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One of the
Most Highly Rated
Franchise Organizations

The APA has received accolades such as “Best in Category” for Sports & Recreation Franchises
by Franchise Business Review, “10 Great Franchises for Less than $20,000”
by Entrepreneur Magazine, and more!

HOW TO GET STARTED
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE APA

About APA

The American Poolplayers Association (APA) is the largest amateur pool league in the world with more than 250,000 members.
With leagues playing in over 13,000 venues across North America,
it is the first choice for poolplayers of all skill levels.

Franchise Territories

Click on the map to view available territories by county. Once you click on the map, an interactive map will appear. Simply click on the state of interest. A county map will appear, the areas you see shaded are currently franchised and those not shaded are currently available.

Testimonials

With over 270 League Operators, the APA system is a proven success in the United States, Canada and Japan. Here are testimonials from APA franchisees about their experience.

Julie Rambali - CPA League Operator of Toronto & Peel, Ontario, Canada

Being a self-employed Website Developer & Graphic Designer for 24 years working from home and having played in the CPA Toronto/Peel Pool League since 1998 made the decision to become a League Operator seamless. I’m still in disbelief that I turned my hobby into my career. While it’s financially rewarding, I’m more fulfilled by what it inspires our players to do, which is to never give up on your dreams no matter how many times you lose. That magic in itself makes being an APA/CPA Franchisee worthwhile. After training, my confidence increased exponentially with the excellent customer service support I received from my APA/CPA Consultants and the head office staff. At that point, I truly realized that this is an amazing organization to work with.

Ashley Morgan - APA League Operator of First Coast APA in Florida

Running an APA Pool League can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. As an owner for over five years, I can attest that it’s the best job I’ve ever had. Meeting fascinating people and hosting events that create unforgettable memories is what makes it so special. Owning a business certainly poses its share of challenges, but seeing your hard work come to fruition is truly priceless. I can’t imagine doing anything else at this point, and plan to continue operating the League until I retire. If you share a passion for pool and enjoy bringing people together, owning an APA Pool League could be the perfect opportunity for you to explore.

Industry Honors

APA has received many accolades for their accomplishments in franchising.  Check out some of those awards below! 

Entrepreneur Magazine

  • Annual Franchise 500” 1993 – 2016, 2019-2024
  • #1 in category in Best of the Best Franchises 2022-2023
  • #1 in “Sport Business Category” 2011 – 2016
  • Top 101 Home-based Franchises” 1996 – 2015, 2023
  • #255 "Franchise 500" 2024
Click Here To See More

Franchise Business Review

  • Best In Category – “Sports & Recreation Franchises” 2011 – 2020, 2022-2023
  • Top Recession-Proof Franchise 2022
  • “Top 100 Low Cost Franchises” 2011 – 2022
  • “Top Franchises Enterprise (250+)” 2012 – 2022
  • “Best of the Best Overall Top 50 Franchises” 2011 – 2020, 2022

Approval Process

Timeline for franchise approval process

01

Submit a Request for Consideration

After you submit your online request for consideration, we will review it carefully to determine if we’re a good fit. You can expect to hear from us in approximately two business days. Once your pre-application is approved, we’ll chat with you further about the franchise opportunity and discuss the financial commitment.

02

Application Follow-up with APA

After our initial discussion, a Confidential Franchise Application will be sent to you.

03

Submit Confidential Franchise Application

When you return the Confidential Franchise Application to us, we will initiate credit and criminal background checks. After results come back, you will be contacted by telephone and a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is emailed to you for review.

04

Conversations with the Franchise Development Manager

At this point you will be contacted by the APA Franchise Development Manager to discuss the specifics of the franchise opportunity. You would now be sent a Franchise Disclosure Document and a Predictive Index survey. You will be required to contact a minimum of five League Operators to learn more about the business from their perspective, and then you would submit a summary of those conversations. Thorough market research is also expected by all applicants.

05

Phone Interview and Discovery Day

After all of the information is reviewed, a phone interview is scheduled with the APA President, other key staff and you. A decision is made at this point whether or not to move forward; if so, a “Discovery Day” will be scheduled. This is a two-day event at the National Office and is an opportunity for both parties to meet and further discuss the franchise opportunity. You will be asked to make a firm decision on moving forward and to make an initial deposit. Materials will be provided to you to prepare for training, and you will receive a copy of the franchise agreements.

There will also be a required session of interactive pool during this process.

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06

Training Seminar

Training takes place in two sessions. The first session is a week-long course, Monday through Saturday, designed to familiarize you with the APA system and the National Office Staff. You will be educated about APA procedures, marketing, league software, and franchise management. Upon arrival for the first session, you will sign your franchise agreements and pay remaining fees.

Following the first session of training, you will be required to complete a weekly series of 8 mandatory webinars. These webinars begin approximately 2 weeks after you return from Session 1 training.

Session two takes place approximately 6 months after your session one training. It is a three-day course designed to further enhance your skills as an APA franchisee/ League Operator. It will be scheduled while you are in St. Louis for the session one training.

This entire process to become a League Operator can be completed within one month, or extended if necessary. Much of this depends on your own timeline.

Support

WE ARE WITH YOU ALL THE WAY!

We’re an organization of go-getters. At the National Office, we’re always asking ourselves:
What can we do to help Franchisees develop new Host Locations, members and teams?

Marketing/Advertising

Our League Operators are supported by our national marketing department. We provide you with templates and materials to conduct your own local advertising and PR campaigns. The marketing materials we provide are first-rate. We help you reach your customers – team members and the owners/managers of bars and pool halls – with posters, presentation materials, promotional items, videos and social media resources.

Franchise Support

Training and support is provided at your initial training seminar and on an ongoing basis. Our staff provides software and operational support. You’ll be assigned a personal Representative at the National Office to help guide you in growing and administering your League.

Network

We’ve learned a lot in our 40+ years of experience. Nearly every challenge you might face has already been experienced by our League Operators. Our network of Franchisees are encouraged to interact frequently with each other to help overcome those challenges and to discuss best practices. We offer networking opportunities through our annual Convention, regional meetings, quarterly newsletter and a private website just for Franchisees and APA staff.

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL APA LEAGUE OPERATOR?

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT OUR BEST LEAGUE OPERATORS:

  • NEnjoy meeting and interacting with a variety of individuals.
  • NHave a sense of urgency in meeting goals and a strong desire to succeed.
  • NAre able to work independently, and love building teams.
  • NAre willing to cold-call new host sites.
  • NAre confident in their social skills.
  • NPossess the ability to follow the rules, and enjoy creative problem solving that will achieve their goals.
  • NAre driven to keep their business moving at a fast pace.

Request for Consideration

Attention: Are you an international applicant? Use this form instead!
Please fill out this form to start the franchise process:

Step 1 of 3

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