Start a The Alternative Board (TAB) Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $77K - $95K

Units as of 2025: 345 5% over 3 years

Starting a business can be challenging for anyone, and even more so for beginners who remain unaware of the market dynamics. In most cases, business failures continue to occur because of the lack of substantial support and advice through the BIZ Experiencesial journey. Allen Fishman noticed this and established The Alternative Board to help small business owners access support and advice, essential ingredients for success.

Launched in 1990 with franchises beginning to open in 1996, The Alternative Board (TAB) has steadily grown and has expanded its reach with over 100 franchises across the U.S., as well as over 200 territories internationally. The Alternative Board works by creating a pool of business owners who support and advise one another based on their expertise and business experience. Through coaching and mentoring sessions, you, as a franchisee, tap into the knowledge of other business owners who help you navigate the murky waters of running an enterprise.

Why You May Want to Start a The Alternative Board Franchise

Regarded as one of the largest support and advisory franchises globally, The Alternative Board operates by creating an income opportunity for its franchisees by creating a platform through which they can facilitate boards and local businesses. In this way, you help other companies become more successful.

Through The Alternative Board franchise business solutions and coaching tools, you'll be able to help board members create solutions to existing challenges in their businesses while also ensuring that they can grab new opportunities when they arise.

The Alternative Board franchise offers business solutions, such as diagnostic services, business networking, and coaching, helping small businesses to navigate the business world as easily as possible. In this way, as a franchisee, you put your business acumen into good use by helping other businesses grow and thrive.

What Might Make The Alternative Board a Good Choice?

The Alternative Board franchise offers you the opportunity to pursue your passion without necessarily stopping what you do daily. As a membership organization for business owners and executives, The Alternative Board franchise allows you to expand your knowledge and business acumen by allowing you to tap into board colleagues' expertise through monthly meetings.

To be part of The Alternative Board team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment which will include a franchise fee and other startup fees. Ongoing fees will include royalty fees, advertising fees, and potential renewal fees.

How to Open a The Alternative Board Franchise

Once convinced The Alternative Board is something you are interested in, you begin by making a formal inquiry. Next, The Alternative Board team may follow up to start an evaluation process. As they meet with you, they'll determine if you’re the right candidate for the franchise. You must have at least ten years of experience at a senior executive level to qualify as a franchisee for the business coaching and consulting franchise.

Interviews will be followed by training sessions that can get you up to speed with the operational model after paying the initial investment fee. You can then begin identifying potential board members as you begin your journey with The Alternative Board.

Company Overview

About The Alternative Board (TAB)

Industry	Business Services
Related Categories	Business Coaching & Consulting, Miscellaneous Business Services
Founded	1990
Leadership	Jason Zickerman, President/CEO
Corporate Address	11031 Sheridan Blvd. Westminster, CO 80020
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1996 (29 years)
# of employees at HQ	22
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	345 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a The Alternative Board (TAB) franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$44,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$77,130 - $95,405
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$300,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$125,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	20%-6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	5-10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	The Alternative Board (TAB) has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	62 hours
Classroom Training	82 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	Yes
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	Yes
# of employees required to run	1
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	No