Start a Bridge to Better Living Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $99K - $129K

Units as of 2020: 2 0.0% over 3 years

Mary Ann Stallings, founder of Bridge to Better Living, was constantly around retirement communities from a young age. She often visited her grandfather and noticed those who did not have visitors in the community. Her grandmother ended up in the same retirement community, but they could not meet her needs, causing Stalling to think even harder.

Stallings continued to notice how difficult it was to find the right retirement community as her husband’s parents, her own parents, an aunt, an uncle, and a friend ended up needing to transition to a retirement community themselves, or find a community for a loved one.

In 2010, Stallings decided to start Bridge to Better Living. She wanted to help clients select the best retirement community for themselves and their loved ones. Stallings started franchising the company in 2019.

Why You May Want To Start a Bridge to Better Living Franchise

The ideal franchisee for Bridge to Better Living is compassionate and personable. Franchisees are expected to build relationships with clients, their loved ones, and retirement communities. Franchisees may also need excellent organizational skills and the ability to pay attention to even the smallest detail.

Bridge to Better Living is designed to do the leg work for their clients. Bridge to Better Living franchises will do all the research, make tour appointments, and even arrange transportation if needed. They should also put together a comparison of all the retirement communities if the client requests it.

Franchisees are not expected to keep all the information about retirement communities on their own computer. Bridge to Better Living has an extensive database that keeps information in one place and organized. However, franchisees are expected to help keep it up to date.

Bridge to Better Living may allow for absentee ownership, meaning that a franchisee could hire someone else to run their business while they operate from afar.

What Might Make a Bridge to Better Living Franchise a Good Choice?

To be part of the Bridge to Better Living team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company’s set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

Bridge to Better Living has partnered with third-party financial lenders that may help cover the costs of the franchise fee, startup, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, and payroll if you meet the qualifications.

How to Open a Bridge to Better Living Franchise

Franchisees should do extensive research before deciding if opening a Bridge to Better Living franchise is the right decision for them. This research should include potential office locations, competition in the area, community interest, and more. Franchisees should also write down questions they need to be answered by the management team.

If awarded a franchise, franchisees may receive a great deal of support from the Bridge to Better Living brand throughout the franchising process. In addition to pre-opening training, franchisees receive support through brand awareness, marketing, and research. Franchisees may also receive hands-on training and continued support after opening their franchise location.

Company Overview

About Bridge to Better Living

Industry	Personal-Care Businesses
Related Categories	Senior Care
Founded	2010
Corporate Address	4230 Pioneer Woods Dr., #B Lincoln, NB 68506
Social	Facebook

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2019 (5 years)
# of employees at HQ	4
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states:
# of Units	2 (as of 2020)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Bridge to Better Living franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$48,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$99,000 - $129,250
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$150,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$50,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	10% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	8%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	to 2%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Bridge to Better Living has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	18 hours
Classroom Training	22 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	1-2
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes