Local operating-model alignment analysis

Best Franchise Opportunities We Assessed in Columbus, Ohio

We compared 14 franchise concepts for Columbus, Ohio.

What “best” means in this ranking“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page. It does not estimate earnings or determine which franchise is best for a particular candidate.

Analysis by Thomas Jepsen, MSc Model: 0.9.0

View the ranking See the local evidence

14Concepts evaluated

35Sources used

21Primary sources

35Local metrics

Evaluation set

Why these concepts were evaluated

This is not a ranking of every franchise that may be offered in the city.

14Concepts assessed

Concepts were included when enough operating-model information existed to assign a provisional local-sensitivity profile. Unresolved inputs reduce confidence or remain conditional rather than automatically excluding a concept.

A brand’s participation in our referral network does not add points or change its position.

City-level conclusions

What stood out in our assessment

Highest category average (limited comparison)Restoration

70.3 average across 2 concepts

Largest positive factorTarget-market demand

1 point average among 13 affected concepts

Largest negative factorLabor and staffing friction

0.3 points average reduction among 10 affected concepts

Most assumption-sensitive rankJan-Pro International

Tested rank range spans 10 positions

Executive conclusion

What the ranking means for Columbus, Ohio

Our Columbus, Ohio analysis favored concepts whose operating requirements matched the city’s strongest service-demand conditions without depending too heavily on inexpensive labor, easy routing, or low-cost commercial space. City Wide, HomeSmiles, and Pillar To Post Home Inspectors produced the three highest modeled alignment scores in the evaluated set. Target-market demand was the strongest positive factor: it materially affected 13 concepts and added 1 point on average among them. Labor and staffing friction was the broadest negative pressure, reducing the 10 exposed concepts by 0.3 points on average. The result is not that the highest-ranked brand is universally better. It means that, under the documented city assumptions and the operating profiles available to us, its local advantages outweighed its modeled constraints more effectively. Territory boundaries, candidate capabilities, capital structure, franchise economics, current FDD disclosures, and local franchisee validation remain outside this ranking and can materially change the decision.

How this differs from a directory: the model does not award points for brand popularity, advertising placement, or referral compensation. It tests how documented local conditions interact with each concept’s operating requirements.

Best franchise opportunities assessed

Top 10 local-alignment scores from 14 concepts assessed

“Best” refers to modeled local operating alignment among the concepts assessed—not expected earnings, franchise-system quality, or candidate fit.

Rankings use full-precision scores.Displayed values use one decimal place. Identical displayed scores can therefore have different ranks, and close results should be treated as effectively similar.

Rank	Franchise	Alignment and tier	Largest advantage	Largest constraint	Evidence confidence
1	City WideFacility management	72.4Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment	+2.2 ptsTarget-market demand	-0.2 ptsLabor and staffing friction	Moderate evidence confidence
2	HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services	72.0Tier 4 · Higher-friction modeled alignment	+1.8 ptsTarget-market demand	-0.3 ptsLabor and staffing friction	Moderate evidence confidence
3	Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspection	71.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment	+1.2 ptsTarget-market demand	No material negative local adjustment	Moderate evidence confidence
4	ZOOM DRAINDrain and sewer service	71.4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment	+0.8 ptsTarget-market demand	No material negative local adjustment	Moderate evidence confidence
5	Mr. RooterPlumbing	71.2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment	+0.9 ptsTarget-market demand	No material negative local adjustment	Moderate evidence confidence
6	Aire ServHVAC installation, repair, and maintenance	71.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment	+0.9 ptsTarget-market demand	-0.1 ptsLabor and staffing friction	Moderate evidence confidence
7	Mister Sparky ElectricElectrical	71.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment	+0.8 ptsTarget-market demand	No material negative local adjustment	Moderate evidence confidence
8	ActionCOACHBusiness coaching	71.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment	+0.7 ptsReferral ecosystem	-0.1 ptsLabor and staffing friction	Moderate evidence confidence
9	FASTSIGNSSigns and graphics	70.9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment	+0.9 ptsTarget-market demand	-0.1 ptsLabor and staffing friction	Moderate evidence confidence
10	Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaning	70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment	+1.6 ptsTarget-market demand	-0.9 ptsLabor and staffing friction	Moderate evidence confidence

View all 14 score calculations

Original factor comparison

How each factor affected the highest-rated franchise concepts

The graph includes the top 14 concepts by local-alignment score. Only nonzero score contributions are plotted. A factor is removed when every displayed concept received 0.0 points from it. Hover or focus a concept name to highlight all of its remaining data points.

Highlight concept

Primary source records by factorTarget-market demand: ^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[17] ^[18] ^[16] ^[22] ^[24] ^[3]Property replacement-cycle demand: ^[10] ^[8] ^[11] ^[12] ^[28] ^[16] ^[3]Competitive environment: ^[7] ^[16] ^[22] ^[23] ^[24] ^[5] ^[3]Labor and staffing friction: ^[15] ^[16] ^[20] ^[34] ^[18] ^[3] ^[4]Transportation, routing, and parking: ^[26] ^[27] ^[28] ^[7] ^[5]Real estate and site feasibility: ^[22] ^[23] ^[24] ^[25] ^[13] ^[14] ^[3] ^[4]Sales and customer acquisition: ^[19] ^[21] ^[20] ^[17] ^[18] ^[7] ^[3]Referral ecosystem: ^[17] ^[18] ^[16] ^[19] ^[21]Territory quality: ^[33] ^[29] ^[26] ^[28] ^[22] ^[23] ^[24] ^[17] ^[5]Regulatory and operating friction: ^[29] ^[30] ^[31] ^[32] ^[33] ^[35] ^[34] ^[13] ^[20] ^[4] ^[5]

