ColorTyme franchise
2023 filing · April 28, 2023
ColorTyme at a glance
A rent-to-own store renting furniture, appliances and electronics. At the end of 2022 there were 18 ColorTyme locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Industry
- Retail
- Franchisor
- Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 1982
- 41 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Plano, Texas
- Typical size
- 4,000–4,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $367K–$694K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 4%–6%
- 4% to 6% of gross rental payments and sales, paid monthly, plus local advertising of 3% and up to 3% to the national advertising fund
- Brand fund
- Yes
- $780 a month; up to 3% of rental payments and sales
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 18
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 18
- Company-owned
- 0
- States
- 9
- Most in Hawaii, Idaho and Rhode Island
From Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
ColorTyme among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | ColorTyme | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $530,258 | Costs more than 66% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 18 | Fewer than 52% of franchises |
How much a ColorTyme franchise costs
Opening one ColorTyme costs an estimated $367,010 to $693,505. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are general contractor costs ($74,000 to $255,000) and additional funds for first 12 months ($95,000 to $130,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| General Contractor Costs | $74,000 | $255,000 | |
| Real Estate | $3,500 | $13,875 | |
| Soft Costs | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixture & Equipment Costs | $16,550 | $35,000 | |
| Delivery Vehicle | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Insurance | $1,000 | $1,500 | |
| Outdoor Signage | $7,800 | $25,000 | |
| Training | $1,000 | $2,500 | |
| Employee Training Platform | $10 | $50 | |
| Computer Installation and Training | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| IT & Telecommunications Costs | $4,000 | $12,000 | |
| Loss Prevention Costs | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Opening Promotion and Initial Advertising | $20,000 | $25,000 | |
| Security and Utility Deposits | $5,000 | $9,000 | |
| Additional Funds for First 12 Months | $95,000 | $130,000 | |
| Inventory Expenses | $87,150 | $104,580 | |
| Total | $367,010 | $693,505 | |
Source: Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc, 2023 filing, page 14
ColorTyme franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc, 2023 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 4% to 6% of gross rental payments and sales, paid monthly, plus local advertising of 3% and up to 3% to the national advertising fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | $780 a month; up to 3% of rental payments and sales. |
| Computer Installation and Training | $ 5,000 |
| Transfer Fee | $2,500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc, 2023 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures ColorTyme does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc, 2023 filing, page 32
SBA loans to ColorTyme franchisees
Lenders approved 31 SBA-backed loans for ColorTyme franchisees from 1992 to 2019, $10.5M in all: 27 7(a) loans and 4 504 loans. Of the 30 that have ended, 26 were paid in full and 4 were charged off (13.3%). The other one hasn’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How ColorTyme compares
Of the 302 retail franchises on this site, ColorTyme is the 238th cheapest to open and the 168th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | ColorTyme | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $367K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $694K | $425K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| US locations | 18 | 38 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | −40% | 0% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 187 of 302 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 302 brands in retail franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 30 (−2) | 0 |
| 2020 | 29 (−1) | 0 |
| 2021 | 28 (−1) | 0 |
| 2022 | 18 (−10) | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Over 4 years, from the start of 2019 to the end of 2022, franchised locations went from 32 to 18 (−14, −44%). The earlier years come from the brand's 2022 filing.
Source: Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc, 2023 filing, page 33
2019: Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc, 2022 filing, page 32
Where ColorTyme locations are
At the end of 2022, ColorTyme had franchised locations in 9 states. The most are in Hawaii, Idaho and Rhode Island.
- Hawaii4
- Idaho3
- Rhode Island3
- Virginia2
- Washington2
- Florida1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 4 |
| Idaho | 3 |
| Rhode Island | 3 |
| Virginia | 2 |
| Washington | 2 |
| Florida | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 1 |
| New York | 1 |
Source: Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc, 2023 filing, page 33
Who owns ColorTyme?
ColorTyme franchises are sold by Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc.
From Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc’s 2023 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 8–10. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc, 2023 filing, litigation on pages 8–10, bankruptcy on page 10
ColorTyme filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from Rent-A-Center Franchising International, Inc’s 2023 filing, issued April 28, 2023; the earlier ones below are on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | April 28, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
| 2022 filing | – | NASAA depository | Locations, 2019 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
