When a home care franchise might fit

Situations where a franchise can make sense

• You are new to running a business and want structured training and an operating manual (FDD Item 11 should describe them).
• The brand is genuinely known to families and referral sources where you live, not just nationally.
• You can cover the documented costs in Items 5, 6 and 7 with money left over to live on until the agency is cash-positive.
• You are comfortable following brand standards and using required vendors.
• Current and former franchisees listed in Item 20 confirm the support is real.

Warning signs to take seriously

• Pressure to sign or pay before you have had the FDD for the full 14 calendar days.
• Earnings figures offered verbally but not in Item 19.
• A territory in Item 12 that is not protected in the way you were told.
• Franchisees in Item 20 who will not talk to you, or many closures and transfers.
• You would need to borrow money you cannot afford to lose.

Questions only you can answer

The FTC’s buyer’s guide asks prospective franchisees, among other things, whether they are willing to let the franchisor be their boss. If the answer is yes, and the documents hold up, a franchise may be worth its cost to you.