View the chart data as a table

Concept	Target-market demand	Property replacement-cycle demand	Labor and staffing friction	Referral ecosystem
#1 City Wide	+2.2 pts	—	-0.2 pts	+0.5 pts
#2 HomeSmiles	+1.8 pts	—	-0.3 pts	+0.5 pts
#3 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors	+1.2 pts	+0.1 pts	—	+0.4 pts
#4 ZOOM DRAIN	+0.8 pts	+0.2 pts	—	+0.4 pts
#5 Mr. Rooter	+0.9 pts	+0.2 pts	—	+0.1 pts
#6 Aire Serv	+0.9 pts	+0.3 pts	-0.1 pts	—
#7 Mister Sparky Electric	+0.8 pts	+0.2 pts	—	+0.1 pts
#8 ActionCOACH	+0.5 pts	—	-0.1 pts	+0.7 pts
#9 FASTSIGNS	+0.9 pts	—	-0.1 pts	+0.1 pts
#10 Jan-Pro International	+1.6 pts	—	-0.9 pts	—
#11 Tiger Adjusters	+0.3 pts	—	-0.1 pts	+0.4 pts
#12 Rainbow International Restoration	+0.3 pts	+0.1 pts	-0.5 pts	+0.5 pts
#13 PuroClean	—	+0.1 pts	-0.4 pts	+0.5 pts
#14 Workout Anytime	+0.7 pts	—	-0.6 pts	—

Rank stability

Which positions depend most on individual assumptions?

The line shows the best and worst rank reached when one factor was removed from every concept. A narrow range indicates a more stable position.

#1 City WideHighly sensitive · tested #1–#7

#2 HomeSmilesHighly sensitive · tested #2–#8

#3 Pillar To Post Home InspectorsStable · tested #3–#3

#4 ZOOM DRAINHighly sensitive · tested #2–#7

#5 Mr. RooterModerately sensitive · tested #5–#7

#6 Aire ServHighly sensitive · tested #4–#9

#7 Mister Sparky ElectricModerately sensitive · tested #6–#9

#8 ActionCOACHHighly sensitive · tested #1–#10

#9 FASTSIGNSHighly sensitive · tested #7–#12

#10 Jan-Pro InternationalHighly sensitive · tested #4–#14

#11 Tiger AdjustersHighly sensitive · tested #4–#12

#12 Rainbow International RestorationModerately sensitive · tested #11–#13

#13 PuroCleanHighly sensitive · tested #10–#14

#14 Workout AnytimeModerately sensitive · tested #12–#14

Neutralizing a factor removes it from every concept. A concept can move down even when its own score improves because competitors may benefit more.

Worked score example

How we calculated City Wide

This example uses the same ledger shown for every concept and must reconcile exactly to the published score.

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+2.2
Property replacement-cycle demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.2
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.5
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	72.43
Published local-market alignment	72.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Starting pointThe operating-model baseline shown in the first ledger row.

InteractionsAny interaction or gate is included in the relevant contribution or calibration row.

Confidence treatmentEvidence confidence is disclosed separately unless the model definition explicitly applies a calibration adjustment.

RoundingFull-precision contributions are summed before the final displayed score is rounded to one decimal place; whole-number results are shown without a trailing decimal.

Interpretation

How to interpret the result

City Wide, HomeSmiles, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors led because their operating requirements captured more of the local support from target-market demand while remaining less exposed to labor and staffing friction. The same city condition can help one operating model and constrain another, so score differences should be read through each concept's factor pattern rather than as a universal franchise-quality verdict. The ordering is most assumption-sensitive for City Wide, HomeSmiles, ZOOM DRAIN; their ranks move more widely when individual factors are neutralized.

Factor impact

Which local conditions changed scores or rankings?

We neutralized one factor at a time, recalculated every score, and then measured both absolute score movement and changes in rank order.

Observed model effectPositive local support

Target-market demand

We tested how much of the city’s theoretical customer and business demand remained usable after operating friction.

We applied a measurable adjustment to 13 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 12 concepts changed position. City Wide moved from #1 to #9, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.

Concepts adjusted13 of 14

Average among affected+1.0 pts

Average across all concepts+0.9 pts

Concepts changing rank12

Concepts helped most

City WideFacility management

+2.2 pts

HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services

+1.8 pts

Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaning

+1.6 pts

Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspection

+1.2 pts

Aire ServHVAC installation, repair, and maintenance

+0.9 pts

Measured but not differentiating in this concept set

Competitive environmentNo material score adjustment
Transportation, routing, and parkingNo material score adjustment
Real estate and site feasibilityNo material score adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNo material score adjustment
Territory qualityNo material score adjustment
Regulatory and operating frictionNo material score adjustment

Category comparisons

Best franchise categories we assessed in Columbus, Ohio

Category summaries are shown only when at least two concepts qualified. Two-concept comparisons are explicitly labeled as limited.

2 Restoration concepts qualified for comparison, with scores ranging from 70.2 to 70.4. Rainbow International Restoration ranked highest at 70.4. Referral ecosystem added 0.5 points on average among the affected concepts. Labor and staffing friction reduced the exposed concepts by 0.4 points on average.

Interpret cautiously: A 0.2-point spread is too small to support a strong brand-level conclusion from city alignment alone.

