FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

Snap-On franchise in Virginia: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Snap-On in Virginia have taken 5 SBA loans since 1991 (average $96,352)— too few resolved loans in-state to publish a local failure rate (we require a resolved cohort, never extrapolate), so the brand's national rate of 11.8% is the better guide.

SBA loan outcomes · Virginiavs national

Loans in VA

5

Resolved

5

Local charge-off

thin

National charge-off

11.8%

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = VA. 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 of 30 loans.

Market density · Virginia vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

3,746

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

42.5

national 39.6

Versus the country

+7%

denser

Every business in Snap-On's industry operating in Virginia — 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.

Labor cost · Virginia vs nationalTypical wages

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$1,199

Virginia, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$1,252

same industry, all states

Versus the country

-4%

cheaper to staff

What Snap-On's industry actually pays workers in Virginia, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This is a real cost signal 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 Virginia9 systems
SystemLoans in VALocal charge-offUnits in VA
GLASS DOCTOR16thin5
Mr. Handyman10thin
Budget Blinds8thin
Closet Factory7thin
Ace Hardware6thin
ProLift Garage Doors6thin
ACE HANDYMAN SERVICES5thin11
Five Star Bath Solutions5thin
Woodcraft5thin

Same sector, same state, same public records — how Snap-On compares to the systems a buyer in Virginia would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Snap-On's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

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

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