the Colorado headquarters.
The 2026 FDD mandates QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. No POS, CRM, scheduling, or other operational systems are disclosed as required or recommended.
The system has 24 total units: 22 franchised and 2 company-owned. This is a small, youth-services franchise with 10% year-over-year unit growth.
The FDD does not extract a procurement signal from Item 8. The franchisor’s supplier designation model—whether designated, approved, or open—is not disclosed in the available data.
With a 7-year initial term and five optional 7-year successor terms, franchisees face renewal-driven tech evaluation points. The 10% unit growth also suggests new-location onboarding windows.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the embedded PDF viewer below for the full disclosure document.
Source
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Children's Music Academy Franchising files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
23 operators run 23 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit23
Top states by locations
| CO | 6 |
|---|---|
| ND | 4 |
| CA | 3 |
| PA | 2 |
| MO | 1 |
Related Youth services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.