Step 3: Opening a New Franchise
Investment & Financial Requirements
To help you understand what it takes to own and operate a Learning Express Toys store, we have broken down some important initial investment information. The investment will vary based on the size of your store, time of year you open, and build-out requirements. The range is between $201,491 and $387,514. The following table can be found in our 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), issued to you as part of our franchise award process.
Initial Investment
| Expense | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Lease and Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $50,000 |
| POS Equipment & Software | $5,116 | $7,639 |
| Signage | $5,000 | $15,000 |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $30,000 | $45,000 |
| Organizational and Training Costs | $1,500 | $6,000 |
| Opening Inventory | $100,000 | $180,000 |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| Initial Gift Card Program Setup Fees | $375 plus shipping | $375 plus shipping |
| Insurance | $2,000 | $6,000 |
| Additional Funds (Working Capital) | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| Total | $201,491 | $387,514 |
Financial Requirements
You’ll need a net worth of at least $500,000 and $150,000 in liquid assets to properly capitalize your Learning Express business. We do not offer financing, but we are registered with the Small Business Administration (SBA), which may help you in securing a loan.
How Much Money Can I Make?
We get this question all the time, and it’s one that we unfortunately cannot answer for you. Our Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Item 19 will disclose to you our financial performance representations, which is all that any franchisor can discuss when it comes to the sales and profits of operating a franchise business.
Not to worry, if you are seriously interested in owning and qualified to own a Learning Express and have the patience to follow the first three steps of our process, you’ll receive our FDD Item 19 and have access to call every one of our franchisees and ask them questions related to building your pro-forma financial statements and business plan.