QuickBooksIntuit
Mandatoryer you open, you must spend at least 1% of gross sales each month on marketing your business. Computer Systems We require you to purchase computer systems and software as follows: QuickBooks Wix -webs
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Little Tree Huggers
EducationSoftware purchasing at Little Tree Huggers is controlled at the headquarters level by Members Lia D. Johnson and George H. Johnson IV. The franchise system currently mandates QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. for its financial operations. With only 2 company-owned units and an average unit volume of $223,905, the addressable market for vendors is extremely small.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
2
0 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
$224K
Item 19, 2023
Royalty
8%
of gross sales
Ad fund
1%
national + local
Initial fee
—
per unit
Investment range
$24K–$161K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
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.
9%of gross sales (FY2024)
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
26 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 7 explicit no's; 1 question 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
We require you to purchase computer systems and software as follows: QuickBooks Wix -website/franchisor The system will include a POS/CRM system, credit card processing system, and accounting platform, such as QuickBooks.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
You must give us independent access to the information that will be generated or stored in these systems.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall provide such periodic financial reports as Little Tree Huggers Franchising may require in the Manual or otherwise in writing, including: (i) a monthly profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the Business within 30 days after the end of each calendar month; (ii) an annual financial statement…
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
Little Tree Huggers Franchising may change any such requirement or change the status of any vendor.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
We currently do not derive revenue from the required purchases and leases by franchisees.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Little Tree Huggers Franchising may receive rebates, payments, or other consideration from vendors in connection with purchases by 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?
50Item 8
We estimate that the required purchases and leases of goods and services to operate your business are 50% to 80% of your total purchases and leases of goods and services to operate your business.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to use a supplier that is not on our list of approved suppliers, you must request our approval in writing.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
notify the telephone, internet, email, electronic network, directory, and listing entities of the termination or expiration of Franchisee’s right to use any numbers, addresses, domain names, locators, directories and listings associated with any of the Marks, and authorize their transfer to Little Tree Huggers…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must at all times comply with payment card industry data security standards (PCI-DSS).
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall participate at its own expense in programs required from time to time by Little Tree Huggers Franchising for obtaining customer evaluations, reviewing Franchisee’s compliance with the System, and/or managing customer complaints, which may include (but are not limited to) a customer feedback system…
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Little Tree Huggers Franchising may accompany Franchisee or its personnel on any services performed for a customer to conduct an evaluation.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Little Tree Huggers Franchising may supplement, revise, or modify the Manual, and Little Tree Huggers Franchising may change, add or delete System Standards at any time in its discretion.
Marketing
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
After you open, you must spend at least 1% of gross sales each month on marketing your business.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
At its own expense, Franchisee shall sell or otherwise issue gift cards, certificates, or other pre-paid systems, and participate in any customer loyalty programs, membership/subscription programs, or customer incentive programs, designated by Little Tree Huggers Franchising, in the manner specified by Little Tree…
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
If a Market Cooperative for the geographic area encompassing the Territory has been established at the time Franchisee commences operations hereunder, Franchisee shall immediately become a member of such Market Cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase required items from our approved vendors as prescribed.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase required items from our approved vendors as prescribed.
Payments
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 royalty fees and other amounts due to us by pre- authorized bank draft.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesFranchise agreement
At its own expense, Franchisee shall sell or otherwise issue gift cards, certificates, or other pre-paid systems, and participate in any customer loyalty programs, membership/subscription programs, or customer incentive programs, designated by Little Tree Huggers Franchising, in the manner specified by Little Tree…
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall cause its personnel to comply with any dress attire, uniform, personal appearance and hygiene standards set forth in the Manual.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall acquire and use all software and related systems required by Little Tree Huggers Franchising.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall give Little Tree Huggers Franchising unlimited access to Franchisee’s point of sale system and other software systems used in the Business, by any means designated by Little Tree Huggers Franchising.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall acquire and use all software and related systems required by Little Tree Huggers Franchising.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We do not currently require additional training programs or refresher courses, but we have the right to do so.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
The Principal Executive shall use reasonable efforts to attend all in-person meetings and remote meetings (such as telephone conference calls) that Little Tree Huggers Franchising requires, including any national or regional brand conventions.
The filing answers no to 7 questions
- Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 20
- 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?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at Little Tree Huggers
Little Tree Huggers presents a micro-cap opportunity for software vendors. The 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document reports just 2 total units, both company-owned. The number of franchised units is not disclosed, suggesting the system has not yet scaled through franchising. With an average unit volume of $223,905 and an 8.0% royalty rate, the economic profile is that of a very early-stage education concept. For a software vendor, the total addressable market is precisely 2 locations, making this a low-volume, single-decision-maker sale rather than a scaled deployment.
Who controls software purchasing
All purchasing authority rests with the two Members listed in Item 1 of the 2024 FDD: Lia D. Johnson and George H. Johnson IV. There is no CIO, CTO, or dedicated technology buyer on file. In a system of this size, these individuals are the de facto evaluators, approvers, and users of any software. A vendor pitch must resonate with owner-operators who are likely managing curriculum, operations, and finances directly. The absence of a franchisee base means there is no multi-unit operator influence to navigate.
Mandated and current tech stack
The technology landscape is sparse. Item 11 of the FDD mandates QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. No other systems—POS, CRM, LMS, payroll, or scheduling—are disclosed as required or recommended. This suggests the operation runs on a lean, manual, or non-standardized stack outside of financial software. For vendors selling complementary tools, the opportunity lies in being the first to formalize the operational tech layer, but the burden of proof is high given the small unit count and likely limited budget.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the 2024 FDD provides no extract regarding procurement rules. There is no indication of a designated supplier program, approved vendor list, or open market policy. This opacity means a vendor must engage directly with the Members to understand purchasing protocols. Renewal cycles for franchise agreements offer a tangential timing signal: franchisees (if any exist) may sign successor agreements for up to 2 additional 5-year terms, contingent on conforming to then-current standards. However, with no franchised units confirmed, this is not a near-term driver of software refresh cycles.
How to read the Little Tree Huggers FDD
The 2024 FDD is embedded below for your own due diligence. Focus on Item 1 for the full legal and operational background of the franchisor, Item 8 for any procurement restrictions that may emerge in future amendments, and Item 11 for the complete table of required technology investments. Given the system's size, the FDD is a short read, but it contains the definitive answers on who buys and what they already use. For a ranked target list that benchmarks this brand against higher-velocity franchise systems, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
Little Tree Huggers, answered from the filing
The buying center consists of Lia D. Johnson (Member) and George H. Johnson IV (Member). As the only listed executives in the 2024 FDD, they are the sole decision-makers for any software procurement.
The 2024 FDD mandates QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. No other operational or point-of-sale systems are disclosed as required or recommended in the filing.
The system consists of 2 total units, both of which are company-owned. The number of franchised units is not disclosed in the 2024 FDD.
The procurement model is not clearly defined in the 2024 FDD. Item 8 does not contain an extract specifying designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or an open procurement framework.
With only 2 company-owned units and no franchised growth disclosed, contract windows are ad-hoc. Renewals allow for 2 additional 5-year terms, but this applies to franchise agreements, not software contracts.
The 2024 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze the complete Item 11 and Item 8 disclosures.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Little Tree Huggers files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
No franchisee network yet. Little Tree Huggers’s latest FDD reports no franchised locations.
Related Education brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.