A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own Franchise

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own Franchise

First StepsStart by reaching out to us by filling out our interest form on our website

or calling us at 205-419-6721. We’ll review your information and set up a

time to talk. In our first conversation, we’ll get to know more about you and

give you a little bit more information about our business. We’ll be looking

for certain qualities in you that we consider ideal for our franchisees.

For instance, we’re looking for motivated self-starters who are totally

committed to building their AFC franchise location. Openness is also key,

we’re looking for franchisees who will be team players, network with other

franchisees, and ask for help when they need it.

At the end of our initial meeting, if it seems like we’d be a good fit, we’ll

move forward to the next steps.

Owning and operating your own urgent care franchise couldn’t be easier when you franchise with American Family Care (AFC). At AFC, we’re dedicated to making the process as simple and transparent as possible for our franchisees. If you’re looking to get involved in the booming urgent care industry1, check out this simple step-by-step guide to getting your franchise up and running.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own Franchise

Background and FDD ReviewAt this point, we’ll have something of an idea of how compatible our goals

are. The next steps will be to see how compatible we are on paper. You’ll

complete a formal application, and we’ll review it to learn more about

your experience and financial standing. It’s important that our franchisees

are financially stable enough to manage the total initial investment, so this

will be an important step for us.

While we’re reviewing your financials, you’ll have two weeks to review

the franchise disclosure document (FDD). The FDD is a comprehensive

document that covers everything you’ll need to know about our business:

our history, our growth, and our earnings are just a few things that will

be covered. The FDD also lays out what you should expect from us as a

franchisor, and what we’ll expect from you as a franchisee. Information on

the franchise fee and royalties will be important points to explore. Take

your time reviewing this document, and don’t hesitate to ask for help from

an attorney to break down the language. We’re always here to answer

questions if you have them.

Sign Franchise Agreement and Pay Franchise FeeOnce you’ve reviewed the FDD and agree to its terms, and once we’ve

reviewed your background and financial standing, the next step will be

to officially become a franchisee by signing a franchise agreement. You’ll

also pay your franchise fee at this point, officially starting the next steps in

your journey toward opening a franchise. Once the franchise fee is paid,

we can get started on finding you the perfect location!

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own Franchise

Take Advantage of Initial and Ongoing TrainingThe next steps will be to take advantage of our training resources. At AFC,

we work to stay on the cutting-edge of the healthcare field and to offer the

newest and the best to our franchisees when it comes to methodology and

procedures.

New franchisees will take part in a two-day training session that provides

a comprehensive look at our policies and procedures. In this training, we’ll

teach you everything you need to know before opening your clinic so

that you can open your doors as smoothly as possible. Some key topics

include site selection and build out, center set up, physician recruiting,

laboratory operations, credentialing, medical billing, clinic operations, and

more. With all of this information, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running

when your clinic opens for business.

New franchisees will also receive a training manual that includes

comprehensive information on many of the scenarios you’ll face as a

new business owner. AFC’s policies on recruiting, hiring, and staffing are

covered in detail, enabling you to keep your clinic running smoothly.

Finally, American Family Care offers a range of virtual training sessions.

We understand that life at an urgent care facility can be hectic, making

it difficult to find time to attend regional meetings and training seminars

regularly. That’s why American Family Care prides itself on offering

ongoing training through mediums such as conference calls, webinars,

modules, and other e-learning platforms in order to provide franchisees

with continuing education on the ins and outs of running their own

franchise. Clinic staff are provided with access to module-based training so

that they can stay on the cutting-edge of patient care without needing to

take days off for professional development.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own Franchise

Find Your Location and Generate a BuzzWork with our experts to identify just the right location in your community.

Together, we’ll find a location that’s ideal for attracting customers.

We’ll also help you generate a buzz by supporting you in developing a

marketing campaign that’s designed to spread the word about your new

location in your community.