Concepts compared: 2
Score range: 70.2–70.4
Category average: 70.3

Rainbow International Restoration70.4

PuroClean70.2

Compare all assessed concepts

Explore the complete score calculations

14 concepts shown. Expand a concept to see how each factor was treated and the single next check most capable of changing the result.

SearchCategoryLargest impactSort

#1Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment72.4

City Wide

Facility management · B2B facility management and vendor coordination

Increase +2.2 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.2 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+2.2
Property replacement-cycle demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.2
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.5
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	72.43
Published local-market alignment	72.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +2.2 pts
Tested rank range: #1–#7

Most important next check

How many qualified facility and property-management accounts must be reachable for City Wide to support its local contract pipeline?

#2Tier 4 · Higher-friction modeled alignment72.0

HomeSmiles

Property maintenance services · Home-based mobile property-maintenance franchise using equipped service vans and technician crews to deliver bundled…

Increase +1.8 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.3 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+1.8
Property replacement-cycle demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.5
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	72.00
Published local-market alignment	72.0

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Adequate
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +1.8 pts
Tested rank range: #2–#8

Most important next check

How many qualified facility and property-management accounts must be reachable for HomeSmiles to support its local contract pipeline?

#3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.8

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Home inspection · mobile property inspection service

Increase +1.2 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Stable

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+1.2
Property replacement-cycle demand	+0.1
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	Not applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.4
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	71.78
Published local-market alignment	71.8

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +1.2 pts
Tested rank range: #3–#3

Most important next check

Which transaction segments and property types are expected to generate the most inspection demand for Pillar To Post Home Inspectors?

#4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.4

ZOOM DRAIN

Drain and sewer service · emergency skilled-trade route service

Increase +0.8 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.8
Property replacement-cycle demand	+0.2
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	Not applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.4
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	71.38
Published local-market alignment	71.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +0.8 pts
Tested rank range: #2–#7

Most important next check

Which territory boundaries allow ZOOM DRAIN to meet response-time expectations without excessive cross-city travel?

#5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.2

Mr. Rooter

Plumbing · scheduled and emergency skilled-trade service

Increase +0.9 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.9
Property replacement-cycle demand	+0.2
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	Not applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.1
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	71.23
Published local-market alignment	71.2

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +0.9 pts
Tested rank range: #5–#7

Most important next check

Which residential and commercial service needs are expected to create the most repeatable demand for Mr. Rooter?

#6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.1

Aire Serv

HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance · Manager-led mobile HVAC installation, repair, maintenance, and emergency service business using skilled technicians…

Increase +0.9 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.1 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.9
Property replacement-cycle demand	+0.3
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.1
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	Not applicable to this operating model
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	71.12
Published local-market alignment	71.1

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Adequate
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +0.9 pts
Tested rank range: #4–#9

Most important next check

How much of Aire Serv's local opportunity is expected from repair, replacement, maintenance, and efficiency upgrades?

#7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.1

Mister Sparky Electric

Electrical · skilled-trade home service

Increase +0.8 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.8
Property replacement-cycle demand	+0.2
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	Not applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.1
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	71.11
Published local-market alignment	71.1

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +0.8 pts
Tested rank range: #6–#9

Most important next check

Which repair, replacement, and retrofit services are expected to generate the strongest local demand for Mister Sparky Electric?

#8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.1

ActionCOACH

Business coaching · home-based B2B advisory

Increase +0.7 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.1 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.5
Property replacement-cycle demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.1
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.7
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	71.10
Published local-market alignment	71.1

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Referral ecosystem +0.7 pts
Tested rank range: #1–#10

Most important next check

Which professional referral channels are expected to matter most to ActionCOACH, and what local relationship count supports the plan?

#9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.9

FASTSIGNS

Signs and graphics · B2B production and installation center

Increase +0.9 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.1 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.9
Property replacement-cycle demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.1
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.1
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	70.95
Published local-market alignment	70.9

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +0.9 pts
Tested rank range: #7–#12

Most important next check

How many qualified local business accounts fall inside the territory proposed for FASTSIGNS?

#10Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7

Jan-Pro International

Commercial cleaning · recurring commercial route service

Increase +1.6 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.9 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+1.6
Property replacement-cycle demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.9
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	Not applicable to this operating model
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	70.73
Published local-market alignment	70.7

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +1.6 pts
Tested rank range: #4–#14

Most important next check

What opening staffing ratio, wage range, and retention plan does Jan-Pro International assume for frontline roles?

#11Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7

Tiger Adjusters

Public insurance adjusting · Home-based, referral-led public insurance adjusting business combining local property inspections with…

Increase +0.4 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.1 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.3
Property replacement-cycle demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.1
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.4
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	70.68
Published local-market alignment	70.7

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Adequate
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Referral ecosystem +0.4 pts
Tested rank range: #4–#12

Most important next check

Which ZIP codes and appointment density assumptions define Tiger Adjusters's practical service territory?

#12Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.4

Rainbow International Restoration

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Increase +0.5 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.5 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.3
Property replacement-cycle demand	+0.1
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.5
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.5
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	70.36
Published local-market alignment	70.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Referral ecosystem +0.5 pts
Tested rank range: #11–#13

Most important next check

Which territory boundaries allow Rainbow International Restoration to meet response-time expectations without excessive cross-city travel?

