LinkedIn Sales NavigatorLinkedIn
MandatoryICT program, franchisees must implement at least 2 sales and marketing support systems (“Sales and Marketing Support Systems”): a CRM system and the approved sales support system (LinkedIn Sales Navig
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
REF USA
Professional servicesREF USA operates 14 franchised units at an AUV of $314,113 under a 2026 FDD that makes a financial performance representation in Item 19. The FDD requires franchisees to run LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and standard LinkedIn is already in use for prospecting, making the buying center for any complementary sales or CRM tool clear from the filing itself.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
14
14 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-6.667%
vs prior filing
AUV
$314K
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
20%
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$58K
per unit
Investment range
$67K–$84K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
1 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. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
20%+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.
FacebookMeta
cations regarding use of social media in any way that references the Marks or involves the franchise. "Social media" includes websites, personal blogs, common social networks like Facebook, profession
LinkedInLinkedIn
, upgrades or updates. The annual cost of licenses to maintain software is estimated to be approximately $1,000 per year depending on your computer system, the CRM system, and the LinkedIn licenses, e
QuickBooksIntuit
r. If you do not have them, you are required to purchase, install (preferably before attending ICT) and use the latest editions of Google Suite and office management software like QuickBooks (or equiv
TwitterX
ks or involves the franchise. "Social media" includes websites, personal blogs, common social networks like Facebook, professional networks like LinkedIn, live-blogging tools like Twitter, virtual wor
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
16 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 5 explicit no's; 13 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 have access to the information and data generated by or available on your computer system and there are no restrictions or limits on our rights to use this information.
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We may occasionally modify the contents of the REF Insider/Operations Manual, at any time and from time to time as we deem appropriate, to reflect changes in the authorized services, standards, operating procedures, nonprofessional specifications and other aspects of the System and the operation of a Franchise Unit…
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
During the 2025 fiscal year, neither we nor our affiliates receive any revenue from franchisee- required purchases or leases.
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
The estimated proportion of these required purchases to all purchases by the franchisee of goods and services in establishing the franchise business is 0% and in operating the franchise business is between 1% and 10%.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
If the proposed supplier’s process requires a substantial amount of our time, we may charge them our actual costs for our services.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to use a supplier other than suppliers we have approved, you must ask us to approve a proposed supplier by submitting a written request together with samples or other evidence of the supplier’s ability to conform to our specifications and standards.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 9
s. Inspections and audits 12 6 and 11
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We may occasionally modify the contents of the REF Insider/Operations Manual, at any time and from time to time as we deem appropriate, to reflect changes in the authorized services, standards, operating procedures, nonprofessional specifications and other aspects of the System and the operation of a Franchise Unit…
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Your site must be approved by us and approval will not be unreasonably withheld.
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
Within the first 90 days following your completion of the ICT Program and your opening of the business, you must invest in at least 2 Sales and Marketing Support Systems: A CRM system and the approved sales support system (such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator License).
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
If we designate or approve suppliers, you must purchase approved brands, types and/or models of equipment, furniture, fixtures and signs from them as applicable.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
If we designate or approve suppliers, you must purchase approved brands, types and/or models of equipment, furniture, fixtures and signs from them as applicable.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have access to the information and data generated by or available on your computer system and there are no restrictions or limits on our rights to use this information.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must invest in at least 2 Sales and Marketing Support Systems within 90 days after completing the ICT program: an approved CRM system and sales support system (LinkedIn Sales Navigator License).
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
We may charge you a fee to attend these mandatory training meetings and that fee may vary from meeting to meeting.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
You and the Manager/Contract Forum Leaders must attend additional, or refresher-training meetings conducted during the term of this Agreement that we designate as mandatory (including, without limitation, our annual convention which is currently mandatory for all Franchise Unit owners.
The filing answers no to 5 questions
- Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Item 11
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at REF USA
REF USA runs 14 franchised units at an AUV of $314,113 and a striking 20.0% royalty, under a 2026 FDD that makes a financial performance representation. Unit count fell 6.7% year over year, with the largest state cluster in California (5 units).
Who controls software purchasing
Chairman of the Board Manuel Vega is the sole executive named in Item 2. Because LinkedIn Sales Navigator is already mandated system-wide, any pitch for a competing or complementary sales tool routes through this single point of leadership rather than 15 independent buying decisions.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
LinkedIn Sales Navigator carries a mandate under Item 7 — franchisees must use it. Standard LinkedIn is in use for prospecting under Item 11, a fee-based or documented use that falls short of a purchase requirement. Facebook, QuickBooks, and Twitter also appear in Item 11, named without any mandate attached.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list: items must come from designated or approved suppliers where specified, and everything else must meet REF USA's specifications and quality standards. Franchisees can request approval of alternative suppliers. Item 17 allows renewal for consecutive 10-year terms while in good standing, requiring advance notice and a then-current agreement that can carry different fees.
How to read the REF USA FDD
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. The embedded viewer below covers Items 2, 7, 8, 11, and 17.
Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of professional-services franchises with comparable sales-tech mandates.
Questions vendors ask
REF USA, answered from the filing
Chairman of the Board Manuel Vega is the named leader in Item 2. With LinkedIn Sales Navigator already mandated for franchisees, any additional prospecting or CRM tool needs to clear his office rather than sell into 15 independent offices one at a time.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is mandated under Item 7. Standard LinkedIn is in use for prospecting under Item 11, without a purchase requirement. Facebook, QuickBooks, and Twitter appear in Item 11 as named platforms with no mandate attached.
14 total franchised units, down 6.7% year over year, in the professional-services segment, with the largest state cluster in California (5).
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list: items must come from designated or approved suppliers when specified, and all purchases must meet REF USA's specifications and quality standards. Franchisees can request approval of alternative suppliers.
Item 17 allows renewal for consecutive 10-year terms while in good standing, requiring advance notice, cured defaults, and a then-current agreement that may carry different fees. Against a 10-year initial term, that renewal point is the recurring window for revisiting the mandated LinkedIn relationship.
The REF USA FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. Use the embedded PDF viewer below to review Items 2, 7, 8, 11, and 17 directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment REF USA files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
15 operators run 15 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit15
Top states by locations
| CA | 5 |
|---|---|
| VA | 1 |
| SC | 1 |
| FL | 1 |
| ME | 1 |
Related Professional services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.