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Aug
24
2021
OWNERSHIP

Four Things You Need to Know Before Owning a The UPS Store Center

Four Things You Need to Know Before Owning a The UPS Store Center

Four things you need to know about owning a The UPS Store. 

Owning a The UPS Store can be a great way to go into business for yourself but not by yourself. When you buy a franchise, you get all the advantagesof being your own boss plus the support and experience of a well-established brand. However, not all franchise opportunities are created equally and there are many factors to consider when determining which franchise business is right for you. Although not a replacement for thorough due diligence, here are a few things you need to know about owning a The UPS Store to jump start your research process.

Selecting a Location

When you buy a franchise, one of the first decisions you will need to make is whether to choose a new or existing business. The UPS Store has existing centers for sale across the country with an established customer base. Alternatively, if you prefer to start your own franchise, we have many open markets available for development as well.

While the final decision and responsibility of selecting a franchise site rests with the franchisee, our franchise development team will help find an acceptable location that aligns with your preferences and our overall business strategy. We will work closely with you to evaluate a location in terms of visibility, accessibility, parking availability, foot traffic, competition, and other factors that impact business potential. Once the proposed location has been approved, we will assist with center design and development to ensure it adheres to brand guidelines for design, equipment, and other specifications.

We are committed to helping franchisees develop locations that make a positive impact in the local community, regardless of its size. That’s why we encourage development in rural markets as well as larger metro areas. Although smaller markets may have fewer customers, there are many advantages of building a franchise in a rural market including less competition and more affordable real estate.

Variety of Location Types

Our retail owners all support their local communities by providing a range of shipping, postal, and business services, but all of our stores are not the same. Traditional locations are typically 1,200-1,400 square feet standalone stores located in busy shopping and dining areas in densely populated communities. However, we also offer a variety of non-traditional store options that provide greater flexibility to meet the needs of customers in unique ways.

Our store in store concept allows retail owners to set up a The UPS Store center inside a smaller, existing business such as a pharmacy or hardware store. This store in store model requires 300-550 square feet of dedicated space. It allows business owners to bring in new customers while capitalizing on their existing customer base by expanding the range of services available, making them a convenient, one-stop shop.

In addition to small retail businesses, non-traditional locations can also be established within hotels and convention centers, on college campuses, and military bases. Each are a convenient and valuable resource, bringing vital services to areas that need them most.

Cost and Funding

To help ensure adequate capital to maximize your franchise investment, a potential franchise owner will need at least $75,000 in liquid assets. This can be met through any combination of cash, bonds, stocks, mutual funds, retirement accounts, or other non-borrowed sources. If you don’t meet the financial requirements yourself, a qualified co-applicant can assist.

When you buy a franchise, you’ll also need startup funds to cover the franchise fee and other expenses. Compared to other top-ranked franchise brands, The UPS Store has a very competitive pricing model, making it one of the best values available. Initial startup costs to open a The UPS Store franchise vary based on the size and type of center as well as its location. 

  • Traditional location centers: $247,523 - $474,193
  • Rural location centers: $163,139 - $274,722
  • Store in store non-traditional location centers:  $120,929 - $250,540+

Please refer to our FDD for more detailed information regarding estimated startup costs including any qualifications and limitations that apply.

Initial startup fees cover training, upfront support, and services to help you get your retail center up and running. In addition to these fees, you will also be responsible for franchise royalties and advertising fees throughout the term of the franchise agreement. These cover the cost of ongoing education, consultation, and the research and development of new products and services, as well as enhanced brand awareness initiatives. The UPS Store currently collects 8.5 percent of adjusted gross monthly sales from each retail store owner. Of that, 5 percent goes towards royalties and 3.5 percent is used to support local and national marketing and advertising efforts.

Proper financing is the key to long-term success and profitability. We’ve teamed up with Guidant Financial to offer an array of funding options specifically suited for our business, models, and operating systems. Qualified candidates can choose from a full suite of financing options to find the most optimal opportunity based on your needs and business objectives. We also offer special discounts to veterans and recently expanded our Diversity Ownership Program to help minorities and LGBTQ+ franchise candidates become business owners.

Comprehensive Training

We’re committed to providing new retail owners the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to be successful.  Our comprehensive four-phase training program covers business fundamentals as well as store operations and technical systems.

  • Phase 1:  Over 45 web-based trainings to build a strong foundation of store operations and business acumen. 
  • Phase 2:  Five-day in-store experience at a The UPS Store Certified Training Center focused on store operations, technical systems, and business acumen.
  • Phase 3:  Ten-day interactive workshop at The UPS Store University at our corporate campus in San Diego covering business acumen like human resources, marketing, operations, sales, and financial management. Intensive hands-on training for the printing services offered at each store is included as well.
  • Phase 4:  Training concludes with a five-day review of store operations, technical systems, and print services at a Certified Training Center.

Upon completion of our training program, you will have the skills and knowledge to confidently open your doors and provide cutting edge business solutions to your local community.

At The UPS Store, we’ve worked diligently for over 40 years to build a reputable and financially viable franchise network and look forward to continued growth. If you’re interested in owning a The UPS Store and joining the world’s largest network of retail shipping, postal, printing, and business service centers, contact our franchise development team or visit our website for more information.