#13Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.2

PuroClean

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Increase +0.5 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -0.4 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand	+0.1
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.4
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	+0.5
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	70.16
Published local-market alignment	70.2

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Referral ecosystem +0.5 pts
Tested rank range: #10–#14

Most important next check

Which territory boundaries allow PuroClean to meet response-time expectations without excessive cross-city travel?

#14Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.0

Workout Anytime

Fitness · fixed-location membership fitness

Increase +0.7 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.6 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

How we scored this concept

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline	70.0
Target-market demand	+0.7
Property replacement-cycle demand	Not applicable to this operating model
Competitive environment	Not included in the score
Labor and staffing friction	-0.6
Transportation, routing, and parking	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Real estate and site feasibility	Not included in the score
Sales and customer acquisition	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Referral ecosystem	Not applicable to this operating model
Territory quality	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating friction	Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score	70.02
Published local-market alignment	70.0

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence: Strong
Factor Research Coverage: Strong
Franchise-profile completeness: Limited
Source-evidence confidence: Adequate
Geographic applicability: Limited
Overall evidence confidence: Moderate evidence confidence

Largest absolute effect: Target-market demand +0.7 pts
Tested rank range: #12–#14

Most important next check

What trade-area boundary and population base would Workout Anytime use to evaluate the proposed location?

Metric registry

The 35 local metrics behind this analysis

The registry exposes the raw value, period, geography, factor mapping, and source for every public metric used in the city research.

