The Alternative Board Franchise Cost, Revenue and Closure Rate (2026 FDD)
The Alternative Board (TAB) is one of the franchises we compare in our business coaching and consulting guide. Here is what it costs to open, what it charges every month, what its franchisees report taking in, and how many outlets closed in a year.
Where these numbers come from
The figures come from The Alternative Board's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), the document every franchisor must give buyers before they sign. Revenue figures are sales as the brand reports them, before royalties and costs. They are not profit, and not a promise of what you would earn.
Preview: figures awaiting verification
Some numbers on this page haven't been checked against their sources yet.
What it costs
- Initial investment (FDD Item 7, includes the franchise fee)
- $77,130 – $95,405Pending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026FDD Item 7, including $71,000 paid to TAB; assumes you work from home or an existing office.
- Franchise fee
- $44,000Pending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026FDD Item 5. You also pay a $24,500 initial training fee and a $2,500 marketing fee. 10% off the franchise fee for qualifying veterans.
- Royalty
- 6% – 20% of revenuePending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026FDD Item 6: a sliding scale on member fees TAB collects for you each year — 20% of the first $125,000, 12% up to $160,000, 8% up to $200,000, 6% above that; capped at $60,000 a year. From month 10, a minimum royalty applies, rising to $1,800 a month from month 25.
- Marketing fund
- 2% of revenuePending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026FDD Item 6: marketing development fee of 2% of amounts collected; from month 13 the greater of 2% or $300 a month.
- Fixed monthly fees
- $60 a monthPending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026FDD Item 6: technology fee, currently $60 a month, plus $10 a month for each member. A yearly international conference fee (currently $1,500) is charged even if you don't attend.
Compared with starting your own
- The Alternative Board initial investment
- $77,130 – $95,405Pending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026FDD Item 7, including $71,000 paid to TAB; assumes you work from home or an existing office.
- Independent business coaching and consulting startup cost
- $318 – $2,057*Pending verificationSourcesApple Store — Buy 13-inch MacBook Air(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026California Secretary of State — Business entities fee schedule (Rev. 06/2018)(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Squarespace — Pricing(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026HubSpot — CRM pricing(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Calendly — Pricing(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026Computed from 5 startup budget line items: lean plan low to professional plan high. Some lines are not sourced yet and are excluded.
The independent figure is our startup budget from the guide, lean plan low to professional plan high, with no franchise fee and no royalties afterwards. * Some startup lines aren't sourced yet and are left out, so the real figure is higher.
What franchisees report taking in (FDD Item 19)
Item 19 reports 2025 member fees, member counts per franchisee, hours per board and franchisees' extra revenue from workshops and programs; it does not give each franchisee's total sales or profit.
- Average monthly fee per standard member (board plus coaching), 934 members at end of 2025$696.80 a monthPending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026Median $700; 51% met or beat the average. FDD Item 19, voluntarily reported and unaudited. Excludes 'scholarship' members paying $100 a month or less. These are fees paid by each member business owner, not a franchisee's total revenue. Your results may differ.
- Average monthly fee per coaching-only member, 96 members at end of 2025$611.75 a monthPending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026Median $650. FDD Item 19, voluntarily reported and unaudited. Excludes 'scholarship' members paying $100 a month or less. These are fees paid by each member business owner, not a franchisee's total revenue. Your results may differ.
- Average number of members per TAB franchisee, December 31, 202518Pending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026FDD Item 19, all domestic members who had not resigned. The median was 14. Voluntarily reported and unaudited.
- Average 2025 extra revenue beyond member dues (workshops and programs), 32 reporting franchisees$86,039.39 a yearPending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026Median $15,398; range $0–$1,200,000; only 6 of 31 qualifying franchisees (19%) reached the average. From an unaudited annual survey of franchisees operating at least 12 months. Gross revenue, not profit, and not including member dues. Your results may differ.
Copied exactly from the brand's disclosure. These are sales before royalties, wages and other costs, not profit.
Outlets and closures (FDD Item 20)
- Franchised outlets at the start of 2025
- 96Pending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026Closures = terminations + non-renewals + outlets that stopped operating in 2025 (FDD Item 20, Table 3). United States and international outlets combined. 2025 closures: 5 non-renewals and 12 ceased operations; 2 reacquired by the franchisor are not counted. The FDD says 'ceased operations' includes voluntary terminations, abandonments, transfers, deaths and owners who stopped responding.
- Franchised outlets at the end of 2025
- 88Pending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026Closures = terminations + non-renewals + outlets that stopped operating in 2025 (FDD Item 20, Table 3). United States and international outlets combined. 2025 closures: 5 non-renewals and 12 ceased operations; 2 reacquired by the franchisor are not counted. The FDD says 'ceased operations' includes voluntary terminations, abandonments, transfers, deaths and owners who stopped responding.
- Closed during the year (terminated, not renewed, or stopped operating)
- 17Pending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026Closures = terminations + non-renewals + outlets that stopped operating in 2025 (FDD Item 20, Table 3). United States and international outlets combined. 2025 closures: 5 non-renewals and 12 ceased operations; 2 reacquired by the franchisor are not counted. The FDD says 'ceased operations' includes voluntary terminations, abandonments, transfers, deaths and owners who stopped responding.
- Closure rate (our calculation)
- 17.7%Pending verificationSourceThe Alternative Board (TAB Boards International) 2026 FDD (Minnesota CARDS), issued April 7, 2026(opens in a new tab)Tier 1 · Primary source · Accessed October 31, 2026Last verified October 31, 2026Our calculation: 17 closures ÷ 96 franchised outlets at the start of 2025. Closures = terminations + non-renewals + outlets that stopped operating in 2025 (FDD Item 20, Table 3). United States and international outlets combined. 2025 closures: 5 non-renewals and 12 ceased operations; 2 reacquired by the franchisor are not counted. The FDD says 'ceased operations' includes voluntary terminations, abandonments, transfers, deaths and owners who stopped responding.
The closure rate is closures divided by franchised outlets at the start of the year. Outlets sold to a new owner aren't counted as closures. Closure rates for every brand.
Risk Meter for business coaching and consulting
2.5 out of 5 (Moderate risk)
The score covers the kind of business, not this brand alone, from 6 factors with data (1 is the lowest risk). See every factor · How we score risk
What the franchise gives you
- Peer advisory board model: owners meet monthly as a group, plus one-on-one coaching
- TAB bills and collects member fees for you
- Proprietary planning tools (StratPro, HI-MAP) to sell as extra programs
- Initial training of up to eight days, plus mentor support during your first marketing campaign
The Business Coaching and Consulting guide · Business Coaching and Consulting franchise vs. independent · All franchise brands