FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · COLORADO

Hand and Stone franchise in Colorado: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Hand and Stone in Colorado have taken 8 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $393,775). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. Hand and Stone's national ratio is 0.3×.

SBA loan outcomes · Coloradovs same-year franchise loans

Loans in CO

8

Charged off (all years)

0 of 6

Loss ratio in CO

—

Loss ratio nationally

0.3×

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CO. Loss ratio = charge-offs among loans approved through FY2020 ÷ the charge-offs expected if each had defaulted at the national rate for franchise loans approved the same year; 1.0× is the same. Only charged-off and paid-in-full loans count. A ratio is shown at 30+ such loans; “not clear” marks a ratio chance alone could produce. The all-years count mixes every era and is evidence, not a rate to compare. Borrowers are matched to the brand by name and SBA franchise code; some matches may be wrong or missing.

Market density · Colorado vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

603

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

10.1

national 11.6

Versus the country

-13%

thinner

Every business in Hand and Stone's industry operating in Colorado — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Labor cost · Colorado vs nationalHigh wage pressure

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$1,004

Colorado, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$806

same industry, all states

Versus the country

+25%

costlier to staff

What Hand and Stone's industry actually pays workers in Colorado, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Colorado9 systems
SystemLoans in COCharged off (all years)Loss ratio in COUnits in CO
Pearle Vision120 of 10——
100% Chiropractic110 of 1——
MASSAGE ENVY100 of 9—23
The Joint...the chiropractic place90 of 8—22
AFC/AMERICAN FAMILY CARE80 of 3—24
Perspire Sauna Studio60 of 1—6
SweatHouz6——1
Gameday Men's Health5———
Success On The Spectrum5———

Other systems in Hand and Stone's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Colorado. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing Hand and Stone’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

Don Drummond, CPA — Virginia #43775 · what I charge

Book a free 30-minute call →