Nathan and Sommer Bradds didn't enter Caring Transitions with plans to simply maintain an existing business. After experiencing the brand firsthand as clients helping Nathan's parents through a difficult life transition, they saw an opportunity to build something much larger.
Today, the husband-and-wife team operates Caring Transitions across Greater Dayton, Ohio, after acquiring two neighboring territories within a month of each other. In their first year of ownership, they grew revenue by roughly 50%, doubled their staff to more than 30 employees and built a referral network that continues to fuel expansion. Here’s how.
Rather than purchasing a single territory, the Bradds recognized an opportunity to build greater operational efficiency by acquiring two adjacent markets simultaneously.
"We bought two different territories that touch each other, and we did that within a month of each other," Nathan said. "We were buying the first one and then the other owner that was selling it was interested in selling theirs, and it really made a lot of sense based on where it was located."
Like many resale franchise opportunities, the business already had an established reputation. The Bradds focused on preserving what worked while building additional momentum.
"Things have been going great so far," Nathan said. "There was a learning curve. We bought a couple of existing franchises and were focused on retaining the right employees and putting them in the right spot. We've grown tremendously, about 50% growth in year one and we've doubled the staff. We are seeing a lot of pickup in business and we are hoping to see the same this year."
Scaling a service business requires more than increasing demand. It requires building an organization capable of consistently delivering an exceptional client experience. For the Bradds, hiring outstanding people has been one of the biggest drivers of growth.
“We have over 30 employees and when you look at their resumes, 70% of them have at least a bachelor's or master's degree, so they are in it for the long haul and they love this industry,” Sommer said. “They are just really good humans, and that has made things a lot easier. They don't view this as a job. They take a lot of pride in how the job gets done. That is super helpful for us because we know they are going to get treated the right way. The satisfaction of the client is really the best part.”
As the business has grown, the couple has continued investing in leadership positions that will support future expansion. "We have seen a tremendous amount of success and continued to grow," Nathan said. "We are continuing to put people in positions that will help us expand."
While Caring Transitions provides a comprehensive suite of senior relocation, downsizing, estate sale and move management services, long-term growth often comes from becoming a trusted resource within the local community.
The Bradds have intentionally focused on building referral relationships with organizations and professionals who regularly work with older adults and their families.
"The reception has been great in the community," Nathan said. "We had some good branding when we came in and we've really grown that by getting some key relationships in the area. The service that we can provide in the community is such a needed thing that typically once people find out what we do, they are very interested and they come back to use us again."
Those relationships have developed into consistent referral channels. "We have some senior living communities that we have become the primary referral partners on, for example, and realtors and probate attorneys have become a huge part of revenue for us as well," Nathan said.
Combined with repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, those partnerships have created a strong foundation for continued expansion.
Another major contributor to the Bradds' rapid growth has been CTBids, Caring Transitions' proprietary online estate auction platform. According to Sommer, demand for the platform has accelerated dramatically in recent years.
"CTBids has exploded in popularity," she said. "That really happened during COVID. The growth is tremendous — they give us all the data and the algorithms to grow our own platform."
Today, the operation runs between 15 and 20 online auctions each month. "We are seeing 30% higher returns on items," Sommer said. "The platform has over a million bidders now. We've gotten a very strong presence, both nationally and locally."
For franchisees, CTBids creates another scalable revenue stream while introducing new customers to the broader suite of Caring Transitions services.
Even with strong demand, the Bradds have remained disciplined about growing at a pace their team can support. "We are really exceeding every goal we have set for ourselves, but there is so much more business to be had," Sommer said. "We are really trying to stay within the confines of what we can handle."
That intentional approach allows the business to continue delivering the compassionate experience that first inspired them to become owners.
"What I've really enjoyed is that we are more than a couple of years out from the time we were introduced to Caring Transitions as clients," Sommer said. "We got into it because we were so blown away. We acquired a lot of those same employees. And I love that we are only doing an even better job than what we were originally blown away by as clients. I didn't even realize that was possible!"
She says one of the most rewarding parts of ownership is the lasting impact the team has on families. "We love helping others fall in love with their services and create an environment where they are calling weeks or months later just because they miss talking to us," she said.
Although the Bradds already serve communities across Greater Dayton, they believe there is still significant room for future growth. As they continue investing in their people and strengthening their local relationships, they see even greater opportunities ahead.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions.
Caring Transitions
SPONSORED
The Bradds’ story shows how Caring Transitions franchisees can scale by investing in people, strengthening community relationships and leveraging the brand's systems to support sustainable growth.
