Start a Dale Carnegie Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #295 Ranked #332 last year

Initial investment: $77K - $252K

Units as of 2025: 215 2% over 3 years

Dale Carnegie Training first started as a workplace and ethics training business designed to improve professionalism. It was founded in 1912 by its namesake Dale Carnegie, well before the birth of modern-day technology. However, it has metamorphosed into something more. The brand began franchising in 2000.

The Dale Carnegie franchise aims to help individuals become the best version of themselves by improving the way they communicate, act as leaders, stay creative, collaborate, and perform in teams. The company’s methods, ideas, and general knowledge are continuously evolving to reflect the changing times.

The programs are accessible in more than thirty-five foreign languages, and Carnegie’s famous book How to Win Friends and Influence People plays an essential role in pushing the firm forward in the training industry. The principles taught in the book are used to improve various organizations and the lives of people.

Why You May Want to Start a Dale Carnegie Franchise

The Dale Carnegie franchise is in more than 85 countries around the world.. In the U.S. alone, nearly 100 Dale Carnegie franchises are in operation. Depending on the culture, different training approaches are adopted to meet local needs.

When you franchise with Dale Carnegie, you may get over 100 hours of training and in-house development before you can start working as a Dale Carnegie trainer. Highly qualified coaches will train you and your team to be successful in assisting your customers..

The Dale Carnegie franchise uses an approach called "coaching at the moment." You will learn how to identify and stop habits that lead to poor performance. While you are being trained to teach these techniques, you will also get the opportunity to apply these same methods to your work. This method may take your franchise to greater heights, as you will be reevaluating yourself and improving what you have.

What Might Make a Dale Carnegie Franchise a Good Choice?

To invest in the Dale Carnegie franchise, you will need to pay a franchise fee to the company and also be prepared for other startup costs. It would be wise to speak with your financial planner and lawyer when reviewing your decision to franchise with Dale Carnegie. When deciding whether you wish to franchise with Dale Carnegie, know that many businesses, small and large, may benefit from the services offered by a Dale Carnegie franchise.

The Dale Carnegie Training franchise has been ranked in BIZ Experiences’s Franchise 500 for several consecutive years. This ranking is based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

How to Start a Dale Carnegie Franchise

An ideal Dale Carnegie franchisee has strong people skills, is business savvy, and is willing to follow the set Dale Carnegie methods.

As a franchisee, you may receive training via the Dale Carnegie Partner Academy. After the initial onboarding training, you may also receive support and guidance for the first two years of your operations. There is also ample support through digital marketing to boost your clientele as much as possible.

Company Overview

About Dale Carnegie

Industry	Business Services
Related Categories	Business Training Programs
Founded	1912
Parent Company	Dale Carnegie & Associates
Leadership	Joe Hart, CEO
Corporate Address	780 Third Ave. New York, NY 10017
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2000 (25 years)
# of employees at HQ	80
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	215 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Dale Carnegie 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.	$5,000 - $65,000
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.	$77,000 - $252,000
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.	$500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$150,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	25% 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.	4.5%-12%
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.	3%
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.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Training & Support Offered

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

Classroom Training	169 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates National Media 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.	No
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.	No
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.	Yes