QuickBooksIntuit
industry standard email and Internet browsing software. The “Computer System” consists of one computer running Microsoft Windows 11 or later (or other approved OS), with licensed QuickBooks and Micros
From the filings
+7.063% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Freedom Boat Club
Personal servicesFreedom Boat Club's franchise agreement puts technology purchasing at HQ: franchisees must run the Computer System and reservation platform the franchisor specifies. The 2026 FDD covers 437 locations, 288 of them franchised, giving vendors a defined installed base to target through Freedom Boat Club and its parent, Brunswick.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
437
288 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+7.063%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
0.5%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$264K–$623K
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.
6.5%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
24 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 6 explicit no's; 4 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(s)) have the right to independently access all electronic information and data relating to your Franchise 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
Franchisee agrees to submit, based on the frequency Franchisor designates, completed relevant worksheets; payroll changes and current hours worked; bank statements; manual check stubs with invoice copies; and any other documents required to properly record all transactions affecting the FBC Business’ financial…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We and our parent and affiliates that are approved suppliers may earn revenue from selling products or services to franchisees.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We have established an advisory committee consisting of franchisees and franchisor representatives who advise and consult on the use of the Brand Building Fund (“Marketing Council”).
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor reserves the right to: (i) change or add approved suppliers of these services at any time in Franchisor’s sole discretion;
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
15939607.50Item 8
During our last fiscal year, ended December 31, 2025, we received $122,320.50 in revenue from the sale or lease of products or services to franchisees. During our last fiscal year, ended December 31, 2025, our affiliates realized revenues totaling $15,819,287 from the sale or lease of products or services to…
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?
15Item 8
and 15% to 35% of your total cost to operate an FBC Business (not including amortization, depreciation, or replacement of worn or obsolete improvements, equipment, or fixtures).
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
If during the Term of this Franchise Agreement, Franchisee desires to purchase any equipment, vessels, products, or services for use in the FBC Business from a supplier who has not been previously approved or designated by Franchisor, Franchisee may request in writing that Franchisor approve such supplier.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee acknowledges that all telephone numbers, facsimile numbers, social media websites, Internet addresses and email addresses (collectively “Identifiers”) used in the operation of Franchisee’s FBC Business constitute Franchisor’s assets, and upon termination or expiration of this Franchise Agreement…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall establish, implement, maintain, and periodically review a written information security program for the FBC Business that is appropriate to the size and complexity of Franchisee’s operations, the nature and sensitivity of the information processed in connection with the FBC Business, and the…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may inspect the FBC Location and FBC Business from time to time to determine compliance with uniformity and quality control without prior notice.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Changes in such requirements may be made by Franchisor from time to time as deemed advisable by Franchisor.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
The proposed site must be accepted by the Franchisor in writing prior to Franchisee executing a binding lease or otherwise securing the proposed site.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee may not maintain a site on the World Wide Web or otherwise maintain a presence or advertise on the Internet, any social media site (such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), crowdfunding campaign, blog or any other public computer network in connection with the FBC Business including, but not limited to…
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
we require that you spend a minimum of $15,000 on start-up advertising (“Start-Up Advertising”).
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
You are required to spend a minimum of 1% of Gross Revenues on a monthly basis for local advertising beginning 30 days after the opening of your FBC Business.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If a Co-op is formed in your area, you will be required to pay an amount set by the Co-op, not {00198097.DOC. } 27 [2026 FDD v1F] to exceed 1.25% of Gross Revenues for each FBC Business that the franchisee owns that exists within the Co-op’s area, and will reduce your local advertising requirement, as described above…
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees 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, merchant service providers, and electronic-fund-transfer systems (together, “Payment Vendors”) that Franchisor may periodically…
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 and our affiliates via EFT or other similar means.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
In addition to offering and accepting any gift cards and loyalty cards we designate, you must use any payment vendors and accept all payment methods that we determine.
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor shall be entitled to prescribe standard uniforms, attire and dress code for all FBC Business personnel, as prescribed in the Brand Standards Manual.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We (or our designee(s)) have the right to independently access all electronic information and data relating to your Franchise 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 6
Additional Our then-current fee As incurred We provide initial training at no charge Training Fee (currently $150 per for up to four people (See Item 11). person per day), plus We may charge you for training tuition charges, the cost additional persons, newly hired of transportation, personnel, refresher training…
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall attend all franchise meetings as Franchisor deems mandatory from time to time and as {00198088.DOC. } B-13 [2026 FA v1F] Franchisor deems in the best interest of the System as a whole, including the annual meeting.
The filing answers no to 6 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 participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?Item 8
- Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- 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.