Nathan and Sommer Bradds didn't enter Caring Transitions with plans to simply maintain an existing business. After experiencing the brand firsthand as clients helping Nathan's parents through a difficult life transition, they saw an opportunity to build something much larger.
Today, the husband-and-wife team operates Caring Transitions across Greater Dayton, Ohio, after acquiring two neighboring territories within a month of each other. In their first year of ownership, they grew revenue by roughly 50%, doubled their staff to more than 30 employees and built a referral network that continues to fuel expansion. Here’s how.
Rather than purchasing a single territory, the Bradds recognized an opportunity to build greater operational efficiency by acquiring two adjacent markets simultaneously.
"We bought two different territories that touch each other, and we did that within a month of each other," Nathan said. "We were buying the first one and then the other owner that was selling it was interested in selling theirs, and it really made a lot of sense based on where it was located."
Like many resale franchise opportunities, the business already had an established reputation. The Bradds focused on preserving what worked while building additional momentum.
"Things have been going great so far," Nathan said. "There was a learning curve. We bought a couple of existing franchises and were focused on retaining the right employees and putting them in the right spot. We've grown tremendously, about 50% growth in year one and we've doubled the staff. We are seeing a lot of pickup in business and we are hoping to see the same this year."
Scaling a service business requires more than increasing demand. It requires building an organization capable of consistently delivering an exceptional client experience. For the Bradds, hiring outstanding people has been one of the biggest drivers of growth.
“We have over 30 employees and when you look at their resumes, 70% of them have at least a bachelor's or master's degree, so they are in it for the long haul and they love this industry,” Sommer said. “They are just really good humans, and that has made things a lot easier. They don't view this as a job. They take a lot of pride in how the job gets done. That is super helpful for us because we know they are going to get treated the right way. The satisfaction of the client is really the best part.”
As the business has grown, the couple has continued investing in leadership positions that will support future expansion. "We have seen a tremendous amount of success and continued to grow," Nathan said. "We are continuing to put people in positions that will help us expand."
While Caring Transitions provides a comprehensive suite of senior relocation, downsizing, estate sale and move management services, long-term growth often comes from becoming a trusted resource within the local community.
The Bradds have intentionally focused on building referral relationships with organizations and professionals who regularly work with older adults and their families.
"The reception has been great in the community," Nathan said. "We had some good branding when we came in and we've really grown that by getting some key relationships in the area. The service that we can provide in the community is such a needed thing that typically once people find out what we do, they are very interested and they come back to use us again."
Those relationships have developed into consistent referral channels. "We have some senior living communities that we have become the primary referral partners on, for example, and realtors and probate attorneys have become a huge part of revenue for us as well," Nathan said.
Combined with repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals, those partnerships have created a strong foundation for continued expansion.
Another major contributor to the Bradds' rapid growth has been CTBids, Caring Transitions' proprietary online estate auction platform. According to Sommer, demand for the platform has accelerated dramatically in recent years.
"CTBids has exploded in popularity," she said. "That really happened during COVID. The growth is tremendous — they give us all the data and the algorithms to grow our own platform."
Today, the operation runs between 15 and 20 online auctions each month. "We are seeing 30% higher returns on items," Sommer said. "The platform has over a million bidders now. We've gotten a very strong presence, both nationally and locally."
For franchisees, CTBids creates another scalable revenue stream while introducing new customers to the broader suite of Caring Transitions services.
Even with strong demand, the Bradds have remained disciplined about growing at a pace their team can support. "We are really exceeding every goal we have set for ourselves, but there is so much more business to be had," Sommer said. "We are really trying to stay within the confines of what we can handle."
That intentional approach allows the business to continue delivering the compassionate experience that first inspired them to become owners.
"What I've really enjoyed is that we are more than a couple of years out from the time we were introduced to Caring Transitions as clients," Sommer said. "We got into it because we were so blown away. We acquired a lot of those same employees. And I love that we are only doing an even better job than what we were originally blown away by as clients. I didn't even realize that was possible!"
She says one of the most rewarding parts of ownership is the lasting impact the team has on families. "We love helping others fall in love with their services and create an environment where they are calling weeks or months later just because they miss talking to us," she said.
Although the Bradds already serve communities across Greater Dayton, they believe there is still significant room for future growth. As they continue investing in their people and strengthening their local relationships, they see even greater opportunities ahead.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions.
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