LinkedInLinkedIn
virtually Planning for Success 0.75 N/A Westminster, Colorado or virtually Takeaways and Homework 0.25 N/A Westminster, Colorado or (Phase 1 – Day 3) virtually Getting Started on LinkedIn 1.0 N/A West
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
TAB - The Alternative Board
Professional servicesSoftware purchasing at TAB – The Alternative Board flows through its Colorado headquarters, where the franchisor mandates a specific CRM, Facilitator Intranet, Microsite, and Member Intranet for all 98 locations. With 88 franchised units and 10 company-owned, the addressable market is compact but uniform—every operator runs the same core stack, making a single HQ-level sale the only path to adoption.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
98
88 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
—
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$44K
per unit
Investment range
$77K–$95K
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. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
2%+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.
PipedrivePipedrive
tional New Member Kits you request. CRM System You will sublicense the customer relationship management system (the “CRM System”) from us. We currently license our CRM System from Pipedrive Inc., but
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
18 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 6 explicit no's; 10 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 independent access to the information stored in the CRM System that includes, without limitation, potential TAB Member leads, status, TAB Member data, activity levels, and other relevant notes.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesFranchise agreement
TAB or Affiliates may be the sole designated supplier, manufacturer, or distributor of certain required or non-required products, services, supplies, equipment, and materials.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
The MAB currently consists of up to ten franchisees and up to three of our representatives.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
TAB reserves the right to change the designated CRM System upon prior notice to Franchisee and require Franchisee to sign a new or revised CRM License Agreement in TAB’s reasonable discretion.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
14193.00Item 8
Commissions based on purchases made by our franchisees from manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors for the 2025 fiscal year totaled $14,193.00 and equaled 0.2% of our total revenue for the fiscal year.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
TAB or Affiliates may receive rebates, discounts, commissions, allowances, advantages, concessions, and other benefits from approved or recommended suppliers, manufacturers, or distributors for products, services, supplies, equipment, and materials purchased by Franchisee.
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?
2Item 8
approximately 2% to 3% of the total cost of operating your TAB Business afterwards.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
You will notify us if you wish to purchase or lease any goods, products, services, supplies, inventory, equipment, and materials not approved by us or from non-designated manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
assigns to Assignee all telephone numbers, directory listings, facsimile numbers, Internet website addresses and domain names, and other listing used or to be used by Assignor for the operation of Assignor’s Business.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
TAB may review the operation and administration of Franchisee’s Business through quality control testing, periodic field reviews, or any other tests, reviews, inspections, or other reasonable actions deemed desirable by TAB.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We may change the Operations Manual in our discretion, but the modifications will not substantially or materially alter your status and rights under the Franchise Agreement.
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 will use the Microsite for Franchisee’s Business.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee will purchase all products, services, supplies, equipment, and materials required for the operation of Franchisee’s Business from any manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors designated or previously approved by TAB.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee will purchase all products, services, supplies, equipment, and materials required for the operation of Franchisee’s Business from any manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors designated or previously approved by TAB.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have independent access to the information stored in the CRM System that includes, without limitation, potential TAB Member leads, status, TAB Member data, activity levels, and other relevant notes.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee will use the CRM System designated by TAB in the Operations Manual.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
Prior to expiration of the Initial Term or any Successor Terms, Franchisee will attend and satisfactorily complete any refresher training TAB requires as a condition of renewal in TAB’s sole discretion and pay TAB the then-current fees for the refresher training;
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee will pay the then- current International Conference Facilitator Registration Fee for Franchisee or Managing Party and one additional attendee to attend the International Conference regardless of attendance (although attendance is mandatory).
The filing answers no to 6 questions
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Item 11
- Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?Item 12
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at TAB
TAB – The Alternative Board operates 98 units across the United States, with 88 franchised locations and 10 company-owned. The system is entirely single-unit: 112 mapped operators run 112 locations, with no multi-unit franchisees on file. Texas leads with 11 units, followed by Colorado (8), New Jersey (7), Florida (7), and Pennsylvania (7).
