When Pete Lankarg began exploring franchise ownership, he already knew the industry well. Having worked as a supplier in the franchising world and attended conferences across the country, he understood what separated strong franchise systems from those that struggled to support their owners. He also knew he wanted to invest in something that would make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
That combination led him to Caring Transitions, the franchise specializing in senior relocation, downsizing, estate sales and online auctions. "I downloaded the FDD and read it, and I said, 'This is perfect for me,'" Lankarg said. “I called up Jim [Stapleton], and I said, 'Is Rhode Island available?' And it turns out it was. I said, 'This is a perfect fit for me.'”
Now, as the first Caring Transitions franchisee in Rhode Island, Lankarg has seen firsthand how the brand's business model, franchisee support and growing national presence create opportunities for local owners.
One of the biggest reasons Lankarg believes in Caring Transitions' long-term potential is the continued need for its services. From helping older adults downsize to assisting families with estate cleanouts and relocations, Caring Transitions addresses challenges that people face during major life changes.
"That was one of the biggest things for me with Rhode Island, just understanding the demographic we have there," Lankarg said. “We have so many seniors. It's a region that has a hard time retaining young folks. And so with the demographics of how many seniors are aging out of their homes, and also how high-end the real estate is in parts of our territory, it was a no-brainer for me to invest in a brand like this because there's going to be a need for our services, and it will only continue to accelerate.”
That demand also extends beyond any one geographic market. Families across the country regularly face the difficult process of moving, downsizing or managing a loved one's belongings, creating an ongoing need for professional support.
Unlike businesses that depend on discretionary purchases or changing consumer trends, Caring Transitions provides services tied to significant life events.
Lankarg also sees value in the personal nature of the work. While technology continues to reshape many industries, the empathy, trust and hands-on assistance required during a major life transition remain central to the brand's services.
"To say that we make an impact on the families we work with, they don't call us when they're having a great day," Lankarg said. "They call us when they're completely overwhelmed, typically, and to understand how good we make them feel ... that is a really good feel-good story. And to have a brand to represent that enables us to do that and to develop those relationships."
Beyond the demand for senior transition services, Lankarg points to the growth of CTBids, Caring Transitions' proprietary online estate auction platform, as one of the strongest indicators of the brand's future potential. CTBids allows franchisees to sell clients' household goods through an established online marketplace, connecting local estate sales with a much broader audience of potential buyers.
"For the future of this brand, I can tell you right now, what I'm super excited about is that we just eclipsed one million registered bidders on CTBids," Lankarg said. “That's a very compelling number. It helps us in sales consultations with our prospects to say, 'We're going to be selling your household goods. We have a platform which we share across our entire network that now has over a million bidders.'”
For Lankarg, that growing audience provides a meaningful advantage when introducing Caring Transitions to prospective clients.
"To see that pace of acceleration is crazy, the pace that the brand continues to grow, the new investment that was just made in the brand itself," Lankarg said. “There's a lot of positive markers of what's coming here, I think, and I think we're just getting started.”
Lankarg has also seen the platform's potential play out in his own territory. Although Caring Transitions was already established in neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut, Rhode Island presented an opportunity to build awareness in a new market.
His team began by hosting an auction featuring designer clothing and jewelry that could be shipped to buyers outside the state.
"We have seen a tremendous increase each auction, successively having more local buyers," Lankarg said. "That's a pretty positive indicator, as far as I'm concerned, in terms of just seeing the growth locally. Now, there's still work to be done, but that was probably the biggest challenge as far as the auctions go."
Having worked in the franchise industry before becoming an owner, Lankarg understood that the relationship between franchisor and franchisee would be critical to his experience.
"It wasn't long after I signed my franchise agreement that I had a call from fellow franchisee Mike Marchand, who was in the Tewksbury, Massachusetts location," Lankarg said. “He reached out to say, 'Welcome to Caring Transitions, and however I can help, please let me know.' And he has been there for me since day one.”