View all local metrics

Metric	Raw value	Period	Geography	How used	Source
Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025	938,396people	July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 socioeconomic measures	Columbus, Ohio	Evidence for Target-market demand, Territory quality	^[7]
Population change from the April 2020 estimate base to July 2025	3.6percent	July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 socioeconomic measures	Columbus, Ohio	Evidence for Target-market demand, Territory quality	^[7]
Households during the 2020-2024 QuickFacts reference period	390,528households	July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 socioeconomic measures	Columbus, Ohio	Evidence for Target-market demand, Territory quality	^[7]
Estimated housing units in 2024	436,552housing units	2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates	Columbus, Ohio	Evidence for Target-market demand, Property replacement-cycle demand, Territory quality	^[8]
Owner-occupied housing unit rate	44.1percent of occupied housing units	July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 socioeconomic measures	Columbus, Ohio	Evidence for Target-market demand, Property replacement-cycle demand	^[7]
New homes authorized during 2025	9,100housing units approximate	Housing permits authorized during calendar year 2025	Columbus, Ohio	Evidence for Target-market demand, Territory quality	^[9]
Change in new homes authorized from 2024 to 2025	50percent increase	Housing permits authorized during calendar year 2025	Columbus, Ohio	Evidence for Target-market demand, Territory quality	^[9]
Housing units reported as built from 1990 through 2009	26.83percent of housing units	2021 Census/ACS-derived housing age table as labeled by publisher	Columbus, Ohio	Evidence for Property replacement-cycle demand	^[10]
Housing units classified as high risk in three initial lead-remediation target communities	24,000housing units	Current program page and 2024-2025 year-in-review links	Near East/Livingston Avenue Corridor, Greater Linden, and South Side, Columbus	Evidence for Property replacement-cycle demand, Territory quality	^[11]
Average treated municipal water hardness	ppm: 120; grains per gallon: 7; classification: moderately hardwater hardness	Current water treatment standard accessed August 2026	Columbus municipal water system	Evidence for Property replacement-cycle demand	^[12]
Current sanitary sewer charges for a 2-inch connection	permit fee usd: 85; front footage charge usd per linear foot: 45; capacity charge usd: 27,801usd	Current charges accessed August 2026	Properties eligible for City of Columbus sanitary sewer service	Evidence for Regulatory and operating friction, Real estate and site feasibility	^[13]
Approved utility rate increases effective January 1, 2026	water percent: 18; sewer percent: 8; stormwater percent: 2percent increase	Rates effective January 1, 2026	City utility customers; stormwater increase applies only in Columbus	Evidence for Real estate and site feasibility, Regulatory and operating friction	^[14]
Mean hourly wages for operating-relevant major occupational groups	all occupations: 32.34; food preparation and serving: 17.24; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance: 19.14; healthcare support: 19.25; office and administrative support: 24.52; construction and extraction: 33.55; installation maintenance and repair: 30.67; transportation and material moving: 23.6usd per hour	May 2025	Columbus, Ohio MSA	Evidence for Labor and staffing friction	^[15]
Preliminary unemployment rate in June 2026	3.3percent	Monthly labor force and industry employment through June 2026; June preliminary	Columbus, Ohio MSA	Evidence for Labor and staffing friction	^[16]
Mining, logging, and construction employment and year-over-year change in June 2026	employment: 68,900; year over year change percent: 10.6; status: preliminaryjobs and percent	Monthly labor force and industry employment through June 2026; June preliminary	Columbus, Ohio MSA	Evidence for Labor and staffing friction, Property replacement-cycle demand	^[16]
Government employment in June 2026	employment: 191,300; status: preliminaryjobs	Monthly labor force and industry employment through June 2026; June preliminary	Columbus, Ohio MSA	Evidence for Target-market demand, Referral ecosystem, Sales and customer acquisition	^[16]
Education and health services employment in June 2026	employment: 186,700; status: preliminaryjobs	Monthly labor force and industry employment through June 2026; June preliminary	Columbus, Ohio MSA	Evidence for Target-market demand, Referral ecosystem, Labor and staffing friction	^[16]
Students on The Ohio State University Columbus campus	60,000students minimum	Current campus activity description accessed August 2026	The Ohio State University Columbus campus	Evidence for Target-market demand, Referral ecosystem, Territory quality	^[17]
Residence-hall population and daily meals at two primary campus dining facilities	residence hall students minimum: 17,000; daily meals minimum: 10,000people and meals	Current campus activity description accessed August 2026	The Ohio State University Columbus campus	Evidence for Target-market demand, Territory quality	^[17]
Nationwide Children's Hospital total employees	16,557employees	Data reflects year ending December 31, 2024	Nationwide Children's Hospital	Evidence for Target-market demand, Referral ecosystem, Labor and staffing friction	^[18]
Nationwide Children's Columbus licensed beds and Columbus-specific annual outpatient activity components	licensed beds: 696; columbus outpatient visits selected components total: 1,847,100beds and visits	Data reflects year ending December 31, 2024	Nationwide Children's Columbus operations	Evidence for Target-market demand, Referral ecosystem	^[18]
City procurement requires vendor profile management, W-9, registration, compliance, and electronic bid information	vendor registration: yes; w9 management: yes; contract compliance: yes; electronic bidding: yesprocess requirements	Current vendor-registration process accessed August 2026	City of Columbus	Evidence for Sales and customer acquisition, Referral ecosystem	^[19] ^[21]
Responsible wage applicable to City service contracts executed, modified, or renewed starting January 1, 2027	21.37usd per hour	Current page including 2027 responsible wage	City of Columbus service contracts	Evidence for Sales and customer acquisition, Labor and staffing friction, Regulatory and operating friction	^[20]
Columbus office market conditions in Q2 2026	vacancy percent: 21.4; availability percent: 23.5; net absorption sqft: 93,000; leasing activity sqft: 435,000; average asking rent usd per sqft year: 23.15mixed cre metrics	Second quarter 2026	Columbus office market	Evidence for Real estate and site feasibility, Target-market demand, Territory quality	^[22]
Columbus industrial market conditions in Q2 2026	vacancy percent: 5.2; availability percent: 6.8; net absorption sqft: 1,900,000; average asking rent usd per sqft: 6.76; construction pipeline sqft: 9,000,000mixed cre metrics	Second quarter 2026	Columbus industrial market	Evidence for Real estate and site feasibility, Territory quality	^[23]
Columbus retail market conditions in Q1 2026	vacancy percent: greater than 3; net absorption sqft: -250,445; sales volume usd: 86,000,000mixed cre metrics	First quarter 2026	Columbus retail market	Evidence for Real estate and site feasibility, Target-market demand, Territory quality	^[24]
Industrial size-band evidence emphasized constraints in large modern bulk space rather than service-size small bays	total market vacancy percent: 5.19; modern bulk vacancy percent: 5.57; speculative projects max size sqft: 400,000; available options 500k to 800k sqft: 0mixed cre metrics	First quarter 2026	Columbus industrial market	Evidence for Real estate and site feasibility	^[25]
Daily traffic and truck volume on the downtown I-70/I-71 corridor	vehicles per day: 150,000; trucks per day: 17,000; share of franklin county i70 i71 accidents percent: 27vehicles and percent	Current project description accessed August 2026	Downtown Columbus I-70/I-71 corridor	Evidence for Transportation, routing, and parking, Territory quality	^[26]
SR-315 southbound ramp to I-70 eastbound closure and detour	closure start: 2024-05-04; duration description: multiple years; detour: SR-315 southbound to I-670 eastbound to I-71 southbound to I-70 eastboundproject condition	Closure beginning May 4, 2024 for multiple years	SR-315 southbound to I-70 eastbound, downtown Columbus	Evidence for Transportation, routing, and parking, Territory quality	^[27]
Selected active or scheduled sewer capital projects and expected completion windows	lower olentangy tunnel: construction start: 2021-01-01, expected completion: 2026-09-30, tunnel length feet: 17,000; central college subtrunk: expected start: 2026-03-01, duration years: 3; walhalla ravine: expected start: 2026-04-01, expected completion: 2027-08-31; scioto main north: expected start: 2027-02-01, expected completion: 2028-08-31project schedule	Active and scheduled projects listed through 2029	Selected Columbus sewer and stream project corridors	Evidence for Transportation, routing, and parking, Territory quality, Property replacement-cycle demand	^[28]
Types of property changes that may require historic or design review	boards commissions panels: 11; potential review triggers: exterior alterations, change of use, rezoning or variance, signs or graphics, landscaping, demolition, new construction, lot combinationsreview framework	Current review framework accessed August 2026	Historic districts, design review districts, and panel areas within Columbus	Evidence for Regulatory and operating friction, Territory quality	^[29] ^[35]
Certificate of Appropriateness requirement for exterior alterations	yesrequirement	Current commission process accessed August 2026	German Village Historic District, Columbus	Evidence for Regulatory and operating friction, Territory quality	^[30] ^[5]
Downtown parcels combined into a district where most uses are permitted pending design review	4,000parcels minimum	Current commission framework accessed August 2026	Downtown District, Columbus	Evidence for Regulatory and operating friction, Territory quality	^[31]
Tax parcels within the University Impact District	2,310tax parcels	Current board framework accessed August 2026	University Impact District, Columbus	Evidence for Regulatory and operating friction, Territory quality	^[32]
Selected contractor qualification and registration requirements for work in Columbus	all covered contractors require city license or registration: yes; general contractor bond usd: 25,000; home improvement limited experience years: 1; state trade license required for electrical hvac refrigeration hydronics plumbing: yes; sewer water contractor dpu approval required: yesrequirements	Current requirements accessed August 2026	City of Columbus	Evidence for Regulatory and operating friction, Labor and staffing friction	^[34]

How to use the ranking

What the model can and cannot establish

Scores measure local operating alignment, not expected financial performance or franchise-system quality.
Citywide evidence may not describe the exact site or territory ultimately offered.
Conditional effects are shown for diligence but do not change the published score until their applicability is established.

