What is the purpose of the Strategic Leadership Council fee for a Bee Organized franchise?
Bee_Organized Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
| Type of Fee (Note 1) | Amount | Due Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty (Notes 2 and 3) | Greater of 8% of Gross Sales or Minimum Monthly Royalty Fee Requirement | Monthly as designated by us | Will be debited automatically from your bank account by ACH or other means designated by us. See, Notes 2 and 3 for Minimum Monthly Royalty Requirements. |
| Brand Development Fund (Note 4) | 2% of Gross Sales for annual Gross Sales up to $500,000 and 1% of Gross Sales for annual Gross Sales over $500,000, but not exceeding $20,000 per year | Monthly as designated by us | Will be debited automatically from your bank account by ACH or other means designated by us. |
| Franchisee Directed Local Marketing (Note 5) | 3% of monthly Gross Sales, but not less than $500 per Territory per month | Monthly as incurred by you | Must be spent by you monthly on pre- approved marketing within your operating territory. Subject to Minimum Monthly Local Marketing Requirements depending on the size of your operating territory. |
| Advertising Cooperatives (Note 6) | Up to 3% of monthly Gross Sales but not exceeding the local marketing requirement, currently not assessed | As established by cooperative members | If we authorize an Advertising Cooperative, fees that you pay to the cooperative will count to the satisfaction of your local marketing requirements but will not exceed the local marketing requirement. |
| Technology (Note 7) | Up to $500 per user per | Monthly as | Will be debited automatically from your |
| month, currently $45 per | designated by | bank account by ACH or other means | |
| user per month | us | designated by us. | |
| Business Management System (Note 8) | Currently $189 per month plus $90 per user per month | Monthly as designated by us | Will be debited automatically from your bank account by ACH or other means designated by us. We may increase the Business Management System fee if the designated vendors increase the license fees. |
| QuickBooks Software | Currently $35 to $50 per month | When invoiced | You must pay an ongoing monthly license fee to our designated accounting software vendor, currently QuickBooks. This fee may increase if the designated vendor increases the license fees. |
| Mailchimp Software | Currently up to $680 per month | When invoiced | You must pay an ongoing monthly fee to for access to Mailchimp. This fee may increase if the designated vendor increases the license fees. |
| Customer Service and | Varies under the | On demand | If in our discretion we elect to resolve a |
| Refunds (Note 9) | circumstances | complaint or refund request by a client. | |
| Annual Conference (Note 10) | Our then current conference fee, not greater than $1,000 per attendee, currently $500 per attendee | When invoiced | Required attendance fee for an annual System conference. You will be responsible for all travel and lodging expenses. |
| Strategic Leadership Council | Not greater than $150 per year, currently not assessed | Monthly as designated by us | Will be debited automatically from your bank account by ACH or other means designated by us. The strategic leadership council fee is an annual fee collected by us and offsets our costs related to holding regular meetings with our franchisee advisory strategic leadership council. |
Source: Item 6 — OTHER FEES (FDD pages 12–16)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bee Organized's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Strategic Leadership Council fee is an annual fee collected by Bee Organized to offset costs related to holding regular meetings with their franchisee advisory strategic leadership council. This fee is currently not assessed, but the FDD states it will not be greater than $150 per year.
This fee, if assessed, would be debited automatically from the franchisee's bank account. The Strategic Leadership Council provides a formal channel for franchisees to provide feedback and insights to Bee Organized leadership. This type of council is common in franchising, as it helps franchisors stay informed about the needs and concerns of their franchisees, and allows franchisees to have a voice in the direction of the brand.
For a prospective Bee Organized franchisee, the Strategic Leadership Council fee represents a relatively minor potential expense. More importantly, the existence of the council itself suggests that Bee Organized values franchisee input and is committed to open communication. Franchisees should inquire about the frequency and format of these meetings to understand how the council operates and how they can participate.