DocuLock franchise
2022 filing · April 29, 2022Shares sales figures
DocuLock at a glance
A document services business offering shredding, scanning, storage and records management. At the end of 2021 there were 1 DocuLock locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Business services
- Franchisor
- DocuLock Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2021
- Franchisor based in
- Saint Joseph, Missouri
- Typical size
- About 500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $87K–$104K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- For a territory of 50,000 people
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenues, paid monthly, plus a 4% lead generation fee
- Brand fund
- None now
- 0% of gross revenue, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- $3,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- None
- No exclusive territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 1
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 1
- Most in Missouri
From DocuLock Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
DocuLock among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | DocuLock | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $95,650 | Costs less than 88% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 1 | Fewer than 88% of franchises |
How much a DocuLock franchise costs
Opening one DocuLock costs an estimated $86,950 to $104,350. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the low-cost franchises.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee ($40,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment ($11,000 to $20,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Rent & Security Deposit (3 months) | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $250 | $750 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $11,000 | $20,000 | |
| Signage | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $2,500 | $4,000 | |
| DocuLock Technology Fee | $3,500 | ||
| Grand Opening Advertising | $3,000 | ||
| Professional Fees | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Insurance | $2,500 | $3,500 | |
| Licenses | $200 | $600 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $20,000 | ||
| Total | $86,950 | $104,350 | |
Source: DocuLock Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 15
DocuLock franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000, for a territory of 50,000 people. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: DocuLock Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenues, paid monthly, plus a 4% lead generation fee. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 0% of gross revenue, paid with the royalty. |
| DocuLock Technology Fee | $3,500 |
| Transfer Fee | $5,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $3,000 |
| Additional Training | Our then current fee, currently $1,200 per person. |
| Local Marketing Requirement | 2% of Gross Revenues or $250 per month, whichever is greater. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: DocuLock Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures DocuLock publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: DocuLock Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 38
How DocuLock compares
Of the 324 business services franchises on this site, DocuLock is the 184th cheapest to open and the 264th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | DocuLock | Typical business services brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $87K | $77K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $104K | $136K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 7% | 6% |
| US locations | 1 | 32 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 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.
Source: DocuLock Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 40
Where DocuLock locations are
At the end of 2021, DocuLock had locations in 1 state. The most are in Missouri.
- Missouri1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: DocuLock Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 41
Who owns DocuLock?
DocuLock franchises are sold by DocuLock Franchising, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From DocuLock Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing, page 8.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| 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: DocuLock Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
DocuLock filings
The figures on this page come from DocuLock Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 29, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 29, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
