FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

FILING · MN · 2020 FDD · 5+ YEARS OLD

Smile Source FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) — 2020

The FDD is the 23-item legal disclosure every U.S. franchisor must hand you at least 14 days before you sign or pay anything (FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR 436). Smile Source's most recent FDD tracked here is the 2020 FDD · 5+ years old, filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal) (a newer issuance very likely exists; ask the franchisor for it). Registration-state filings are public records, so you can read it free, with no sign-up.

Get the documentpublic record · PDF
Download from the Minnesota regulator (free) ↗

PUBLIC RECORD · FILED 2020 · SOURCE STATE MN

What the 2020 filing revealedextracted from the filing
ITEM 5Initial franchise fee$0
ITEM 6Ongoing royalty1.4% of gross sales
ITEM 7Total initial investment$61K–$435K
ITEM 3Disclosed litigation matters0
ITEM 19Earnings disclosure (FPR)None — no earnings claim published
ITEM 20Outlets (fiscal 2019)734 franchised at year end · 68 exits (exit rate 10.9%, fiscal 2019)
ITEM 21Franchisor financial statementsUnmodified (clean) opinion — BKD, LLP
Item 21 · Smile Source's own audited statements2020 FDD · page-cited

BKD, LLP gave an unmodified (clean) opinion on the statements in the 2020 FDD; it reported a net loss in FY2018 and FY2019.

Audit opinion

Unmodified (clean) opinion

BKD, LLP · p. 41

Revenue · FY2019

not extracted

withheld · scale unclear

Net income · FY2019

−$14K

p. 44 · matched to statement

Where FY2019 revenue came from

Royalty share not extracted

initial-fee share not extracted

  • Fiscal years covered: FY2017, FY2018, FY2019 (2020 FDD, statements from p. 44)
  • Statements are for: Smile Source Marketing, Inc.
  • Parent / owner: not identified in the statements
Fiscal yearFY2017FY2018FY2019
Total revenuenot extractedwithheld · scale unclearnot extractedwithheld · scale unclearnot extractedwithheld · scale unclear
Net income (loss)$0p. 44 · matched to statement−$63Kp. 44 · matched to statement−$14Kp. 44 · matched to statement
Cash at year end$251Kp. 43$280Kp. 43$315Kp. 43

How to read this: royalties recur as long as franchisees trade; initial and development fees arrive only when new franchises are sold. A franchisor whose revenue leans on initial fees is funding itself by selling territories, and that revenue stops when sales slow. Under ASC 606 most franchisors recognize initial fees over the agreement term, so the line understates the cash collected in a strong selling year. Ad-fund revenue, where reported, is included in total revenue as the statements present it.

Each figure links to its page in the filed PDF. “Matched to statement” means our extraction and a second, rule-based read of the statement page agree; “extracted · not cross-checked” means the statement page is a scanned image or could not be read as text. Figures we could not place on a consistent scale are withheld, not guessed. Spotted an error? Report a correction.

Every figure above was extracted by software from the 2020 Smile Source FDD as filed (figures are not individually checked by a person) and links back to that document. Fields that could not be extracted are omitted; no figure here is estimated. Extraction errors are possible: the filing controls, and FDDs are reissued annually; verify against the current issuance before relying on any number. Spotted an error? Franchisors and owners can report it via the contact on our Terms page.

Smile Source FDD questions, answered

Where can I download the Smile Source FDD for free?

Smile Source's 2020 Franchise Disclosure Document is a public record, filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal). It can be downloaded free from the source link on this page — no broker form, no email signup required.

What year is Smile Source's most recent FDD on file?

The most recent Smile Source FDD tracked here is the 2020 FDD · 5+ years old, filed with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (public CARDS portal). Franchisors must update their FDD annually, so a newer issuance very likely exists; confirm you are reading the current issuance before signing.

Does Smile Source's FDD disclose earnings (Item 19)?

No — Smile Source's 2020 FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19. That is legal and common, but it means the franchisor publishes no earnings claim.

What does Smile Source's FDD Item 20 show?

In fiscal 2019, Smile Source ended with 734 franchised outlets; 68 of 623 open at the start of the year left the system (exit rate 10.9%, fiscal 2019) through terminations, non-renewals, and "ceased operations — other reasons".

The Smile Source validation checklist

questions built from this brand's own filings · read them all on the profile

Want this as a checklist you can take to the calls?

I'll email you the printable version, and tell you if Smile Source’s numbers move — a new filing, a rising exit rate, a distress signal. Unsubscribe in one click.

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 Smile Source’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

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

Book a free 30-minute call →