Own a Farmers agency.
Skip the $3.7 million entry fee.
A Buffalo Wild Wings franchise runs $2.46M to $4.90M, and asks for $750,000 in liquid capital before you sell a single wing. Here, ownership starts differently.
What the Protégé program is: a paid career development program — not a franchise purchase and not a job application. You are hired, trained and mentored inside an established agency, and the program is structured as a direct path to owning your own agency. No capital and no franchise fee at any stage.
Two paths to owning a business.
One asks you to arrive with capital. The other asks you to arrive with effort, and pays you while you build.
From curious to owner, in six steps.
No capital required at any step. No franchise fee. Each stage has a defined outcome before you move to the next. Step 3 is the Protégé program — a paid career development program, and steps 3 through 6 are the direct path to owning your own agency.
Start the conversation
Day 1A two-minute form and a real call with our district team. No capital, no commitment, no pressure.
Get licensed and appointed
Weeks 1–8We walk you through pre-licensing and sponsor your appointment. You do not pay a franchise fee to start.
Enter the Protégé program
Month 1–3Join an established agency through a paid career development program. You learn the business from the inside, on real accounts, with real mentorship — and the program is your direct path to agency ownership.
Earn while you build
Year 1Produce, learn and get paid — up to $84K in year one. The business you write during the program stays with your mentor agent; what you build is the skill, the production history and the track record that open the door to your own agency.
Unlock your line of credit
Year 1–2With production history in hand, the program backs your growth so you can hire, market and scale.
Own your agency
Year 2+Open under your own name, keep the renewals, build equity and choose your own exit.
The gate most people hit.
Franchises are built for people who already have capital. This program is built for people who are willing to earn it.
Most people never get past the application.
Restaurant franchisors screen on balance sheet first. If you do not clear these numbers, your file is not read.
- $500K–$750K in liquid, non-borrowed capital
- $1M–$1.5M minimum net worth
- 700+ credit and a personal guarantee
- 10-year agreement, plus renewal fees
- 5%–15% of every sale, for as long as you operate
- You fund training, build-out and working capital
If you will do the work, we will fund the start.
No balance sheet test. No buy-in. You earn while you learn, then grow on a line of credit the program backs.
- $0 capital required to start
- No net-worth or credit gate to begin
- Paid while you train and produce
- No franchise fee and no royalty on every sale
- Line of credit funded as your production grows
- You own the agency, the renewals and the equity
A conversation,
not a check.
Tell us where you are starting from. You do not need capital, a credit score, or a business background to have this conversation.
Prefer to talk now? Call 303-953-4740
The number nobody puts on the brochure.
Four well-known brands, their disclosed investment ranges, and the cash they expect you to have before you earn a dollar. Then there is the Protégé path.
Cash required before your first customer
Disclosed total investment ranges, scaled to $5M.
Ranges reflect publicly available 2026 franchise disclosure documents and vary by market, format and build-out. They are not an offer of any franchise.
A building, a brand, and a 10-year agreement where 5% to 15% of every sale leaves the business.
Buffalo Wild Wings asks for $750,000 in liquid capital and $1.5M in net worth before it will talk to you. If that number is not in your bank account today, the franchise path is closed. Not difficult. Closed.
| Brand | Total investment | Franchise fee | Ongoing fees | What they require |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Wild Wings | $2.46M – $4.90M | $12,500 – $25,000 | 5% of gross + 3.75–4% ad fund | $750K liquid · $1.5M net worth |
| McDonald's | $1.37M – $2.45M | $45,000 | ~4–5% of gross + ad fund | $500K non-borrowed cash |
| Chick-fil-A | $318K – $3.46M | $10,000 | 15% of sales + 50% of profit | Highly selective · operator owns no equity |
| Subway | $199K – $537K | $15,000 | 12.5% of gross (8% + 4.5% ad) | ~$65K liquid |
Figures from public 2026 franchise disclosure documents. Ranges vary by market, format and build-out.