Dealer programs are hard to compare because they don't publish the same numbers. One leads with unit price, another with brand, another with "turnkey support" that turns out to be a PDF. The fix is to force every program through the same four-column evaluation: what it costs to participate, whether you can offer financing, what they actually teach you, and who helps you get customers. Ask the same questions of everyone — including us — and the differences get sharp fast.
Column 1: Fees — the complete list, in writing
Programs hide costs in different places, so ask for each of these by name and get the answer in writing:
| Fee to ask about | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Application / enrollment fee | Pure cost of entry — pays for nothing you resell |
| Franchise or license fee | Signals a franchise-style structure with ongoing obligations |
| Monthly or annual program fee | Compounds forever; $199/month is $7,164 over three years |
| Advertising-fund contribution | Marketing you don't control, billed to you |
| Minimum annual purchase to stay active | A quota dressed as a requirement |
| Opening order requirement | Legitimate and common — but know the size before you sign |
A program with a modest opening order and zero recurring fees is structurally different from one with low unit prices and a monthly charge. Total the three-year participation cost — that's the real number.
Column 2: Financing — for your customers, and for you
Two separate questions, always asked together. First: can your customers pay monthly? Ticket sizes in whole-home water treatment make financing the difference between "yes" and "we'll think about it" on a large share of kitchen-table presentations. Second — the one new dealers miss: can you qualify to offer it? Many financing programs require the dealer to show two or more years in business or a revenue history. If you're launching, that requirement quietly removes financing from your toolkit in the exact years you need it most. Get the dealer-qualification terms, not just the consumer terms. (The full financing checklist for new dealers.)
Column 3: Training — three kinds, not one
"Training included" can mean a spec-sheet library. Break it apart: product training (what each system does, and what it doesn't — critical for staying compliant when you make water-quality claims), installation training (doing the work right, protecting the warranty), and sales training (running a water test presentation, building a quote, handling the financing conversation). The third kind is the rarest and moves revenue the most. Ask specifically: "Do you train my people on selling, and what does that look like?"
Column 4: Support — marketing help and the long tail
The phone ringing is the hardest problem in a new dealership. Programs that help you set up advertising and build a launch plan are solving your actual constraint; programs that don't are betting you'll solve it alone. (What a strong first 90 days of advertising looks like.) Then look past year one: written warranty terms, replacement-parts availability, real technical support when a system misbehaves on a Friday afternoon, and an ordering portal that doesn't require phone tag.
Scoring Aquonyx on our own framework
We think a program should survive its own checklist, so here are our answers. Fees: none — no application, enrollment, franchise, or monthly fees; the commitment is a one-pallet opening order, published plainly on the program page. Financing: dealer access to consumer financing with no time-in-business or revenue-amount requirements. Training: product, installation, and sales training included. Support: we help you set up your ads and build a plan for your market; systems are American-manufactured with a lifetime limited warranty on qualifying systems, ordered through a real dealer portal.
Key takeaways
- Compare programs on four columns — fees, financing, training, support — and make every program answer the same questions in writing.
- Compute the three-year participation cost; recurring fees quietly dwarf unit-price differences.
- Financing has two gates: consumer terms and dealer qualification. Time-in-business requirements are where new dealers get blocked.
- Sales training is the rarest and highest-value kind of training — ask for it by name.
- Aquonyx's answers: zero program fees, financing access without time-in-business or revenue minimums, all three trainings, and hands-on ad-setup help.
Put us in your comparison. Apply to become an Aquonyx dealer — free to join, nothing to lose by evaluating us against anyone.