That willingness to share knowledge has continued to be an important resource as Lankarg builds his business. "The number of times I've called him up and just said, 'Mike, what do you think? How should I handle this, or what would you do?' And just to have that support system," he said.
For Lankarg, the collaborative culture is particularly encouraging because the success of individual franchisees can contribute to the strength of the entire system.
"As I came from the franchising world, to be able to get together with great minds and with the understanding that a high tide raises all ships, this brand is a powerful representation of that," he said. "Being here at conferences, further validation to see how supportive other franchise owners are within the system, how they like to help each other and how they like to create community and foster more and more relationships that can only do good things for the brand."
For Lankarg, the future of Caring Transitions comes down to several factors working together: growing demand for senior transition services, an expanding online auction platform, a supportive franchise network and the opportunity to build meaningful relationships within local communities.
As awareness grows, Lankarg believes more families will recognize the value of having professional assistance during difficult transitions. "Just to see the number of times that when we talk to folks, they say, 'Oh, my God, I wish I knew about this. When I cleaned out my aunt's house, it was a nightmare,'" he said. “You get those stories all the time.”
Lankarg recalls working with clients who became so comfortable with his team that they continued wanting to spend time together even after the project was complete.
"We became an extension of their family for the few weeks that we were working with them," he said. “That's very meaningful, and there's lots of ways to do business, and some of them are much more transactional, and this is not that at all. You become part of their family. You become part of their world and something that they're very grateful for.”
His experience in franchising and desire to make a difference led him to Caring Transitions, the franchise specializing in senior relocation, downsizing, estate sales and online auctions.
As he looks ahead, Lankarg sees a franchise system with the resources to support its owners, the market opportunity to continue expanding and a mission that will remain relevant as families navigate life's inevitable changes.
"There's a lot of positive markers of what's coming here," he said. “And I think we're just getting started.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/info.
Caring Transitions
SPONSORED
From growing demand for senior transition services to the continued expansion of CTBids, Rhode Island franchisee Pete Lankarg sees a strong foundation for the brand’s future.
When Pete Lankarg began exploring franchise ownership, he already knew the industry well. Having worked as a supplier in the franchising world and attended conferences across the country, he understood what separated strong franchise systems from those that struggled to support their owners. He also knew he wanted to invest in something that would make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
That combination led him to Caring Transitions, the franchise specializing in senior relocation, downsizing, estate sales and online auctions. "I downloaded the FDD and read it, and I said, 'This is perfect for me,'" Lankarg said. “I called up Jim [Stapleton], and I said, 'Is Rhode Island available?' And it turns out it was. I said, 'This is a perfect fit for me.'”
Now, as the first Caring Transitions franchisee in Rhode Island, Lankarg has seen firsthand how the brand's business model, franchisee support and growing national presence create opportunities for local owners.
One of the biggest reasons Lankarg believes in Caring Transitions' long-term potential is the continued need for its services. From helping older adults downsize to assisting families with estate cleanouts and relocations, Caring Transitions addresses challenges that people face during major life changes.
"That was one of the biggest things for me with Rhode Island, just understanding the demographic we have there," Lankarg said. “We have so many seniors. It's a region that has a hard time retaining young folks. And so with the demographics of how many seniors are aging out of their homes, and also how high-end the real estate is in parts of our territory, it was a no-brainer for me to invest in a brand like this because there's going to be a need for our services, and it will only continue to accelerate.”
That demand also extends beyond any one geographic market. Families across the country regularly face the difficult process of moving, downsizing or managing a loved one's belongings, creating an ongoing need for professional support.
Unlike businesses that depend on discretionary purchases or changing consumer trends, Caring Transitions provides services tied to significant life events.
Lankarg also sees value in the personal nature of the work. While technology continues to reshape many industries, the empathy, trust and hands-on assistance required during a major life transition remain central to the brand's services.