2023 Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 Top Rated for Veterans badge

We Proudly Support Our Veterans

Participating partners with the VetFran program, The UPS Store offers qualifying veterans $15,000 off their franchise fee to start their new business. To learn more, contact The UPS Store Franchise Development Team.

Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 Ranked #4 in 2023 badge

Ranked for over 30 Consecutive Years

The UPS Store has been ranked #1 in the postal and business services category for over 30 years and remains in the top 5 overall for the seventh consecutive year according to the Franchise 500 list.

Kristin Howard

Franchisee, Michigan

The reason my husband and I decided to go into franchising and specifically with The UPS Store, is the different opportunities we're given with the business. The UPS Store has name recognition as well as opportunities to expand.

Debbie Adams

Franchisee, Kentucky

What I enjoy most about being a The UPS Store owner is working with my customers. We are the solution specialists for our customers.

Jim George

Franchisee, Illinios

My favorite part about The UPS Store network is the camaraderie with other franchisees. Everybody loves to help everybody else. You’re really part of a family.

Greg Murray

Franchisee, Florida

The interesting thing about The UPS Store is that when a customer walks through the door there's an extremely high probability that they're coming there to do something that is important to them. So at the end of the day, what we do for customers is very important and they are trusting that we are going to do it well.

See the Full Testimonial

Mariana Huberman

Franchisee, Washington, D.C.

One of the things that I love about The UPS Store franchise system is that you're not ever in this by yourself. The franchisees of The UPS Store network are great.

Heidi Morris

Franchisee, Colorado

The thing I enjoy most about being a The UPS Store franchisee is I get to get up, go to work and know that I'm helping other business owners succeed in what they're doing.

Bob Brown

Franchisee, Tennessee

Owning a The UPS Store franchise has changed my life because it's finally given me the opportunity to engage my customers and my staff and be able to take real pride in what I do. As a franchisee, we get faced with solving peoples' problems every day and we do everything we possibly can to try to help.

Marie Jensen

Franchisee, Oregon

My favorite thing about The UPS Store is the variety. I love the variety of customers, I love the variety of services; getting to know the customers, meeting their needs, finding out how we can help them accomplish what they need to accomplish and seeing how happy they are. That makes me ecstatic.

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Tad Mollnhauer

Franchisee, Florida

With the products and services that The UPS Store provides we can make a difference in people's lives and that is the best reason for being a The UPS Store owner.

Joy Batchelor

Franchisee, Idaho

What makes being a The UPS Store franchisee worthwhile at the end of the day is the customers. The customers treat us like we're family.

Paul Erchinger

Franchisee, Texas

One nice benefit of owning a The UPS Store franchise for me has been that it gives me the opportunity to be more involved in the community. As I make relationships with others it seems like no matter what the environment is, in one way or another business comes out of that and that's not my objective—it's been a secondary benefit to being involved in the community.

Chris Reminder

Franchisee, Ohio

There are several things that I really enjoy about being a The UPS Store franchisee. First and foremost it allows me to get to know the people in the local community and that is a lot of fun. We get to see people on a regular basis. We get to know their life stories. That's a lot of fun.

Bruce Jones

Franchisee, Kentucky

Since we have joined The UPS Store, our life has changed by just having more time to spend together as a family. We've been very fortunate with the stores that we have and we have a great staff that looks out for our best interest and we look out for theirs.

Lonnie Williams

Franchisee, Oklahoma

What makes The UPS Store so successful is it gives each individual an opportunity to grow with the network and just meet the challenges that are brought to them on a daily basis. Every day gives us a new opportunity to help another person, to help another small business, to answer a question and to solve a problem.

Jeff Graham

Franchisee, Alabama

I love my customers. I love my employees. I love every person, every face that comes into my store. I enjoy every day going into work and I can't see doing anything else for the rest of my life.

Stacie Stigar

Franchisee, Alaska

I think that this franchise is so successful because of all of the resources that are available to us as center owners—we have marketing materials, we have so many different opportunities for help from the home office, and it just really makes for a great franchise.

Don Pollard

Franchisee, New Jersey

I think the thing that makes this franchise successful is a number of things. First of all we have an outstanding system, we have a great product, a great brand, and we're able to attract dynamic people to run these centers and run the business. So I think when you put all that together it really provides for a winning combination.

Mary Ellen Nichols

Franchisee, Tennessee

The thing I love about the franchise is that you have the UPS name backing you but yet you also have the autonomy to make your own decisions to promote.

Laura Griffin

Franchisee, Florida

In the eight short months I've owned my The UPS Store it has really changed my life. I've gone from being an employee of someone else to being an employer of my associates. It's a big responsibility but it's exciting every day.

Sandy Scandrett

Franchisee, Wisconsin

Being a The UPS Store franchisee has improved every aspect of my life. It's very rewarding financially, professionally, and emotionally. I have a large number of regular customers who are really, really appreciative of everything we do.

Kristie Robison

Franchisee, Alabama

I would say owning a The UPS Store location has changed my life to where I have more time and flexibility. In owning your own business you get your store up and running and you get employees that you can trust that are going to help keep your store running. This allows me to attend my two boys' ball games and also travel and do things with them so it has really changed my life for the better.