19 franchise brands run a senior home care agency. Here they are beside the independent version of the same business, with each brand’s fees as it publishes them and worked out in dollars. A brand can bring customers an independent has to earn one by one. The question is whether it brings in more than it costs.
Typical for a senior home care agency: $400k to $2.5M in sales, and the owner keeps 12% to 24% after paying for its own marketing. Change either to your own numbers.
Work each brand out at
How the two sides are counted
Sales. A brand’s name brings customers an independent wins one at a time, so each brand is worked out at the sales it reports where we have them, and at yours where we don’t.
Marketing. On your own you pay for all of it, about 3.5% of sales here. The ad fund does part of that job, so it is counted once, not twice.
Survival. New franchised businesses were about 5 to 6 points more likely to make it through their first two years in Census data, and about half of all new businesses close within five years. It is not in the dollars; each brand’s details give the sources.
Your own senior home care agency and each brand, side by side
The independent version
Your own senior home care agency
Built and run under your own name
Cost to open
$57k to $194k
Annual sales
$1Mtypical
Franchise fee
None
Royalty + ad fund
Noneall marketing is yours
$180,000
The owner keeps in a year, after about $35k of marketing
Taking new owners
SYNERGY HomeCare
Non-medical home care
Total investment
$52k to $208k
Avg. annual sales
$1.3M to $2.1M
Franchise fee
$27k
Royalty + ad fund
5% + 2% of sales
$222k
The owner keeps in a year at $1.7M in sales (what it reports), after $120k to the brand
$42k more a year than on your own
Taking new owners
HomeWell Care Services
In-home senior care
Total investment
$69k to $234k
Avg. annual sales
$1.3M to $3.2M
Franchise fee
$15k
Royalty + ad fund
6% to 10% + 1% of sales
$180k to $271k
The owner keeps in a year at $2.3M in sales (what it reports), after $158k to $248k to the brand
$480 to $91k more a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Always Best Care
Home care and senior living placement
Total investment
$90k to $146k
Avg. annual sales
$2.6M to $3M
Franchise fee
$50k
Royalty + ad fund
6% + 2% of sales
$335k
The owner keeps in a year at $2.8M in sales (what it reports), after $224k to the brand
$155k more a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Seniors Helping Seniors
In-home senior care by older caregivers
Total investment
$93k to $143k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$50k
Royalty + ad fund
5% to 6% + 1% of sales
$120k to $130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $60k to $70k to the brand
$50k to $60k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Right at Home
In-home senior care
Total investment
$94k to $176k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$50k
Royalty + ad fund
5% of sales
$130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $50k to the brand
$50k less a year than on your own
Selective
Home Instead
Non-medical in-home senior care
Mature U.S. footprint, many entries are resales
Total investment
$98k to $125k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$54k
Royalty + ad fund
5% + 2% of sales
$130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $70k to the brand
$50k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Assisting Hands Home Care
In-home senior care
Total investment
$98k to $181k
Avg. annual sales
Ask the brand
Franchise fee
$55k
Royalty + ad fund
4% to 5% + 0.5% of sales
$130k to $140k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $45k to $55k to the brand
$40k to $50k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Griswold Home Care
Non-medical home care
Total investment
$100k to $186k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$50k
Royalty + ad fund
5% + 1% of sales
$130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $60k to the brand
$50k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
ComForCare Home Care
In-home care
Total investment
$102k to $164k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$30k
Royalty + ad fund
5% to 7% + 2% of sales
$110k to $130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $70k to $90k to the brand
$50k to $70k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
CareBuilders at Home
Non-medical home care
Total investment
$111k to $167k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$50k
Royalty + ad fund
9% + 1% of sales
$90k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $100k to the brand
$90k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Comfort Keepers
In-home senior care
Total investment
$120k to $191k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$55k
Royalty + ad fund
5% + 2% of sales
$130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $70k to the brand
$50k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Home Helpers Home Care
In-home care
Total investment
$121k to $175k
Avg. annual sales
Ask the brand
Franchise fee
$50k
Royalty + ad fund
4.5% to 6% + 0.5% to 2% of sales
$120k to $135k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $50k to $80k to the brand
$45k to $60k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Amada Senior Care
In-home care and LTC insurance advocacy
Total investment
$122k to $438k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$47k
Royalty + ad fund
In the details
The fee is not a simple share of sales, so it is not worked out in dollars. The details show it as the brand words it.
Taking new owners
Visiting Angels
Non-medical in-home senior care
Total investment
$125k to $171k
Avg. annual sales
Ask the brand
Franchise fee
$65k
Royalty + ad fund
3% to 3.5% + 2% to 2.5% of sales
$145k to $150k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $50k to $60k to the brand
$30k to $35k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
BrightStar Care
Medical and non-medical home care
Total investment
$126k to $217k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$50k
Royalty + ad fund
5.25% + 2.5% of sales
$128k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $78k to the brand
$53k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Homewatch CareGivers
In-home care
Total investment
$143k to $194k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$50k
Royalty + ad fund
5% + 0.5% to 2% of sales
$130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $55k to $70k to the brand
$50k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Senior Helpers
In-home senior care
Total investment
$149k to $201k
Avg. annual sales
Franchise fee
$55k
Royalty + ad fund
5% + 1% of sales
$130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $60k to the brand
$50k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
FirstLight Home Care
In-home senior care
Total investment
$151k to $256k
Avg. annual sales
Ask the brand
Franchise fee
$52k
Royalty + ad fund
5% + 1% of sales
$130k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $60k to the brand
$50k less a year than on your own
Taking new owners
Interim HealthCare
Home care, home health and hospice
Total investment
$156k to $628k
Avg. annual sales
Ask the brand
Franchise fee
$75k
Royalty + ad fund
3.5% to 5.5% + 1% of sales
$125k to $145k
The owner keeps in a year at $1M in sales (your sales), after $45k to $65k to the brand
$35k to $55k less a year than on your own
Free account
See all 19 senior home care agency brands side by side
Every brand’s investment and fees, and what the owner keeps against running your own
The yearly sales the first 3 report, and a plus to add brands to your comparison and benchmark them in your account
Members see the sales every franchisor reports, for every brand
Free, no card. A new account accepts the Terms and the Privacy Policy. smbnest is a self-assessment tool and never takes a cut of your deal or a fee from a franchisor.
Before you sign: what to read in the disclosure document
Every franchisor must give you its Franchise Disclosure Document at least 14 days before you sign or pay. These are the parts that answer the questions above.
Items 5 to 7, the fees and the investment. The franchise fee, every other fee (technology, training, transfer, renewal), and the full opening budget, including working capital.
Item 19, what owners earn. Whether the brand states owner sales or earnings at all, and for which units. Put its figures in the boxes above in place of the typical ones.
Item 20, units opened, closed and sold. How many owners left in each of the last three years, and a list of current and former owners you can call.
Item 12, the territory. Whether you get a protected area, and what the brand can open or sell inside it.
Item 21, the franchisor’s own finances. Whether the company behind the brand is in good health.
smbnest is a self-assessment tool, not individualized advice. Fees are as each brand publishes them on its franchising page and in its disclosure document, reviewed in the month shown, and change; the figures in dollars are worked out at the sales you enter and are not a forecast. We never take a cut of your deal or a fee from a franchisor. Before you sign, speak with a franchise attorney and a qualified financial adviser, and call owners from the disclosure document.
Your guidesmbnest
The guide is an automated assistant. Answers come from this business’s model, its sources and your plan; they are general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Talk to a person