ATWORK Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a ATWORK franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
ATWORK discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
2025 data for 63 Personnel Business offices: average gross revenue $3.66M, median $1.84M, gross margin 20.87%. Excludes 14 new offices, 6 satellite offices, 22 closed. By years operating: 1-3yr avg $1.45M, 3-5yr $1.81M, 5+yr $4.64M.
What a ATWORK franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 0.5% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 7.5% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $95,000 – $250,000 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
7% royalty Personnel/8% Professional; 0.5% marketing fund; $5K risk reserve; 1.5% high-risk surcharge; $2,500/quarter local advertising.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
ATWORK system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 90 |
| Ceased operations | 7 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 14 |
| Transferred to new owners | 0 |
| Closure rate | 7.8% of outlets |
22 offices closed in 2025; 14 terminated, 7 ceased operations. High churn suggests performance challenges.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is ATWORK worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 7.5% of sales | lower than most (median 8%) |
| Startup cost | from $95,000 | cheaper than most (median $138,750) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 84% of other franchises franchises |
| Closure rate | 7.8% of outlets | worse than 85% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every other franchises franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a ATWORK
The franchisor's framing: 2025 data for 63 Personnel Business offices: average gross revenue $3.66M, median $1.84M, … We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
ATWORK franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a ATWORK franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $95,000–$250,000, including a $40,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do ATWORK franchise owners make?
- 2025 data for 63 Personnel Business offices: average gross revenue $3.66M, median $1.84M, gross margin 20.87%. Excludes 14 new offices, 6 satellite offices, 22 closed. By years operating: 1-3yr avg $1.45M, 3-5yr $1.81M, 5+yr $4.64M. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the ATWORK franchise fees?
- ATWORK's FDD discloses a $40,000 initial franchise fee, a 7% royalty on gross sales, a 0.5% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 7.5% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 7% royalty Personnel/8% Professional; 0.5% marketing fund; $5K risk reserve; 1.5% high-risk surcharge; $2,500/quarter local advertising.
- What is the ATWORK franchise profit margin?
- ATWORK does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 2025 data for 63 Personnel Business offices: average gross revenue $3.66M, median $1.84M, gross margin 20.87%. Excludes 14 new offices, 6 satellite offices, 22 closed. By years operating: 1-3yr avg $1.45M, 3-5yr $1.81M, 5+yr $4.64M. Recurring fees alone take about 7.5% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the ATWORK franchise failure rate?
- 22 offices closed in 2025; 14 terminated, 7 ceased operations. High churn suggests performance challenges.
- How many ATWORK locations are there?
- ATWORK's FDD reports 90 total outlets, with 7 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 0 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does ATWORK have complaints or lawsuits?
- ATWORK discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- Is a ATWORK franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. ATWORK scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 7.5% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
Own a ATWORK? Add your real numbers (anonymous)
We publish only aggregated benchmarks — never your name. Contribute and we'll show you how your numbers compare.
Compare ATWORK to similar franchises
See all franchises ranked by disclosure honesty →
Source: MN CARDS 35711-202603-13 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with ATWORK or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.