SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · ALABAMA
Mail Boxes Etc. Usa franchise in Alabama: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Mail Boxes Etc. Usa in Alabama have taken 15 SBA loans since 1991 (average $162,973), and of the 14 loans whose story has ended, 35.7% were charged off — versus 12.0% for Mail Boxes Etc. Usa nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in AL
15
Resolved
14
Local charge-off
35.7%
National charge-off
12.0%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = AL. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.
Businesses in this industry
340
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
6.6
national 8.1
Versus the country
-19%
thinner
Every business in Mail Boxes Etc. Usa's industry operating in Alabama — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| System | Loans in AL | Local charge-off | Units in AL |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL SERVICES LLC | 7 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Mail Boxes Etc. Usa compares to the systems a buyer in Alabama would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Mail Boxes Etc. Usa's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →