Why "Compete?" When You Can Profit!
To learn more about the opportunity to franchise, connect with us!
Contact UsTo learn more about the opportunity to franchise, connect with us!
Contact UsWith the senior boom having now resulted in hundreds of franchised and independent senior services filling up every community in America, an important question arrises: Why "compete" against these businesses when you can become their advocate and support them all? With a Seniors Blue Book franchise, you can finally be "relevant" in the industry. Seniors Blue Book offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to become the heart and soul of their local senior community and profit from a total integration of every conceivable senior-related business. Our convenient and beautiful guide books, some over 300 pages long, are among the most respected in the country and, unlike magazines and newspapers, have a very long shelf life and over an 85% advertiser renewal rate.
Used and cherished by seniors, family members, and industry professionals alike, our guides earn the trust of their readers by providing a thorough and accurate content that is turned back to, time and time again, and provide an ongoing venue of exposure for clients to promote their goods and services to this affluent, health-oriented audience – one for which print media is very much alive and well. One owner-operator and a home-based office are all that is needed to get a Seniors Blue Book franchise started. Our owners are responsible for all aspects of the guide including sales, production, distribution, and billing. Past experience in sales, publishing, or the senior field is helpful and the ability to financially support oneself during the two-year initial ramp-up period is crucial. If becoming a part of the senior boom is appealing to you ... but competing within it is not, contact us today to discuss more details about our opportunity and the availability of your ideal protected territory.
The U.S. population is aging. Today, there are more than 46 million older adults age 65 and older living in the U.S.; by 2050, that number is expected to grow to almost 90 million. Between 2020 and 2030 alone, the time the last of the baby boom cohorts reach age 65, the number of older adults is projected to increase by almost 18 million. This means by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans is projected to be 65 years old and over.
With an aging population comes an increasing need for healthcare, long-term care, and social services to support older adults as they age. Adults over age 65 have different healthcare needs than children and younger adults because they may have multiple chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, depression, and hypertension. It is estimated that 90% of adults over age 65 experience one or more chronic condition, and need specific treatments and medical care, setting them apart from the rest of the population.
Older adults not only rely on their primary care physician, but also on long-term care services and supports. Teams of physicians, caregivers, long-term care assistants, nurses, social workers, and senior living communities often work together to provide tailored and coordinated care to older adults. Access to local resources is critical for older adults to age well.
The Seniors Blue Book provides an ongoing venue of exposure for clients to promote their goods and services to this affluent, health oriented audience. Unlike a magazine or newspaper which is thrown away after a few days at best, The Seniors Blue Book becomes a daily phone book and reference guide for its user. The guide earns the trust of its readers by providing accurate, relevant content that a reader turns back to time and time again. This trust is expressed in the guide’s pass-along rate which averages 2.7 per edition which is exceptionally high for a free publication.
The combination of readership trust and elongated exposure culminates in an advertiser renewal rate that exceeds 80%. By building on the recurring revenue of each edition growth of 20% annually is not only obtainable but expected. The Seniors Blue Book provides its owner/operator a unique opportunity to tap into this demographic surge financially while at the same time providing a resource that is truly valued and cherished by the community it serves.
Initial start-up fees for the Seniors Blue Book are defined by the 65+ population within one or many counties. We collaborate with you to define the most desirable counties to cover within a certain region. After the initial investment the Seniors Blue Book collects a royalty fee of 6% of gross annual sales.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Seniors Blue Book Franchise is between $40,600 and $109,400. This includes between $30,000 to $80,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate. The total initial investment includes the printing and graphics expenses associated with the prototype edition for pre-sales and the actual published 1st edition. Do note the revenue created from sales in the 1st edition are not included here and much of the initial investment can be recooped withing the 1st sales campaign.
Starts up costs are exceptionally low; only one owner/operator in a home-based office is needed to get started. The owner is responsible for all aspects of the guide, including: sales, production, distribution and billing. Ongoing support is available to guide you through the process, but ultimately the degree of success and profitability is up to each local owner. Most expenses are production related and only slightly increase as the size of the guide and distribution grows. Therefore, excluding salary, the gross profit margin for an established guide is considerably more than 50% and increases dramatically as sales increase.
Some of our existing local owners have expanded and opened additional guides in neighboring markets. This increases their revenue with little initial operating expense.
This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a Franchise Disclosure Document filed with the referenced state, which filing does not constitute approval. Seniors Blue Book franchises will not be sold to any resident of any such jurisdiction until the offering has been exempted from the requirements of, or duly registered in and approved by, such jurisdiction and the required Franchise Disclosure Document has been delivered to the prospective franchisee before the sale in compliance with applicable law. The following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: CA, HI, IN, IL, MD, MI, MN, NY, ND, RI, SD, VA, WA and WI. If you reside in one of these states, you may have certain rights under applicable franchise laws.
There are very few business opportunities where you can not only make a good living, but also give something of value back to the community. The Seniors Blue Book is one of those golden opportunities. Not only will you be providing your community with vital information that is truly appreciated, but you are involved in one of the few industry’s that is not only stable, but continually growing. The senior population and senior industry that support it are at the beginning of an explosion that will continue to expand over the next 40 years. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates show seniors in the U.S. increasing by 104% from 2012 to 2050. In our uncertain economic times it is wise to be involved with an industry that provides necessities of life, not items of choice and want, but true needs. No other industry serves a more dire need than healthcare for the elder, elder population.
The Seniors Blue Book is a business opportunity like no other. Few businesses can truly make a positive difference in a community and at the same time offer unlimited potential for growth and profitability. The exponential expansion of the senior population and industry is real and it is now. The Seniors Blue Book has found a way to be the voice of this expansive marketplace. If you have looked for an opportunity that provides a well developed, proven business model providing unparalleled service and support, which also has a heart, you have found it with The Seniors Blue Book.
