HubSpotHubSpot
r the duration of the year upon payment of a $100.00 transfer fee; see Note 2 MarTech Fee $240 per month Payable on the 1st This covers the cost of your day of each month Sitelet, HubSpot Portal Sync
From the filings
+6.522% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Sandler
Professional servicesSoftware purchasing decisions for the Sandler franchise system are controlled at the headquarters level, though the specific buying center is not publicly named in the 2026 FDD. The franchisor does not mandate any specific technology systems, leaving the current tech stack undefined for vendors. The addressable market consists of 16 mapped operator locations, all single-unit operators, concentrated in California, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
147
147 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+6.522%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
8%
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$65K
per unit
Investment range
$84K–$108K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Franchisor controlled
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. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
8%+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.
SalesforceSalesforce
employee training, and conference attendance. SSL also provides private label materials (including the Sandler learning management system, Sandler in HubSpot solution, Sandler in Salesforce solution,
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 9
SSL has access to the data that you and your clients input into SSL’s online learning management system, and to the data that you input into the HubSpot CRM.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesItem 9
Monthly reports are due on the tenth day of each month for gross revenues received during the preceding month.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 9
SSL produces its own copyrighted facilitator materials, student materials, client certification programs, web applications, audio, video and online programs and support materials.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesFranchise agreement
subject to any applicable fee sharing provisions contained in the Franchisee Advisory Council Code of Ethics;
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
2854507Item 9
In the year ending December 31, 2025, SSL’s revenues from the sale of those items and those fees charged was $2,854,507, or 8.45% of SSL’s total revenues of $33,776,323.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 9
SSL receives payments from designated suppliers of assessments ranging of up to 20% of franchisees’ purchases from such suppliers.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 9
If you desire to purchase any of these items from an unapproved supplier, you or the supplier must submit to SSL a written request for approval.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
SSL may exercise any or all of its inspection rights set forth in Section 8.4(f) above at, prior to, or in lieu of such meeting.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee understands and acknowledges that SSL may, from time to time, unilaterally, and in its sole and unrestricted discretion, revise the contents of the Operations Manual to implement new or different operating requirements and fees applicable to the Franchised Business, and Franchisee expressly agrees to…
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 9
SSL will approve the location of your primary office, and training facility if you choose to obtain one (Franchise Agreement – Section 1.5).
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 9
Internet Website. You must participate in SSL’s Internet Website Program.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 9
All materials, programs and assessment tools used in your franchised business must be purchased from SSL or its designated suppliers.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 9
All materials, programs and assessment tools used in your franchised business must be purchased from SSL or its designated suppliers.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
3.15 Except with respect to the initial franchise fee, all required payments under this Agreement by the Franchisee to SSL shall be made by means of a payment system designated by SSL using pre-authorized transfers from the Franchisee’s operating account, through the use of electronic fund transfers, by SSL debiting…
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 9
Section 8.4(w) of the Franchise Agreement requires you to use the customer relationship management system (“CRM”) that SSL has established for use by the franchise network, and pay the then-current licensing fee.
Training
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 9
Section 8.4(t) of the Franchise Agreement requires you and your employees who provide sales and sales management training to your clients to attend at least one time per calendar year the conferences provided by SSL from time to time, and pay the registration costs thereof.
The filing answers no to 5 questions
- Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 9
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 9
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 9
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 9
- Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?Item 9
The vendor opportunity at Sandler
Sandler presents a compact but focused opportunity for software vendors targeting professional services franchises. The system consists of 16 mapped operator locations, all run by single-unit operators, with no multi-unit owners on file. This structure means a sale to the franchisor could quickly influence the entire network, but the total addressable unit count is small. The geographic footprint is concentrated in five states, led by California with three locations, Pennsylvania and Georgia with two each, and single units in Tennessee and North Carolina. For a vendor, this is a low-volume, high-touch sales environment where a relationship with headquarters is essential.
Who controls software purchasing
Control rests at the headquarters level. The 2026 FDD lists John Doe as the CEO of this independently owned system, with no parent company on file. While the FDD does not name a CIO, CTO, or VP of IT, the lean executive disclosure suggests that the CEO is the primary decision-maker for enterprise-level software purchases. Vendors should prepare to engage directly with the C-suite in Maryland. The absence of multi-unit operators further centralizes influence, as there are no large franchisee groups that might independently evaluate or adopt software.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2026 FDD does not mandate or recommend any specific technology systems. There are no named POS, CRM, scheduling, or operational platforms that franchisees are required to use. This is a blank-slate environment for software vendors. The lack of an existing mandated stack means a vendor's primary task is to convince headquarters of the value of standardizing on a single solution. Without an incumbent to displace, the sales cycle may focus more on building the business case from scratch rather than on competitive replacement.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Procurement signals are sparse. The FDD provides no extract for Item 8, which typically outlines designated or approved supplier requirements, so the formal procurement model remains unknown. Similarly, Item 17 renewal terms and the initial franchise agreement length are not disclosed in the available data. This lack of visibility makes it difficult to anticipate natural contract windows or renewal-driven software evaluations. Vendors should assume an open, relationship-driven procurement process and plan for a longer discovery phase to uncover budget cycles and decision timelines.
How to read the Sandler FDD
The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is the foundational resource for understanding Sandler's legal and operational structure. It confirms the independent ownership, the CEO's identity, and the absence of technology mandates. For software vendors, the key items to scrutinize are Item 8 (procurement restrictions), Item 11 (franchisor assistance and required purchases), and Item 17 (renewal and termination). These sections, even when sparse, define the boundaries within which a vendor must operate. The embedded viewer below provides the full text for your own analysis. When you are ready to prioritize franchise systems with stronger tech signals or larger unit counts, FranCloud can help you build a ranked target list.
Questions vendors ask
Sandler, answered from the filing
The 2026 FDD lists John Doe as CEO, indicating HQ-level control, but does not name a specific IT or procurement lead. Vendors should target the C-suite at the Maryland headquarters.
The most recent FDD contains no technology mandates or recommendations. Sandler does not require franchisees to use any specific POS, CRM, or operational software.
FranCloud has mapped 16 operator locations, all single-unit operators. The top states are California (3), Pennsylvania (2), and Georgia (2).
The procurement model is not disclosed in the 2026 FDD. There is no extract available for Item 8, leaving the designated or approved supplier status unknown.
Contract renewal timing is unclear. The initial term length and Item 17 renewal signals are not disclosed in the 2026 FDD, making it difficult to predict procurement cycles.
The 2026 FDD was filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below to conduct your own due diligence.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
16 operators run 16 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit16
Top states by locations
| CA | 3 |
|---|---|
| PA | 2 |
| GA | 2 |
| TN | 1 |
| NC | 1 |
Related Professional services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.