Mail Boxes Etc. vs Craters & Freighters Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Mail Boxes Etc. vs Craters & Freighters including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
  Mail Boxes Etc. Craters & Freighters
Investment 154950 - 293500 176850 - 276500
Franchise Fee 0
Royalty Fee 6% 5%
Advertising Fee 2% 1%
Year Founded 1990 1990
Year Franchised 1990 1991
Term Of Agreement
Term Of Agreement
Renewal Fee


Business Experience Requirements
  Mail Boxes Etc. Craters & Freighters
Experience It is not necessary to have a background in packaging, crate building, or transportation to operate our franchise. Our franchise owners come from widely varied backgrounds from Doctors to CPA's to Engineers. Our staff has the experience and credentials to guide you through an extensive training process in all aspects of running the operation including packaging, crating, and shipping procedures to administration, accounting, marketing, & sales.

Financing Options
  Mail Boxes Etc. Craters & Freighters
 
Franchise Fees No
Start-up Costs No
Equipment No
Inventory No
Receivables No
Payroll No

Training & Support
  Mail Boxes Etc. Craters & Freighters
Training 1. Corporate Office 2 Weeks 2. Center 1.5 Weeks 10-day training program in Golden, CO Training includes classroom and hands-on experience in an operating franchise in Colorado. Owners are trained on, and provided with, the company's proprietary eBusiness Management System Software, Center Opening Handbook, Operations Manual, Policy and Procedures Manual, Freight Carriers Guide, Packaging & Crating Manual and Marketing Manual. Also includes business preparation, proprietary software, pick-up and delivery, transportation, bills of lading, shipping invoices, accounting, marketing, advertising, promotion, start-up operations, pricing and quoting, packaging and crating, insurance, tracers and claims, warehousing, personnel and international shipping.
Support Central Data Processing: At Additional Cost Central Purchasing Field Operation Evaluation Field Training Initial Store Opening: At Additional Cost Franchisee Newsletter Regional or National Meetings: At Additional Cost Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations
Marketing Ad slicks, National media
Operations Average Number of Employees: 2 Full-time, 1 Part-time Passive Ownership: Allowed, But Discouraged 21% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 3 - 4 Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Expansion Plans
  Mail Boxes Etc. Craters & Freighters
US Expansion Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin,
Canada Expansion Nationwide, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory
International Expansion Ireland, United Kingdom

Start-Up Costs and Fees Mobile
Investment
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters
Franchise Fee
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters
Royalty Fee
Mail Boxes Etc. 6%
Craters & Freighters 5%
Advertising Fee
Mail Boxes Etc. 2%
Craters & Freighters 1%
Year Founded
Mail Boxes Etc. 1990
Craters & Freighters 1990
Year Franchised
Mail Boxes Etc. 1990
Craters & Freighters 1991
Term Of Agreement
Mail Boxes Etc. 10 years +10
Craters & Freighters 15 years
Renewal Fee
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters


Business Experience Requirements
Experience
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters It is not necessary to have a background in packaging, crate building, or transportation to operate our franchise. Our franchise owners come from widely varied backgrounds from Doctors to CPA's to Engineers. Our staff has the experience and credentials to guide you through an extensive training process in all aspects of running the operation including packaging, crating, and shipping procedures to administration, accounting, marketing, & sales.

Financing Options
 
Franchise Fees
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters
Start-up Costs
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters
Equipment
Mail Boxes Etc.}
Craters & Freighters
Inventory
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters
Receivables
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters
Payroll
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters

Training & Support
Training
Mail Boxes Etc. 1. Corporate Office 2 Weeks 2. Center 1.5 Weeks
Craters & Freighters 10-day training program in Golden, CO Training includes classroom and hands-on experience in an operating franchise in Colorado. Owners are trained on, and provided with, the company's proprietary eBusiness Management System Software, Center Opening Handbook, Operations Manual, Policy and Procedures Manual, Freight Carriers Guide, Packaging & Crating Manual and Marketing Manual. Also includes business preparation, proprietary software, pick-up and delivery, transportation, bills of lading, shipping invoices, accounting, marketing, advertising, promotion, start-up operations, pricing and quoting, packaging and crating, insurance, tracers and claims, warehousing, personnel and international shipping.
Support
Mail Boxes Etc. Central Data Processing: At Additional Cost Central Purchasing Field Operation Evaluation Field Training Initial Store Opening: At Additional Cost Franchisee Newsletter Regional or National Meetings: At Additional Cost
Craters & Freighters Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations
Marketing
Mail Boxes Etc.
Craters & Freighters Ad slicks, National media
Operations
Mail Boxes Etc. Average Number of Employees: 2 Full-time, 1 Part-time Passive Ownership: Allowed, But Discouraged
Craters & Freighters 21% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 3 - 4 Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

Expansion Plans
US Expansion
Mail Boxes Etc. Nationwide, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Craters & Freighters Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin,
Canada Expansion
Mail Boxes Etc. Nationwide, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory
Craters & Freighters
International Expansion
Mail Boxes Etc. Ireland, United Kingdom
Craters & Freighters