From the filings
Software purchasing at SpiderSmart is controlled at the franchisor level, where the brand mandates its proprietary internet-based software and online curriculum for all 19 franchised locations. The addressable market is small but concentrated, with a single decision-making hub at the Virginia headquarters. For vendors selling education technology, curriculum tools, or operational platforms, understanding SpiderSmart’s tech mandates and renewal cycle is the first step to a qualified pitch.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
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.
5%+of gross sales (FY2025)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
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?
YesFranchise agreement
SSI will have the right to independently access the information generated and stored on Franchisee’s computer system relating to the Business, and Franchisee 14 SpiderSmart, Inc.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
By no later than January 31 of each calendar year, Franchisee also must provide SSI with an annual statement of Franchisee’s gross revenue received and expenses incurred for payroll and rent during the year, described in monthly terms.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We are the only approved supplier of the SpiderSmart Educational System online curriculum to be used in tutoring children.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
Except as described below, during our last fiscal year neither we nor any of our affiliates derived revenue or income from the sale of goods or services to the 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?
10Item 8
We estimate that 10% of your purchases or leases of goods and services required to operate your franchise on an ongoing basis will be made from us, approved suppliers or in accordance with our standards and specifications.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to deviate from the curriculum or book titles, you must obtain our prior consent, although we will not unreasonably withhold our approval of your requests to make reasonable modifications and additions to the curriculum, provided that you allow us and all other franchisees to utilize approved changes and…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
at SSI’s option, assign the telephone numbers used in connection with the operation of the Business to SSI
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchise Agreement 05/25 suppliers of these services, Franchisee must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (“PCI DSS”) as they may be revised and modified by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (see www.pcisecuritystandards.org), or such successor or replacement organization…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee denies SSI’s authorized representatives access to Franchisee’s books and records during an audit or inspection
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
SSI may update the Manual periodically to reflect changes in the System and the operating requirements applicable to the Business, and Franchisee must comply with each requirement within such reasonable time as SSI may require; or if no time is specified, within thirty (30) days after receiving notification of the…
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 12
You will operate your SpiderSmart Learning Center from one physical location approved by us and specified in the franchise agreement, and you must receive our permission before relocating.
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, without SSI’s prior written approval which it may withhold in its sole discretion, establish, create, or operate an Internet site, the center’s own website or Internet-based software or develop software for use in connection with the Business.
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
Unless an advertising cooperative is established (as discussed in this ITEM 11 below), you must spend at least 2% of your franchise’s Gross Revenue, calculated on a semi-annual basis, on advertising by you in the Territory.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
SSI may require that Franchisee maintain credit-card relationships with the credit- and debit-card issuers or sponsors, check or credit verification services, financial-center services, and electronic-funds-transfer systems that SSI designates as mandatory, and that Franchisee must not use any such services or…
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must pay all monthly or regular periodic fees by or through an electronic depository transfer account.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
SSI will have the right to independently access the information generated and stored on Franchisee’s computer system relating to the Business, and Franchisee 14 SpiderSmart, Inc.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may provide periodic mentoring and advisory training, particularly once your Franchise grows in the number of students.
SpiderSmart is a small education franchise with 19 franchised locations across five states, all operated by single-unit franchisees. The brand grew units by 11.8% year-over-year, adding locations in a concentrated footprint led by Texas (7), Virginia (3), and Maryland (3). For software vendors, the total addressable unit count is 19 — a narrow but clearly defined market. The franchisor, part of JLS Education, LLC, exerts tight control over technology, mandating its own internet-based software and online curriculum. No company-owned units are disclosed, so every location operates under the same franchisor mandates. The average unit volume is not reported in the 2025 FDD, and the royalty rate is 5.0% of gross revenue.
Purchasing authority sits at the headquarters level. The 2025 FDD lists Jordan Steinberg as President and Cynthia Park as Director of Operations — the two executives most likely to evaluate and approve software that touches franchise operations. Jason Ellison, Director of Curriculum Development, is the probable gatekeeper for any product that integrates with or competes against SpiderSmart’s mandated online curriculum. Moonsung “Morris” Chung, Director of Franchise Development, may be a first point of contact for vendors seeking an introduction, but the operational and curriculum leaders hold the real buying influence. Because all 19 franchisees are single-unit operators with no multi-unit owners, there is no separate franchisee-level buying center with independent purchasing power.
SpiderSmart’s Item 11 disclosures mandate two technology components: an online curriculum and SpiderSmart’s own internet-based software. The FDD does not name any third-party point-of-sale, scheduling, CRM, or learning management system as required or recommended. This means the proprietary platform is the operational backbone for lesson delivery, student progress tracking, and likely administrative functions. For a software vendor, the mandate creates both a barrier and a signal: any product that duplicates mandated functionality faces an uphill battle, while complementary tools — such as billing, enrollment, or parent communication — may find an opening if they integrate with or sit alongside the proprietary system. The absence of a named third-party POS or operational stack leaves room for discovery conversations, but vendors should come prepared to explain how their tool coexists with a closed, franchisor-controlled tech environment.
The 2025 FDD does not include an Item 8 extract, so SpiderSmart’s procurement rules for non-mandated purchases are not publicly disclosed. Vendors should assume that any software touching curriculum delivery or the mandated platform requires HQ approval. Franchise agreements run for an initial term of 10 years. Renewal conditions require signing the then-current form of franchise agreement, being current on all payments, and executing a general release. The renewal royalty rate will not exceed the rate charged to similarly situated renewing franchisees. With 19 units on 10-year terms and recent year-over-year growth of 11.8%, the most likely software sales windows will align with new unit openings rather than mass renewals. A vendor tracking SpiderSmart’s expansion in Texas and Virginia could time outreach to coincide with pre-opening setup, when operational tools are being selected.
The Franchise Disclosure Document is the primary source for the data in this profile. It is filed with state franchise regulators and provides the legal and operational blueprint for the franchise system. The embedded PDF viewer below contains the full document, including Item 1 (executives), Item 11 (mandated technology), and Item 17 (renewal terms). For software vendors, the most actionable sections are Item 11 for tech mandates and Item 1 for the organizational chart that reveals who signs off on system-wide tools. Use this FDD to validate the decision-makers and contract terms before building your pitch.
FranCloud helps software vendors identify and rank franchise systems by fit, using FDD data to surface the accounts most likely to buy. When you are ready to move from research to outreach, FranCloud can generate a ranked target list tailored to your product.
Questions vendors ask
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment SpiderSmart files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
19 operators run 19 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| TX | 7 |
|---|---|
| VA | 3 |
| MD | 3 |
| CA | 2 |
| GA | 1 |
Ownership
unknown of jls education.
Related Education brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.