Natural Awakenings franchise
2024 filing · July 30, 2024Fewer locations
Natural Awakenings at a glance
A local publishing business producing a free Natural Awakenings magazine on healthy living, earning from advertising sales. At the end of 2023 there were 47 Natural Awakenings locations in the US, 46 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $60K–$86K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $49,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7% + minimum
- The greater of 7% of gross revenues or $250 a month for the first six months, then $500, plus two pages of franchisor content in each issue
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 2% of monthly gross revenue, if a fund is set up
- Renewal fee
- $5,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 47
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 46
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- −7
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 19
- Most in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
Support and records
From Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Natural Awakenings among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Natural Awakenings | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $72,913 | Costs less than 93% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $49,500 | Higher than 64% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 47 | More than 63% of franchises |
How much a Natural Awakenings franchise costs
Opening one Natural Awakenings costs an estimated $59,550 to $86,275. 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 ($49,500) and additional funds – first 6 months ($5,850 to $24,675). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $49,500 | ||
| Travel Expenses and meals while training | $0 | $1,500 | |
| Racks & Computer | $2,100 | $6,350 | |
| Additional Funds – first 6 months | $5,850 | $24,675 | |
| Additional Misc. Fees & Expenses | $2,100 | $4,250 | |
| Total | $59,550 | $86,275 | |
Source: Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp, 2024 filing, page 19
Natural Awakenings franchise fee
The franchise fee is $49,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp, 2024 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 7% of gross revenues or $250 a month for the first six months, then $500, plus two pages of franchisor content in each issue. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of monthly gross revenue, if a fund is set up. |
| Technology Fees | Currently, $557.00 per month |
| Transfer Fee | $7,500 |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
| Ongoing Training Fee | $500 per participant |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp, 2024 filing, pages 12 and 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Natural Awakenings 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: Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp, 2024 filing, page 40
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2023 / 2021–2023. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Natural Awakenings | Typical printing and sign brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −2.1% / −13% | +0.4% / −1.7% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 13% | 1.3% / 10% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 2.1% / 1.9% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical printing and sign brand is the median of the 14 brands in printing and sign franchises with three years of counts.
How Natural Awakenings compares
Of the 34 printing and sign franchises on this site, Natural Awakenings is the 7th cheapest to open and the 20th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Natural Awakenings | Typical printing and sign brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $60K | $133K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $86K | $312K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $48K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 6.5% | 6% |
| US locations | 47 | 98 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 23 of 34 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 34 brands in printing and sign franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50 (−3) | 1 | 0 | −3 |
| 2022 | 47 (−3) | 0 | +1 | −4 |
| 2023 | 46 (−1) | 1 | 0 | −1 |
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: home-based franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp, 2024 filing, page 41
Where Natural Awakenings locations are
At the end of 2023, Natural Awakenings had locations in 19 states. The most are in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
- Florida10
- New Jersey6
- Pennsylvania5
- Michigan4
- New York3
- Arizona2
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| New Jersey | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Michigan | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| New York | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Arizona | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| South Carolina | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Texas | 2 | 0 | 2 |
All 19 states
| Alabama | 1 |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 |
| Virginia | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
Source: Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp, 2024 filing, page 42
Who owns Natural Awakenings?
Natural Awakenings franchises are sold by Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp.
From Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp’s 2024 filing.
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: Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp, 2024 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Natural Awakenings filings
The figures on this page come from Natural Awakenings Publishing Corp’s 2024 filing, issued July 30, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | July 30, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other printing and sign franchises
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