Dealer Specialties franchise
2024 filing · April 1, 2024Fewer locations
Dealer Specialties at a glance
A dealership services business producing window labels, vehicle photos and online listings for car dealers. At the end of 2023 there were 73 Dealer Specialties locations in the US, 25 franchised and 48 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Industry
- Business services
- Franchisor
- Dealer Specialties International, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 1989
- 35 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Monroe, Ohio
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $17K–$45K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $10,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- $100 per dealer lot a month
- The greater of $100 per dealer lot a month or the month's label, photo and advertising fees
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 3¢ per vehicle listing processed
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 73
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 25
- Company-owned
- 48
- Change in 3 years
- −22
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 38
- Most in Florida, Tennessee and Texas
From Dealer Specialties International, Inc’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Dealer Specialties among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Dealer Specialties | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $31,150 | Costs less than 99% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $10,000 | Lower than 95% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 73 | More than 71% of franchises |
How much a Dealer Specialties franchise costs
Opening one Dealer Specialties costs an estimated $17,400 to $44,900. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the franchises under $20K.
Source: Dealer Specialties International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 12
Dealer Specialties franchise fee
The franchise fee is $10,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Dealer Specialties International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of $100 per dealer lot a month or the month's label, photo and advertising fees. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 3¢ per vehicle listing processed. |
| Transfer | $5,000/$100 |
| Additional Training | $1,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Dealer Specialties International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from page 10. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Dealer Specialties 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: Dealer Specialties International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 30
SBA loans to Dealer Specialties franchisees
Lenders approved 2 SBA 7(a) loans for Dealer Specialties franchisees from 2008 to 2011, $355K in all. All 2 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off.
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
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2023 / 2021–2023. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Dealer Specialties | Typical business services brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −24% / −47% | 0% / +3.6% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 21% / 43% | 5.9% / 25% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 3% / 4.3% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical business services brand is the median of the 114 brands in business services franchises with three years of counts.
How Dealer Specialties compares
Of the 324 business services franchises on this site, Dealer Specialties is the 23rd cheapest to open and the 94th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Dealer Specialties | Typical business services brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $17K | $77K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $45K | $136K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $10K | $45K | $40K |
| US locations | 73 | 32 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 187 of 324 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 324 brands in business services franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 46 (−1) | 51 | 0 | −1 |
| 2022 | 33 (−13) | 48 | 0 | −13 |
| 2023 | 25 (−8) | 48 | 0 | −8 |
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.
Source: Dealer Specialties International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 31
Where Dealer Specialties locations are
At the end of 2023, Dealer Specialties had locations in 38 states. The most are in Florida, Tennessee and Texas.
- Florida6
- Tennessee5
- Texas5
- Illinois4
- Ohio4
- Kansas3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Texas | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Illinois | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Ohio | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Kansas | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Michigan | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| New York | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Alabama | 2 | 0 | 2 |
All 38 states
Source: Dealer Specialties International, Inc, 2024 filing, page 35
Who owns Dealer Specialties?
Dealer Specialties franchises are sold by Dealer Specialties International, Inc.
From Dealer Specialties International, Inc’s 2024 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 7–9. |
|---|---|
| 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: Dealer Specialties International, Inc, 2024 filing, litigation on pages 7–9, bankruptcy on page 9
Dealer Specialties filings
The figures on this page come from Dealer Specialties International, Inc’s 2024 filing, issued April 1, 2024, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 1, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
