Is a Focus Cfo franchisee required to pay a recurring IT Services fee?
Focus_Cfo Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 9.3. Franchisee is required to pay a recurring IT Services fee as outlined in Attachment G.
Currently, our approved IT vendor, C-Forward provides a recurring subscription package of IT services, which is required for all Franchisees. The C-Forward package includes the IT software, services, and support, above, as well as IT support services related to your email and O365 licensed products, both as issued to you through Focus CFO, on up to five (5) computers or devices per Franchisee. These IT support services are available between the hours of 7:30am EST and 5:30pm EST. After hours emergency support is also available at an additional cost to the Franchisee. In addition to the IT support services above, C-Forward may be able to provide support services for your business-related hardware; however, these services will need to be scoped out ahead of time and provided at an additional cost per hour at the Franchisee's expense.
The current cost of the IT Services to the Franchisee is $30 per pay and will be deducted from the Franchisee's compensation each pay period. For Franchisees who have not yet started to earn compensation, Focus CFO will work with you to cover the cost until you do.
Franchisees can elect to have Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft's Artificial Intelligence platform, included in their subscription. The cost of electing this option is $15 per pay and will be deducted from the Franchisee's compensation each pay along with the required IT Services Fee mentioned above. If the Franchisee has not yet started to earn compensation, Focus CFO will work with you to cover the cost until you do.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 37–126)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Focus Cfo's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to pay a recurring IT Services fee. The current cost for these IT Services is $30 per pay period, which will be deducted from the franchisee's compensation. For franchisees who have not yet started earning compensation, Focus Cfo will work with them to cover the cost until they do.
These IT services are provided through Focus Cfo's approved IT vendor, C-Forward, and include necessary software, services, and support. This package covers IT support services related to email and O365 licensed products issued through Focus Cfo, for up to five computers or devices per franchisee. Support is available between 7:30 am EST and 5:30 pm EST, with after-hours emergency support available at an additional cost.
Additionally, franchisees have the option to include Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft's Artificial Intelligence platform, in their subscription for an additional $15 per pay period. This cost will also be deducted from the franchisee's compensation, and Focus Cfo will assist with covering the cost for franchisees who have not yet started earning compensation. This IT services fee is separate from the initial franchise fee of $17,000 and the one-time initial training fee of $18,000.