BrightStar Care

The standard franchise fee is $50,000 for territories of 200,000–300,000 population, scaling at $100 per additional 1,000 residents beyond 300,000 (so a 500,000-population territory would cost $70,000). Smaller or lower-density territories start at $25,000. Veterans get a 10% discount. The fee structure is territory-tied — large metros cost more to enter.

Total investment of $132,499 to $235,038 is relatively low compared to the revenue potential. The heaviest line item is working capital: $61,000–$100,000 for three months, reflecting the fact that healthcare staffing businesses carry significant payroll obligations before client payments arrive — the gap between paying caregivers and collecting from clients or insurers can run 30–90 days. Office space (lease deposit plus first/last month rent) adds $3,000–$12,000; professional fees $2,000–$8,000; licensing and permits $500–$5,000.

Ongoing: royalties are 5.25% of non-National Account net billings and 6.25% on National Account billings. The National Account premium (an extra 1%) compensates BrightStar for the corporate relationships it brings — but you pay more per dollar billed through those channels. The General Marketing Fee is the greater of $500/month or 2.5% of prior month net billings. The Athena Business System fee is the greater of $250/month or 0.83% of net billings. Total ongoing fee burden: approximately 8–9% of billings at scale.

BrightStar Care provides clear Item 19 data broken out by agency maturity — exactly the kind of ramp-up transparency that helps with realistic business planning.

2024 results for 190 agencies open 12+ full months: - Average gross revenue: $2,432,014 - Median gross revenue: $1,984,427

By year of operation: - Year 1 average: $454,771 - Year 2 average: $994,647 - Year 3 average: $1,246,812 - Year 4 average: $1,495,379

The ramp curve is steep and real: you triple revenue between Year 1 and Year 2 on average, then continue growing through Year 4 and beyond. This reflects how healthcare staffing builds: contracts take months to establish, licensing can delay opening, and client acquisition compounds over time as you build referral relationships with discharge planners, hospitals, and assisted living facilities.

HomeCare gross revenue in the $2M+ range does not translate directly to take-home income. Healthcare staffing margins are thin — caregiver labor typically runs 55–65% of billings, leaving 35–45% gross margin before overhead, fees, insurance, and owner compensation. At a $2.4M revenue agency with a 38% gross margin and 9% fee burden, operating income before owner pay might land around $700K–$800K gross — still an exceptional potential return on a $135K–$235K investment if the math works in your market.

BrightStar Care is a growing system. From 353 total units in 2022 to 366 in 2023 to 408 in 2024, the system added 55 units over two years. The 2024 closure rate was very low — only 5 closures against 35 openings, a net gain of 30 franchised units. The 35 company-owned locations (out of 408 total) provide operational proof points and training infrastructure. The high transfer rate (29 transfers in 2024) reflects that agencies have genuine enterprise value — operators are building and selling businesses, not just running lifestyle franchises.

Healthcare licensing is a real barrier. Most states require specific home health agency licenses that can take 3–18 months to obtain and require the franchisor and franchisee to meet staffing, compliance, and clinical supervision standards. If you open before licensing is secured, you're paying working capital costs without revenue. The $61,000–$100,000 working capital requirement in Item 7 reflects this; real agencies often need more.

BrightStar's National Account program directs business to franchisees but charges a 1% royalty premium for it — effectively a lead generation fee embedded in the ongoing rate. Understand what percentage of your billings will come through National Accounts before projecting net margins. The Athena Business System (proprietary franchise software) creates technology dependency, and the fee can scale with revenue unlike a fixed SaaS price. Finally, worker's compensation insurance for healthcare workers is expensive and variable — the $2,000–$10,000 bond/deposit in Item 7 is a minimum; your actual insurance costs at scale will be substantially higher.