"To say that we make an impact on the families we work with, they don't call us when they're having a great day," Lankarg said. "They call us when they're completely overwhelmed, typically, and to understand how good we make them feel ... that is a really good feel-good story. And to have a brand to represent that enables us to do that and to develop those relationships."
Beyond the demand for senior transition services, Lankarg points to the growth of CTBids, Caring Transitions' proprietary online estate auction platform, as one of the strongest indicators of the brand's future potential. CTBids allows franchisees to sell clients' household goods through an established online marketplace, connecting local estate sales with a much broader audience of potential buyers.
"For the future of this brand, I can tell you right now, what I'm super excited about is that we just eclipsed one million registered bidders on CTBids," Lankarg said. “That's a very compelling number. It helps us in sales consultations with our prospects to say, 'We're going to be selling your household goods. We have a platform which we share across our entire network that now has over a million bidders.'”
For Lankarg, that growing audience provides a meaningful advantage when introducing Caring Transitions to prospective clients.
"To see that pace of acceleration is crazy, the pace that the brand continues to grow, the new investment that was just made in the brand itself," Lankarg said. “There's a lot of positive markers of what's coming here, I think, and I think we're just getting started.”
Lankarg has also seen the platform's potential play out in his own territory. Although Caring Transitions was already established in neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut, Rhode Island presented an opportunity to build awareness in a new market.
His team began by hosting an auction featuring designer clothing and jewelry that could be shipped to buyers outside the state.
"We have seen a tremendous increase each auction, successively having more local buyers," Lankarg said. "That's a pretty positive indicator, as far as I'm concerned, in terms of just seeing the growth locally. Now, there's still work to be done, but that was probably the biggest challenge as far as the auctions go."
Having worked in the franchise industry before becoming an owner, Lankarg understood that the relationship between franchisor and franchisee would be critical to his experience.
"It wasn't long after I signed my franchise agreement that I had a call from fellow franchisee Mike Marchand, who was in the Tewksbury, Massachusetts location," Lankarg said. “He reached out to say, 'Welcome to Caring Transitions, and however I can help, please let me know.' And he has been there for me since day one.”
That willingness to share knowledge has continued to be an important resource as Lankarg builds his business. "The number of times I've called him up and just said, 'Mike, what do you think? How should I handle this, or what would you do?' And just to have that support system," he said.
For Lankarg, the collaborative culture is particularly encouraging because the success of individual franchisees can contribute to the strength of the entire system.
"As I came from the franchising world, to be able to get together with great minds and with the understanding that a high tide raises all ships, this brand is a powerful representation of that," he said. "Being here at conferences, further validation to see how supportive other franchise owners are within the system, how they like to help each other and how they like to create community and foster more and more relationships that can only do good things for the brand."
For Lankarg, the future of Caring Transitions comes down to several factors working together: growing demand for senior transition services, an expanding online auction platform, a supportive franchise network and the opportunity to build meaningful relationships within local communities.
As awareness grows, Lankarg believes more families will recognize the value of having professional assistance during difficult transitions. "Just to see the number of times that when we talk to folks, they say, 'Oh, my God, I wish I knew about this. When I cleaned out my aunt's house, it was a nightmare,'" he said. “You get those stories all the time.”
Lankarg recalls working with clients who became so comfortable with his team that they continued wanting to spend time together even after the project was complete.
"We became an extension of their family for the few weeks that we were working with them," he said. “That's very meaningful, and there's lots of ways to do business, and some of them are much more transactional, and this is not that at all. You become part of their family. You become part of their world and something that they're very grateful for.”
His experience in franchising and desire to make a difference led him to Caring Transitions, the franchise specializing in senior relocation, downsizing, estate sales and online auctions.
As he looks ahead, Lankarg sees a franchise system with the resources to support its owners, the market opportunity to continue expanding and a mission that will remain relevant as families navigate life's inevitable changes.
"There's a lot of positive markers of what's coming here," he said. “And I think we're just getting started.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/caringtransitions/info.
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