Franchise Discovery Guide

SBA Franchise Directory · Health and fitness

Mode Transportation, LLC - Operations Independent Business Owner Agreement

Reviewed, not an FTC franchise

What this listing means

Mode Transportation, LLC - Operations Independent Business Owner Agreement appears in the SBA Franchise Directory's records as an agreement SBA reviewed and determined does not meet the Federal Trade Commission's definition of a franchise. That is not a negative mark. It generally means the relationship is structured as something other than a franchise (for example a license, dealership, or distributor arrangement), so franchise-specific SBA review steps may not apply to a loan application.

If you are evaluating this opportunity, ask the company for its current agreement and have a lender confirm how SBA classifies it today, since structures and determinations can change over time.

We group this listing under health and fitness for navigation. That grouping is our editorial estimate from the brand name, not an SBA classification. SBA's records show the listing's identifier start date in 2020.

Listing record

Meets FTC definition of a franchise
No
Franchisor certification on file
Not recorded
Identifier start date
03/10/2020
Industry group (our editorial estimate)
Health and fitness

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration Franchise Directory, effective July 24, 2026, retrieved August 4, 2026.

Industry benchmarks: health and fitness

Fitness and wellness studios are membership businesses. The economics hinge on presale momentum before opening, member retention afterward, and equipment refresh cycles. Boutique formats trade smaller footprints for premium pricing.

Typical cost drivers

  • Equipment package and refresh obligations
  • Build-out with specialized flooring, showers, or studios
  • Presale marketing spend before doors open
  • Instructor and trainer payroll

Compare in the FDD

  • Membership pricing model and who sets it
  • Item 7 range versus other boutique studios
  • Territory protection and how close the next unit can open
  • Attrition assumptions behind any Item 19 figures

Baselines from public data

  • About half of new establishments survive five years or more

    Across all industries, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows roughly two-thirds of new establishments survive their first two years and about half reach the five-year mark. Franchised or not, plan capital for the ramp years.

    Source: BLS, Business Employment Dynamics: establishment age and survival

  • Franchisors must hand you an FDD at least 14 days before you sign or pay

    The FTC Franchise Rule requires a Franchise Disclosure Document with 23 standardized items. Item 7 discloses the estimated initial investment range; Item 19, if provided, covers financial performance representations. Compare these across brands before committing.

    Source: FTC Franchise Rule, 16 CFR Part 436

  • SBA 7(a) loans top out at $5 million; 504 loans fund major fixed assets

    SBA-guaranteed lending is the most common financing path for directory-listed brands. 7(a) covers general business purposes up to $5 million. CDC/504 finances real estate and major equipment through Certified Development Companies.

    Source: SBA loan programs overview

  • Directory placement is not an SBA endorsement

    SBA states that inclusion in the Franchise Directory is not an endorsement or approval of the brand and does not ensure business success. It is an eligibility and paperwork determination for lenders.

    Source: SBA Franchise Directory

Public sentiment, worldwide

We do not publish sentiment scores or letter grades for brands. Public opinion about a franchise shifts with news cycles, varies by country and by location, and a single number would overstate what anyone can honestly measure.

Instead, we link the same public sources our researchers use, prefilled for this brand, so you can read the raw evidence yourself: complaint records, customer reviews, employee reviews, press coverage, and regulatory records.

Weigh patterns, not incidents. Every large brand has unhappy reviews somewhere on earth. What matters is whether the same complaint theme repeats across sources, across regions, and across years.

Firsthand experience beats all of it. The comments below are open to signed-up readers, and franchisees, employees, and customers are all welcome to share their view, positive or negative, within our community guidelines.

  • Better Business Bureau

    Complaint history and accreditation status for the franchisor and individual locations in the U.S. and Canada.

  • Trustpilot

    Customer reviews collected globally, useful for spotting recurring service themes across countries.

  • Reddit discussions

    Unfiltered owner and customer conversations, including r/franchise threads from prospective and current franchisees.

  • Google News

    Recent press coverage worldwide: expansions, closures, litigation, and franchisee association activity.

  • Glassdoor / Indeed

    Employee reviews signal unit-level management culture, which franchisees inherit and staff experience daily.

  • FTC and court records

    Search FTC actions and federal court filings (PACER) for regulatory or franchisee litigation history.

Community comments

Firsthand experience with Mode Transportation, LLC - Operations Independent Business Owner Agreement from franchisees, employees, and customers.

Community guidelines: share firsthand experience with Mode Transportation, LLC - Operations Independent Business Owner Agreement, positive or negative. No harassment, no doxxing, no confidential or proprietary material (including FDD excerpts under NDA). Opinions belong to their authors, not this site.

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This page is an independent, plain-English summary of public records and public sources; it is written in our own words and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by the SBA or Mode Transportation, LLC - Operations Independent Business Owner Agreement. Nothing here is legal, financial, or investment advice, and no statement is a prediction that any franchise will succeed. Verify every fact against the current FDD and the SBA directory before making decisions.