BNI Global Franchise Costs, Fees & FDD

Year Business Began: 1985

Franchising Since: 1991

Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina

Estimated Number of Units: 11,400 “Chapters”

Franchise Description: BNI Franchising, LLC is the franchisor. Franchisees will open and operate a region consisting of referral groups composed of non-competing business professionals known as “chapters.” Each of the chapters will have members that are business professionals that the franchisee will train and instruct as to how to grow each one’s own business through qualified referrals using the structure and format provided by the franchisor. If franchisees or their group members make referrals to broker-dealers or investment advisers, they or their group members may be subject to additional licensing requirements in certain states.
Training Overview: The franchisor provides franchisees with its two-part training program, which consists of the executive director training and support director consultant orientation for approximately five days and three days, respectively. The franchisor will also provide franchisees and/or their designated employees the support director consultant orientation. The franchisor offers its executive director training, support director consultant orientation, and launch director consultant orientation at either its corporate offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, at locations it selects across the country, or by video conferencing or video recording. Franchisees will only be required to complete the executive director training once every five years. In addition to the executive director training, franchisees are required to attend advanced training programs at least once each year at a location and time determined by the franchisor. Franchisees must attend annual meetings to evaluate growth, retention, complaints, achievements and whether they and/or their leadership team may benefit from attending additional BNI training courses.

Territory Granted: Franchisees will not receive an exclusive territory. Franchisees will receive rights to operate a BNI franchise within a specific area referred to as a “territory,” and identified in the Franchise Agreement. The geographic boundaries of the territory will be defined by a sufficient number of zip codes, or otherwise as the franchisor deems appropriate, in order to describe an area that contains a population of 250,000 people or more. In certain limited circumstances, the franchisor may in its sole discretion, grant franchisees a territory with a population of less than 250,000. Franchisees and the franchisor will agree on their territory, and they will be provided with the boundaries of the territory before they sign their Franchise Agreement.

Obligations and Restrictions: The franchised business must be directly supervised by an individual who has successfully completed the executive director training program (the principal owner). If franchisees are an entity, the principal owner will be required to directly own not less than 51% of the equity ownership of the franchisee entity. If an entity, all owners of the entity must sign a principal owners’ guaranty and the principal owners’ spouses, if any, must sign a spousal limited guaranty. Franchisees must offer and sell only the goods and services which conform to the franchisor’s standards and specifications. Franchisees must offer all goods and services that it designates as required for all franchisees.

Term of Agreement and Renewal: The length of the initial franchise term is five years. Franchisees may renew their agreement for successive terms if requirements are met.

Financial Assistance: The franchisor does not offer direct or indirect financing. The franchisor does not guarantee a franchisee’s note, lease or obligation.

Estimated Initial Investment

Name of Fee	Low	High
Initial Franchise Fee	$35,000	$147,500
Orientation and Conference and Travel Expenses	$2,000	$4,000
Training Fees	$3,600	$5,400
Supplies, Equipment and Software	$7,200	$8,400
Video Conferencing License	$95	$4,845
Professional Fees	$2,000	$10,000
Computer System	$500	$1,500
Advertising Expenses	$500	$1,000
Deposits	$500	$1,000
Insurance	$1,000	$5,000
Additional Funds – 3 months	$1,000	$5,000
Membership Valuation Fee	$0	$79,500
ESTIMATED TOTAL	$53,395	$273,145

 
Other Fees

Type of Fee	Amount
Continuing Royalty	20% of the previous month’s gross revenues for the franchise as outlined and subject to the conditions set out in the FDD.
Out of Territory Continuing Royalty	20% of gross revenues.
Member Success Kit Fee	Then current-fee, currently $20 per kit.
Chapter Branding Kit Fee	Then-current fee, currently $499 per kit.
Indemnification	Will vary depending upon loss.
Fee for the Franchisor’s Audit of the Franchise for the Franchise Agreement	Cost of audit if franchisees understate gross revenues by more than 2% and any unpaid fees owed to the franchisor.
Application Fee	$360
Renewal Fee	25% of the then-current initial franchise fee.
Transfer Fee	5% of the sales price (inclusive of any non-cash consideration using market valuation) or 25% of the then-current initial franchise fee, whichever is greater.
Assignment Fee for the Franchise Agreement	$600
Support Services Brand Compliance Fee for the Franchise Agreement	$720 per month.
Late Fee	Upon being late, 3% of the outstanding amount, or the maximum allowed by law, whichever is more.
Interest for the Franchise Agreement	1.5% per month or the maximum allowed by law, whichever is less, on any balance unpaid by more than 30 days.
Administrative Processing Fee for the Franchise Agreement	$600
Research and Development (R&D) Contribution	Then-current contribution, currently, $36 annually per every new and renewing member.
Video Conferencing License	$95 per license.
Training Fee	Then-current fee, currently $1,800 per person for executive director training, $900 per person for support director consultant orientation, and $900 per person for launch director consultant orientation.
Optional Customer Relationship Management License	$399 - $999 per license per month.
Annual National Conference	$599 - $1,499 annually.
Annual National Conference Non-Attendance Fee	$599-$1,499
Periodic ED Summit	$0 - $499
ED Summit Non-Attendance Fee	$0 - $499
Global Convention	$899 - $1,199 biennially.
Global Convention Non-Attendance Fee	$899 - $1,199
Member Success Center Program	$399 - $799
Minimum Annual Royalty Fee	Varies by location.

The above information has been compiled from the FDD of BNI Global. Year of FDD: 2025.
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