Start a Creative Colors International Franchise in 2025

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $101K - $123K

Units as of 2025: 73 1% over 3 years

JoAnn and Jim Foster, founders of Creative Colors International, started the company in 1980. Creative Colors International deals with mobile repair, refurbishment, security, and color conservation of leather, vinyl, cloth, plastics, and carpeting in the automotive, furniture, industrial and residential industries.

There is an abundance of upholstered items in every home, business, and vehicle. Creative Colors is a great choice for on-site repair, restoration, cleaning, protection, and dyeing of leather, vinyl repair,plastic, and fabric restoration.

In 1991, Creative Colors International began franchising. The company currently has many locations and mobile units providing services to customers all over the U.S. and Canada. The company serves various industries, such as car dealerships, auction sites, body shops, rental car agencies, airlines, and furniture stores.

Why You May Want to Start a Creative Colors International Franchise

Creative Colors International appeals to many industries and offers savings and conveniences that make replacement services and new purchases obsolete. The company gives you many opportunities to succeed, offering modest startup costs, as well as extensive training before your location opens. It also offers continuous support once your franchise is open.

Creative Colors International performs all repairs on-site at clients' homes, offices, restaurants, body shops, or car dealerships. Certified Creative Colors International technicians work with the latest advanced equipment, products, and repair processes in the industry. By operating in a mobile unit, franchisees can reduce operating costs. In addition, franchisees have the option of acting as an absentee owner.

As a franchisee, you will not need a brick and mortar store. Instead, you will operate out of a vehicle and a home office. Mobile units tend to allow for quicker expansion and better coverage of your exclusive territory. The flexibility to work from home and your car is ideal for many franchisees who wish to work on their own schedules, leaving time for family and other commitments.

What Might Make Creative Colors International a Good Choice?

Franchisees should make sure they are financially ready for an initial investment that will include a franchise fee and other startup fees. You will want to make sure you have enough capital available to cover ongoing fees, as well. These fees will include royalty fees, advertising fees, and potential renewal fees. A percentage of the gross sales given to Creative Colors International will go towards the advertising fund to make sure advertisements occur in your area.

Franchisees may generate immediate sales via the marketing and advertisements that the company will produce before your franchise's official launch. Additionally, franchisees undergo an intense multi-week preparation and ongoing consultancy services to keep the company at its best.

Creative Colors International uses registered trademarks so franchisees can easily enjoy brand awareness in their protected territory.

How to Open a Creative Colors International Franchise

As you decide if you want to open a Creative Colors International franchise, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

To become a franchisee, fill out the request for consideration form. Creative Colors International will review your form and, if they are interested in you, the franchise brand manager may contact you to start the franchise process.

Company Overview

About Creative Colors International

Industry	Maintenance
Related Categories	Leather & Vinyl Repair, Miscellaneous Maintenance Businesses
Founded	1980
Parent Company	Creative Colors International Inc.
Leadership	Terri Sniegolski, VP
Corporate Address	19015 S. Jodi Rd., #E Mokena, IL 60448
Social	Facebook, Twitter

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1991 (34 years)
# of employees at HQ	12
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	73 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Creative Colors International 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.	$59,500
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.	$101,380 - $122,911
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.	$50,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$50,000
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.	7.5%
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.	1%
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

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	Creative Colors International has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment

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	40 hours
Classroom Training	120 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

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.	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