Sweetwater Technologies franchise
2024 filing · February 7, 2024Shares sales figures
Sweetwater Technologies at a glance
A crop-spraying drone service applying crop protection products for farmers, run with a leased truck and drone. At the end of 2023 there were 1 Sweetwater Technologies locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Business services
- Franchisor
- Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Wyanet, Illinois
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $89K–$190K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $70,000
- Covers one truck and one drone leased from the franchisor's affiliate.
- Royalty
- 33% of product sales + $2 an acre
- 33% of gross product sales plus $2 per acre serviced, deducted from customer payments the franchisor collects; equipment is leased for $5,000 a month
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to 3% of gross sales, paid monthly
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 1
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 1
- Most in Illinois
From Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Sweetwater Technologies among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Sweetwater Technologies | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $139,263 | Costs less than 79% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $70,000 | Higher than 95% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 1 | Fewer than 88% of franchises |
How much a Sweetwater Technologies franchise costs
Opening one Sweetwater Technologies costs an estimated $88,625 to $189,900. 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 ($70,000) and vehicle, equipment, signage ($5,000 to $50,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $70,000 | ||
| Rent Deposit | $0 | $5,000 | |
| Rent (3 months) | $0 | $15,000 | |
| Vehicle, Equipment, Signage | $5,000 | $50,000 | |
| Office Set-Up, Technology, Hardware and Software | $5,000 | $6,000 | |
| Business Licenses & Permits | $575 | $700 | |
| Professional Fees | $1,500 | $5,000 | |
| Insurance | $2,050 | $8,200 | |
| Training Expenses | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $1,500 | $10,000 | |
| Additional Funds | $2,000 | $15,000 | |
| Total | $88,625 | $189,900 | |
Source: Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 14
Sweetwater Technologies franchise fee
The franchise fee is $70,000, Covers one truck and one drone leased from the franchisor's affiliate.. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 33% of gross product sales plus $2 per acre serviced, deducted from customer payments the franchisor collects; equipment is leased for $5,000 a month. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 3% of gross sales, paid monthly. |
| Technology Fee | Up to $250 per month |
| Transfer Fee | $10,000 |
| Additional Training Fee | $250 per day, per trainer plus travel and related expenses |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from page 12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Sweetwater Technologies publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 39
How Sweetwater Technologies compares
Of the 324 business services franchises on this site, Sweetwater Technologies is the 187th cheapest to open and the 281st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Sweetwater Technologies | Typical business services brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $89K | $77K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $190K | $136K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $70K | $45K | $40K |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 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: Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 45
Where Sweetwater Technologies locations are
At the end of 2023, Sweetwater Technologies had locations in 1 state. The most are in Illinois.
- Illinois1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, page 46
Who owns Sweetwater Technologies?
Sweetwater Technologies franchises are sold by Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC’s 2024 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: Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Sweetwater Technologies filings
The figures on this page come from Sweetwater Technologies Franchise, LLC’s 2024 filing, issued February 7, 2024, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | February 7, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
