FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. How much does it cost to open a TAF® (previously known as The Athlete's Foot®)?
A. The total start up investment for a TAF franchise varies depending on U.S. Region or country. Review Item 7 of the Federal Disclosure Document and consult with your Franchise Development Manager regarding your particular situation.

Q. What are the initial franchise fee and royalty payments?
A. The initial franchise fee for a single store in the USA is $39,900, which is paid in full at the time you execute the franchise agreement. Development fees for multiple stores are additional. The ongoing royalties are 5% of your net sales and 1% for the Marketing Support Fund (MSF). Master Franchise/international fees vary per country. Please contact us directly for more information.

Q. What do I receive for the franchise fee and royalty payments?
A. You are granted the right to own and operate a TAF store for ten years provided that you comply with certain terms and conditions. In addition, you receive:

• Ongoing enrollment in our training program at NexCen University
• The right to use TAF trademarks, training and support as outlined in our Operating Manual
• Real estate support within the Unites States
• The benefit of our prototype store and staff consultation during the construction of your store
• A full set of training manuals to assist you in operating your store
• Tools to facilitate planning your Grand Opening and assistance in ordering your initial inventory and supplies
• On-site assistance prior to and during your store opening, and on a regular basis thereafter
• The use of our established supply sources, including negotiated prices that could likely be attained by being an independent foot wear and accessory store owner
• The use of merchandising support programs, product tie-ins and seasonal promotions that are developed to attract new customers, cultivate, and enhance customer loyalty and maximize the frequency visits

Q. What are the minimum requirements for franchise candidates?
A. To ensure that our franchisees will be able to qualify with both lenders and landlords, we require that potential franchisees with in the United States have at least $150,000 in liquid (cash) capital and $350,000 net worth. In addition, footwear and/or retail experience is desired.

Q. How much can I make as a TAF franchisee?
A. We only provide an earnings claim in our Federal Disclosure Document. Please refer to Item 19 of that document for more information. We recommend that prospective franchisees conduct their own independent investigation to determine whether or not the franchise will be profitable. We can provide you with a detailed listing of our current franchisees and developers, whom you may contact directly to discuss sales figures or earnings.

Q. Can a store be purchased as an investment without my serving as the full time manager?
A. Yes, but you will need a qualified manager to operate the store. In our experience, the more involved the franchisee, the more successful the store. With this goal in mind, we require that every franchisee attend the company's training headquarters in Norcross, Georgia.

Q. What is the size of a typical store?
A. It ranges between 1,000 and 2,000 square feet (meter square/ m²)

Q. Do we honor U.S. military veteran's discount?
A. Yes we do. We find that military veterans make excellent franchisees and we encourage these individuals to consider becoming a part of our system. We offer a 15% discount off the initial franchise fee for U.S. military veterans.

Q. Are multiple store opportunities available?
A. We highly encourage Area Development Agreements in the United States and Master Franchise Agreements internationally.

For qualified franchisees who desire the right to develop multiple stores within a designated territory, we offer the opportunity to enter into an Area Development Agreement. Under this agreement, the franchisee is licensed to develop a mutually agreed upon number of stores in accordance with a specified development schedule. The number of stores to be opened in a particular area is dependent upon a number of factors such as population density, demographic data, the number of potential locations for stores, and the presence of competition. During the term of the Area Development Agreement, we may not open, nor permit others to open, stores operating under the TAF marks in the territory for as long as the Area Development Agreement is in effect.

An International Master Franchise agreement is when a Master Franchisee is licensed to open and operate multiple stores with the additional possibility of sub-franchising within a defined territory. The territory is typically a state, a single country or group of neighboring countries and the one time "country fee" or "master fee" is based upon the potential store development with in the territory. The amount of monthly and the possibility of participating in the Marketing Support Fund may vary.

For more information, please read our 10 Steps to Becoming a Franchisee or
Request Franchise Information to get started.