Yes, you can sell your franchise only if the same terms are transferred to the new owner. Also, The Seniors Blue Book has first right of refusal to purchase the guide.
The majority of our advertisers come from our data base listings (the listings in the guide itself). Almost all of the 50+ categories we list have potential for advertising. Beyond our listings more advertisers can be found through other print mediums, senior oriented or not, online, and active community networking.
All billing is done internally by the local owner through QuickBooks on-line. You will have the opportunity to take the QuickBooks tutorials if needed and you will also have support of the Seniors Blue Book. There is flexibility in setting up payment terms but the goal is to collect the revenue as quickly as possible. Payments can range from pay in full to monthly and can also be set up on automated credit card payments.
A territory is defined by county boundaries and the total 65+ population in a one county or multiple county area. Territories are capped at a 65+ population of 250,000 and the initial start-up fee is dependent on the size of that demographic.
Depending on your involvement and sales skill you can recoup a profit from the first edition, but typically you will break even. Historically new guides grow rapidly in the first several years after the first publication and you should be able to not only repay the initial investment but also be fully self-sufficient within the first 2 years.
The additional sales rep is an independent contractor. He/she is paid a monthly retainer and a commission %, or a higher straight commission % only. This is decided on case by case basis.
Most likely the answer is yes. The Seniors Blue Book is a complete resource and housing guide comprised of over 50 categories of information. We provide a valuable service to the communities we serve and we rarely find other publications that can offer the same high quality, comprehensive, service oriented approach that we provide at the Seniors Blue Book. A quick on-line search and stop by your local Area Agency on Aging and Senior Center will give you a good idea of what’s already available for resources. Even if there is an existing resource guide in your region we feel confident we provide a superior product and can successfully compete with most other publications.
The Seniors Blue Book is designed to be a one person operation and there is no need for additional staff until you are solidly established in your market and revenue can justify additional help. That being said everyone has a different skill set; some people are simply not good at selling. It is better to recognize this earlier than later and be prepared to take on the expense of a sales person. If a sales person is needed it is still important for you to understand the sales process and be able to have a mutually beneficial dialogue with the sales rep.
After the initial buy-in and monthly draws the costs are minimal and directly related to your involvement in the business. There is no store front, no employees, and little up front expenses. The majority of expenses, printing and graphics come after the end of the first sales campaign, by which time enough revenue is collected from the sales campaign to cover the majority of expenses of the first edition. The only set-up costs involved are costs related to running a home office such as a computer with Microsoft Office, high-speed internet access, fax or fax #, telephone line, office supplies, marketing materials and the expenses related to a car. Ongoing costs include graphics, printing, postage, distribution and sales related expenses.
The Seniors Blue Book requires a full time commitment of 40 hours a week. However, unlike many other ventures, your schedule can be very flexible to accommodate your needs. Some weeks will require 50+ hours and other weeks will only require 20 hours. There are also 2 vacation periods built into the schedule.
We are very proud of our incredibly high renewal rate amongst existing advertisers and know of no other medium that can match it. Historically the renewal rate for advertisers of the Seniors Blue Book is 80%+ and close to 95% in our most established markets. The ability to build your business from a recurring revenue model like the Seniors Blue Book gives you an enormous advantage. You are never starting from scratch and that enables you to continually expand your reach for new growth.
The Seniors Blue Book is a semi-annual publication but its shelf life is far greater than 6 months. Unlike a magazine or newspaper that is read and thrown away the next day, the Seniors Blue Book becomes the daily reference tool/phone book of its readers and is continually utilized over and over again. It is typical for a Seniors Blue Book to last several years before it is replaced.
The Seniors Blue Book and its affiliates are currently published in 15 markets throughout the U.S.
The most important quality a sales person can posses is an ability to ask for and close the sale. The following are good qualities to look for: detailed oriented, ability to multi-task, ability to overcome objections, strong phone skills, a proactive attitude for prospecting opportunities and a willingness to continually follow up and go the extra mile with customer service.
There is a big learning curve when becoming a Publisher. The Seniors Blue Book realizes this and is sensitive to your individual needs. We work with you through an in-depth training program developed over 15 years of trial and error. We expect you to have worked through the training program several times before the mandatory 5-day in-house training that will review every aspect of the business in depth. Prior to the training you will receive an operations manual and thumb drive that has all the spreadsheets, documents and marketing materials that you will need plus specific time lines for you to follow to make sure your first edition is published in a timely fashion. There are also ongoing monthly conference calls between owners in the Blue Book family to discuss operations, share personal accounts and create an overall sense of community and support. Ongoing e-mail and phone support are always offered for as long as needed.
The Seniors Blue Book has strong existing relationships with a graphic artist consortium and a printing house that we have developed for over a decade. We receive the highest quality for the lowest prices and pass on the benefits of our relationship to you. That being said the Publisher is responsible for working with the graphics team and our printing house to create the final document for print. The Seniors Blue Book provides step by step instructions on what is expected of you and how to make it happen.
The local owner organizes distribution and how we handle it varies from market to market. Most of our distribution points come directly from the information we list in the guide. Depending on pricing either a local distribution company, you, our printing house or a combination of all 3 will distribute the guides. Beyond bulk distribution we also set up and maintain our own stand alone racks that need to be refilled and monitored on a monthly to semi-annual basis. The local owner or a distribution company will need to set up stand alone racks and bulk deliveries as needed.
The guide is utilized by seniors, caregivers, family members of seniors and professionals in the senior industry. Our niche market is the elder, elder population and the caregivers and providers that serve them.
YES, publishing a semi-annual resource guide is a full time position. This opportunity requires your full focus and commitment. If you have another business or job that you cannot step away from, this opportunity is not for you.