Before you can open your doors, you’ll need to recruit a strong staff of

medical professionals. When it comes to recruiting a strong staff, AFC can

help! Our resources are dedicated to locating and recruiting healthcare

professionals (such as physicians, RNs, medical assistants and techs, and

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own Franchise

so forth) to our franchise clinics. American Family Care helps these professionals stay

current on trends, new developments, and licensing requirements by offering ongoing

professional development and assistance with licensing and credentialing.

When you franchise with AFC, you’ll have access to our extensive library of marketing

materials. Franchisees will enjoy utilizing the many brochures, pre-approved ads,

artwork for direct mail, and other marketing resources that we have developed. In

addition, our franchisees also receive recommendations for marketing that will help

them to more fully develop their territory and customer base. When you franchise

with AFC, we’ll take the headache out of marketing by allowing you access to these

valuable resources. Our customized recommendations combined with our resources will

help you develop just the right marketing campaign for your new location.

Once you’ve found a location and have generated a buzz in your community through

marketing, it’s time to open your doors for business! Now you’ll be able to implement

the many support systems AFC provides to its franchisees.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own FranchiseTRAINING, MARKETING, AND MORE: Resources You Can Benefit from as a Franchisee

Managing Your New BusinessCongratulations! Your doors are open, you’ve recruited a staff, you’ve

announced your new business to your community through marketing, and

you’re running an urgent care clinic. Now it’s time to manage the day-to-

day business. When it comes to staying on top of records, policies, and

procedures, AFC can help.

One important way that we support our franchisees is by providing

technical and clerical support. For instance, billing services provided

by our approved vendors will make insurance collections effortless.

Insurance companies aren’t always simple to work with, but our years

of experience and time-tested systems will help you process and record

these transactions with as little hassle as possible.

We’re also proud to support our franchisees

with our proprietary Electronic Medical Records

(EMR) software platform, designed especially

for American Family Care clinics. With our EMR

system, you’ll be able to streamline multiple

areas of your clinic. For instance, patient intake,

scheduling, and integrated payroll processing

are simplified by using our EMR. American Family

Care’s years of experience franchising have

taught us what our franchisees need in record-

keeping software like an EMR, and we believe

you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this software’s

versatility.

You’ll also have access to our private intranet site,

FranConnect, that contains plenty of information

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own Franchise

and resources on management, marketing, and operational resources.

FranConnect helps our franchisees to communicate with one another on

topics such as marketing materials, policies and procedures, and more.

Networking with FranConnect is a great way to find solutions to your

questions at virtually any time. Stay up-to-date and take advantage of

ongoing training through utilizing FranConnect at your clinic.

By learning and mastering these systems, you’ll be able to keep your

business running smoothly. Take advantage of our years of experience

by utilizing these procedures to make your bookkeeping, scheduling, and

record keeping as simple as possible.

Improving Your Community and Your LifeNow that your AFC clinic is up and running, you can start to enjoy the

benefits. Your community will appreciate the presence of an affordable

urgent care clinic right in their neighborhood. They can come to you for

a range of health issues, from colds and allergies to insect bites. Your

presence will help save space in your local emergency rooms for true

emergencies and provide access to affordable medical care to your

community.

You’ll also start to reap benefits in your personal life. As an AFC

franchisee, you’ll enjoy flexibility as you run your business. You can make

important decisions about staffing, delegation, and the hours you’d like to

work. You’ll be amazed at how much freedom you’ll be able to enjoy while

simultaneously serving your community.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Owning and Operating Your Own FranchiseEXPANSION MEETS PASSION EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISING

As you can see, AFC is here to support our franchisees through each

step toward opening their new business. Whether it’s a strong initial

training or ongoing support, AFC helps our franchisees recruit and

retain staff, find a great location, manage their records, and more. If

you’re interested in starting an urgent care clinic franchise, reach out

to us at AFC and let us help you turn your dream into a reality.

References

1. http://afcfranchising.com/the-opportunity/the-healthcare-franchise-industry/

afcfranchising.com