Methodology

How the local-alignment ranking is calculated

Measure the city

Collect reusable local metrics with source, period, geography, and confidence fields.

Profile each operating model

Map each franchise to controlled operating attributes and local sensitivities.

Apply scoreable effects

Score only effects that apply without an unresolved site, territory, customer, or project gate.

Preserve conditional effects

Keep location- or territory-dependent issues visible for diligence without automatically changing the score.

Test rank sensitivity

Remove one factor at a time from every concept and rerank using full-precision scores.

Generate public output

Create the ranking, factor-status ledger, visuals, metric registry, and automated quality report from the same data.

How the common baseline becomes a city-specific score

Every concept starts from the same 70.0 reference point, so differences come only from modeled local interactions. The current model caps total local movement at ±18.0 points. The score is not a percentage, probability, or estimate of investment quality.

Precision and materiality

Calculations use full-precision values. Published scores and factor contributions display one decimal place, while ranks use full precision. Effects smaller than 0.1 points are identified as below the publication threshold rather than presented as a meaningful zero.

Score tiers

Tier 1 · Strongest modeled alignment80.0–100.0

Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment72.0–<80.0

Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment64.0–<72.0

Tier 4 · Higher-friction modeled alignment0.0–<64.0

How factor rows are classified

Positive local adjustmentNegative local adjustmentMeasured; no meaningful local adjustmentEffect below the publication thresholdNot applicable to this operating modelDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating conditionNot included in the score

What “best” means here

“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page.

Model 0.9.0 · Compiler 0.9.10-nonzero-markers-only · Report generated August 5, 2026 (site timezone)

Model governance

How this report is calculated and corrected

Calculation controls

Model designer: Thomas Jepsen

No concept’s final score is manually raised or lowered after calculation. Before this template is activated, the report is reviewed for source scope, classification, arithmetic, unsupported claims, duplication, and readability.

Model history

Model 0.9.0-calibration · August 4, 2026Added conditional scoring gates, factor-status transparency, rank-sensitivity testing, metric registry output, and factor-impact visualization data.

Corrections policy

Corrected source, geography, or operating-profile evidence triggers a full compiler rerun so every dependent score and visual is recalculated.

Source registry

Evidence represented in this report

Each source identifies its period, scope, and the local metrics it supports. Internal or supplied research is not presented as independently accessible evidence.

