Launching a new business is never simple, but for many Caring Transitions franchisees, the early days are defined less by uncertainty and more by momentum. Across the system, new owners are finding ways to ramp up quickly, build strong teams and establish themselves in their communities by leaning into the brand’s systems, support and mission-driven work.
For franchisees like Jay McElrath and Cristin Fishel, success didn’t come from waiting for business to arrive. It came from taking action early, learning fast and fully committing to building a real business from day one. Their experiences highlight five key lessons for new Caring Transitions owners looking to hit the ground running.
McElrath came into ownership with growth in mind. He treated the launch as the start of a larger operation and made early decisions around staffing, space and structure with that goal in view. “I felt that was going to be the most beneficial for me,” he said. “Really focusing this on being a business and not a side gig.”
That mindset translated into immediate action. From hiring early to securing warehouse space, McElrath built infrastructure quickly to support demand. “I’ve been staying very busy since I started, which is a blessing,” he said. “I’ve had to expand my resources with hiring additional people. I also just recently leased out an office warehouse space and a flex warehouse.”
Fishel echoed that same level of commitment, especially when transitioning from a completely different industry. “It’s hard in the beginning going from knowing every aspect of an industry my whole life to completely transitioning into a different industry,” she said. “Lots of lessons learned in the beginning.”
For both owners, success started with fully stepping into the role of business owner from day one.
Fast starts require strong support, and both franchisees prioritized building capable teams right out of the gate.
“One of my bigger assets was having a business development rep on my team,” McElrath said. “I hired one right out of the gate. She has over 20 years of marketing experience. That has helped tremendously.”
He also built a well-rounded team across operations, including an operations manager, a team leader with estate sale experience and even caregivers he trusted from personal experience. “They are wonderful hard workers. That was the base of my team,” he said.
Fishel took a similarly intentional approach, focusing on understanding her team members as individuals. “I really tried to focus on getting to know them as individuals so I could identify their strengths,” she said. “Being able to delegate opportunities has been great so they could flourish and expand.”
The takeaway is clear: early investment in people creates the capacity to grow faster and serve clients better.
While building a team is critical, both franchisees emphasized the importance of hands-on involvement, especially early on.
“I felt like the best thing that I could do to be successful was to just be involved straight out of the gate, doing every aspect of every job,” Fishel said. “Understanding every aspect, from the auction to the home cleanout and consolidation.”
That deep involvement not only helped her learn the business quickly but also positioned her to lead effectively as she scaled. “I knew it would be important to understand what I am asking people to do and what the job really is,” she said.
Looking back, she even sees more opportunity for hands-on learning. “Don’t be afraid to get out there and get your hands dirty and understand more about the service you are taking on and how it works,” she said.
McElrath stayed close to the day-to-day work as the business got off the ground, including contracts and administrative tasks. That early involvement gave him a clearer view of where the operation needed support as demand increased.
A fast start also requires steady outreach. McElrath and Fishel both focused early on building referral sources, meeting local contacts and making sure people in the community knew what Caring Transitions offered.
“On day one, I went around to open houses and went to every one that I could find and met every realtor that was there,” Fishel said. “Within seven to nine months, I started getting referrals from new clients who were referred to me by some of our first clients.”
McElrath also emphasized the importance of visibility and consistent outreach. “Spreading the word and talking with everybody that I can is important,” he said. “Social media has been a big help in flooding the market.”
From digital marketing to in-person networking, both franchisees demonstrate that early momentum comes from proactively building awareness and trust in the community.
Finally, neither franchisee built their business alone. Both highlighted the importance of learning from others within the Caring Transitions system.
“I’ve taken a lot of pages from a lot of other owners, putting bits and pieces of that together,” McElrath said. “Reaching out and talking to other owners was really beneficial to me.”
Fishel also recognized the value of learning — both through the brand’s onboarding and through additional hands-on experience. “If I could start over again, I would spend even more time doing the work with some of the other local owners and building those relationships,” she said.
Combined with Caring Transitions’ structured onboarding, coaching and tools, this collaborative network helps new owners shorten the learning curve and avoid common pitfalls.
McElrath and Fishel took different paths, but both moved quickly once they launched. They hired early, stayed involved in the work, built local relationships and used the support available through the Caring Transitions system.
The result is not just early momentum, but meaningful impact. For many Caring Transitions franchisees, success is defined by the ability to help families navigate some of life’s most challenging transitions with compassion and care. And for those willing to take action early, the path to hitting the ground running is already mapped out.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/info.
