Austin-Based Franchisee Reflects on First Year Of Ownership with Children’s Lighthouse

Bradley Fink, a consultant with over 12 years of experience managing large-scale projects, took a leap into entrepreneurship with the opening of his Children’s Lighthouse franchise in April 2024. Armed with a background in financials, organization and stakeholder management, Fink decided to channel his passion for education and community into a business that blends personal fulfillment with social impact. In just nine months, his center in Kyle, Texas, has set records, achieving the fastest enrollment growth in Children’s Lighthouse history.

Fink’s passion for education, along with a strong management team and enthusiastic, experienced teachers, all sharing a commitment to excellence have fueled the center’s rapid success. With a focus on creating a nurturing and enriching environment, the school has become a trusted resource for families in the area. 

As Fink approaches the one year anniversary of opening his Children’s Lighthouse location, 1851 Franchise spoke with him about his franchise journey thus far and his plans for the future. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Bradley Fink: I come from a consulting background. I’ve been consulting on large-scale projects for the last 12 years, which was a great experience for me. I learned a lot about financials, organization, people management, client management, stakeholder management, and managing objectives and big goals.

But I always wanted to own my own business and explore what entrepreneurship looked like. I considered a range of options — from franchising to non-franchising — across different industries. Interestingly, it was a friend of mine who owned a competing brand who got me into looking at the child care industry in general.

I’ve always loved kids, and I feel education is an incredibly important aspect of everyone’s life. Looking back, my own education certainly played a significant role in the success I’ve experienced in my life. I thought opening a child care business was a great way to provide a community benefit while also achieving my goal of owning a business — essentially hitting the best of both worlds.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Fink: Perception-wise, I initially thought franchising could be an easier way to enter an industry where you may not have deep experience ahead of time. But I also recognized some potential drawbacks, particularly the royalty fees, which were definitely a concern for me when I first started considering franchising.

However, as I started researching different industries and brands, the royalty fees became less of a concern. You realize the value you’re getting from the brand you’re working with. For example, with Children’s Lighthouse, the value I get from the brand is incredible — whether it’s the curriculum, marketing support, operational support, or all the tools and processes they provide. For me, the royalty fee is worth it, hands down. My biggest initial concern was completely nullified once I did my research on this particular brand.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Fink: I did a ton of research heading into this decision because it’s a huge financial and time investment. I ended up talking to most of the big national brands during the initial phases of my due diligence process. What really drove my decision was Children’s Lighthouse’s Texas-based, family-oriented structure. They’re big enough to have national recognition and great people on staff with excellent curriculums, but they’re not so big that you feel like just another number.

They really take the time to get to know each and every franchisee who joins them, and I truly feel they have our best interests at heart. The trust they were able to build with me during the due diligence process was key.

Secondly, in the Austin market, there aren’t too many Children’s Lighthouse locations. I was the fourth one to open and the first south of the city. For me, it’s exciting to enter a relatively fresh market where I can help establish the reputation of Children’s Lighthouse in this area. I don’t have to worry about the reputation built by other owners or schools — I get to set the premier brand expectation here. Building that local trust in the brand at a community level was really important to me as well.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Fink: My vision since we opened has been to be the best preschool in Hays County, where our school is located. That’s the driving objective we focus on every day and every month as we work to continue improving.

From a metrics standpoint, I aim to be a top 10 school in terms of revenue across the brand. I’m incredibly excited that we’re already achieving that within our first year. As we move into year two, maintaining that level of excellence and continuing to be the premier school in the area is really important to me.

1851: What has the first year been like for you?

Fink: Within five weeks of opening, we had the highest and strongest growth rate in Children’s Lighthouse history. We enrolled over 100 kids within our first four weeks. We’ve been open since April, so just over nine months now — we’re heading into our ninth month. We opened right before summer, which naturally brought some fluctuations. For example, some of the APK kids left us to start kindergarten, and there were transitions as we welcomed summer students.

That said, we’ve been steadily growing since August. We’re hitting most of our targets in terms of growth and the number of students, which is close to where we want to be.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Fink: Definitely do your research. Look at the different options available within the preschool industry because there are distinct differences across the brands. I’d say talking to the franchisor is absolutely essential to understand their perspective on things. But it’s equally important to build connections with existing franchise owners.

For me, visiting some of the schools before signing my franchise agreement was invaluable. I also made a point of asking some very tough questions to existing owners — why they chose to invest in the brand and why they continue to do so. Those discussions were incredibly illuminating. Obviously, the feedback was positive since I did end up signing, but you gain a lot of insight by hearing different perspectives depending on the role people have within the brand.

I’ve also tried to take on that responsibility myself. I’ve built strong relationships with franchisees who are behind me in the process, whether they’re opening soon or planning to in the next couple of months. I try to be a mentor to them, offering the same support I received from other owners during my opening process.

ABOUT CHILDREN’S LIGHTHOUSE:

The Children’s Lighthouse brand was established in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1997. Children’s Lighthouse Early Learning Schools™ promise to create a safe, fun, and happy place that gives children confidence, a sense of comfort today, and a lifelong love of learning, friendship, and community. Its proprietary curriculum helps children of all ages develop healthy brains, bodies and best behaviors.