How did you get into the industry?
Justin was working as an occupational therapist in a rehab facility where the overall goal was to discharge patients home safely. He and his team would frequently make home modification recommendations to patients, however there were simply not resources available to perform the actual work. Mike meanwhile had a nice property maintenance business where his experience as a skilled tradesmen and contractor prepared him to be a perfect fit as the installation and technical side of the business. Together they created Oakley Home Access, where they have been Maximizing Mobility in the community for approaching 9 years.
What’s New in the Oakley Mobility Business or in the Franchise Model?
OHA recently added Barrier Free Shower conversions to their service offerings. Significantly opens up their ability to penetrate the bathroom renovation market utilizing a universal design approach. We are forever making progress with state and local funding sources. This market is evolving and one of our responsibilities as the franchise is to stay ahead of it and keep our team on the cutting edge of developments in the industry.
Where do you See Opportunities or Challenges for the Oakley Mobility Franchise/Business Moving Forward?
An exciting challenge will be when we sign our first franchisee that is outside of New England. Currently logistics are strongly in our favor as our home base is located within 100 miles of both of our franchise locations.
What is your Goal for the Business Moving Forward?
Continue to exhibit steady growth, increasing revenue, service offerings, fleet vehicles, and most importantly staff to keep up with the demand and keep lead times to a minimal.
Talk to us About Training and Support, How Do You Deliver?
We value our people the most regarding training and support. Yes, we have our comprehensive operations manual which is imperative to learn inside and out, however, what differentiates us from coparables in our industry is the expertise and experience of our support team. Occupational therapists and office managers that have led OHA to success year over year are available to offer both hands on a virtual training and support not only during training & onboarding but also in perpetuity. We feel strongly that an OHA franchisee’s success is OHA success.
Your most difficult moment at the Franchise Business?
Deciding whether or not to take the franchise plunge. We have had no regrets and truly minimal difficulties regarding the franchise business since we decided to move forward. It was a big step for us as we’ve done everything with our hands on it, now we are trusting in franchise partners to take our vision forward, so far, so good and we couldn’t be happier with the decision.
Define your Franchise Model:
A. Training and Support Model?
Hands on 90% Formal Classroom training 10%
B. What is the Fee Structure?
$50,000 Franchise Fee
5% royalties
1% corporate branding royalty
C. Territory Definition?
Approximately 1,000,000 people with first right of refusal for neighboring territories for a period of three years from initial signing.
D. Day in the life of a Franchisee?
Depending on which day to day role the franchisee takes on, depending on whether they are an OT, contractor, or marketing specialist. If he or she is an OT, it would look like visiting multiple homes and providing the Oakley Home Access Free Home Safety Assessment, providing itemized & personalized recommendation list to the consumer, then submitting the reports to the administrative team. If he or she is a contractor by trade, he or she will be leading the installation team on a variety of installations during the day. Depending on the equipment being installed, a particular job may take anywhere from an hour (a couple grab bars) to three days (home lift or barrier free shower), with the majority of jobs taking 3-4 hours or a half day with two technicians on site. If the franchisee is a marketing specialist then outreach will be the primary task. This role involves dropping off literature with potential referral sources, meeting with potential referral sources, attending industry specific networking events, and representing Oakley Home Access at conferences and wellness fairs.
Who is the Ideal Franchise Candidate?
Occupational Therapist, Contractor/Construction background, or someone with a marketing/sales/business background. Must have Empathy and Compassion. Must be willing to be an owner/operator, not a passive owner. Must live in your territory and be ready to work the business. We can teach anyone how to do this, but they need to be ready to work and enjoy helping people.
Success Stories and Failures with Franchisees?
No failures to speak of fortunately at this time.
Two success stories thus far are the signing of the franchisees. They have both shown incredible passion and professionalism during initial onboarding and training. We couldn’t be more excited to have them join our family and help more people with the Oakley franchise system.
What Goals Do You Have for the Oakley Franchise Model in the Future?
We are pretty focused in the Northeastern U.S. for our early launch, but have much bigger vision for where we could take the model and how to expand this to a national brand. The reality is that there is so much of a need out there, every market could use what Oakley has to offer.
For more information on the Oakley Home Access Franchise Model, visit the corporate site: