Here are FAQs that we often hear and the corresponding answers to those questions
How much money can I expect to make?
The answer to that question is largely up to you. There is no ceiling on your income potential and no way to predict with certainty how much or how quickly your business will grow. Some offices do extremely well in their first year; others may take a little longer to gain traction. Section 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document summarizes earnings potential based on the performance of existing offices. But every affiliate experience is different. If you are goal-oriented and committed to success, you may be able to equal or exceed our top performers.
How do you decide the size of my territory?
We negotiate each territory individually with prospective office owners. The goal is to create market areas that have populations large enough to support a healthy office but are not so large that marketing resources are strained and marketing efforts are ineffectual. The general guideline is a population of between 500,000 and 1.5 million people and/or a driving radius of approximately one hour.
Can I provide services in addition to those that are typically provided by Criterium franchises?
Each franchise owner brings expertise to the business that is unique and can, often, be integrated into the Criterium model. For example, if you have another engineering consulting specialty (i.e., retaining wall design) or related business service (i.e., surveying), we welcome the added breadth these may bring to the organization. The franchise agreement requires a full-time commitment to the business. That said, we do allow affiliates to engage in certain non-engineering business activities or other engineering consulting services, on a limited basis, as long as they do not conflict with the consulting business. Criterium Engineers will consider these requests on a case-by-case basis.
What does the franchise fee cover?
The franchise fee entitles you to share the name recognition and national reputation Criterium Engineers has developed. Franchisees also receive:
- Comprehensive training in our business methods and systems;
- Access to our software, manuals, forms, and professionally-developed marketing materials;
- Referrals from national accounts;
- Access to group benefits, such as professional liability insurance;
- A modern, mobile-responsive website;
- Technical and business development support; and
- The opportunity to work with some of the best engineers in the country.
What if I am not a licensed Professional Engineer?
A non-licensed owner can bring valuable experience in management, sales, and marketing skills to the Criterium business which many licensed individuals do not possess. These skills carry the same importance to having a successful business. A hallmark of the services performed by Criterium is that they all are either performed and/or reviewed by a licensed Professional Engineer. So, while you may not be an engineer yourself, you will need an Engineer in Responsible Charge involved in your business. Some states, however, require that engineering firms be partially or 100% owned by a licensed Professional Engineer so you will want to turn to the Board of Professional Engineers in the state where you want to do business to verify those requirements.
If I’m not a structural engineer, can I still provide the Criterium services?
While a hallmark of the services performed by Criterium is that they all are either performed and/or reviewed by a licensed Professional Engineer, many of the services we provide do not require an engineer to perform them (i.e. Homeowner Association Reserve Studies). We are guided by a Fundamental Canon of the National Society of Professional Engineers in answering this question which states, Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall: (#2) Perform services only in areas of their competence. The State or Canadian Province in which you are located may, also, have discipline-specific licensing which limits your activities. A benefit of the Criterium is that there are engineers in the organization who are licensed in many states and can provide you with engineering review and stamps for those projects where you are either not qualified or simply want another opinion.