What support services does Best Brains provide prior to opening a franchise?
Best_Brains Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
="page-22-0">Except as listed below, we are not required to provide you with any assistance.
Our Support Services Prior to Opening. Before you open your Franchised Business, we will:
(1) Use our reasonable best efforts to review a site you have selected. We review the site in order to evaluate and approve the location of your Franchised Business within thirty days after you provide us the information about the site. Additional sites are considered until our approval is reached. You must obtain our approval of the site location and the lease. The factors which we may (but are not required to) consider for our approval include demographic radius characteristics and growth factors in the area, traffic patterns, ease of access, parking, visibility, allowed signage, competition from other businesses providing similar products and services, the proximity to other businesses, the nature of the businesses in proximity to the proposed site, and other commercial characteristics (including rental obligations and other lease terms for the proposed site) and the size, appearance and other physical characteristics of the proposed site location. We recommend that the size of the location be 1,000 to 1,500 square feet. We approve or disapprove locations or leases by a written notice which is delivered to you. We use our reasonable best efforts to deliver this notification to you within 30 days after the location evaluation or lease information is available.
You must lease the premises for your location in the form and manner required by us and deliver a copy of the signed lease to us immediately after its signing. You must not sign any lease which has not been approved in writing by us. If your business premises is to be leased, you must submit the lease to us for written approval at least fifteen days before it is scheduled to be executed. If you lease your business premises, the lease must include language contained in the Lease Rider which is attached to your Franchise Agreement as Schedule 2. The lease shall give us, our agents or designees the right to enter the premises to conduct inspections at any time during regular business hours, the right to receive notices of default directly from the lessor and the right, but not the duty, to assume the lease for all or any part of the term, if you default under the lease, are evicted or if your Franchise Agreement expires or is terminated. You must not lease or sublet all or any part of your business premises to others or use any portion of the premises for any purpose other than conducting business pursuant to your Franchise Agreement without our prior written consent. You must not sign or agree to any modification of the lease without our prior approval. You must agree that any new, amended, restated, extended or renewed lease for the location will include the above terms and conditions required to be included in a lease for a location. If you want to relocate, you must notify us in writing 60 days before the relocation. We reserve the right to refuse to approve a proposed relocation if we believe that the proposed relocation is for any reason not acceptable to us. Our judgment may be based on factors such as the proximity to existing or proposed locations owned by other franchisees or us, the suitability of the proposed facilities, compliance with our then current franchise location requirements, the competitiveness within the market place or other factors. We recommend that you employ the services of a real estate attorney for legal advice regarding the terms of the lease. (Franchise Agreement - Sections 5.C and D.)
(2) Provide an initial training program for the operation of the Franchised Business. (Franchise Agreement - Section 4.A.)
- (3) Provide pre-opening and opening assistance. (Franchise Agreement Section 4.B.)
- (4) Provide access to our confidential Operations Manual. (Franchise Agreement Section 4.D.)
- (5) Provide you with your inventory of Student Worksheets, Instructional Materials, Abacuses, and the initial inventory, equipment and center décor. (Franchise Agreement – Section 5.F.) We ship these items to you but do not install any items.
Time Until Commencement of Operation. The typical length of time between the signing of the Franchise Agreement and the start of your Franchised Business is eight to twelve weeks.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 23–28)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Best Brains' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the company offers several support services to franchisees before they open their learning center. Best Brains will use reasonable efforts to review and approve the franchisee's selected site, considering factors like demographics, traffic, accessibility, competition, and the site's physical characteristics. They recommend a location size of 1,000 to 1,500 square feet and will notify the franchisee of their decision in writing within 30 days of the location evaluation.
Best Brains provides an initial training program consisting of fourteen days of training on operating a franchise. If a franchisee purchases a Premium Learning Center, they must pay a $3,500 initial training fee. The franchisee is responsible for all travel and living expenses related to the training, and must pass the program to Best Brains' satisfaction. The training is expected to be conducted at a Best Brains learning center in the Chicagoland area, approximately one to ten weeks after signing the Franchise Agreement. The training is provided by Dorothy Pieta, who has experience as an On-Site Trainer, curriculum staff member, and Center Director/Owner for Best Brains.
In addition to site selection assistance and the initial training program, Best Brains also provides pre-opening and opening on-the-job supervision and assistance at the franchisee's location for about three days around the opening. Best Brains will also provide access to their confidential Operations Manual. Furthermore, Best Brains will provide the initial inventory of Student Worksheets, Instructional Materials, Abacuses, and the initial inventory, equipment, and center décor. The franchisee is responsible for the installation of these items. The typical time between signing the Franchise Agreement and opening is eight to twelve weeks, but franchisees must commence operations within 180 days of signing the agreement.