Caring Transitions
SPONSORED
To hit the ground running, new Caring Transitions franchisees committed fully, built infrastructure early, fostered strong teams and used the franchise's support system.
Launching a new business is never simple, but for many Caring Transitions franchisees, the early days are defined less by uncertainty and more by momentum. Across the system, new owners are finding ways to ramp up quickly, build strong teams and establish themselves in their communities by leaning into the brand’s systems, support and mission-driven work.
For franchisees like Jay McElrath and Cristin Fishel, success didn’t come from waiting for business to arrive. It came from taking action early, learning fast and fully committing to building a real business from day one. Their experiences highlight five key lessons for new Caring Transitions owners looking to hit the ground running.
McElrath came into ownership with growth in mind. He treated the launch as the start of a larger operation and made early decisions around staffing, space and structure with that goal in view. “I felt that was going to be the most beneficial for me,” he said. “Really focusing this on being a business and not a side gig.”
That mindset translated into immediate action. From hiring early to securing warehouse space, McElrath built infrastructure quickly to support demand. “I’ve been staying very busy since I started, which is a blessing,” he said. “I’ve had to expand my resources with hiring additional people. I also just recently leased out an office warehouse space and a flex warehouse.”
Fishel echoed that same level of commitment, especially when transitioning from a completely different industry. “It’s hard in the beginning going from knowing every aspect of an industry my whole life to completely transitioning into a different industry,” she said. “Lots of lessons learned in the beginning.”
For both owners, success started with fully stepping into the role of business owner from day one.
Fast starts require strong support, and both franchisees prioritized building capable teams right out of the gate.
“One of my bigger assets was having a business development rep on my team,” McElrath said. “I hired one right out of the gate. She has over 20 years of marketing experience. That has helped tremendously.”
He also built a well-rounded team across operations, including an operations manager, a team leader with estate sale experience and even caregivers he trusted from personal experience. “They are wonderful hard workers. That was the base of my team,” he said.
Fishel took a similarly intentional approach, focusing on understanding her team members as individuals. “I really tried to focus on getting to know them as individuals so I could identify their strengths,” she said. “Being able to delegate opportunities has been great so they could flourish and expand.”
The takeaway is clear: early investment in people creates the capacity to grow faster and serve clients better.
While building a team is critical, both franchisees emphasized the importance of hands-on involvement, especially early on.
“I felt like the best thing that I could do to be successful was to just be involved straight out of the gate, doing every aspect of every job,” Fishel said. “Understanding every aspect, from the auction to the home cleanout and consolidation.”
That deep involvement not only helped her learn the business quickly but also positioned her to lead effectively as she scaled. “I knew it would be important to understand what I am asking people to do and what the job really is,” she said.
Looking back, she even sees more opportunity for hands-on learning. “Don’t be afraid to get out there and get your hands dirty and understand more about the service you are taking on and how it works,” she said.
McElrath stayed close to the day-to-day work as the business got off the ground, including contracts and administrative tasks. That early involvement gave him a clearer view of where the operation needed support as demand increased.
A fast start also requires steady outreach. McElrath and Fishel both focused early on building referral sources, meeting local contacts and making sure people in the community knew what Caring Transitions offered.
“On day one, I went around to open houses and went to every one that I could find and met every realtor that was there,” Fishel said. “Within seven to nine months, I started getting referrals from new clients who were referred to me by some of our first clients.”
McElrath also emphasized the importance of visibility and consistent outreach. “Spreading the word and talking with everybody that I can is important,” he said. “Social media has been a big help in flooding the market.”
From digital marketing to in-person networking, both franchisees demonstrate that early momentum comes from proactively building awareness and trust in the community.
Finally, neither franchisee built their business alone. Both highlighted the importance of learning from others within the Caring Transitions system.
“I’ve taken a lot of pages from a lot of other owners, putting bits and pieces of that together,” McElrath said. “Reaching out and talking to other owners was really beneficial to me.”
Fishel also recognized the value of learning — both through the brand’s onboarding and through additional hands-on experience. “If I could start over again, I would spend even more time doing the work with some of the other local owners and building those relationships,” she said.
Combined with Caring Transitions’ structured onboarding, coaching and tools, this collaborative network helps new owners shorten the learning curve and avoid common pitfalls.
McElrath and Fishel took different paths, but both moved quickly once they launched. They hired early, stayed involved in the work, built local relationships and used the support available through the Caring Transitions system.
The result is not just early momentum, but meaningful impact. For many Caring Transitions franchisees, success is defined by the ability to help families navigate some of life’s most challenging transitions with compassion and care. And for those willing to take action early, the path to hitting the ground running is already mapped out.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/info.
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