QuickBooks
Mandatoryto us. You are not required to have a specific brand or type of computer hardware, except that you must have a computer that is capable of running the current Microsoft Office and QuickBooks or equiva
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Connections
Professional servicesSoftware purchasing at Connections is controlled at the headquarters level by a tight executive team including Chairman and CEO Graham P. Weihmiller and President Robert Gervais. The franchise system operates 2 franchised units and mandates specific technology platforms, including QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. and a proprietary CorporateConnections Meeting Management Tool. With a small but mandated tech stack, vendors have a clear, if narrow, addressable market.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
2
2 franchised
Unit growth YoY
0%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
20%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
—
per unit
Investment range
$98K–$152K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 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.
22%of gross sales (FY2024)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
2 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.
Salesforce
Mandatorythout prior notice. 8. Customer Relationship Management System (also known as “CC360”). You must purchase and use a customer relationship management (“CRM”) system, currently from Salesforce (“Salesfo
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
17 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 8 explicit no's; 9 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 will have independent access to all of this information without any contractual limitations (Franchise Agreement, Article 7).
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee, upon request by Franchisor, shall submit to Franchisor quarterly balance sheets for the operation of the Franchised Business.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We currently act as an approved supplier, but we will allow you to use other suppliers to provide many of our supplies and materials as long as we approve the alternative supplier in writing
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
Franchisor may change the Meeting Management Tool upon notice to Franchisee, but Franchisor will not change such Meeting Management Tool more than one time each year during the Term of this Agreement.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
We and our affiliates did not derive any revenue from the sale of required supplies and materials to 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?
1Item 8
We estimate that your purchases from approved suppliers or according to our specifications will represent approximately 1% to 5% of your total purchases necessary to establish and operate your CorporateConnections franchise.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to purchase any of the required materials described above from an alternative supplier, you must first submit an electronic or written request to us requesting permission to do so.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Promptly assign to Franchisor any interest that Franchisee may have in the telephone number and telephone listing used by Franchisee in connection with the operation of the Franchised Business.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
CorporateConnections or its representatives shall, at all reasonable times, have the right to examine or audit the books, records, membership dues reports, royalty reports, tax returns or accounts of Franchisee.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You are required to use the company or organization that is approved by us, currently Salesforce.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase initial supplies (Membership Applications and New Member Kit,) from the list of items in Exhibit B of the Franchise Agreement, from us or an authorized supplier prior to the opening of your CorporateConnections franchise.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Unless we specify another method of payment, we will generally obtain payment from you for all fees due to us through electronic fund transfer procedures.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
If you are a BNI® franchisee, you must employ and designate at least one (1) full-time supervisor (the “Key Person”), approved by us, to handle the operation of the franchise.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to all of this information without any contractual limitations (Franchise Agreement, Article 7).
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee is required to use the company or organization that is approved by Franchisor.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may also offer optional additional training programs to franchisees and may charge a fee for these trainings.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 6
You must attend the annual Global Convention for Directors (“Global Convention”) in its entirety each year organized by us at a location determined by us.
The filing answers no to 8 questions
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
- Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Item 11
- Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?Item 11
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 6
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at Connections
Connections is a professional services franchise with a small, concentrated footprint of 2 franchised units. For software vendors, this means a highly centralized sales motion. The total addressable market is limited to these two locations, but the franchisor’s mandated technology stack creates a captive environment where HQ-level decisions dictate software adoption across the entire system. The royalty rate is 20.0%, and the initial franchise term runs 5 years. Average unit volume is not disclosed in the 2024 FDD.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing authority sits squarely with the headquarters team. The FDD lists Graham P. Weihmiller as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Gervais as President, and Michael Utt as Chief Financial Officer. Directors Jay Henry and Walker Simmons round out the leadership group. For a vendor, the CFO is the likely gatekeeper for financial and operational platforms, while the CEO and President hold sway over any system-wide meeting or operational management tools. There are no multi-unit operators mapped in our corpus, reinforcing the HQ-centric buying model.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2024 FDD mandates three specific technology systems. First, the CorporateConnections Meeting Management Tool is required for franchise operations. Second, an Operating Management System is mandated, though the vendor name is not specified beyond the generic descriptor. Third, QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. is the required accounting platform. This stack suggests an opening for vendors who can integrate with QuickBooks or enhance meeting and operational management workflows. Any software that complements or replaces these mandated tools must win over the HQ executive team.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD does not include a procurement extract, so the formal supplier designation process remains opaque. However, the renewal terms in Item 17 offer timing signals. Franchise agreements run for 5 years. To renew, franchisees must notify HQ in writing at least 6 months but no more than 12 months before expiration. They must also sign the then-current franchise agreement, pay a renewal fee equal to 50% of the initial franchise fee, and bring the unit into compliance with current standards. These renewal triggers create periodic moments when the franchisor may reassess technology requirements, potentially opening doors for new vendor conversations.
How to read the Connections FDD
The 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document provides the foundational intelligence a software vendor needs to qualify Connections as a prospect. Review Item 1 for executive identities, Item 11 for the full mandated technology list, and Item 17 for renewal conditions that shape buying cycles. The embedded PDF viewer below gives you direct access to the filing. Use it to verify the facts cited here and to uncover additional details relevant to your product category. When you need a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
Connections, answered from the filing
The executive team, led by Chairman and CEO Graham P. Weihmiller and President Robert Gervais, controls purchasing. CFO Michael Utt likely oversees financial software decisions.
The 2024 FDD mandates a CorporateConnections Meeting Management Tool, an Operating Management System, and QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. for accounting.
The system comprises 2 franchised units. Company-owned unit counts are not disclosed in the 2024 FDD.
The FDD does not provide an Item 8 procurement extract, so designated vs. approved supplier status is not publicly disclosed.
Renewal terms run 5 years. Franchisees must notify HQ 6–12 months before expiration, suggesting potential re-evaluation windows tied to those cycles.
The 2024 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. Use the embedded PDF viewer below to review the full document.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Connections 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
| LA | 1 |
|---|---|
| NC | 1 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Connections
unknown of corporate connections global.
Related Professional services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.