Start a Comfort Keepers Franchise in 2024

Franchise 500 Rank: N/R Not ranked last year

Initial investment: $100K - $171K

Units as of 2023: 743 5% over 3 years

Comfort Keepers is a home care business organization providing in-house care services for the elderly. Its main aim is to ensure the well-being and safety of the elderly in society. It does not provide medical care for seniors, instead focusing on companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, grocery shopping, exercise, and games. Comfort Keepers was founded in 1998 and began franchising one year later. Since then, they have expanded to more than 650 locations and have over 250 franchisees, who average two or more territories apiece.

Ideal franchisees should have a passion for giving back to the community, specifically the elderly.

Why You May Want to Start a Comfort Keepers Franchise

Due to a continuous rise in the number of older adults in society, the need for carers is in high demand. Some elderly people get to a point in life where they need care and support 24/7. Younger family members cannot always care for their elder family members. Instead, they choose to outsource the service to trusted home care providers like the Comfort Keepers.

As a franchisee, you will get the chance to provide this noble service of proper in-home care to the elderly who spend most of their time at home. Unlike home care nurses, franchisees get to arrange their schedule into flexible shifts, and they also get to work closer to their homes to provide interim healthcare.

Comfort Keepers provides you with software to aid in billing, scheduling, accounting, banking, and handling contracts. This software makes it easier to start and manage the administrative side of the business.

What Might Make a Comfort Keepers Franchise a Good Choice?

This franchise focuses on changing and impacting the lives of seniors in your community. They also have a good support program that helps franchisees through detailed and comprehensive training.

To be part of the Comfort Keepers team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. These additional startup costs may include insurance, licenses, caregiver training, business premises, furniture, and equipment.

You should also be prepared for ongoing fees that will include royalty fees, advertising fees, and potential renewal fees. The term of agreement between Comfort Keepers and their franchisees is usually ten years. At the conclusion of each agreement period, you will be given the opportunity to renew your franchise for a sum as long as both parties wish to remain in business.

How to Open a Comfort Keepers Franchise

Comfort Keepers provides many opportunities to learn more about the business when potential franchisees interview with a franchise development representative. If you are deemed a good fit, you'll then receive a Franchise Disclosure Document, which discloses information about your investment with a copy of the current franchise agreement. When you receive this document, you'll also have an in-depth discussion regarding your business territory.

After completing a market analysis and meeting with the team at company headquarters in Irvine, California, you'll be prepared to make your decision. Once the agreement is signed, you will receive comprehensive training. A business coach will be assigned to support you through training and beyond because Comfort Care believes in supporting individual needs, both for the elderly and their franchisees.

Company Overview

About Comfort Keepers

Industry	Personal-Care Businesses
Related Categories	Senior Care, Miscellaneous Personal-Care Businesses
Founded	1998
Parent Company	Sodexo
Leadership	Ramzi Abdine, North American CEO
Corporate Address	1 Park Plaza, #300 Irvine, CA 92614
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1999 (25 years)
# of employees at HQ	50
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	743 (as of 2023)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Comfort Keepers 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.	$55,000
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.	$100,050 - $171,200
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.	$300,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$100,000
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.	5%
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.	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

Training & Support Offered

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

Classroom Training	50 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising 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.	No
# of employees required to run	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