Always Best Care, a senior care franchise headquartered in Rocklin, California, is embarking on a comprehensive expansion of its business model and leadership structure following a change in ownership. The organization, which currently operates 298 territories across 31 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, is pivoting toward a strategy of revenue stream diversification and enhanced referral network development to accelerate growth for its franchise owners.
This strategic shift comes approximately seven months after the private equity firm NexPhase became the majority investor in the company. The transition included a reinvestment of proceeds from existing investors, Gemini Investors and Plenary Partners. According to Jake Brown, president and CEO of Always Best Care, the new sponsorship has provided the capital and support necessary to overhaul the company’s internal technology stack and expand its executive team to better support franchise operations.
Strategic Focus on Referral Network Expansion
At the core of the company’s growth plan is a mandate to help franchise owners maximize their market reach from the moment they launch. Brown emphasized that the ability to identify and secure diverse referral sources is the primary factor in moving the needle for new and existing locations. Rather than relying on a single payer source, the company is actively encouraging its partners to build a broader “basket of opportunities.”
In recent years, the industry has seen a notable shift in referral patterns. While private pay remains a foundation, there has been a significant increase in the utilization of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and Medicaid programs. Brown noted that while the viability of these payer sources can vary by state, the most successful franchise owners are those who have successfully diversified their portfolios to include multiple streams of income. This approach is being framed as an essential adaptation to changing market conditions and increased regulatory scrutiny regarding program integrity.
Technology and Infrastructure Upgrades
To support this expansion, Always Best Care is undergoing a significant digital transformation. The company is currently migrating its internal operating systems away from QuickBooks toward NetSuite to improve data management and scalability. This transition is being paired with the development of a new internal portal designed to streamline communication and operations for franchise owners.
Additional technical investments include the implementation of a new franchise sales CRM and a move to the Microsoft 365 platform, including SharePoint. These infrastructure changes are intended to provide franchise owners with more robust tools to manage their daily business activities and track performance metrics. These efforts are part of a broader “flurry of activity” initiated since the partnership with NexPhase began, aimed at ensuring the company’s internal systems can support a larger, more complex franchise network.
Building a Stronger Executive and Sales Force
The company’s leadership team is also expanding to align with these growth goals. Recent personnel moves include the hiring of a new chief marketing officer and a director of IT. The company is also actively recruiting a high-level executive tasked specifically with the development of new payer referral sources at the national, regional, and local levels.
For individual franchise owners, the company is emphasizing the importance of dedicated sales personnel. Always Best Care provides a three-day physical sales training program held quarterly, which is designed to ensure that sales representatives understand the complexities of the senior care model. Brown described this as a “tag team” approach, where the owner and the salesperson work in tandem to accelerate the acquisition of referrals. By professionalizing the sales function at the local level, the company aims to ensure that its growth strategy is executed consistently across all 298 territories.
Navigating Regulatory and Market Challenges
When asked about the challenges of managing a franchise system, Brown highlighted the difficulty of ensuring that all partners are fully aligned with the corporate model. The company’s success, he noted, depends on its ability to provide vendor relationships and tools that are both effective and easy for owners to adopt. This is particularly relevant as the company addresses the increased focus on Medicaid program integrity.
While the company provides guidance and encourages diversification, Brown acknowledged that franchise owners make their own independent business decisions. “Franchisees make their own decisions, and at best we can influence them, and at worst they do what they want to do,” he stated. However, the company continues to suggest that providers with a heavy focus on Medicaid explore additional avenues, such as the VA and private pay, to build a more resilient business model. The company’s long-term vision remains focused on becoming one of the top senior care franchise organizations globally, leveraging its new partnerships and technology to catch up with and potentially surpass established competitors in the sector.
The company has not announced a specific date for the next phase of its executive hiring or the full rollout of its new internal portal, but it continues to operate under the strategic framework established during the initial months of the NexPhase partnership. Readers are encouraged to monitor future corporate announcements regarding the company’s expansion into new territories and further updates to its service offerings.