1
Franchise-to-city operating-fit scoring modelInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Publisher
Internal model definition
Data period
Model version 0.9.0-calibration
Scope
Model-wide
Locator
Factors, operating attributes, city modifier taxonomy, channels, confidence and provenance values
Source tier
Tier 5 · internal controlling taxonomy
Accessed
August 4, 2026
2
Valid city JSON exampleInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Publisher
Supplied reference file
Data period
Reference structure reviewed August 4, 2026
Scope
Example city only; used for schema structure, not Columbus evidence
Locator
Full JSON structure and field typing
Source tier
Tier 5 · supplied structural reference
Accessed
August 4, 2026
3
United States Structural Inefficiency and CRE Arbitrage AuditInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Publisher
Supplied research material
Data period
Research claims supplied August 4, 2026
Scope
Columbus, Ohio section within a multi-city docket
Locator
Columbus section, paragraphs 71-80 and associated table
Source tier
Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
Accessed
August 4, 2026
4
Jurisdictional Friction and Structural Capital Constraints: A Forensic Audit of Municipal Operating EnvironmentsInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Publisher
Supplied research material
Data period
Research claims supplied August 4, 2026
Scope
Columbus, Ohio section within a multi-city docket
Locator
Columbus section, paragraphs 232-263 and associated fee table
Source tier
Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
Accessed
August 4, 2026
5
Franchise data - Riverside through CharlotteInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Used for: Certificate of Appropriateness requirement for exterior alterations
Publisher
Supplied research material
Data period
Neighborhood records supplied August 4, 2026
Scope
Columbus label with records for German Village and surrounding municipalities
Locator
Rows labeled Columbus, Ohio: Grandview Heights, Dublin, Hilliard, Westerville, Upper Arlington, and German Village
Source tier
Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
Accessed
August 4, 2026
6
Compiler-ready city research JSON instructionsInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Publisher
Supplied task instructions
Data period
Instructions supplied August 4, 2026
Scope
Target city locked to Columbus, Ohio
Locator
Full prompt
Source tier
Tier 5 · internal task specification
Accessed
August 4, 2026
7
QuickFacts: Columbus city, Ohio
Used for: Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025, Population change from the April 2020 estimate base to July 2025, Households during the 2020-2024 QuickFacts reference period, and Owner-occupied housing unit rate
Publisher
U.S. Census Bureau
Published
May 14, 2026
Data period
July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 socioeconomic measures
Scope
Columbus city, Ohio
Locator
Population estimates, change, households, owner occupancy, income, and travel time tables
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
8
Columbus, OH profile data
Used for: Estimated housing units in 2024
Publisher
Census Reporter using U.S. Census Bureau ACS
Data period
2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates
Scope
Columbus city, Ohio
Locator
Housing units, occupancy, tenure, structure type, value, and mobility profile
Source tier
Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
Accessed
August 4, 2026
9
2026 State of the City
Used for: New homes authorized during 2025 and Change in new homes authorized from 2024 to 2025
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Housing permits authorized during calendar year 2025
Scope
Columbus city and Columbus metropolitan area
Locator
Housing permit and affordable-housing sections
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
10
Columbus city demographics and population
Used for: Housing units reported as built from 1990 through 2009
Publisher
Demographics-US using Census data
Data period
2021 Census/ACS-derived housing age table as labeled by publisher
Scope
Columbus city, Ohio
Locator
Year structure built table
Source tier
Tier 4 · directional secondary
Accessed
August 4, 2026
11
Healthy Children and Safe Homes by 2040
Used for: Housing units classified as high risk in three initial lead-remediation target communities
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current program page and 2024-2025 year-in-review links
Scope
Near East/Livingston Avenue Corridor, Greater Linden, and South Side, Columbus
Locator
Need, target communities, high-risk unit count, and remediation budget
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
12
Water Hardness
Used for: Average treated municipal water hardness
Publisher
City of Columbus, Columbus Water & Power
Data period
Current water treatment standard accessed August 2026
Scope
Columbus municipal water system
Locator
Average treated hardness in ppm and grains per gallon
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
13
Obtaining Sanitary Sewer Service
Used for: Current sanitary sewer charges for a 2-inch connection
Publisher
City of Columbus, Columbus Water & Power
Data period
Current charges accessed August 2026
Scope
Properties eligible for City of Columbus sanitary sewer service
Locator
Permit fee, frontage charge, and capacity charges by tap size
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
14
2026 Rates
Used for: Approved utility rate increases effective January 1, 2026
Publisher
City of Columbus, Columbus Water & Power
Data period
Rates effective January 1, 2026
Scope
City utility customers and contracted suburban service areas as applicable
Locator
Water, sewer, and stormwater rate changes and stated infrastructure drivers
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
15
Occupational Employment and Wages in Columbus, OH — May 2025
Used for: Mean hourly wages for operating-relevant major occupational groups
Publisher
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Published
July 20, 2026
Data period
May 2025
Scope
Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area
Locator
Table A and occupation tables
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
16
Columbus, OH Economy at a Glance
Used for: Preliminary unemployment rate in June 2026, Mining, logging, and construction employment and year-over-year change in June 2026, Government employment in June 2026, and Education and health services employment in June 2026
Publisher
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Data period
Monthly labor force and industry employment through June 2026; June preliminary
Scope
Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area
Locator
Labor force, unemployment, total nonfarm, construction, education and health, and government tables
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
17
Campus Activations & Sponsorships at The Ohio State University
Used for: Students on The Ohio State University Columbus campus and Residence-hall population and daily meals at two primary campus dining facilities
Publisher
The Ohio State University, Office of Student Life
Data period
Current campus activity description accessed August 2026
Scope
The Ohio State University Columbus campus
Locator
Student count, residence-hall count, dining volume, and campus traffic descriptions
Source tier
Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
Accessed
August 4, 2026
18
Fast Facts 2025
Used for: Nationwide Children's Hospital total employees and Nationwide Children's Columbus licensed beds and Columbus-specific annual outpatient activity components
Publisher
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Data period
Data reflects year ending December 31, 2024
Scope
Nationwide Children's system with Columbus-specific operating metrics where stated
Locator
Employees, medical staff, research employees, visits, licensed beds, and Columbus facilities
Source tier
Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
Accessed
August 4, 2026
19
Vendor Resources
Used for: City procurement requires vendor profile management, W-9, registration, compliance, and electronic bid information
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current vendor-registration process accessed August 2026
Scope
City of Columbus procurement
Locator
Vendor registration, W-9, compliance, electronic bidding, and sourcing process
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
20
Purchasing Office
Used for: Responsible wage applicable to City service contracts executed, modified, or renewed starting January 1, 2027
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current page including 2027 responsible wage
Scope
City of Columbus service contracts and vendor opportunities
Locator
Responsible wage and Vendor Services sections
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
21
Contract Compliance Registration
Used for: City procurement requires vendor profile management, W-9, registration, compliance, and electronic bid information
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current registration process accessed August 2026
Scope
Companies seeking City of Columbus contracts
Locator
Questionnaire, registration, and two-year verification process
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
22
Columbus Office Figures Q2 2026
Used for: Columbus office market conditions in Q2 2026
Publisher
CBRE
Published
July 9, 2026
Data period
Second quarter 2026
Scope
Columbus metropolitan office market and named submarkets
Locator
Vacancy, availability, absorption, leasing, asking rent, and construction pipeline
Source tier
Tier 3 · credible industry
Accessed
August 4, 2026
23
Columbus Industrial Figures Q2 2026
Used for: Columbus industrial market conditions in Q2 2026
Publisher
CBRE
Published
July 9, 2026
Data period
Second quarter 2026
Scope
Columbus metropolitan industrial market and named submarkets
Locator
Vacancy, availability, absorption, asking rent, deliveries, and pipeline
Source tier
Tier 3 · credible industry
Accessed
August 4, 2026
24
Columbus Retail Market Report Q1 2026
Used for: Columbus retail market conditions in Q1 2026
Publisher
Colliers
Published
April 27, 2026
Data period
First quarter 2026
Scope
Columbus metropolitan retail market and selected submarkets
Locator
Vacancy, absorption, closures, leasing, sales, and development
Source tier
Tier 3 · credible industry
Accessed
August 4, 2026
25
Columbus Industrial Market Report Q1 2026
Used for: Industrial size-band evidence emphasized constraints in large modern bulk space rather than service-size small bays
Publisher
Colliers
Published
April 7, 2026
Data period
First quarter 2026
Scope
Columbus metropolitan industrial market by size and submarket where disclosed
Locator
Vacancy, modern bulk availability, absorption, rents, construction, and size-band discussion
Source tier
Tier 3 · credible industry
Accessed
August 4, 2026
26
I-70 and I-71 Project
Used for: Daily traffic and truck volume on the downtown I-70/I-71 corridor
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current project description accessed August 2026
Scope
Downtown Columbus I-70, I-71, I-670, and SR-315 corridors
Locator
Traffic volume, truck volume, crash concentration, ramp changes, and phased project description
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
27
Downtown Ramp Up: Upcoming Long Term Ramp Closure
Used for: SR-315 southbound ramp to I-70 eastbound closure and detour
Publisher
Ohio Department of Transportation District 6
Published
April 23, 2024
Data period
Closure beginning May 4, 2024 for multiple years
Scope
SR-315 southbound connection to I-70 eastbound in downtown Columbus
Locator
Closure duration, detour, and reconstruction context
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
28
Neighborhood Sewer Capital Improvement Projects
Used for: Selected active or scheduled sewer capital projects and expected completion windows
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Active and scheduled projects listed through 2029
Scope
Multiple Columbus neighborhoods and growth areas
Locator
Lower Olentangy Tunnel, Central College Subtrunk, Scioto Main North, and other project descriptions and schedules
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
29
Historic Preservation & Design Review: Boards, Commissions, & Panels
Used for: Types of property changes that may require historic or design review
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current review framework accessed August 2026
Scope
Historic districts, design review areas, and advisory panel areas within Columbus
Locator
Eleven boards and examples of changes that may require review
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
30
German Village Commission
Used for: Certificate of Appropriateness requirement for exterior alterations
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current commission process accessed August 2026
Scope
German Village Historic District, Columbus
Locator
Certificate of Appropriateness requirement for exterior alterations
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
31
Downtown Commission
Used for: Downtown parcels combined into a district where most uses are permitted pending design review
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current commission framework accessed August 2026
Scope
Downtown District, Columbus
Locator
More than 4,000 parcels in one district subject to design review
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
32
University Impact District Review Board
Used for: Tax parcels within the University Impact District
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current board framework accessed August 2026
Scope
University Impact District, Columbus
Locator
2,310 tax parcels and certificate-of-approval process
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
33
Zoning Maps
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current map layers accessed August 2026
Scope
City of Columbus parcels
Locator
Base zoning, historic districts, commercial overlays, planning overlays, and parcel reports
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
34
Contractor Licenses
Used for: Selected contractor qualification and registration requirements for work in Columbus
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current requirements accessed August 2026
Scope
Contractors performing covered work within Columbus
Locator
General contractor, home improvement, OCILB trade, plumbing, sewer/water, and bond requirements
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026
35
Commercial Zoning Clearance
Used for: Types of property changes that may require historic or design review
Publisher
City of Columbus
Data period
Current requirements accessed August 2026
Scope
Commercial properties within Columbus
Locator
Historic and special-district approvals and external sign permit thresholds
Source tier
Tier 1 · government
Accessed
August 4, 2026

