Methodology
Every figure on FranchiseScope carries a source and a “last verified” date. A number and its date never travel separately. This page explains how each data category is produced.
Fees & establishment costs
Fee figures are taken from the franchisor’s disclosure document where available and cross-checked against the version on file. Where only franchisor- published figures exist, they are tagged franchisor-published and render with that qualifier. Establishment ranges are computed all-in to include working capital; where a franchisor’s published range excludes it, we publish our computed figure and note the difference. Figures older than 12 months render with an “as at” qualifier.
Register status
The Disclosure Register badge resolves to exactly one of verified-current, stale, or not-found, synced weekly from the ACCC Franchise Disclosure Register. “Not found on Register” is itself reported, it is high-value information, never omitted.
The Fee Index
Category medians are computed across all systems on file in each category. Every median is published with its sample size (n), the quarter, and a link back to this page, the three things that make a number safe to cite. The Index refreshes quarterly. See the current edition: Fee Index.
Market & demographic data
Population, median household income and growth come from the ABS Census, cited by census year. Competitor counts are modelled from mapping data within a defined trade area. Suitability bands are computed from the density-vs-metro-median comparison and only render an interpretation that the underlying numbers support.
Limitations, what this model can’t do
A credible method is honest about its edges. Register figures are self-reported by franchisors and not independently verified by the ACCC, we suppress obvious placeholder values but cannot confirm every number, so always check the disclosure document. Establishment ranges are estimates that vary by site, fit-out and operator. Competitor counts are modelled from mapping data, not a live census of every business. Opportunity scores are a relative signal, not a prediction of success or a valuation. Open-territory availability is taken from franchisors’ own expansion plans and changes constantly, confirm current availability with the franchisor. Between ABS releases, demographic figures reflect the last census, not live estimates. None of this is financial or legal advice, see our disclaimers.
Data sources
ACCC Franchise Disclosure Register · Australian Bureau of Statistics (Census, SEIFA) · ASIC entity data · mapping/competitor data. See data sources for detail.