For a software vendor, the addressable market is 98 locations. That is a small footprint, but the uniformity of the tech stack changes the sales math. Because TAB mandates four specific systems from HQ, you are not selling to 98 independent buyers. You are selling to one decision center in Colorado. Win there, and you win the system.
Average unit volume and royalty rates are not disclosed in the 2026 FDD. The initial franchise term is five years, with options for seven- or ten-year terms at signing.
Who controls software purchasing
All technology mandates flow from the franchisor. The FDD lists Jason P. Zickerman as the registered agent for service of process at the Colorado headquarters. No additional C-suite executives, CIO, or VP of Technology are named in Item 1. In a system this size, the buyer is likely the CEO or a small leadership team operating without a dedicated IT procurement function.
There is no parent company on file; TAB appears independently owned. That means no enterprise-level procurement bureaucracy to navigate. The flip side: you are selling directly to the people who run the brand, and they will evaluate your product as a strategic decision, not a departmental purchase.
Mandated and current tech stack
TAB mandates four systems across its network: a CRM System, a Facilitator Intranet, a Microsite, and a TAB Member Intranet. The FDD does not name the vendors behind these systems. For a vendor pitching TAB, this is both a challenge and an opening. You need to discover which CRM and intranet platforms are in place before you can position a replacement or integration. If you can identify the incumbent, you can build a displacement case. If you cannot, you risk pitching a product that overlaps with a deeply embedded mandate.
The absence of a mandated POS or operational system is notable. TAB is a professional-services franchise, not a retail or food-service concept, so the tech stack centers on collaboration and member management rather than point-of-sale or inventory. That shapes the buyer’s priorities: they care about facilitator workflow, member engagement, and data portability across the intranet and microsite.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD contains no procurement extract, so TAB’s supplier model—whether designated, approved-list, or open—is not publicly documented. In practice, the four mandated systems suggest a designated-supplier approach for core tech, but the lack of disclosure means vendors should verify directly.
Renewal terms offer a timing signal. The initial franchise agreement runs five, seven, or ten years. At renewal, franchisees must sign the then-current Franchise Agreement, pay a renewal fee, complete refresher training, and execute a release. The renewal term equals the initial term selected. For a vendor, this means contract windows may align with renewal cycles. If a franchisee signed a five-year agreement in 2021, their renewal lands in 2026—the same year as this FDD. Tracking those cohorts can surface moments when operators are already revisiting their commitments and may be open to tech changes.
How to read the TAB FDD
The 2026 TAB FDD is embedded below. It is the single best source for understanding this franchise before you pitch. Pay attention to Item 1 for any updates to the executive team, Item 11 for the full text of the tech mandates, and Item 17 for the precise renewal conditions. If you are building a business case, the unit count and geographic concentration data in this report come directly from the FDD’s operator schedules.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software, FranCloud can help you prioritize by tech mandate, unit growth, and decision-maker accessibility.
Questions vendors ask
TAB - The Alternative Board, answered from the filing
The FDD lists Jason P. Zickerman as registered agent for service of process, indicating HQ-controlled purchasing. No CIO or CTO is named, but all tech mandates originate from the Colorado office.
TAB mandates a CRM System, Facilitator Intranet, Microsite, and TAB Member Intranet. Specific vendor names are not disclosed in the 2026 FDD.
98 total units: 88 franchised and 10 company-owned. All 112 mapped operators are single-unit, with no multi-unit owners on file.
The FDD contains no Item 8 procurement extract, so whether TAB designates suppliers, maintains an approved list, or allows open purchasing is not disclosed.
Initial terms run 5, 7, or 10 years. Renewals require a new agreement, a fee, and refresher training. Watch for renewal clusters tied to the 5-year base term.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view it in the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source
Read the filing itself
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
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment TAB - The Alternative Board files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
112 operators run 112 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit112
Top states by locations
| TX | 11 |
|---|---|
| CO | 8 |
| NJ | 7 |
| FL | 7 |
| PA | 7 |
Related Professional services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.