HQ leadership: CEO/President + VP Ops/Franchise + a first dedicated IT/systems owner.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
- With 298 active personal services brands, I can't see which ones are growing or have the tech gaps my product fills, so I waste weeks chasing the wrong targets.A rep burning 10 hours/week on manual research at $50/hr loses $26,000/year. FranCloud's fit_scoring and corpus_search surface high-fit brands in seconds, reclaiming that time for selling.
- 63.5% of personal services brands mandate no POS system, but I can't identify the 108 that do without digging through hundreds of FDDs.Manually reviewing one FDD takes 3+ hours. At 108 targets, that's 324 hours. FranCloud's tech_landscape reveals POS mandates instantly, turning a $16,200 research slog into a single query.
- 91.6% of brands don't mandate a CRM, but the 25 that do are hidden in static reports, delaying my outreach to high-intent prospects.Landing one CRM-displacing deal in this segment can yield $30k+ ARR. FranCloud's find_lookalikes pinpoints those 25 brands and their peers, accelerating pipeline by months.
The vendor opportunity at Freedom Boat Club
Freedom Boat Club operates 437 locations under its 2026 FDD, split between 288 franchised clubs and 149 company-owned locations, inside the personal services segment. Item 19 of the FDD makes no financial performance representation. Brunswick, Freedom Boat Club's parent, sells boats and engines to franchisees through its divisions, and the franchise agreement lets the franchisor designate the software franchisees run. Franchised outlets grew 7.1% year over year.
Who controls software purchasing
Item 11 puts the Computer System and the club's standard sales and reservation program under franchisor specification: franchisees must use the hardware and software the franchisor designates, which may include dockside tablet devices, and must maintain a high-speed internet connection to run it. Software licenses, maintenance, and support must come from suppliers the franchisor specifies. That is a corporate-level purchasing decision, not one left to individual club operators — vendors should route pitches to HQ. The Item 2 officer roster names President Cecil Cohn, CFO Navdeep Anand, and Vice President and General Manager Scott Ward, alongside Franchise Development Managers Jim Blaze and Tim Martin.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
What Item 11 requires, in its own words, is the Computer System itself — one computer with licensed QuickBooks and Microsoft Office 365 installed, the platform that generates Gross Revenue reports — plus the reservation and sales software and any dockside tablets the franchisor designates from time to time.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 runs on an approved-supplier model anchored to the parent company: Brunswick affiliates, including Boston Whaler, Brunswick Family Boat Co., Brunswick Leisure Boat Company, Thunder Jet Boats, and Lund Boat Company, are approved boat suppliers, with Mercury Marine approved for engines and Brunswick Product Protection Corporation for extended warranties. New franchisees must sign an Equipment Exclusivity Agreement, under which they may be required to buy boats and motors only from the franchisor, its affiliates, BBG Brand Boats, Mercury Marine, or other suppliers it designates. The royalty runs 6% of sales on a 5-year initial term. Item 17 allows two successor 5-year terms, each conditioned on the club having hit a $500,000 Gross Revenue threshold in its final 12 months — a recurring five-year window that gives vendors a predictable point to time renewal-linked outreach.
How to read the Freedom Boat Club FDD
The embedded viewer below holds the full 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 11 covers the technology mandate, Item 8 the supplier restrictions, and Item 20 the outlet counts referenced above. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of franchise systems like this one, sized and scored for software fit.
Questions vendors ask
Freedom Boat Club, answered from the filing
Item 11 puts the Computer System and reservation platform under franchisor control, with President Cecil Cohn and CFO Navdeep Anand named in the FDD's Item 2 officer roster. Vendors should pitch corporate, not individual clubs.
The FDD requires franchisees to run the Computer System and a standard reservation and sales program the franchisor designates, plus dockside tablet devices it may specify. Item 11's required Computer System includes licensed QuickBooks and Microsoft Office 365.
437 total locations as of the 2026 FDD — 288 franchised and 149 company-owned — in the personal services segment, with franchised outlets up 7.1% year over year.
An approved-supplier list under Item 8: Brunswick affiliates including Boston Whaler and Lund Boat Company are approved boat suppliers and Mercury Marine is approved for engines. New franchisees sign an Equipment Exclusivity Agreement that may limit boat and motor purchases to the franchisor, its affiliates, BBG Brand Boats, Mercury Marine, or other designated suppliers.
The initial term is 5 years, with two possible 5-year renewals under Item 17 — each conditioned on hitting a $500,000 Gross Revenue threshold in the final 12 months, giving vendors a recurring five-year window to time outreach around.
The embedded PDF viewer below holds Freedom Boat Club's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full. Read Items 8 and 11 first for procurement and technology, then Item 20 for the outlet count.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Freedom Boat Club files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit1
Top states by locations
| WI | 1 |
|---|
Ownership
The portfolio behind Freedom Boat Club
unknown of brunswick.
Related Personal services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.