SBA 7(a) loan outcomes · FY2010–FY2019 cohort · Statuses as of June 30, 2026 · Last updated August 17, 2026
Cartridge World Franchise Failure Rate: 14.7% SBA Loan Defaults (2010–2019 Federal Data)
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Figures also in the comparison table below.
About 1 in 7 Cartridge World SBA borrowers failed to repay — well above the Office Supplies and Stationery Stores average of 9.5%.
Between 2010 and 2019, 34 Cartridge World franchisees financed with SBA 7(a) loans. 5 defaulted — a 14.7% charge-off rate, 1.6x the Office Supplies and Stationery Stores average of 9.5%. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration FOIA dataset, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
What is the Cartridge World franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
Cartridge World is a Office Supplies and Stationery Stores franchise. This page reports the outcome of every SBA 7(a) loan the U.S. Small Business Administration's public FOIA file attributes to Cartridge World franchisees: 34 loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019, of which 5 were charged off. Loan statuses are as of June 30, 2026, and the cohort has matured, so these are settled outcomes rather than projections.
- SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY201934
- Charged off5
- Charge-off rate14.7%
- Office Supplies and Stationery Stores franchise benchmark9.5%
- Brand vs industry1.6x
- All-franchise SBA benchmark10.2%
- Average loan size, 2010s cohort$131,468
- New SBA loans since 20205
- Early charge-offs since 20200
How does Cartridge World compare with other Office Supplies and Stationery Stores franchises?
The table sets Cartridge World's charge-off rate beside its Office Supplies and Stationery Stores peers and the two economy-wide benchmarks. All figures use the same cohort — SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026 — and the same denominator of resolved loans, so they are directly comparable.
| Measure | Cartridge World | Office Supplies and Stationery Stores | All franchises | All SBA borrowers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default (charge-off) rate | 14.7% | 9.5% | 10.2% | 8.0% |
| Loans in sample | 34 | — | — | — |
| Defaults | 5 | — | — | — |
| Average loan size | $131,468 | — | — | — |
What has Cartridge World SBA lending looked like since 2020?
Since 2020, Cartridge World franchisees have taken 5 new SBA 7(a) loans. None have charged off to date, though most remain outstanding and unresolved.
Loans approved since 2020, by fiscal year — counts only: 0 have charged off to date and most are still outstanding, so no rate is drawn.
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.
Show the numbers behind this chart
| Fiscal year | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2010 | 8 | 1 | 12.5% |
| FY2011 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2012 | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2013 | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| FY2014 | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2015 | 8 | 2 | 25.0% |
| FY2016 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2018 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| FY2021 | 1 | — | outstanding |
| FY2022 | 1 | — | outstanding |
| FY2023 | 2 | — | outstanding |
| FY2024 | 1 | — | outstanding |
How to read this
A charge-off means a franchisee borrowed, operated, and failed severely enough that the SBA wrote off the government-guaranteed loan. Unlike franchisor marketing or Item 19 disclosures, this is an observed outcome recorded by a federal agency. One caveat cuts the other way: SBA borrowers are typically less capitalized than all-cash buyers, so these rates can overstate risk for well-funded operators.
How reliable is this number?
Cartridge World's figure rests on 34 resolved SBA 7(a) loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019 — a matured cohort, so the rate is a settled outcome, not a projection. With 34 resolved loans, one default moves the rate by about 2.9 percentage points. Loans approved since 2020 are excluded from the rate because most are still outstanding; they appear on this page as counts only. Every Cartridge World figure is recomputed from the public SBA FOIA file on each rebuild.
Based on 34 resolved loans — directional, not precise.
Frequently asked
- What is Cartridge World's franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
- Between 2010 and 2019, 34 Cartridge World franchisees financed with SBA 7(a) loans. 5 defaulted — a 14.7% charge-off rate, 1.6x the Office Supplies and Stationery Stores average of 9.5%. Source: U.S. Small Business Administration FOIA dataset, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
- Is Cartridge World a safe franchise investment?
- Between 2010–2019, Cartridge World franchisees defaulted on SBA loans at 14.7% versus a 9.5% industry average. This data is one input for due diligence; it is not investment advice.
Cite this page
Franchise Default Rates (2026). Cartridge World franchise SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 14.7% (5 of 34 loans charged off). Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/cartridge-world/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)