Growth Club
1851 Growth Club
5 Technology Franchises Making a Name for Themselves in the Industry
1851 rounds up five of the large technology franchises making a splash in the tech industry today.
Technology is taking over our everyday lives. It has had a firm grasp on the consumer industry for about two decades and is now becoming extremely prevalent in other areas of business, including franchising. That’s why 1851 rounded up five of the large technology franchises making a splash within the industry today.
The name says it all. uBreakiFix’s franchise focuses on repairing cell phones, tablets and computers, but thinks of themselves as a solution to fixing bad days, ruined devices and extremely close technology calls. The brand got its start in Orlando, Florida where founder Justin Wetherill dropped his brand-new iPhone 3G. Believing in his tech savviness, Justin ordered parts online and tried to put the phone back together. After completely ruining his phone, he and his friend from college opened a mail-in repair company which turned into a brick-and-mortar location. They then franchised in 2013.
The brand has now grown to over 400 locations, adding 50 locations just last year. To own a uBreakiFix, a prospective franchisee must be ready for an initial investment between $60,400 and $220,000. For more information on franchising with uBreakiFix, visit https://www.ubreakifix.com/franchising.
CMIT began as an in-home computer repair and training company in the 1990s before launching its franchise opportunity in 1998. But then, the brand realized that small- to medium-sized local businesses were in need of IT services. CMIT pivoted its business model to focus on a new target market within its territories. Since then, the brand has grown to over 175 locations, adding 50 locations within the system just last year. The brand’s backbone focuses on proactive IT-repair services instead of reactive break-fix services.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the brand has locations in 31 states in addition to having a presence in two Canadian provinces. Prospective franchisees must be ready for an initial investment that falls between $127,000 and $175,000, with a franchise fee starting at $25,000. For more information on franchising with CMIT Solutions, visit http://cmitfranchise.com/.
Just like Apple computers, Experimac was conceived in a garage by founder Jim Muir. Muir had a passion for buying, selling and trading computer parts and equipment and turned it into a viable business venture. Muir opened the brand’s first retail location in West Palm Beach in 2012 and did not look back. Experimac franchised in August 2014 and has grown worldwide since.
Experimac currently has 100 total franchised units with eight international locations. The brand experienced strong growth in 2017, growing more than 150 percent by adding 60 locations to its system. Prospective franchisees must be ready for an initial investment that ranges from $144,000 to $316,000 with a franchise fee beginning at about $50,000. For more information on franchising with Experimac, visit https://experimacfranchise.com/.
In 1988, Russ Weldon founded The Car Phone Store, which has evolved by adapting to the changing times ever since. Following the company’s founding, the next step for Weldon was to franchise the concept. Since then, The Car Phone Store began offering GPS navigation and wireless accessories. That’s why the brand changed its name to Wireless Zone.
Today, Wireless Zone has 326 units throughout the United States. The brand recently partnered with Verizon Wireless and is considered the largest independent, carrier-exclusive, wireless retailer in the country. Prospective franchisees must be ready for an initial investment between $142,500 and $328,500 with a franchise fee topping out at $25,000. For more information on franchising with Wireless Zone, visit http://wirelesszonefranchise.com/.
In 1988, the first Batteries Plus store opened in Green Bay, Wisconsin as a response to the evolving needs of the replacement battery market. The brand began franchising in 1992 and began to spread its battery knowledge as the demand for hard-to-find batteries grew with technology. In 2010, Batteries Plus added specialty light bulbs to its repertoire, evolving to Batteries Plus Bulbs. Since then, all locations have launched device repair services that provide customers with in-store maintenance for smartphones and tablets.
Today, Batteries Plus Bulbs has over 600 locations in the US, adding 26 units to its system just last year and 84 units over the past three years. Prospective franchisees must be ready for an initial investment between $150,000 and about $370,000 with a franchise fee of $37,000. For more information on franchising with Batteries Plus Bulbs, visit https://www.batteriesplus.com/franchise.
