Wish pool was your job?
For APA League Operators, it is every day!
The APA has gotten 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!
APA is also a member of the International Franchise Association and Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative.
The American Poolplayers Association (APA) is the largest amateur pool league in the world with over 250,000 members. With leagues playing in over 13,000 venues across North America, it is the first choice for pool players of all skill levels.
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.
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.
After our initial discussion, a Confidential Franchise Application will be sent to you.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Attention: Are you an international applicant? Use this form instead!
Please fill out this form to start the franchise process: