FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

The Goddard School franchise in Massachusetts: what the public record shows

Franchisees of The Goddard School in Massachusetts have taken 36 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $1,591,828). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. The Goddard School's national ratio is 0.2×.

SBA loan outcomes · Massachusettsvs same-year franchise loans

Loans in MA

36

Charged off (all years)

0 of 12

Loss ratio in MA

—

Loss ratio nationally

0.2×

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MA. 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 · Massachusetts vs nationalDense market

Businesses in this industry

2,551

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

35.7

national 26.5

Versus the country

+35%

denser

Every business in The Goddard School's industry operating in Massachusetts — 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 · Massachusetts vs nationalHigh wage pressure

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$815

Massachusetts, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$645

same industry, all states

Versus the country

+26%

costlier to staff

What The Goddard School's industry actually pays workers in Massachusetts, 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 Massachusetts10 systems
SystemLoans in MACharged off (all years)Loss ratio in MAUnits in MA
PRIMROSE SCHOOLS180 of 3—12
The Learning Experience171 of 3——
THE LITTLE GYM120 of 10——
SYLVAN LEARNING111 of 8—2
Kiddie Academy90 of 5——
Arthur Murray Dance Studio70 of 4——
CODE NINJAS71 of 6—5
Goldfish Swim School60 of 4——
Huntington Learning Center52 of 3——
School of Rock50 of 4——

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

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