Another momentous year helps the industry leader in retail shipping and business services capture a top spot on Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual Franchise 500 list
With thousands of franchise opportunities available, Entrepreneur Magazine compiled a list of their recommended top 500 franchises in the world. Each year, magazine editors evaluate the options to eliminate the guesswork for business owners on a truly worthwhile investment. As the world’s largest franchisor of retail shipping, postal, print and business service centers, The UPS Store has once again been named in the top 5 for the sixth consecutive year climbing one spot from last year to be #2 in 2022 results amongst all franchise brands and remains #1 in the Postal and Business services category for the 32nd consecutive year.
“We continue to be in awe of the resiliency and customer-first thinking of our retail owners, which is what makes this great achievement possible,” said Sarah Casalan Bittle, president, The UPS Store, Inc. “The past year has been another challenging one for small businesses, and our retail owners have worked tirelessly to help them forge ahead and succeed. They care deeply about the communities they serve because they are part of those same communities.”
How Entrepreneur Determines the Franchise 500 Ranking
Entrepreneur Magazine has been studying the franchise industry since 1980, perfecting the formula to produce the most prestigious and comprehensive list of best franchise business opportunities. To be included in these annual rankings, a franchise brand must meet these requirements:
- Have a minimum of 10 units open and operating
- Have at least one franchise located in North America
- Be actively seeking new franchisees in the U.S. or Canada
Once eligibility is confirmed, each franchisor is scored on more than 150 data points. As rankings have become increasingly more competitive, their proprietary formula has evolved to evaluate the strengths of a diverse array of industries. Those with the highest cumulative scores are then ranked to create the Franchise 500. The five key factors that impact a brand’s score include:
- Costs and fees – franchise fee, total investment, royalty fees
- Size and growth – open and operating units, growth rate, closures
- Support – training times, marketing support, operational support, franchisor infrastructure, financing availability, litigation
- Brand strength – social media presence, system size, years in business, years franchising
- Financial strength and stability – audited financial statements
A Quick Look at The UPS Store
As the pandemic has accelerated a shift to e-commerce, The UPS Store plays a critical role in facilitating the increased transactions through packing, shipping, printing, mail solutions, and more for its core, small business customer. What’s more is that a newly remote workforce means workers need a solution to stay connected to their offices, friends and family. Both factors have led to increased demand for the services offered at over 5,000 locations of The UPS Store.
Here’s a look at what makes The UPS Store one of the best values among franchise brands.
- Lower financial requirements including initial investment and liquid cash requirements than many franchise brands.
- Competitive pricing model with a variety of location types to choose from ranging from traditional to rural and store in store centers.
- Special discounts are available through The UPS Store VetFran and Diversity Ownership Programs.
- Comprehensive four-phase training program combining classroom, online instruction and in-store experiences.
- Ongoing support and guidance including site selection, lease negotiation, grand opening, , proprietary software and franchisee intranet platform with IT support, field operations and numerous opportunities to network with fellow franchisees.
- Marketing support including national media, regional campaigns, and local ad creation support as well as website development, social media, SEO, email marketing assistance.
Why The UPS Store is a Top Franchise Brand
As The UPS Store just celebrated its 41st anniversary, it’s no doubt this franchise business model offers an iconic name and tremendous brand strength. The UPS Store is committed to providing only the best results through innovation, convenience, and world-class personalized service.
The UPS Store believes in opportunities. Everyone, from entrepreneurs to corporate executives, including minorities, women, veterans, and retirees have the chance to become their own boss. Beyond providing opportunities to business owners from all walks of life, the growth of communities and ever-evolving customer needs comes naturally as The UPS Store invests in each one of their franchises.
The UPS Store is also dedicated to support and guidance every step of the way. Each location is locally owned and operated, but you’re never in business alone. The UPS Store support team is never more than a phone call away. They provide franchisees with everything they need to get started from setting up locations to award-winning training programs and turn-key marketing & PR services.
Through a focus on building communities, The UPS Store helps small businesses achieve their goals to strengthen the communities from within. Local ownership also allows customers to enjoy high quality, extensive services and capabilities of a national brand while supporting a local business that helps their community thrive.
Approximately 85% of the US population lives within 10 miles of a The UPS Store location which means they are always close to the action. The UPS Store franchisees are flexible and committed to service. This was more apparent than ever as the communities across the nation were rebuilding from the coronavirus pandemic. The UPS Store was at the epicenter of facilitating these economic shifts from mailbox services and printing to packing and shipping for their customers every day.
“We are excited to expand our footprint into new communities as demand continues to increase for the services provided by The UPS Store,” said Steve Chambers, vice president of retail and business development.
Ready to join a growing brand dedicated to innovation and convenience that allows you to make a difference in your community? Browse opportunities available in markets across the country or reach out to The UPS Store franchise development team.