Before contacting a franchisor

Complete the next layer of due diligence

Confirm the exact protected territory and neighboring units.
Review the current Franchise Disclosure Document.
Validate local staffing, licensing, insurance, and service-base assumptions.
Obtain location, vehicle, buildout, or working-capital estimates.
Speak with current and former franchisees.
Build a candidate-specific financial scenario.

Apply the analysis to your situation

Review how these market findings apply to your budget, role, and proposed territory.

The city score does not include your experience, capital structure, time commitment, financing, or exact territory.

Request a private franchise review

View methodology View source registry

Disclaimer and broker disclosure: This analysis is informational and does not constitute financial, legal, accounting, or investment advice. Market-alignment scores do not predict financial performance or business success. Offers are made only through the delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document. We may receive referral compensation from participating franchisors; compensation is not an input to the scoring model.

Best Franchise Opportunities We Assessed in Columbus, Ohio

Why these concepts were evaluated

What stood out in our assessment

What the ranking means for Columbus, Ohio

Top 10 local-alignment scores from 14 concepts assessed

How each factor affected the highest-rated franchise concepts

Which positions depend most on individual assumptions?

How we calculated City Wide

Full score ledger

How to interpret the result

Which local conditions changed scores or rankings?

Target-market demand

Concepts helped most

Property replacement-cycle demand

Concepts helped most

Labor and staffing friction

Concepts challenged most

Referral ecosystem

Concepts helped most

Best franchise categories we assessed in Columbus, Ohio

Best Restoration franchise opportunities we assessed in Columbus, Ohio

Explore the complete score calculations

City Wide

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

HomeSmiles

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

ZOOM DRAIN

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

Mr. Rooter

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

Aire Serv

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

Mister Sparky Electric

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

ActionCOACH

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

FASTSIGNS

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

Jan-Pro International

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

Tiger Adjusters

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

Rainbow International Restoration

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

PuroClean

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

Workout Anytime

Full score ledger

Evidence confidence

Most important next check

The 35 local metrics behind this analysis

What the model can and cannot establish