Pete First Discusses How BrightStar Care Attracts Franchise Candidates for In-Home Care Services

Due to an increasingly growing aging U.S. population, fueled largely by the Baby Boomer generation, there is a growing need for in-home senior care. Demand creates opportunities for franchises like BrightStar Care, a home care and medical staffing franchisor with more than 400 locations nationwide. It also creates competition and the challenge of finding the best franchisees who fit with the core values and culture of the brand.

Chief Development Officer Pete First shares his thoughts on how BrightStar Care is using digital advertising, technology, and broker networks to attract franchise candidates. The franchise highlights its purpose-driven services and account programs to consistently drive business for its franchisees.

First also talks about how his development team works in sync with consumer marketing, what BrightStar Care looks for in a franchise candidate, and the brand’s approach to continued growth.

Can you discuss the role of digital marketing and technology in your franchise development and marketing efforts, especially in the context of recent industry trends?

First: BrightStar Care leverages a robust PPC and digital advertising strategy to attract new franchisees. Combined with a franchise-development-specific website driving organic inquiries, this has resulted in a strong pipeline of qualified candidates. Advances in technology, such as text responses and chat options, have also offered multiple touchpoints for prospective franchisees to connect with our development team. On the consumer side, our marketing is “always on,” running across multiple channels to continually drive business to our franchisees.

What unique challenges and opportunities arise when working in both franchise development and marketing within the franchise industry?

First: The greatest challenge, and opportunity, is keeping pace with the constant changes in traditional Google PPC algorithms while also adapting to the rise of AI-driven search platforms like Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT. We’re seeing a growing number of inquiries originating from AI, which has become a critical focus area for both our franchise development and consumer marketing efforts.

How does BrightStar Care leverage its marketing efforts to attract new franchisees while maintaining consistency with the existing brand identity?

First: We lead with purpose-driven storytelling, spotlight franchisee success, and consistently highlight our differentiators. In a highly competitive space, our nurse-led care, Joint Commission Accreditation, and extensive national accounts program set us apart to drive business to our franchisees. All of those are captured in our Knowing Care consumer marketing campaign. Many of our franchisees are personally connected to home care through their own families or loved ones, which creates a natural draw to the brand and deepens their desire to serve their communities.

Is there a certain kind of profile that you look for in a franchise candidate, and if so, how do you go about identifying that?

First: One of the questions we always hear is, “Do I need a healthcare background to become a successful franchisee?” The answer is no. Our franchisees come from diverse backgrounds, like corporate management, sales, education, hospitality, and more. What matters most is being growth-minded, proactive, and capable of building and leading a strong team. With demand for home care services expanding daily, the best candidates are those who recognize the need, approach it with a strong business mindset, and have a genuine passion for serving others.

What is your biggest ongoing challenge in attracting qualified franchise candidates?

First: Our priority is ensuring candidates are the right fit for our brand, culture, and core values. From there, we need to ensure candidates understand that BrightStar goes beyond the typical personal and companion care offered by most competitors. Our ability to expand into skilled care, hospital-at-home, staffing, and national accounts truly sets us apart from many brands in the industry.

Do you work with franchise brokers? If so, what are the primary benefits and drawbacks of using them in your franchise recruitment process?

First: We’re increasingly leaning into broker networks and see a significant opportunity for growth through these partnerships. Targeted outreach has already helped raise awareness with positive results. With a mature brand like ours, it’s important that brokers understand we still have strong territory availability. As these relationships evolve, we expect them to become an even more valuable part of our recruitment process.

What are some factors you look for when adding a franchise location in a new market?

First: Demographics are our starting point in this process, in which overall population, senior count, and household income are critical indicators. We also evaluate referral sources and the competitive landscape. Competition isn’t viewed negatively; rather, it validates the need for services. Ultimately, success comes down to finding the right franchisee to capture that opportunity in the market.

How do you bridge the gap between franchise development and marketing?

First: In our industry, most of our franchise candidates have a personal connection to home care, either through caring for a loved one or knowing someone who has. Because of this, we frequently see candidates migrate from our consumer website to our development site. We also see a direct correlation in franchise development activity when our national consumer advertising is running. To bridge the gap, we ensure our development strategy is in sync with the consumer marketing cadence and any other brand initiatives. Understanding the consumer marketing cadence and how to capitalize on that activity to attract franchisees is an important part of our lead generation process.

What advice would you give to emerging franchise brands looking to establish a strong presence in both franchise development and marketing?

First: Most importantly, make sure the unit economics work and you have a solid foundation from which to grow. Early franchisees play a pivotal role, as their validation is what gives prospective owners confidence in the brand. Companies that combine strong economics with real investment in franchisee support create compelling stories for both development and marketing.

What excites you the most about the future of BrightStar Care?

First: The demand for our services will always be there, and we continue to evolve by integrating technology into the business. From recruitment and onboarding to caregiver retention, we’re constantly exploring solutions that make our franchisees more efficient while maintaining the highest standards of care. Innovations that improve both operations and client outcomes represent a true win-win for the entire BrightStar Care system.