Start a Mobility City Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $197K - $460K

Units as of 2023: 37 94.7% over 3 years

Mobility City is a mobility sales and maintenance franchise specializing in wheelchairs, mobility scooters, hospital beds, lift-out chairs, and similar equipment. Providing services out of a workshop on wheels, the company’s clients include nursing homes, facilities, and hospitals, as well as mobility-impaired veterans, injured and disabled persons, and seniors.

Frustrated by what they believed to be a shortage of mobility equipment repair providers when they urgently needed one, founders Diane and Vinny Barrata swore to fill that void in the market by starting Mobile City in 1999. In 2017, the Barrata’s decided to franchise the brand and haven’t looked back since. Mobility City has opened more than 30 franchises and may find itself at the forefront of the sales and services niche of the mobility equipment industry.

Why You May Want To Start a Mobility City Franchise

Suppose you’re looking for a business opportunity that some believe has been proven to work and helps people maintain a good quality of life through consistent mobility. In that case, Mobility City may be one of the better options out there. You may not be required to have the technical expertise, as the company will be in charge of training and certifying your future technicians.

As a franchisee, you will be helping people with mobility equipment issues, whether they need repairs or replacement parts, or even if they need to make a brand-new purchase. With millions of Americans using mobility equipment each year, the market could be large and expanding.

What Might Make a Mobility City Franchise a Good Choice?

One of the most obvious benefits of owning a Mobility City franchise may be the presence of potential diversification, including sales, rental, repair, cleaning and sanitation, and more. Going deeper, you will find that the business model is both B2B and B2C, which means you can market to actual equipment users and businesses, such as hospitals, senior facilities, and the like. Moreover, the company has multiple existing master service agreements with manufacturers.

To be part of the Mobility City 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 fees and royalty fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company’s set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a Mobility City Franchise

As you decide if opening a Mobility City franchise is the right move for you, make sure you take time to explore the opportunity. Research the brand and your local area to see if a Mobility City franchise would do well in your community. While competition is healthy, too much of it may not allow for the most possible growth.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. As part of your due diligence, you may want to speak to existing franchisees and ask the Mobility City franchising team questions.

Company Overview

About Mobility City

Industry	Health & Wellness
Related Categories	Miscellaneous Health Products, Miscellaneous Health Services, Miscellaneous Maintenance Businesses, Miscellaneous Services, Senior Care, Mobility Solutions
Founded	1999
Parent Company	Mobility City Holdings Inc.
Leadership	Diane Baratta, CEO
Corporate Address	1200 Yamato Rd., #A9 Boca Raton, FL 33431
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2017 (7 years)
# of employees at HQ	14
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	37 (as of 2023)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Mobility City 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.	$47,500 - $150,000
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.	$197,400 - $460,000
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.	$250,000 - $500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$75,000 - $150,000
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.	7%
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.	1%
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	Mobility City 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	20 hours
Classroom Training	27 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
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.	Yes
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